All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

A Companion is defined as one who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) during his lifetime, believing in him as a Muslim, and died adhering to Islam. The esteemed Imam and Hadith scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: "The most correct definition of a Companion is one who encountered the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his lifetime as a Muslim and died upon Islam." [Al-Isabah fi Tamyeez al-Sahabah, 1/8]

All Companions are considered upright and trustworthy due to the affirmation of Allah Almighty and the commendation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) toward them. Allah the Exalted says {what means}:

"The vanguard (of Islam)- the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds,- well- pleased is God with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that is the supreme felicity.." [At-Tawbah/100]

Scholars have unanimously agreed upon this principle. Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) remarked: "All Companions are trustworthy, whether they were involved in the Fitnah (The conflict between Caliph Ali and Muawiyah) or not, by the consensus of those whose opinion is considered authoritative." [Al-Taqreeb wal-Tayseer, p. 92]

Similarly, Imam Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) explained: "They are the best generation and the best community brought forth for mankind. The integrity of all of them is established by the praise of Allah Almighty and the praise of His Messenger (peace be upon him). There can be no one more just than those whom Allah chose for the companionship and support of His Prophet (peace be upon him). There is no commendation superior to this, and no attestation of integrity more complete." [Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat al-Ashab, 1/3]

Scholars have stipulated that for the honor of companionship with the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be confirmed, an individual must have met him while believing in him and must have died upon faith—even if they experienced a period of apostasy in between. Those who do not meet this condition, such as individuals who died upon hypocrisy or apostatized and did not return to Islam, fall outside the scope of the Sharia definition of companionship. This is because a hypocrite who dies upon hypocrisy is not considered a believer and is stripped of the honor of companionship and the virtue that Allah has decreed for the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) noted: "The statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him), 'Indeed, hypocrisy has been revealed among a people better than you,' means that they were tested—for they belonged to the generation of the Companions, who are superior to the generation of the Successors (Tabi`in). However, Allah tested them, so they apostatized and became hypocrites, and thus that virtue was stripped from them. Some among them repented, and their virtue was restored. It is as if Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) warned those he addressed and indicated to them not to be deceived, for hearts can change. Thus, he cautioned them against falling away from faith, for deeds are judged by their conclusion." [Fath al-Bari, 8/266]

The presence of some hypocrites around the Prophet (peace be upon him) does not undermine the integrity of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The hypocrites were a small, despised group, known among the Prophet's Companions. Not a single hypocrite is counted by scholars among the Companions. Moreover, no hypocrite ever transmitted a single hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Imam al-Mardawi al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: "Al-Hafiz al-Mazzi mentioned among the benefits [of study] that no narration has ever been found from those among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who were accused of hypocrisy." [Al-Tahbeer Sharh al-Tahreer, 4/1995]

Allah revealed the identities of the hypocrites to His Prophet, and he informed his Companion Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) of some of them. It is recorded by Imam Muslim that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Among my Companions are twelve hypocrites. Eight of them will not enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle."

The matter of hypocrisy and its confirmation can only be established through an authentic, explicit text of Sharia. For those whose hypocrisy has not been confirmed by such a text, the default principle is the validity of their companionship and their integrity.

In conclusion, those whose hypocrisy has been confirmed by a text of Sharia—such as Ibn Salul—are not considered Companions, as one of the conditions for companionship is faith, which is not fulfilled in their case. As for those whose hypocrisy has not been confirmed, the default principle is the validity of their companionship and integrity. This applies to the vast majority of the Companions. And Allah the Almighty knows best.