The ahl us suffah comprised those men of Madinah who had no house of their own and no source of living.
They lived outside the masjid Nabawi on a plat form or bench in dire poverty.
It was initially available at the northeastern corner of the mosque and Prophet Muhammad SAW ordered it to be covered by palm leaves in order to provide shade, hence it was called Al-Suffah or Al-Zullah (الظلة); i.e. the shade.
It is estimated that al-Suffah held up to 300 people at a time, but they were merely increasing and decreasing in numbers
They were constantly at the service of the Prophet SAW and gained blessing of his company.
They included both the ansar and the muhajirs (emigrants).
The Muslim looked after them, but most of all the Prophet served them meals very often.
Outstanding among the Ahle Suffa were(Radi allahu anhum)
- Abu Hurayrah
- Abu Dharr al ghifari
- Wathilah bin Asqa
- Qays bin Tahfah al Ghifari
- Kab ibn Malik al Ansari
- Saeed ibn Aamir ibn Hazim
- Salman al Farsi
8, Asma ibn Harithah ibn Saeed al Aslami - Hanzalah ibn Abu Aamir al Ansari (He wac, the one whom the angels gave a bath when he was martyrd at Uhud)
- Hazim ibn Harmalah
- Harithah ibn Numan al Ansari al Najjari
- Huzafah ibn Usayd Abu surrayhah AI-Ansari
- Huzayfah ibn Yaman
- }ariyah ibn Jamil ibn Shabah ibn Qirt
- Juayl ibn Suraqah al Dumari
- Jurhad ibn Khuwaylid al Aslami
- Rafaah Abu Lubabah al Ansari
- Abdullah Dhar al Bijadayn
- Dukayn ipn Saeed al Mozane
- I<hubayb ibn Yasaf ibn Anabah
- Kharim ibn Aws al Tai
- Kharim ibn Fatik al Asadi
- Khunays ibn Hazafah al Sahami
- Khabbab ibn al Art
- AI Hakam ibn Umiayrat Thamali
- Harmalah ibn A yas
- Zayd ibn al Khattab
- Abdullah ibn Masood
- AI-Tafawi al Dawsi
- Talhah ibn Amir al Nadir
- Safwan ibn Bayda al Fari
- Shuayb ibn Sanan al Rumi
- Shaddad ibn Usayd
- Shaqram the freed slave of the Prophet
- Al-Said
- Salim ibn Umayr
- Salim ibn Ubayd al Ashjai
- Safinah the freed slave of the Prophet
- Salim the freed slave of Abu Huzayfah
- Abu Fazin
- Al-Agharr al Mazani
- Bilal ibnFabah
- Al-Barra ibn Malik al Ansari
- Thawban the freed slave of the Prophet
- Thabit ibn Wadiah al Ansari
- Thaqif ibn Amr ibn Shamit al Asadi
- Sa’ d ibn Malik Abu Saeed al Khudri
- Al Arbad ibn Sariyah
Some hadeeth on Ahle Suffa
Narrated Abu Huraira: I saw seventy of As-Suffa men and none of them had a Rida’ (a garment covering the upper part of the body). They had either Izars (only) or sheets which they tied round their necks. Some of these sheets reached the middle of their legs and some reached their heels and they used to gather them with their hands lest their private parts should become naked.Sahih al-Bukhari 442
Narrated Abu Huraira:You people say that Abu Huraira tells many narrations from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and you also wonder why the emigrants and Ansar do not narrate from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as Abu Huraira does. My emigrant brothers were busy in the market while I used to stick to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) content with what fills my stomach; so I used to be present when they were absent and I used to remember when they used to forget, and my Ansari brothers used to be busy with their properties and I was one of the poor men of Suffa. I used to remember the narrations when they used to forget. No doubt, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) once said, “Whoever spreads his garment till I have finished my present speech and then gathers it to himself, will remember whatever I will say.” So, I spread my colored garment which I was wearing till Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had finished his saying, and then I gathered it to my chest. So, I did not forget any of that narrations.Sahih al-Bukhari 2047
Narrated Abu `Uthman: Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr said, “The Suffa Companions were poor people and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Whoever has food for two persons should take a third one from them (Suffa companions). And whosoever has food for four persons he should take one or two from them’ Abu Bakr took three men and the Prophet (ﷺ) took ten of them.” `Abdur Rahman added, my father my mother and I were there (in the house). (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether `Abdur Rahman also said, ‘My wife and our servant who was common for both my house and Abu Bakr’s house). Abu Bakr took his supper with the Prophet (ﷺ) and remained there till the `Isha’ prayer was offered. Abu Bakr went back and stayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) till the Prophet (ﷺ) took his meal and then Abu Bakr returned to his house after a long portion of the night had passed. Abu Bakr’s wife said, ‘What detained you from your guests (or guest)?’ He said, ‘Have you not served them yet?’ She said, ‘They refused to eat until you come. The food was served for them but they refused.” `Abdur Rahman added, “I went away and hid myself (being afraid of Abu Bakr) and in the meantime he (Abu Bakr) called me, ‘O Ghunthar (a harsh word)!’ and also called me bad names and abused me and then said (to his family), ‘Eat. No welcome for you.’ Then (the supper was served). Abu Bakr took an oath that he would not eat that food. The narrator added: By Allah, whenever any one of us (myself and the guests of Suffa companions) took anything from the food, it increased from underneath. We all ate to our fill and the food was more than it was before its serving. Abu Bakr looked at it (the food) and found it as it was before serving or even more than that. He addressed his wife (saying) ‘O the sister of Bani Firas! What is this?’ She said, ‘O the pleasure of my eyes! The food is now three times more than it was before.’ Abu Bakr ate from it, and said, ‘That (oath) was from Satan’ meaning his oath (not to eat). Then he again took a morsel (mouthful) from it and then took the rest of it to the Prophet. So that meal was with the Prophet. There was a treaty between us and some people, and when the period of that treaty had elapsed the Prophet (ﷺ) divided us into twelve (groups) (the Prophet’s companions) each being headed by a man. Allah knows how many men were under the command of each (leader). So all of them (12 groups of men) ate of that meal.”Sahih al-Bukhari 602
‘Abd al-Rabman b. Abu Bakr reported that the people of Suffa were very poor. Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said (to his Companions):He who amongst you has food for two persons should take three (guests with him). and he who has with him food for four persons should take five or six (guests with him for entertaining them). It was (in accordance with these instructions of the Holy Prophet) that Abu Bakr brought three persons, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) brought ten persons (as guests to their respective houses). Abu Bakr had brought three persons (he himself, and myself), my father and my mother (along with therm). He (the narrator) said: I do not know whether he also said: My wife and one servant who was common between our house and that of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr had had his evening meal with Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ). He stayed here until night prayer had been offered. He then came back (to the house of Allah’s Apostle) and stayed there until Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) felt drowsy and (Abu Bakr) then came (back to his own house) when (a considerable) part of the night had been over, as Allah had desired. His wife said to him: What held you back from your guests? He said: Oh! have you not served them the evening meal (by this time)? She said: It was in fact served to them. but they refused to eat until you came. He (‘Abd al-Rahman) said: I slunk away and bid myself. He (Abu Bakr) said: O, you stupid fellow, and he reprimanded me, and said to the guests: Eat, though it may not be pleasant now. He said: By Allah. I will never eat it He (‘Abd al-Rahman) said: By Allah. we did not take a morsel when from beneath that (there appeared) more until they had eaten to their fill, and lo! it was more than what it was before. Abu Bakr saw that and found that it was so or more than that. He said to his wife: Sister of Band Firis, what is th-is? She said: By the coolness of my eyes. it is in excess by three times over the previous one. Then Abu Bakr ate saying: That was from the Satan (viz. his vow for not eating the food). He then took a morsel out of that and then took it (the rest) to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and it was kept there until morning, and during (those days) there was a covenant between us and some other people, and the period of covenant was over, and we had appointed twelve officials with every person amongst them. It is Allah only Who knows as to how many people were there with each of them. He sent (this food to them) and all of them ate out of it.Sahih Muslim 2057 a
It has been reported on the authority of Anas b. Malik that some people came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said to him:Send with us some men who may teach us the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Accordingjy, he sent seventy men from the Ansar. They were called the Reciters and among them was my maternal uncle. Haram. They used to recite the Qur’an, discuss and ponder over its meaning at night. In the day they brought water and poured it (in pitchers) in the mosque, collected wood and sold it, and with the sale proceeds bought food for the people of the Suffa and the needy. The Prophet (ﷺ) sent the Reciters with these people, but these (treacherous people) fell upon them and killed thern before they reached their destination (While dying), they said: O Allah, convey from us the news to our Prophet that we have met Thee (in a way) that we are pleased with Thee and Thou art pleased with us. (The narrator said): A man attacked Haram (maternal uncle of Anas) ) from behind and smote him with a spear which pierced him. (While dying), Haram said: By the Lord of the Ka’ba, I have met with success. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his Companions: Your brethren have been slain while they were saying: O Allah, convey from us to our Prophet the news that we have met Thee in a way that we are pleased with Thee and Thou art pleased with us.Sahih Muslim 677 k
Blessed were the Ahle Suffa. May Allah allow us to follow the footsteps of our Prophet(SAW) and our Akabereen.
Note : This is a continuation of Sahaba Series.You can read other article on this series here-
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