The Blessed Companions عشرہ مبشرہ

One thing that all men of faith strive towards is the entrance to Jannat-ul-Firdaus. For a believer, paradise is always within reach, lest we tend to stray from the path leading to it. The people who will be blessed with the entry to Paradise on the Day of Judgment is only known to Allah (SWT), and Allah (SWT) alone.

However, there are those who were beloved by Allah (SWT) to the extent that they were promised Paradise in the hereafter, during the course of their lifetime on earth. These ten individuals are known as “Ashara Mubashara”, the ten who were promised paradise, and include the following:

1. Hazrat Abu Bakr ibn Abu Quhafa
2. Hazrat Omer ibn Khattab
3. Hazrat Usman ibn Affan
4. Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib
5. Hazrat Talha ibn Ubaydillah
6. Hazrat Zubayr ibn al-Awwaam
7. Hazrat AbdurRahman ibn 'Awf
8. Hazrat Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
9. Hazrat Sa'id ibn Zayd
10. Hazrat Abu 'Ubayda, 'Aamir ibn 'Abdillah ibn al-Jarrah

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself presented these ten individuals with glad tidings of Jannah, during his lifetime. He is known to have stated these ten names in a hadith pertaining to those companions for whom Paradise has been pre-ordained by Allah (SWT) on account of their services to Islam.

In a hadith narrated by Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Awf, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, ‘Umar will be in Paradise, ‘Usmaan will be in Paradise, ‘Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, al-Zubayr will be in Paradise, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf will be in Paradise, Sa’d will be in Paradise, Sa’eed will be in Paradise, and Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarraah will be in Paradise.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi: 3680)

These companions were awarded this rite of passage to Paradise for their deep loyalty to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the services and sacrifices they made for the sake of Islam and all that it stood for. All ten of these companions had impeccable characters, had supported the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in all levels of hardships. They stayed, where many had deserted the Prophet (PBUH). All of them embraced Islam in the early years of its inception. They had blind faith in not only the Prophet (PBUH) but also Allah (SWT) Himself. They followed the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) without question and helped spread the message of Islam in as many ways as possible to them.

When the Prophet (PBUH) had a revelation regarding the change of Qibla for prayers from Masjid-Aqsa to the Holy Kaabah, and he changed his direction while saying his Salah, every one of these companions followed suit, without any hesitation. They made great services towards the cause of Islam throughout the course of their lifetimes; and each made his own contributions in different spheres as well. They fought valiantly against the enemies of Islam in multiple battles and protected the Holy Prophet (PBUH) above all else. Their support and love for the Prophet (PBUH) was unmatched and recognized by the Prophet (PBUH).

However, in the Quran, Allah (SWT) promises Paradise to all the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and those who strive in the way of Islam. Just like the ten individuals who were given glad tidings of Paradise during their lifetime, Allah (SWT) also gives hope to all the other companions of the Prophet (PBUH) who stood by him through thick and thin and served the cause of Islam. There is hope for each and every one of us, who have strong and unrelenting faith, who dedicate their lives to Islam and all that it encompasses.

"Not equal among you are those who spent (freely) and fought before the Victory, (with those who did so later). Those are higher in rank than those who spent (freely) and fought afterwards. But to all has God promised a goodly (reward). And God is well acquainted with all that ye do." (Al-Hadid: 57/10)