The Authority of a Companion's Statement

Your Eminence! Is the statement of a Companion considered a proof that must be adhered to?

Many scholars say: The statement of a Companion is not a proof that must be adhered to; rather, the proof lies in what Allah and His Messenger said, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Nisa: 59]. Some scholars say that the statements of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, such as Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, are a proof, provided they do not contradict an explicit text or the statement of another Companion. If they contradict an explicit text, one must return to the text. If they contradict the statement of another Companion, the stronger of the two statements must be determined. This is the correct view.As the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family said: (Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me),And his saying specifically regarding Abu Bakr and 'Umar: (Follow the two after me, Abu Bakr and 'Umar),And his saying about them: (Whoever obeys Abu Bakr and 'Umar will be guided). As for the general Companions who did not have deep knowledge of the religion, such as a Bedouin who came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), accepted Islam, and then returned to his camels and sheep—such a person is a Companion, but his statement is not a proof that must be followed due to his limited knowledge of the limits set by Allah. This detailed statement is the correct one.