Lesson 7: Fiqh during the era of the companions

Question 1

When exactly is the era of the companions?

Answer 1

مرحلة الخلافة الراشدة تحديداً
The Era of the Rightly Guided Caliphate Specifically (Abu Bakr, Uthmān, and Alī)

This starts from the 11th hijrī year, when the messenger ﷺ passed away and Abu bakr became the caliph, until the 40th year of the hijra

There were many companions after this, but here we are referring to their influence and when they had great effect, and when deviants didn’t exist (in great number, as after the era of Alī رضي الله عنه many deviant groups like the murjiah came even during the time of the sahaba.

To further benefit from this issue, in the 10th volume in majmu’ al fatawā page 357, he discusses this issue

Question 2

Station of the era of the companions as meant by the messenger ﷺ and it’s importance

Answer 2

عَنْ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: “وَعَظَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم مَوْعِظَةً وَجِلَتْ مِنْهَا الْقُلُوبُ، وَذَرَفَتْ مِنْهَا الْعُيُونُ، فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! كَأَنَّهَا مَوْعِظَةُ مُوَدِّعٍ فَأَوْصِنَا، قَالَ: أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ، وَالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ وَإِنْ تَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيينَ، عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ؛ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ”.
[رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ]
، وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:266] وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.

On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-’Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. So we said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I counsel you to have taqwa (fear) of Allah, and to listen and obey [your leader], even if a slave were to become your ameer. Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], for verily every bidah (innovation) is misguidance.”

[Abu Dawud]
It was related by at-Tirmidhi, who said that it was a good and sound hadeeth.
- This hadith shows us that the sahaba were vast in comprehending which the prophet was upon, as such we follow them and cling on to it

Question 3

How the station of the era of the companions’ sheds light on عهد التفسير التشريعي the era of the legislative interpretation

Answer 3

• They explained/shed light on the Quran and Sunnah, the wisdom, reasoning and meaning of it
• They opened the door of الإستنباط-extract/deduce rulings (from the Quran and Sunnah), and this Ijtihad that they did (in extracting) became an example for all who came after them رضوان الله عليهم

Question 4

How the station of the era of the companions taught us principles of issues that came after the prophet ﷺ

Answer 4

• نوازل (New/ unprecedented issues) and مستجدات (New developments) that weren’t at the time of the messenger ﷺ they brought ayat and ahadith for it, which shows the Quran and Sunnah are

صالح لكل زمان ومكا
Suitable for all times and places

As such, anyone who studies fiqh must study the era of the companions and understand it, as ﷲ gave them fiqh (understanding) that we don’t have.

Question 5

How did the companions separate themselves from all who came after them (what did they have)

Answer 5

• They were there with the messenger ﷺ

They were eyewitnesses, their opinion is given more credibility and taken into more consideration than anyone after. If a robbery occurs, the police will take the words of a witness and act upon it, rather than rumors here and there

• they were pure Arabs

Language got tainted after it, new words, new Muslims, whenever a new type of people enter the land, they bring their baggage with their qualities, tradition and language-and their articulation of words, harakat had issues)

• stripped from desires that those after had

None of the companions are innovators, deviants.