The eligibility of Prophet’s Companionship is a controversial issue, due to conditions cited by each scholar, to be met before anyone could be considered as eligible of being the Prophet’s Companion. The scholastic views on this issue may be summarized as follows:
1- The Companion is the one who met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while believing in him and died as a Muslim.
2- He is the one who stayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for one year upward or accompanied him in one Ghazwah (battle) or more.
3- Companionship is only established through long meeting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the narration of Hadith on his authority.
4- Companionship is established through either of the afore-mentioned two things: long meeting with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or narrating Hadith from him.
The Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Islamic Jurisprudence states:
“Scholars have differed concerning conditions of establishing the Prophet’s Companionship and those who deserve the title of Sahabah [Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
Some scholars say that a Sahabi (Companion) is the one who met the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while believing in him and died as a Muslim.” Ibn Hajar Al-`Asqalani says on this, “I am inclined to adopt this opinion as the most preferred one. Included in this category are those who had a long or short meeting with him, those who narrated Hadith from him and those who did not. It also involves those who accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of be upon him) in a Ghazwah (battle) and those who did not, those who saw him even though from a long distance and those who did not due to some obstacles, such as blindness, etc.”
The condition of belief, mentioned above, excludes those who met him while disbelieving in him even if they embraced Islam afterwards unless they met him once again while believing in him. This condition also excludes those who apostatized after accompanying the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon) him and died as apostates.
Is it a condition to have reached the age of puberty when meeting the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? Some scholars made it a condition while others did not.
However, some scholars opine that before conferring the title Sahabi (Companion) on a person he must among those who stayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for one year upward or fought in a Ghazwah or more along with him. This opinion was cited by Sa`id ibn Al-Musayyab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Another opinion is the one stating that the Prophet’s Companionship can only be established through the long period of meeting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the transmission of Hadith on his authority. Others stipulated for sound Companionship to be proven that either one should have long meeting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or to narrate Hadith about him.