Is it possible to attain the rank of the Companions, and is it true that whoever adheres to the religion in times of tribulation will receive the reward of fifty Companions?

Praise be to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions. In the hadith narrated by Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, it is stated: "Indeed, ahead of you are days in which patience will be like grasping a burning coal. The one who acts therein will have the reward of fifty men who perform the same deed as him." One cannot attain the rank of a Companion, and this is the view of the majority of scholars, contrary to Al-Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr.