Ashab as-Suffa (The People of the Chamber)

The religion of Islam was now being taught to believers of all ages in the mosque of our Prophet. The Messenger of Allah would give daily lessons on the essentials of their religion to his Companions. Plus, there were about seventy young Muslims of limited means who lived in the courtyard of the masjid. These young believers had no home and no family. They would never leave our Prophet’s side, would memorize his teachings and they would learn about Islam to the best of their ability. The place where they stayed was called Suffa and they were known as Ashab as-Suffa, or the People of the Chamber. Those living in Suffa would pray, read the Qur’an and study their lessons during the nights. During the daytime, they would carry water and gather wood to sell, and they would buy food with the money they earned.

The most honorable people in the world were raised in Suffa, the first Islamic school of all time, under the tutelage of our Prophet. Our Prophet would always think of them before thinking of himself and would also advise his Companions to look after and take care of them. In Suffa, these young believers were being raised so that they could be sent out to the four corners of the Arabian Peninsula to fulfill their duties later on. Teachers of the Qur’an and hadith for tribes that had newly become Muslim were chosen from among this very special group. There were to be the successors of our Prophet in terms of knowledge. Abu Hurayra, who has narrated the most hadith from our Prophet, was also from the Ashab asSuffa.