Aṣ-Ṣaḥāba (اَلصَّحَابَةُ) were the companions of the Prophet ﷺ. They were the followers of the Prophet, they supported what he did and was always around him. However, they all were always being tested with many different trials and hardships.
This is a brief story regarding the life of 5 (3 in this part) of the righteous companions of the Prophet ﷺ, who all of them have been given the glad tidings of Paradise, 3 briefly explained here in Part 1, and 2 more will be explained briefly in Part 2 Insha-Allāh.
Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Quḥāfah was perhaps one of the most known of the companions. He was the friend of the Prophet ﷺ during his youth until he had reached old age. Even through hardships, he remained being a loyal companion. He had strong Īmān (faith) and big generosity, and he was even called 'the truthful one'. Whatever wealth he had, he spend it in a good manner, treating it as if it had belonged to the community of the believers.
One of the most notable stories of Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) and Muhammad ﷺ was the story of Hijrah and the days in the cave.
Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) said in the Qur'an:
Abū Bakr was even described as:
"Weak in body but strong in the affairs of Allāh, humble in himself but dignified with Allāh, He was honored in the sight of people, and held with great esteem in their hearts."
Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ibn Nufail ibn Abdul-Uzza al-Quraishi al-Adawi (رضي الله عنه) was a companion related the the Prophet ﷺ through his 8th ancestor. He had the nickname Abū Hafs, and his mother was Ḥantamah bint Hishām, who was the cousin of Abū Jahl. ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) was born three years after the year of the Elephant, being one of the Quraish. Because of this, whenever fighting occurred between the Quraish and other tribes, they used to deputize ʿUmar as their envoy. They also deputized him in the gatherings of boasting that were held during the days of Jāhilīyyah (preislamic ignorance).
When ʿUmar had reached the stage of puberty, his father started to teach him to care for camels, pasturing the animals in Daghnan. He trained ʿUmar how to bear the difficulties and hardships that came along with this job. Whenever ʿUmar got tired and wanted to rest, his father used to push him to increase the hardship on ʿUmar. This was a good thing, this taught him to be strong.
After ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) was nominated as caliph, he once passed by the pasture and said:
"Allāh is the Most High. How strange is the vicissitude of fate! I used to pasture my camels here, in this grazing land wearing a woolen shirt. If I got tired, my father used to beat me. Now, I am the ruler, and no one is above me except Allāh (عز و جل)."
During his youth, he practiced the professions that the noble Arabs had practiced, ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) practiced genealogy, wrestling, oration and horsemanship. Eventually, he became a skillful senior genealogist and an unsurpassable wrestler. He wrestled in the wrestling field of ʿUkaz.
ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān ibn Abul-ʿAas bin Umayyah ibn ʿAbd Shams (رضي الله عنه) was a Quraishi and Umayyan. He met the Prophet ﷺ at Abd Manaf. He was nicknamed Abū ʿAbdullah (father of ʿAbdullah), and Abū ʿAmr. ʿAbdullah was his son from Ruqayyah (رضي الله عنها), who was the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ. ʿAbdullah died when he was six years old, in the fourth year AH. ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) was also nicknamed Dhun-Nurayn (the possessor of the two lights) because he was married to Ruqayyah and ʿUmm Kulthum (may Allāh be pleased with them). They were the two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ, and ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) was the only man who married two of the Prophet's daughters.
During his reversion to Islam, he frequently attended meetings by those like him. He could especially be found at the house of Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه), which was often a meeting place for the righteous men of Quraish.
Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنه) had invited the people he trusted to Islam, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān being one of those people. Abū Bakr said to ʿUthmān:
"Woe to you, ʿUthmān! By Allāh, you are a prudent and sensible man who distinguishes between right and wrong. The idols that your people worship are mere stones that hear not, see not and neither benefit nor harm!"
Then ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) said:
"Yes indeed. By Allāh, they are nothing but what you have said."
Then Abū Bakr (رضي الله عنه) said:
"This is Muhammad ibn ʿAbdullah, whom Allah sent as a Messenger to all mankind. Would you like to come and hear him?"
Then ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) said:
"Yes, I shall come."
And then while they were in that state, the Prophet ﷺ came accompanied by ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه). The Prophet ﷺ said to ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه):
"O ʿUthmān! Respond to Allāh concerning His Paradise. I am the Messenger of Allah to you and to his creation."
Then ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) said:
"By Allāh, when I heard these words, I could not help but to revert to Islam, and utter the Testimony of Faith: 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.'"
Part 2 will continue this with 2 more companions, Insha-Allāh.
May Allāh bless you, and shukran.
Sources :
Information of the companions are from the book "The Precious Pearls" published by Darussalam Research Division.
1. Qurʾān 9:40