Is Prophet ‘Isa Considered a Companion of the Prophet?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is Prophet ‘Isa (peace be upon him) considered a Companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace)?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Scholars differ on this. The majority view, held by Imam Dhahabi, Taqi al-Din al-Subki, and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, is that Prophet ‘Isa (peace be upon him) is considered a Companion, based on his meeting the Prophet on the Night Journey and Ascension (Isra and Mi‘raj). Either way, his primary and higher status is that of a Prophet.
Scholarly Positions
Imam Dhahabi (Allah have mercy on him) clearly included Prophet ‘Isa (peace be upon him) among the Companions. He wrote:
“‘Isa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him): a Companion and a Prophet, for he saw the Prophet (Allah bless and give him peace) on the night of the Ascension and greeted him. He will be the last of the Companions to pass away.” [Dhahabi, Tajrid Asma al-Sahaba, 1:432]
Imams Taqi al-Din al-Subki and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani likewise listed him among the Companions. [Subki, Tabaqat al-Shafi‘iyya al-Kubra, 9:115-116; Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahaba, 7:588]
‘Ala al-Din al-Mughaltai (Allah have mercy on him), however, held that Prophets should not be called Companions, even if they met the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). [Mughaltai, al-Inabah, 1:196]
Governing Principle and Practical Guidance
Companionship (suhba) is an honor. Prophethood is a higher honor. Those scholars who call Prophet ‘Isa (peace be upon him) a Companion do so as an additional distinction, not as a reduction of his rank. His status as a Prophet and Messenger of Allah (Most High) is agreed upon and stands above all other titles. Acknowledge this scholarly difference with confidence, and understand it as a sign of the honored station of ‘Isa (peace be upon him), not as a matter of uncertainty about his rank.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), who taught there.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Center and, for six years, the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has 15 years of teaching experience at some of Cape Town’s leading Islamic institutes. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
