Is Uwais al-Qarni considered one of the Companions because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned him by name?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, is Uwais al-Qarni (may Allah have mercy on him) considered one of the Companions, given that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned him in a hadith and he lived in his time?

Answer:
And whoever believed in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) but did not see him is not a Companion; rather, he is called a Tabi'i, like the Najashi. The Najashi (may Allah have mercy on him) believed in the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his time but did not see him, and he is not counted among the Companions, but rather among the Tabi'un, specifically the great ones among them. As for Uwais al-Qarni, I do not know whether he met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or not; I do not know. The names of the Companions have all been recorded, approximately, in encyclopedias such as *Al-Isabah fi Asma' al-Sahabah* by Ibn Hajar, *Asad al-Ghabah fi Asma' al-Sahabah* by Ibn al-Athir, and *Al-Isti'ab fi Asma' al-Ashab* by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr. Consult these books and you will know the Companions, and you will know whether Uwais al-Qarni is among them or not. Yes.