Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf facts for kids

shrine attributed to the companion Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, located in the Jubeiha area, north of Amman, capital of Jordan

Plaque

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf (Arabic: عبد الرحمن بن عوف) (around 581–654 CE) was a very important companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was known for being one of the wealthiest companions. He is also famous for being one of the ten to whom Paradise was promised.

Background

Abd al-Rahman's parents were from the Zuhra clan, part of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. His father was Awf ibn Abd Awf, and his mother was al-Shifa bint Awf.

His first name was Abd Amr, which means "servant of Amr." Prophet Muhammad later changed his name to Abd al-Rahman, meaning "servant of the Most Merciful." Some also say his original name was Abdul Kaaba.

Biography

Abd al-Rahman learned about Islam from Abu Bakr, another close companion. He then met Prophet Muhammad and accepted Islam. He was one of the first eight men to become Muslim.

Around 614 CE, the pagan leaders in Mecca started to treat Muslims badly. They even threatened Muslim merchants, saying they would stop buying their goods.

Abd al-Rahman was among the first group of fifteen Muslims who traveled to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in 615 CE. They found safety and protection there from the Negus (the ruler). This allowed them to practice their faith freely. Later, they heard a false rumor that the Meccans had accepted Islam. Abd al-Rahman was one of forty Muslims who returned to Mecca, often needing protection to enter the city.

Life in Medina

When Abd al-Rahman moved to Medina, he made an agreement with a man named Umayyah ibn Khalaf, who was against Islam. They agreed to protect each other's families and property. However, Umayyah didn't want to use the name "Ar-Rahman" in the agreement, so Abd al-Rahman used his old name, Abd Amr. They later met again during the Battle of Badr in 624 CE.

Abd al-Rahman was one of the few who bravely stayed with Prophet Muhammad during the Battle of Uhud when many others left. He also took part in all other military actions led by Muhammad.

Raid on Dumatul-Jandal

In 626 CE, Prophet Muhammad sent Abd al-Rahman to lead a raid against the Kalb tribe in Daumatul-Jandal. Muhammad gave him clear instructions on how to fight and how to share the spoils of war. Abd al-Rahman defeated the Kalbites. They agreed to become Muslim and pay a tax called jizya. To make the alliance stronger, Abd al-Rahman married Tamadur bint Al-Asbagh, the chief's daughter, and brought her back to Medina.

Rashidun Caliphate

In 634 CE, when the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, was dying, he chose Umar ibn al-Khattab to be the next leader. Abd al-Rahman was there when this decision was made.

Abd al-Rahman also took part in important battles like the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and the Battle of Jalula. These battles helped the Muslim armies expand their territory and gain valuable resources. After the city of Jerusalem was taken, Abd al-Rahman helped write an important agreement about the city, which the Caliph Umar approved. During Umar's rule, Abd al-Rahman spent most of his time studying and leading the Hajj (pilgrimage) convoys.

In 644 CE, when Caliph Umar was dying, he created a special council of six members to choose the next Caliph. Abd al-Rahman was one of these six members. He played a key role in choosing Uthman ibn Affan as the third Caliph.

Death

Abd al-Rahman died in Medina in 653 or 654 CE. He was about 72 years old. He was buried in Al-Baqi' cemetery.

Personal life

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf was famous for his great wealth and his smart business skills. When he first moved to Medina, he was poor. But he started a business making clarified cheese and butter. He also received two small palm groves as a gift from Prophet Muhammad. These ventures made him very rich.

It is said that Abd al-Rahman owned a hundred horses, a thousand camels, and ten thousand sheep. These animals grazed on his land in Al-Baqi'. He also used twenty of his camels to farm his land, which helped his family grow crops. Because he participated in all of Muhammad's battles, he gained a lot of wealth from the spoils of war. When he died, his inheritance was so large that just a quarter of his property was worth 84,000 Dinars (gold coins).

There's a story that when people asked him the secret to his success, Abd al-Rahman replied that he never lifted a stone without expecting to find gold or silver underneath it. This shows how successful he was in business.

Abd al-Rahman had many wives and children. He was known to have married at least sixteen times and had at least thirty children.

Philanthropy

Many stories show how generous Abd al-Rahman was. He once provided 1,500 camels to Prophet Muhammad's army. He also left 400 dinars to the survivors of the Battle of Badr and a large amount of money to the widows of Prophet Muhammad.

A famous story tells that Abd al-Rahman brought a caravan of 700 camels loaded with goods into Medina. Aisha, Prophet Muhammad's wife, said she heard the Prophet say that Abd al-Rahman would enter Paradise "crawling." When Abd al-Rahman heard this, he immediately said he would give the entire caravan and all its goods to charity. And he did!

He also reportedly gave 50,000 gold dinars from his own money to charity.

Sunni view

Sunni Muslims consider Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf to be one of "the ten to whom Paradise was promised." This means Prophet Muhammad said these ten companions would definitely go to Paradise.

See also

• Companions of the Prophet
• The ten to whom Paradise was promised
• List of expeditions of Muhammad
• Banu Kalb