صحابة
Ṣaḥāba
Group
Those who met the Prophet, believed in him, and died as Muslims; the first generation of the community.
What it means
The Quran says: “God was pleased with the first forerunners among the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and those who followed them in goodness” (9:100), and also with those who pledged allegiance under the tree (48:18). The Prophet said “do not curse my Companions” (Sahih al-Bukhari). Sunnis hold that all were upright as transmitters, and the science of hadith still examines each narrator in detail.
What the sources say
The Companions are the source of the Quran’s transmission and of the hadith. All the schools agree that their reports need to be examined.