Sahabah
/sˤaħaːba/noun
The companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, especially those who met him, believed in him, and died as Muslims.
Did you know?In traditional Islamic scholarship, being counted among the Sahabah generally required personally meeting Muhammad, accepting his message, and dying as a Muslim.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṣ-ḥ-b
“Reconstructed Semitic root associated with companionship or accompanying”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
ṣaḥiba
“To accompany, associate with, or keep company”
7th Century
Classical Arabic
ṣāḥib
“Companion, associate, or companion of a person”
7th Century
Classical Arabic
aṣḥāb
“Companions or associates; a plural form used in Islamic terminology”
7th–8th Century
Classical Arabic
ṣaḥābah
“The companions of Muhammad, a collective plural referring to the first Muslim generation”
19th Century
English
Sahabah
“An English transliteration for the companions of Muhammad”