Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf (RA)
Early Acceptance of Islam:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf was one of the first eight people to accept Islam and was one of the ten companions promised Jannah.
Renamed by the Prophet:
His name was originally Abdu Amr but when he accepted Islam, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ called him ‘Abdur-Rahman’ – the servant of the Beneficent God.
Persecution from the Quraysh:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf became a Muslim two days after Abu Bakr and would suffer with the early Muslims from the punishment of the Quraysh.
However, the torture did not faze him and he remained firm to his belief in Allah SWT.
Migration to Abyssinia:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf was one of the companions who made Hijrah to Abyssinia.
Brotherhood in Madinah:
After arriving in Madinah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would pair up members from the Muhajirin with the Ansar.
Abdur-Rahman was partnered up by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with Sa’d ibn ar-Rabi’.
Sa’d ibn ar-Rabi’s Offer to Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf:
Sa’d ibn ar-Rabi said to Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf: my brother, among the people of Madinah, I have the most wealth. I have two orchards and I have two wives. See which orchard you like and I shall vacate it for you and which of my two wives is pleasing to you, I will divorce her for you.
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf replied: May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth, but just show me where the marketplace is.
Business Success:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf went to the markets and began trading where he found instant success and his profits increased significantly.
Participation in Battles:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf excelled in the battles of Badr and Uhud.
At the Battle of Uhud, he remained firm and suffered more than twenty wounds.
Generosity at Tabuk:
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was preparing an expedition to Tabuk, he gathered his companions and asked: contribute sadaqah for I want to dispatch an expedition.
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf went to his house and quickly returned. He told the Prophet: I have four thousand dinars. I give two thousand to my Lord and two thousand I leave for my family.
This expedition of Tabuk was the last Ghazwat (military expedition) in the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ urged his companions to give generously in the path of Allah and assured them they would be rewarded.
Abdur-Rahman then donated two hundred awqiyah (a type of measurement) of gold.
Umar ibn al-Khattab saw this and told the Prophet: I have seen Abdur-Rahman committing a wrong, he has not left anything for his family.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf: Have you left anything for your family? Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf replied: Yes, I have left with them more what I give and better.
The Prophet then asked: How much? Abdur-Rahman replied: What Allah and His Messenger have promised. Sustenance, goodness and reward.
Leading the Prayer:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf was blessed with the honour of leading the prayer in the absence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The first rakat of the prayer was almost completed when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ joined the believers and performed the prayer behind Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf.
Support for the Prophet’s Family:
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed away, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf took the responsibility of looking after them and he would accompany them wherever they wanted and would even perform Hajj alongside them.
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf’s support for the Muslims and the wives of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was well-known.
Once, he sold a piece of land for forty thousand dinars and he distributed it all to the Banu Zahrah (relatives of the Prophet’s mother Aminah), the poor amongst the Muslims and the wives of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
When Aisha bint Abi Bakr received some of the money, she asked: who has sent this money? She was informed that it was Abdur-Rahman.
Aisha then narrated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: None of you will feel compassion towards you after I die, except the sabirin (those who are patient and resolute).
Wealth and Charitable Legacy:
Abdur-Rahman was the richest among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and his business transactions were successful with his wealth continuing to grow.
One day, he sent a large caravan from Syria to Madinah consisting of seven hundred camels carrying goods. Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf distributed all of the goods from the caravan to the people of Madinah and the surrounding areas.
Examples of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf’s Generosity:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf continuously gave his wealth out in charity and it is reported that he gave: forty thousand dirhams of silver and gold, two hundred awqiyah of gold, five hundred horses and fifteen hundred camels.
Aisha bint Abi Bakr on Abdur-Rahman’s Generosity:
Aisha said: May Allah give him to drink from the water of Salsabil (a spring in paradise).
Humility and Fear of Accountability:
All of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf’s wealth did not corrupt or change him.
One day, food was brought to him at the end of a fast. Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf looked at the food and said: Mus’ab ibn Umayr has been killed. He was better than me. We did not find anything of his to shroud him with except what covered his head but left his legs uncovered. Then Allah endowed us with the (bounties of) this world. I really fear that our reward has been bestowed on us early (in this world)
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf then began to cry and he could not eat this food.
Death of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf:
Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf passed away at the age of seventy two in the year 32 AH, and he was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi graveyard.