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
Tajwid (Proper Quran Recitation)
The science of proper pronunciation and recitation of the Quran during prayer.
Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Wudu (Ritual Ablution)
The ritual cleansing with water, required before prayer.
Qalb Salim (The Pure Heart)
The pure, sincere heart — the ultimate goal of prayer and worship.
Marja' al-Taqlid (Religious Authority)
The highest religious authority in Shia Islam, whom the believer follows in prayer and legal matters.
Sujud al-Tilawah (Prostration of Recitation)
A prostration performed when reciting or hearing specific Quranic verses.