Tabi'in (The Successors)
The generation of Muslims who met the Prophet's companions but did not themselves meet the Prophet.
Tabi'in (plural of tabi'i) is the generation of Muslims who met one or more of the Prophet's companions (sahabah) as believers but did not themselves meet the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They are the second most esteemed generation in Sunni Islam after the sahabah.
The Prophet said: "The best of people are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them" (Sahih al-Bukhari). The Tabi'in played a crucial role in the systematization of Islamic knowledge, including prayer legislation. Prominent Tabi'in include Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Hasan al-Basri, Muhammad ibn Sirin, Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, and Ata' ibn Abi Rabah.
Many of the four schools of law's founders studied under the Tabi'in. Imam Abu Hanifah studied under Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman (a tabi'i), and Imam Malik studied under several Tabi'in in Medina. The Tabi'in's legal opinions and prayer practices are an important source for understanding how the sahabah understood and practiced the Prophet's sunnah.
Related terms
Ikhlas (Sincerity)
Pure sincerity in worship — acting solely for the sake of Allah.
Du'a Arafah (Imam Husayn's Supplication at Arafah)
Imam Husayn's famous supplication, recited on the Day of Arafah, the 9th of Dhu al-Hijjah.
Salat al-Tasbih (The Prayer of Glorification)
A special voluntary prayer with 300 tasbih recitations, recommended for forgiveness of sins.
Niyyah (Intention)
The conscious intention in the heart to perform a specific prayer.
Tarawih (Ramadan Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in congregation during Ramadan.
Waqt (Prayer Time)
The specific time interval within which a prayer must be performed.