What was the reason for the Companions' strength in receiving and following the truth, their swift responsiveness to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and their steadfastness in what they were upon, despite having been polytheists before that, and despite the tribulations that befell them after their conversion to Islam, and how can one attain their rank?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) raised his companions to believe in Allah, to be devoted to His Names and Attributes, to hope for Paradise and its delights, and to fear punishment. When their faith and love for Allah grew strong, they responded to His commands and abandoned His prohibitions. As Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The first revelation was a surah from Al-Mufassal, mentioning Paradise and Hell. When people became firm in Islam, then lawful and unlawful matters were revealed. Had the first revelation been: 'Do not drink wine,' they would have said: 'We will never abandon wine.' And had it been: 'Do not commit zina (fornication/adultery),' they would have said: 'We will never abandon zina.'" The Messenger nourished their souls with the Qur'an and cultivated their spirits with faith, so they became more deeply rooted in religion and more detached from worldly desires. After the knot of shirk (polytheism) and disbelief was untied, there was no need for a renewed struggle for every command and prohibition.