The Hardships at Uhud: A Test, not Punishment : The noble Companions as evident from: وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّـهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ (154), were actually tested through their sufferings at the battle of Uhud. This was no punishment. The objective was to make true and sincere Muslims distinct from the hypocrites. The mode was a &test of inner qualities&. The eloquent Qur&anic expression أَثَابَكُمْ (He awarded you sorrow), which is suggestive of punishment, can be resolved by saying that the outward form was, no doubt, that of punishment but the real purpose was a sort of affectionate correction, something similar to a well-meaning reprimand from a father to his son or a teacher to his student. In common usage, this can be called a punishment of some sort, but this is, in all reality, a form of training and correction. This is very different from a pure legal punishment. Why did Muslims suffer at Uhud ? The last part of verse 154 beginning with لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ (so that Allah may test) seems to indicate that the cause of hardships faced by Muslims was this wise divine arrangement. But, the statement: إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا in the verse (155) following immediately seems to suggest that some past mistake of theirs is the cause of this Satanic effect. The answer is that the particular past mistake was the obvious reason which gave Satan the incentive to make them slip once again, an effort in which the شیطان Satan incidentally succeeded. But there was much more to it; there were wise arrangements made by the Creator behind this slip and its outcome. These have been covered under the expression لِيَبْتَلِيَكُمْ :&so that Allah may test&. In Ruh al-Ma&ani, a report from Zajjaj says that the Satan made them recall some of their sins in the presence of which they hesitated to appear before their Lord. So they moved away from Jihad hoping to fight later on following personal correction and thus meet Allah as martyrs in Jihad. One sin becomes the Cause of another: From the last verse we discover that one sin drags in yet another sin, very much like one good deed which pulls in- another good deed. In other words, all deeds - good and bad - have a sort of magnetic pull of their own. When a person accomplishes a good deed, experience shows that other good deeds become easy on him. His very heart starts desiring to do what is good and righteous. Similarly, a person who commits a sin finds that it has cleared the way for other sins. His very heart starts desiring to do what is sinful. Therefore, some elders say: ان من جزاء الحسنۃ الحسنۃ بعدھا ، وان من جزاء السیٔۃ السیٔۃ بعدھا the ready reward of a good deed is another good deed which a person is enabled to accomplish and the ready punishment of an evil deed is another evil deed the way to which has been cleared by the first.& In Masa&ilus-Suluk, Maulana Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح) has said: As explained in hadith, sin makes the heart dark and when the heart goes dark, Satan شیطان prevails.& The position of the Noble Companions (رض) in the sight of Allah Almighty : As briefly stated earlier, the mistakes made by some. noble Companions (رض) at the battle of Uhud were intrinsically serious. The majority from among the fifty Companions who were commanded by the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) to guard a hill-top strategic point, with clear instruction not to leave their duty-post, no matter what happens at the battle front underneath, moved away from their assigned place. Granted that the reason for their abandonment of the post of duty was an erroneous independent judgment, as they thought their side had won the battle. The order to guard their post, according to their view, had been carried out, therefore, they thought, they could go down and join in with the rest of Muslims. But, in reality, their action was in clear contravention of definite instructions given by the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) . This mistake of theirs motivated them to leave the battlefield, no matter how this is explained, as reported earlier from Zajjaj. Moreover, this retreat from the battlefield took place while the Messenger of Allah was with them unmoved from the front line and calling them back from behind them. If this situation is viewed without reference to personalities and circumstances that action would certainly be classed as a very serious breach of conduct in a military encounter. In fact, of the many blames imputed to various Companions under the unfortu¬nate genre of Mushajarat (the mutual quarrels and armed confronta¬tions between the noble Companions which took place after the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم)) this would be rated as the most serious. But, something more worthy of consideration is what Allah Almighty has done in their case inspite of all their mistakes. Stated right here in the present verses, is how their grief was physically changed into tranquility through drowsiness. Then, they were told that their suffering was no punishment; it was a matter of test. Then came the clearly worded proclamation of forgiveness for them. It will be recalled that these have appeared earlier, yet they have been reaf¬firmed here. There is an element of wisdom behind this repetition. The first time it was said, the purpose was to comfort the noble Compan¬ions themselves. Incidentally, here is a refutation of what the hypo-crites said to Muslims. They chided them for not acting on their advice, as a result of which they (the Muslims) suffered all those hardships. In short, all these related verses make it very clear that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah hold a unique position of affec¬tion in His sight inspite of such serious mistakes made by them. Not only that they have been pardoned and forgiven but actually they have been blessed with much more. They have been made special recipients of Allah&s grace and mercy. This is what comes from Allah Almighty Himself through the authentic words of the Holy Qur&an. A similar case, as reported in hadith, relating to Sayyidna Hatib ibn Abi Bilta&ah (رض) was brought before the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) . He had written a letter to the mushrikin (disbelievers) of Makkah in which he had passed on information about Muslims living in Madinah. When the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) was told about it through a revelation, the letter was intercepted. The noble Companions (رض) were very angry with Sayyidna Hatib ibn Abi Bilta&ah (رض) for what he had done. Sayyidna ` Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, asked for permission to behead that &hypocrite&. But, the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) knew that Hatib was no hypocrite; he was a true, sincere Muslim but he had made a mistake inadvertently. So, he forgave him his mistake and declared that he was one of the people (veterans) of Badr and, perhaps, Allah Almighty has enforced general pardon for all participants of Badr, (This narration appears in all authentic books of ahadith). The Noble Companions (رض) : Lesson for Muslims It is based on this affirmation that the followers of Sunnah and Jama` ah (ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama&ah: Muslims who adhere to the practice of the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) and that of his blessed Companions (رض) find the confirmation of their belief and practice. That is, even though the noble Companions are not above sin, for sins can be and have been committed by them, but despite this, it is not permissible for the Muslim community to ascribe any evil or defect to them in a derogatory manner. When Almighty and His Messenger (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) forgave such serious slips and errors coming from them and dealt with them generously and mercifully and gave them the great station of (رض) و رضوا عنہ &may Allah be pleased with them and may they be pleased with Allah,& how can anyone claim to have the right to talk about anyone of them in a derogatory manner? This is why Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar (رض) on hearing somebody satirize Sayyidna ` Uthman al-Ghani (رض) and some noble Companions (رض) by saying that they had run away from the battlefield, the reference being to this incidence at Uhud, said, &Nobody has the right to criticize that which Allah has expressly proclaimed to have been forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari). Therefore, all doctrinal source-books of the ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama` ah unanimously agree that it is wajib or necessary to honour the position of the noble Companions and to abstain from criticizing, mocking or speaking ill of them. It appears in al-` Aqa` id an-Nasfiyah: و یکف عن ذکر الصحابہ الا بخیر ~ It is necessary that one should not talk about the Companions except in a good manner. In Sharh al-Musamarah, Ibn Humam has said: اعتقاد اھل السنۃ تزکیۃ جمیع السحابۃ والثناء علیھم The belief of the followers of the Sunnah is that all Companions were purified and that they be remembered with praise. This is what appears in Sharh Muwaqif: یجب تعظیم الصحابۃ کلھم و الکف عن القدح فیھم It is obligatory to honour the Companions, all of them; and avoiding satire or criticism against them is equally manda¬tory. Abridged below is what Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah (رح) has said in al-&Aqidatul Wasitiyah: |"It is a cardinal belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama&ah that Muslims must refrain from accusing or criticizing any Companion of the Holy Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) in the matter of disagreements or armed conflicts which may have come up among them. There is a reason for this. Most of the narrations imputing drawbacks in them which have crept into history are a pack of lies planted by enemies. They simply have no truth in them. Then, there are others in which the reality has been reversed by additions and alterations. Even if, there was some truth about something, that has to be taken as the independent judgment of the Companions in which they have no choice. Going a step further, we can assume a situation where they may not be helpless but be capable of using their choice, then, what works there is the Divine Law إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ that is, good deeds make up for the bad ones. And it is more than obvious that nobody can claim equality with them in the matter of good deeds. The good they did cannot be matched by the good done by anybody else. Similarly, nobody else can be more deserving of the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Almighty as compared to them. Therefore, nobody has the right to sit on judgment against them and call their deeds to account and in that process, criticise or speak ill of them.|"
