The Qur'an and the companions

The sunnis believe the following verse refers to all of the companions. They often use it to prove that the companions (every single one of them) is just and is praised by Allah (swt).

Shakir 9:100] And (as for) the foremost, the first of the Muhajirs and the Ansars, and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them for ever; that is the mighty achievement.

First, Allah (swt) did not say *all* of the muhajirs and ansar, He said the foremost of the muhajirs and ansar, a portion of them and not all of the muhajirs and ansar. Those that have the quality of being formost in that they raced and beat others that came after them. It is those that Allah (swt) is well pleased with and they are well pleased with Him. Therefore the verse is not all encompassing, so we can not use this as evidence that Allah is well pleased with all of the companions rather only a portion of them who are foremost.

Second, We ask in what way were they foremost? is this a reference to being foremost in time or chronology? i.e. they beat others and were first in believing?

We say that being foremost in time is not what is meant in this verse because we have found that of the people who were were first in accepting islam, some have apostatized. A prime example is the husband of Umm Habiba daughter of Abu Sufyan. Her husband was among the people who were the first to accept Islam, but after he migrated to Habasha (Ethiopia) he apostatized and became a Christian. The man lived and died there as an apostate therefore what is meant by being foremost in the verse is not foremost in time or chronology. Is Allah (swt) still pleased with Ubayd Allah?

وكانت قبله تحت عبيد الله بن جحش بن رئاب من بنى اسد بن خزيمة مات بارض الحبشة نصرانيا

A detailed hadith is found in Mustadrak al-hakim hadith #6852
The story of Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh can be found on wikipedia here --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramlah_bint_A...Allah_ibn_Jahsh

by all counts this man was one of the foremost in accepting islam. Efendi and farsee are you guys suggesting that Allah (swt) is pleased with this man forever because he was foremost in accepting islam? even though he converted to Christianity and died in that state?

Third, The verse is conditional, the condition being foremost (which is not clear in the verse) and being good "and those who followed them in goodness"


In conclusion, we can only attach this verse to companions that meet the conditions in the verse, but if the conditions do not apply to some companions because they opressed, or transgressed the limits, or deviated from the path then we can not apply this verse to those people.

Would any sunni please comment on this verse and its applicability to "all" the companions? Do you agree with my analysis if not please explain why.