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
Salat al-Istikhara (Guidance Prayer)
A prayer where one asks Allah for guidance to make the right decision.
Taqlid (Following a School of Law)
The practice of following a qualified scholar's legal opinions without necessarily knowing the evidence.
Salat al-Jama'ah (Congregational Prayer)
The congregational prayer, where Muslims pray together in rows behind an imam.
Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
The third daily prayer, performed in the afternoon.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Najaf (Imam Ali's City)
The sacred city in Iraq housing Imam Ali's tomb and the Shia scholarly center.