We say to the Companions, the Tabi'un, and the generation after the Tabi'un (may Allah be pleased with them): As for those who came after them, do we say: (may Allah be pleased with them) or (may Allah have mercy on them)?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : We say to the Companions: (may Allah be pleased with them), and to the Tabi'un and the generation after the Tabi'un who came after them: Do we say: (may Allah be pleased with them) or (may Allah have mercy on them)?
The Shaykh : We say: (may Allah be pleased with every believer).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:100] However, the well-known practice among the scholars is to specify the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) by saying (may Allah be pleased with them) regarding them. As for those after the Companions, from the Tabi'un to our present time, they say: (may Allah have mercy on him). Although some scholars may say: (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the great imams, such as: Imam Ahmad (may Allah be pleased with him) said, Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said, Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said. But the general well-known practice among the scholars is that the expression of pleasure (taradhd) is for the Companions, and the expression of mercy (tarahhum) is for those who came after them. And if this is the well-known terminology agreed upon by the majority of scholars, then if a person expresses pleasure with someone other than a Companion, it misleads the listener into thinking that this person is one of the Companions. One should avoid that, or say: So-and-so, who is from the Tabi'un, said (may Allah be pleased with him), or So-and-so, who is from the generation after the Tabi'un, said (may Allah be pleased with him), so that no one thinks that this person is one of the Companions. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.
The Shaykh : We say: (may Allah be pleased with every believer).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As Allah the Exalted said:
And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah bless you and your knowledge, and benefit the Muslims through you.