Outline
- Introduction
- The Beginning
- Who was Abdullah ibn Mas’ud?
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Finds Islam
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, in Makkah
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Trusted Servant for the Prophet
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Qur’an Genius
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Hadith Narrator
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Finisher of Abu Jahl
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud after the Prophet’s Passing
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s Passing
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s Family
- 13 Facts About Abdullah ibn Mas’ud
- The Takeaway…
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Introduction
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam’s first encounter with him before his Islam revealed what a person of integrity he was. At the time the Prophet acknowledged him as a person with a high intellectual capacity. Subsequently after his Islam, he became the first of the four the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam recognised and encouraged everyone else to learn the Qur’an from. He received more than 70 Surah of the Qur’an directly from the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. He was also the bank of secrets for the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. In fact, even before emigration to Madinah, Our Shining Star in this episode was the first among the companions who collected the courage and went out are read the Qur’an publicly in Makkah right in front of the tyrants of Quraysh. Of course, he was beaten up…
Yes, your guess is right. I’m talking about Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.. Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu is our Shining Star in this episode of the Shining Stars Series, brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.
Coming up!
The Beginning
Assalamu alaykum!
Welcome to a new episode in The Shining Stars Series brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.
Once upon a time, a shepherd was rearing his flocks in the suburbs of Makkah. While rearing the flocks, two men passed by him. One of them asked him for some milk. He said “he apologised and said, “I’m entrusted with it.” (Meaning I can’t give you from it.) The man asked him if there’s an unmated ewe. The shepherd was kind enough and brought one. The man rubbed his hands on the breast place of the sheep and prayed. Suddenly it became milk-able.. He milked it, drank from it, passed the bowl to his friend who drank until satisfaction. He then said to the breast to shrink. And it shrank.
The shepherd was left in awe and speechlessness. When he spoke, he asked the man to teach him some of those words… the words that he used to pray earlier on. Upon that, the man said to the shepherd, “You’re a person of high intellectual capacity.”
The shepherd was Abdullah ibn Mas’ud. The man who prayed and the sheep became milk-able was the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. And the other man who was in his company was none other than Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
The words that the shepherd asked to learn from the man, was Islam. Thus, from that Moment Abdullah ibn Mas’ud became Muslim.
So, was Abdullah ibn Mas’ud?
Who was Abdullah ibn Mas’ud?
He was known as:
أَبو عبد الرَّحْمَن عَبْدُ الله بن مَسْعود بن غافِل بن حبيب بن شَمْخ بن فار بن مخزوم بن صاهلة بن كاهل بن الحارث بن تميم
Abu ‘Abd al-Rahmān, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud ibn Ghāfil ibn Ḥabīb ibn Shamkh ibn Fār ibn Makhzūm ibn Ṣāhilah ibn Kāhil ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Tamīm.
He was also known as ibn Umm ‘Abd… the son of Umm ‘Abd.
At the arrival of Islam, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was a young man who reared and watched over the flocks of ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Ma’īṭ, one of the wealthy people of Makkah. Yes, he wasn’t among the slaves. But he was considered as part of the lower class of servants and labourers. Especially that he wasn’t from the Quraysh clan.
Reports do mention that his father, Mas’ūd ibn Ghāfil settled in Makkah. In those times, probably even today, if you settle in a place, you need allies who will protect you. Today it’s referred to as guarantors or sponsors. So he went in allies with Abd al-Ḥārith ibn Zuhrah, who married him one of his granddaughters (daughters’ daughter). That granddaughter was ‘Umm ‘Abd.
Thus, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s mother was ‘Umm ‘Abd bint ‘Abd Wudd ibn Suwā’ah from the tribe of Hudhayl.
At the arrival of Islam, Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was estimated to be 18 years. If that happens to be correct, then he was…
- 22 years younger than The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam,
- 15 years younger than Zayd ibn Ḥārithah,
- 12 years younger than Bilal ibn Rabāḥ,
- 12 years younger than ‘Abdul-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, and
- 1 years younger than Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud Finds Islam
From the story of the shepherd, we learn that Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud accepted Islam first hand from the Prophet, without a third party’s influence. Probably, that was because he saw miracles happening in the hands of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam right before his naked eyes. Thus, he didn’t need to be told about the new Prophet then, nor the new message he has brought.
Also, Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud accepted Islam before the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam started using Dar al-Arqam as his da’wah center. This confirms that he was among the early batches of Muslims.
After he embraced Islam, he also convinced his mother, Umm ‘Abd too to accept it. And she did. From that moment onwards, Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ud and his mother Umm ‘Abd devoted themselves to serving the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. More on that later. Stay keep watching… And yeah, it seems you’ve forgotten to hit the subscribe button below. Please do so, and also smash the LIKE button, if you’re still watching… Shall we proceed… Let’s go!
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, in Makkah
After Abdullah ibn Mas’ud became one of the tiny but growing Muslim community, he was once in a gathering, when one of them made a wish if they could publicly read the Qur’an to draw the attention of Quraysh .
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud quickly volunteered to be the one. He knew very well that he had no strong kinship to support his back. But he was certain that Allah will support his back.
The following day, he went to the Ka’bah at time estimated to be during duha time, when the big shots of Quraysh had gathered at their usual meeting places. He then started reading Surah al-Rahman.. not long after, just as you guessed, he managed to read a good share of verses from the Surah, before he was cornered and beaten up.
With that, he became the first among the companions of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam to read the Qur’an publicly, in Makkah.
It’s worth indicating, that Sayyidunā ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud enjoyed a significant amount of self-confidence. This enabled him to take up the challenge to publicly read the Qur’an in Makkah.
While in Makkah, Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud joined the two emigrations that the early Muslims did to Abyssinia. Obviously, he was among the early batches who later on migrated to Madinah as well.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Trusted Servant for the Prophet
Upon settling down in Madinah, Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and his mother Umm ‘Abd devoted themselves to the service of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. So much so, that none from outside the household of the Prophet had the privilege to go in and out of the house of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam like ibn Mas’ud and his mother had.
A stranger who came to Madinah for the first time would assume them to be part of the household of the Prophet. In fact, Sayyidunā Abū Mūsā al-Ash’ariyy raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu observed this when first came to Madinah from Yemen.
Ibn Mas’ud would also be with the Prophet when he went on a trip. And in such trips, he would be the only one who took care of the siwak of the Prophet as well as his sandals. He would also ensure the readiness and security of the Prophet’s sleeping mat, his pillow as well as his water for purification.
Sayyidunā Abdullāh ibn Mas’ud became the one who would walk in front of the Prophet using the Prophet’s staff. He would cover for the Prophet when he used the washroom. He would wake the Prophet up when it was time for him to wake up. He would take care of most of the needs of the Prophet as a servant would his master.
He spent most of the time with the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. So much so that he became the keeper of the secrets of the Prophet’s. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was one of the the few people we are certain that the Prophet died while he was happy with them.
All this was inspired by the moment of the miracle of the milk that took place in Makkah. Or should I say, all that was because iman had settled firmly in his heart.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Qur’an Genius
Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu has learnt more than 70 Surahs of the Qur’an from the Prophet directly. This first-hand experience had earned him a deep understanding for the Qur’an. For that he said:
وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ غَيْرُه، مَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مِن كِتَابِ الله إلا أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ أُنْزِلَتْ، وَلا أُنْزِلَتْ آيَةٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ الله إلا أَنَا أَعْلَمُ فِيمَ أُنْزِلَتْ، وَلَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا أَعْلَمَ مِنِّي بِكِتابِ الله تَبْلُغُهُ الإِبِلُ لَرَكِبْتُ إِلَيْهِ.
“By Allah, no Surah in the Book of Allah was descended except that I know where it was descended. And no verse in the Book of Allah was revealed, except that I know why it was revealed. Had I known anyone who possesses knowledge of the Book of Allah more than I do, and who can be reached by travel, I would have travelled to him.”
Besides, that, The Prophet recognised him as the smoothest reader of the Qur’an. Once he ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam was passing by Abdullah ibn Mas’ūd and heard him reading the Qur’an. He then said:
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ غَضًّا كَمَا أُنْزِلَ فَلْيَقْرَأْهُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ
“Whoever is pleased to read the Qur’an, as fresh and close to how it was descended, let him read it the Ibn Ummi ‘Abd does.”
To be further honoured, the Prophet asked him to read the Qur’an for him, to listen. He read al-Nisa, until the Prophet wept.
It’s known that Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ud was the first of four companions who were more knowledgeable of the Qur’an than others. To that he ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam said:
اِسْتَقْرِئُوا القُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَة ٍ: مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَأُبَيّ بنِ كَعْبٍ وَمُعَاذِ بنِ جَبَل وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَة
Seek to learn the Qur’an from four. From Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Ubay ibn Ka’b, Mu’ādh ibn Jabal and Hudhayfah, the servant of Sālim.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Hadith Narrator
Besides his knowledge of the Qur’an, Allah gave him a heart that could store and recall the hadīth of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud has narrated 848 hadith from the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim agree upon 64 of them. Al-Bukhārī singles with 21 and Muslim singles with 35.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, the Finisher of Abu Jahl
We know that [Abu Jahl](https://www.gsalam.net/do-not-confuse-abu-lahab-with-abu-jahl/) was one of the most notorious enemies of Islam. He left no chance without using it to torture and humiliate the Muslims. This was true to the Muslims who had strong family protection. Now imagine the likes of ibn Mas’ud who had no strong protection on their back.
Abū Jahl would swear at Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, grab him by his hair and slap his face when the poor ibn Mas’ud couldn’t react. So, when the day of Badr came, it was just the perfect opportunity, which Allāh gave to Ibn Masʾūd take revenge.
In GSalam.Net’s article, “Do not Confuse Abu Lahab With Abu Jahl” we leant that, first Abu Jahl was almost been killed by the duo, Mu’ādhs.
So, when the battle almost came to an end, Sayyidunā ʾAbdullah ibn Masʾūd, raḍiya Allāhu ʾanhu saw Abū Jahl taking his last breath. So he started to strike his head with his blunt sword, which made him loosen his hold on his sword, so he took it from him. As he was dying, Abū Jahl moved his head up and asked ibn Masʾūd, “Who won the battle?” Ibn Masʾūd answered, “Allāh and His Messenger.” Then he shook his beard and said, “Praise be to Allāh who disgraced you, O enemy of Allāh!” He then removed his helmet and swung a heavy blow to his neck with his own sword separating his head from his body.
Ibn Masʾūd then removed his weapons and armour, and took his head to The Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ʾalaihi wa sallam, and said: “Yā Rasūlallā! Here is the head of Abū Jahl”.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud after the Prophet’s Passing
After the passing of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam, Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud is said to have joined the Islamic troops that were tasked to expand the Islamic State at the time. He participated in the battle of Yarmūk that took place between hijran and 15 hijrah during the Caliphate of Sayyidunā ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
Sayyidunā ‘Umar appointed him as the teacher for the people of Kufa and Sayyidunā ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir as the main governor. Ibn Mas’ud remained in this post until Sayyidunā ‘Umthmān Caliphate. Almost all appointees of Sayyidunā ‘Umar were replaced by Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu. And Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was not an exception.
It’s said, that when he was informed that he was relieved from his post, the people of Kufa urged him to remain, and they would protect him. But he refused, citing a fitnah that was looming in the horizon. He made it clear that he wouldn’t want to be the one who starts that fitnah. True enough, the Fitnah became very transparent during the caliphate of Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s Passing
After he was excused from his post as the grand teacher for the people of Kufa, Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’usd returned to Madīnah. He remained in Madinah until his passing in the early stage of Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān’s caliphate. That was in the 32nd year after hijrah. He was said to be 63. That means Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud lived another 45 years after embracing Islam.
He was buried in the Baqī’ graveyard of Madīnah, next to ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ’ūn, and his janazah prayer was led by al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām, as per the will of ibn Mas’ūd himself.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud’s Family
Abdullah had a brother, Utba, and at least two wives. One was Rayta bint Abdullah. The other was Zaynab bint Abdullah from the Thaqif tribe with whom he had several daughters. He specified in his will that none of his daughters should be married off without their own knowledge. He also had a son named Abdul-Rahman.
13 Facts About Abdullah ibn Mas’ud
Here are 13 facts you may want to remember about Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu.
- Among the early batches of Muslims to embrace Islam
- He embraced Islam first hand from the Prophet, without a third party’s influence
- He participated in 3 emigrations (two to Abyssinia, and eventually Madinah)
- He was among the recognised knowledgeable ones among the companions.
- The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam recognised him as the best reader of the Qur’an.
- He learned more than 70 Surahs of the Qur’an from the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam directly.
- He was one of the few, if not the only, who the Prophet asked to read the Qur’an for him… He read al-Nisa, until the Prophet wept.
- He was the first companion to publicly read the Qur’an in Makkah.
- He was the Prophet’s bank of secrets.
- He served the Prophet from the day he embraced Islam until the passing of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
- He spent most of the time with the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam.
- He was one of the few people we are certain that the Prophet died while he was pleased with them.
- He was not lettered. But a learned.
The Takeaway…
Sayyidunā Abdullah ibn Mas’ud raḍiya Allāhu ’anhu rose from a shepherd in Makkah who used to be bullied by Abu Jahl, up to the one who finished his bully all the way up to the grand teacher for the entire of Kufa. More honourable than that; the Prophet acknowledged him and set him as the most preferred authority in the Qur’an for the companions raḍiya Allāhu ’anhum.
This is what happens when one embraces Allah through His true religion and the authentic revelations that He descended upon his chosen Messenger and Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ’alayhi wa sallam. And in Akhirah, we pray that Allah bestows His pleasure on us all.
That was Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ud, our Shining Star for this episode, one of the Shining Stars, who we should as parents and educators expose their stories to our children.
Until we meet in the next episode to take a look at another Shining Star, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Wassalamu ‘alaykum warahmatullah.
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