[Q 423] Ruling on Insulting the Sahabah, Is Disrespecting Sahabah Kufr? Insulting Sahabah and Its Consequences

QUESTION:

What is the ruling on someone who insults the sahabah? Is this kufr?

ANSWER:

The Sahabah Kiraam عليهم الرضوان (noble companions) are those exalted souls whom Allah Almighty honoured with the companionship of Mustafa Kareem صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم personally purified their inner and outer selves and expressed their virtues and greatness.

Therefore, to speak ill of them, belittle their status, use offensive language against them, or show any form of disrespect or insolence toward them is extreme boldness, strictly impermissible and Haram (Haram – prohibited), a grave sin, and a clear deviation and irreligiousness. Such a person is bad mazhab (of a deviant sect) and excluded from Ahl-e-Sunnat (the Sunni mainstream).

In fact, insulting the two noble Shaykhayn Kareemayn (i.e., Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله تعالى عنهما) or calling the Sahabah Kiraam disbelievers in general – these have been declared as Kufr (disbelief) by the esteemed Fuqahaa (Islamic jurists).

Hence, it is Fard (Fard – obligatory) to always speak well of the Sahabah Kiraam عليهم الرضوان and it is necessary to only mention their honour and greatness.

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم commanded the mentioning of the Sahabah with goodness and prohibited insulting them. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said:

اكرموا اصحابي فانهم خياركم

[Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Hadith 20876]

Another blessed Hadith states:

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم «الله الله في أصحابي، لا تتخذوهم غرضا بعدي، فمن أحبهم فبحبي أحبهم، ومن أبغضهم فببغضي أبغضهم، ومن آذاهم فقد آذاني، ومن آذاني فقد آذى الله، ومن آذى الله فيوشك أن يأخذه»

[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3862]

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Translated answer
Date: 4th July 2025.