Answer
Short Answer: The companions promised Paradise have qualified for such a position because of their good deeds and support of this religion in the most difficult times, especially at the very early stage of Islam when every sincere support and sacrifice was desperately needed. It is noteworthy that these are not the only people promised Paradise. There were other companions–males and females–who were given similar glad tidings of Paradise.
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Asalamu Alaikum Navera,
Thank you for your interesting question.
The Ten Noble Companions Promised Paradise
There are many hadiths that specify ten of the noble companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him-PBUH) with the glad tidings of resting in Paradise in the hereafter. One of these hadiths reads as follows:
Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Omar is in Paradise, Ali is in Paradise, Othmaan is in Paradise, Talhah is in Paradise, Az-Zubair is in Paradise, Abdur-Rahman bin Auf is in Paradise, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas is in Paradise, Sa`id bin Amr bin Nofail is in Paradise, and Abu Obaidah bin Al-Jarrah is in Paradise. (Ahmad)
Sa`id bin Zaid, who is one of these ten companions promised Jannah (paradise), mentioned that he was in Al-Kufa Masjid (now in Iraq) when a man by the name of Qais bin `Alqamah was vulgarly insulting Ali bin Abi Talib.
Sa`id strongly condemned such insults and testified that he had heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “Abu Bakr is in Paradise, Omar is in Paradise […]” to the end of the hadith as mentioned above.
Then, he commented:
Indeed, a single incident that these people attended with the Prophet (PBUH) when his face was covered with dust (in the battle field) is better than [all] the deeds one of you does in his entire life, even if his life be as long as that of Prophet Noah (PBUH- who lived), more than 950 years. (Abu Dawud)
Sa`id’s comment gives us some deeper understanding as to why these ten companions were given the glad tidings of Paradise during their life.
So, it is clear that the companions promised Paradise have qualified for such a position because of their good deeds and support of this religion in the most difficult times, especially at the very early stage of Islam when every sincere support and sacrifice was desperately needed.
Other Male and Female Companions in Paradise
It is noteworthy that these are not the only people promised Paradise. There were other companions–males and females–who were given similar glad tidings of Paradise. It is recorded that:
Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, the grandsons of the Prophet, are the leaders of the youth in Paradise. (At-Tirmidhi)
Many ladies were promised Paradise as well. Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH), was promised of a palace in Paradise. (Muslim)
Lady Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH), was given the glad tidings of being the mistress or the queen of women in Jannah. (At-Tirmidhi)
Another example is that of a lady who used to have epileptic episodes. The Prophet prayed to Allah for her and promised her Jannah. (Al-Bukhari)
So many other examples are mentioned in these hadiths mentioning Jannah. Not only were individuals given glad tidings of Paradise, but also certain groups and categories of believers mentioned both in the Quran and hadith were promised Paradise. Allah Almighty says in the Quran:
{And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.} (An-Nisaa 4:69)
To conclude, these ten companions are very well-known among those promised Paradise. Yet, there is no reference in these hadiths, or elsewhere, that these people are exclusively the ones who are promised Paradise.
I hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Asalam.
From Ask About Islam Archives
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