Another important point here is the meaning of “Sahaba”.
Scholars of Ahl -e- Sonnat gave different explanations and definitions for “Sahaba” whom they drew this halo of sanctity around them.
1- Some of them expand this meaning so far that they say any person who saw the Prophet (s.a.) is one of his Sahaba! This explanation introduced by “Bokhari” who said: “Anyone who was friend of Prophet of Allah (a.s.) or any of Muslims who saw his holiness, then he is his Sahaba!”
Ahmad ibn Hanbal, famous scholar of Ahl -e- Sonnat knows this meaning so expanded and says: “Sahaba of Prophet (s.a.) is anyone who had been with him for a month, a day or even an hour or saw him!”
2- Some others have more limited definitions like Qazi Abu Bakr Mohammad ibn Tayyeb who says: “Although the lexical meaning of Sahaba is general, but in folkway it is given to person who had been notable time spending with his holiness, not the one who just be at his service for an hour or walked some steps with him, or heard a Hadith form his holiness”.
3- Some other persons like Saeed ibn Mossayyeb has straitened the circle more and said: “Sahaba of Prophet (s.a.) are people who had spent at least one or two years with his holiness or attend one or two wars with him.”1
These explanations and others which we refuse to say for preventing prorogation of expression, show that there is no specific explanation for persons whom included in this sanctity, but most people have chosen that expanded definition, although this doesn’t made any difference in our discussing issues, because lots of contraventions was by those who had spend long time with his holiness.
1- Ghartabi Interpretation, vol.8, page. 237
