Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (RA)
Nickname – ‘Ibn Umm Abd’:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was also referred to as ‘Ibn Umm Abd’ – the son of the mother of a slave.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Hearing the News of a Prophet:
When Abdullah ibn Mas’ud heard the news of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, at first he did not think anything of it. This was because of his young age at that time and also because he lived far away from Makkah.
First Encounter with the Prophet:
One day, while looking after the flocks of Uqbah bint Muayt (one of the leaders of the Quraysh), Abdullah ibn Mas’ud saw two men coming towards him from a distance.
These two were very tired and thirsty and approached Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, greeted him and said: Young man, milk one of these sheep for us so that we may quench our thirst and recover our strength.
Abdullah replied: I cannot, the sheep are not mine. I am only responsible for looking after them.
These two men were the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companion, Abu Bakr, who had gone out on that day to the mountains of Makkah to escape the persecution of the Quraysh.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was impressed with the character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Abu Bakr.
Acceptance of Islam:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud then accepted Islam and offered to serve the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet agreed to this and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud gave up tending sheep to look after him.
Service to the Prophet:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud remained attached to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and would join him on many expeditions.
It was said about Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: He was the closest to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when it comes to character.
Expertise in the Quran and Shariah:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was taught in the ‘school’ of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and he was the best reciter of the Quran among the companions and was well-renowned for his understanding of the Quran.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was also the most knowledgeable of companions when it came to Shariah laws.
Incident During Umar ibn al-Khattab’s Caliph:
A man once came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and said: I have come, O Amir al-Mu’mininin, from Kufa where I left a man filling copies of the Quran from memory.
Umar was angered by this and he asked: Who is he? The man replied: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.
Umar’s anger went away and he said: Woe to you, by Allah, I don’t know of any person left who is more qualified in this matter than he is. Let me tell you about this.
Umar ibn al-Khattab’s Testimony of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
Umar then continued to explain: One night, the Messenger of Allah was having a conversation with Abu Bakr about the situation of the Muslims and I was with them. When the Prophet left, we left with him also and as we passed through the mosque, there was a man standing in prayer whom we did not recognise. The Prophet stood and listened to him, then turned to us and said: Whoever wants to read the Quran as fresh as when it was revealed, then let him read according to the recitation of Ibn Umm Abd (Abdullah ibn Mas’ud) After the prayer, as Abdullah was making supplications, the Prophet said: Ask and it will be given to you. Ask and it will be given to you.
Umar continued: I said to myself, I shall go to Abdullah ibn Mas’ud straight away and tell him the good news of the Prophet’s ensuring acceptance of his supplications. I went and did so but found that Abu Bakr had gone before me and conveyed the good news to him. By Allah, I have never yet beaten Abu Bakr in the doing of any good.
Abdullah’s Knowledge of the Quran:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s knowledge of the Quran was so amazing that he would say: By Him besides Whom there is no God, no verse of the book of Allah has been revealed without my knowing where it was revealed and the circumstances of its revelation. By Allah, if I know there was anyone who knew more of the Book of Allah, I will do whatever is in my power to be with him.
Courage and Dedication:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was also a strong and courageous fighter.
In the early days of Islam, the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were in Makkah and at this point, they were weak in numbers and they were oppressed on a regular basis.
They said: the Quraysh have not yet heard the Quran being recited openly and loudly. Who is the man who could recite it for them?
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Recitation of the Quran at the Kabah:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: I shall recite it to them.
The small group of Muslims replied: We are afraid for you. We only want someone who has a clan who would protect him from their evil.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud insisted: Let me, Allah shall protect me and keep me away from their evil.
He then went out to the mosque until he reached Maqam Ibrahim, which is situated a few metres from the Kabah.
Abdullah began to recite: Bismillah hir Rahman nir Rahim. Ar-Rahman. Allama-l Quran. Khalaqal insan. Allamahul bayan. (In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. The Merciful God. He has taught the Quran. He has created man and taught him the clear truth.)
Reaction from the Quraysh:
As Abdullah ibn Mas’ud continued reciting the Quran, the Quraysh asked: What is Ibn Umm Abd saying?
The Quraysh eventually realised that he was reciting verses from the Quran and said: Damn him! He is reciting some of what Muhammad brought!
They went up to Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and began to beat him up as he continued reciting.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s Imaan:
When Abdullah ibn Mas’ud went back to his companions, blood was flowing from his face and they said: This is what we feared for you.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud replied: By Allah, the enemies of Allah are not more comfortable than I at this moment. If you wish. I shall go out tomorrow and do the same.
Incident with Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
Umar ibn al-Khattab once saw a caravan on one of his journeys as the caliph, it was quite dark and the caravan could not be seen properly.
Umar ibn al-Khattab ordered for the caravan to be stopped and he was not aware that Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was among the people in the caravan.
Umar asked: Where did you come? The people from the caravan replied: From a deep valley.
Umar then asked: Where are you going? They replied: To the ancient house.
Umar ibn al-Khattab realised there was a knowledgeable person among the people in the caravan and he commanded someone present to ask: Which part of the Quran is the greatest?
The reply from the caravan was: Allah. There is no God except Him, the Living, the Self-subsisting. Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep.’
They quoted Ayat al-Kursi. (Quran, 2:255)
Umar then asked: Which part of the Quran is the most clear on justice? They replied: Allah commands what is just and beautiful (ihsan), the feeding of relatives.
Umar asked: What is the most comprehensive statement of the Quran? The people from the caravan replied: ‘Whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it’. (Quran, 99:7-8)
After hearing this reply, Umar asked: Which part of the Quran gives risk to the greatest hope?
The reply was: ‘Say, O my servants who have wasted their resources, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate.’ (Quran, 39:53)
Umar asked: Is Abdullah ibn Mas’ud among you? The men in the caravan replied: Yes, by Allah.
Later Life of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud lived up to the time of the Caliph Uthman ibn Affan.
On his death-bed, Uthman ibn Affan came to visit him and said: What is your disease? Abdullah ibn Mas’ud replied: My sins.
Uthman asked: And what do you desire? Abdullah ibn Mas’ud answered: The mercy of my Lord.
Uthman then asked: Shall I not give you your stipend which you have refused to take for years now? Abdullah ibn Mas’ud replied: I have no need for it.
Uthman told him: Let it be for your daughters after you.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: Do you fear poverty for my children? I have commanded them to read Surah al-Waqiah every night for I have heard the Prophet saying: Whoever reads Al-Waqiah every night shall not be affected by poverty ever.
Death of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
That night, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud passed away at the age of around 58-59.
Hadith Reported by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud:
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported that one day, he was harvesting toothsticks from a tree and he had tiny shins. The wind blew and made him fall over, so people laughed at him.
The Prophet asked: what are you laughing at? The companions replied: O Prophet of Allah, he has tiny shins.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: By the One in whose hand is my soul, they (the shins) will be heavier on the scale than the mountain of Uhud. (Ahmad)