The Book of the Merits of the Companions

Zaid b. Arqam reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

O Allah,, grant forgiveness to the Ansar, the offspring of the Ansar and the offspring of the offspring of the Ansar. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shulba with the same chain of transmitters.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sought forgiveness for the Ansar and he said:

I think (he also sought forgiveness) for the children of the Ansar and the slaves and the freed men of the Ansar. I have no doubt about it.

Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw children and women of the Ansar coming back from a wedding feast. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up motionless (as a mark of respect) and said:

O Allah, (bear witness) (and addressing the Ansar), said: You are dearest to me amongst people, (and said: O Allah (bear witness) (and addressing the Ansar), said: You are dearest to me amongst people. And he meant Ansar.

Anas b. Malik reported that a woman from the Ansar came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood aside with her and said:

By Him in Whose Hand is my life, you are dearest to me amongst the people. He repeated it thrice.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The Ansar are my family and my trusted friends. and the people would increase in number whereas they (the Ansar) would become less and less, so appreciate the deeds of those from amongst them who do good and overlook their failings.

Abu Usaid reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The worthiest clans of the Ansar are Banu Najjar, thereafter Banu al-Ashhal; thereafter Banu Harith b. Banu Khazraj; thereafter Banu Sa'idah and there is goodness in all clans of the Ansar. Sa'd said: I see that he (the Prophet) has placed others above us. It was said to (him): He has placed you above many others.

Abu Usaid Ansari has reported this hadith through another chain of transmitters. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was marching towards Badr in order

Anas reported a hadith like this from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) but he has made no mention in the hadith of the words of Sa'd.

Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. Talha reported:

I heard Abu Sa'ld delivering an address in the presence of Abu 'Utba that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The worthiest settlements of the Ansar are those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Ashhal and then of Banu Harith and then of Banu Khazraj and then of the clan of Banu Sa'idah, and if I were to give preference to anyone besides them I would have given preference to my relatives.

Abu Usaid Ansar reported:

I bear witness to the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The best settlements of the Ansar are of those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Aslihal and then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj, then of Banu Sa'ida and there is in every settlement of the Ansar good. Abu Salama reported that Abu Usaid said: Can I tell a Iie about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? And if I were a liar, I would have started with my tribe Banu Sa'ida. This was conveyed to Sa'd b. 'Ubida and he found (rankling) in his mind and said: We have been left behind (in the sense) that we have been (mentioned) last of the four. He (Sa'd) sid: Saddle my pony so that I should go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). His nephew saw him and said: Are you going to contradict (the order of) precedence set by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), whereas Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has the best knowledge of it? Is it not sufficient for you that you are the fourth amongst the four (best tribes of the Ansar)? So he returned and said: Allah and His Messenger know best, and he commanded that his pony should be unsaddled.

Abu Usaid Ansari reported that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The worthiest of the Ansar or the worthiest of the settlements and the clans of Ansar; the rest of the hadith is the same, but there is no mention of the story of Sa'd b. 'Ubida (Allah be pleased with him).

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying in a large gathering of the Muslims:

Should I not tell you of the best clans of the Ansar? They said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , (kindly) do this. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: That is Banu Abd al-Ashhal. They said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , then next? He said: Banu Najjar. They again said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , then next? He said: Then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj. They then said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , then next? He said. Then of Banu Sa'ida. They said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , then next? He said: There is good in all the clans of the Ansar. It was upon this that Sa'd b. Ubida stood up in annoyance and said: Are we the last of the four as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has determined (the order of precedence) of their clans? He decided to talk with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on this issue, but the people Of his tribe said to him: Be seated, are you not happy with this that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ' (ﷺ) has mentioned your clan as one of the four (best) clans and those whom he left and did not mention (the order of their precedence) are more than those whom he mentioned? And Sa'd b. 'Ubada dropped the idea of talking to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (on this issue).

Anas b. Malik reported:

I set out along with Jabrir b. 'Abdullah al-Bajali on a journey and he used to serve me. I said to him: Don't do that. Thereupon he said: I have seen Ansar doing this with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I swore by Allah whenever I accompany any one of the Ansar, I would serve him and Ibn Muthanni, and Ibn Bashshir made this addition in their narrations: Jarir was older than Anas, and Ibn Bashshir said: He was of a more advanced age as compared with Anas. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked blessings for the tribes of Ghifar and Aslam.

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

Go to your people and say that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) says: Ghifar (is a tribe) to whom Allah granted pardon, and Aslam (is the tribe) to whom Allah granted safety.

Abu Dharr reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

To the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety and to the tribe of Ghifar Allah has granted pardon.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated through other chains of transmitters on the authority of Jabir and Abu Huraira that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

To the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety and to the tribe of Ghifar Allah has granted pardon.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

To the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety and to the tribe of Ghifar Allah has granted pardon. Verily it is not I that say this, but (it is) Allah the Exalted and Glorious. (who) says this.

Khufaf b. Jura' reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said in prayer:

O Allah, hurl curse upon the tribe of Lihyan and Ri'l aid Dhakwan and Usayya for they disobeyed Allah and His Messenger, (and for) Ghifar Allah has granted pardon and for the tribe of Aslam Allah has granted safety.