بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Besides The Prophet and Messengers, None Can Equal The Sahaabah – Till The End of Time – In Their Fulfilment of The True Characteristics of Men

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

[ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ۬ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَـٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُ ۥ وَمِنۡہُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ‌ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلاً۬ – Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah, of them some have fulfilled their obligations, and some of them are still waiting, and they have never changed in in the least]. [Surah Al-Ahzaab. Aayah 23]

After Allaah mentioned that the hypocrites made a covenant with Him that they will not turn away and that they violated that covenant, then Allaah mentioned the believers’ fulfilment of it, saying: how the believers fulfilled it:

[مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ۬ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَـٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۖ – Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah]- Meaning, they fulfilled and completed it perfectly; gave their souls in seeking after His Pleasure and gave themselves in obedience to Him. [فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُ – some have fulfilled their obligations]- Meaning, what they want and seek after, and the obligation that is obligated on them, so they were either killed in the path of Allaah (see footnote a) or died after having fulfilled what is obligated without falling short in any way. [وَمِنۡہُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ‌ۖ – and some of them are still waiting] – Meaning, to complete what is obligated on them, already occupied with what is obligated and to fulfil their covenant, but they have not completed it yet, whilst hoping to complete it and making great effort to do so. [وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلاً۬ – and they have never changed in in the least]- Meaning, (they have not changed) as others have done, but rather they have not ceased to be upon their covenant – neither turning away nor changing. These are men in reality, and those other than them appear in the image of men, but as for the characteristics (of men in reality), they have fallen short with regards to that. (1)

Footnote a: An article regarding Jihaad in our era transmitted by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah from Al-Allaamah Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve both of them]: https://abukhadeejah.com/salafi-shaikh-fawzaan-on-jihaad-in-our-times-and-the-guidelines-of-jihaad-according-to-islam/

Ref 1: Tafseer As-Sadi. paraphrased

ولما ذكر أن المنافقين، عاهدوا اللّه، لا يولون الأدبار، ونقضوا ذلك العهد، ذكر وفاء المؤمنين به، فقال
{ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ } أي
وفوا به، وأتموه، وأكملوه، فبذلوا مهجهم في مرضاته، وسبَّلوا أنفسهم في طاعته
{ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ }
أي: إرادته ومطلوبه، وما عليه من الحق، فقتل في سبيل اللّه، أو مات مؤديًا لحقه، لم ينقصه شيئًُا
{ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ }
تكميل ما عليه، فهو شارع في قضاء ما عليه، ووفاء نحبه ولما يكمله، وهو في رجاء تكميله، ساع في ذلك، مجد
{ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا }
كما بدل غيرهم، بل لم يزالوا على العهد، لا يلوون، ولا يتغيرون، فهؤلاء، الرجال على الحقيقة، ومن عداهم، فصورهم صور رجال، وأما الصفات، فقد قصرت عن صفات الرجال