The Arabic term aṣ-Ṣaḥāba (Arabic: الصحابة‎, "the companions"; from the verb صَحِبَ, "accompany", "keep company with", "associate with") refers to the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. This form is definite plural; the indefinite singular is masculine ṣaḥābiyy, feminine ṣaḥābiyyah.

Later scholars accepted their testimony of the words and deeds of Muhammad, the occasions on which the Qur'an was revealed and various important matters of Islamic history and practice. The testimony of the companions, as it was passed down through chains of trusted narrators (isnads), was the basis of the developing Islamic tradition. From the traditions (hadith) of the life of Muhammad and his companions are drawn the Muslim way of life (sunnah), the code of conduct (sharia) it requires and the jurisprudence (fiqh) by which Muslim communities should be regulated. The two largest Islamic denominations, the Sunni and Shi'a, take different approaches in weighing the value of the companions' testimony, have different hadith collections and, as a result, have different constructed views about the Sahabah.

Maulana Tariq Jameel (Urdu: مولانا طارق جمیل) (born 1953) is an Islamic scholar from Pakistan. His native town is Tulambah near Mian Channu. His father was an agriculturist who belonged to the Muslim Rajputs community.^{[citation needed]}

Tariq Jameel was born and raised in Mian Channu. In his childhood he lived a relatively modest life but religion was not a major part of his life and his family in particular. It wasn't until he pursued his M.B.B.S. in Lahore that his focus shifted towards Islam. After completing his Higher Secondary School education (a.k.a. F.Sc in some regions of Pakistan) in pre-medical (equivalent to A 'levels') from Government College, Lahore, he took admission in King Edward Medical College in Lahore. He intended to do his M.B.B.S., but he soon switched to Islamic education. He then went on to receive Islamic education from Jamia Arabia, Raiwind (near Lahore), Pakistan where he studied Quran, Hadith, Sharia, Tasawwuf, logic and Fiqh.^{[citation needed]}

His proclivity towards Islam grew during hostel life in Lahore and can mainly be attributed to the group members of Tablighi Jamaat who he became friends with during his college life.^{[citation needed]}