The Most Virtuous Companions after the Ten

After the ten most virtuous companions , those who came after them in virtue were:

Those who participated in the Battle of Badr, the great victory, the day of criterion, because Allah made the distinction between truth and falsehood clear on that day. He honored the Muslims and disgraced the idol worshipers.

Badr is a well known village approximately 200 miles from Madeenah, the Battle of Badr took place during the day of Jum’ah [Friday], the 27th of Ramadaan, of the second Hijri year.

It was authentically reported that the messenger of Allah - صلى الله عليه وسلم – said:

Indeed Allah has looked at the participants of the Battle of Badr and said: ‘Do as you wish, for indeed I have forgiven you.’”

Al Imam Ahmad collected a Hadeeth with an authentic chain on the authority of Jaabir:

Nobody who has participated in the Battle of Badr or the Treaty of Hudaybiyah will enter the Fire.

After the participants in the Battle of Badr, those who come after them in virtue are the participants of the Pledge of Allegiance of Ridwaan [Bay’at al Ridwaan], under the ‘tree’. It was named Hudaybiyah due to a well there, not far from Makkah.

‘Umar ibn al Khataab - may Allah be pleased with him, ordered the tree to be cut down and its location be concealed for fear that it may be a source of Fitnah [deviation] after it reached him that people started traveling to visit it, praying there and seeking blessings from it. He said: ‘Concealing it was a mercy from Allah.’

Some stated that the participants of the Battle of Uhud come before the participants of the Pledge in terms of date and virtue, but the correct opinion is that the participants of the Pledge are more virtuous that the participants of the Battle of Uhud due to the evidences from the Book and the Sunnah supporting that.

Seventy Muslims were martyred the Battle of Uhud, amongst them was Hamza, Allah revealed concerning them:

Think not of those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, with their Lord, and they have provision.Aal ‘Imraan: 169

And in a Hadeeth collected by Muslim, the Messenger would say when he visited them:

As salaam ‘alaykum due to your patience, what a delightful abode the last one is.

Concerning the participants of the treaty of Hudaybiyah Allah said:

Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the Bay'ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) under the tree, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakeenah (calmness and tranquility) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory.Al Fat-h: 18

Because of it, victory was granted, and a lot of good came to pass. What is intended by ‘victory’, is the treaty of Hudaybiyah, those who pledged allegiance to him there are the ones who conquered Khaybar, then Makkah was conquered in the eighth year Hijri.

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Historical details of the battles mentioned were omitted from this article.