Abdullah ibn Masud facts for kids

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (Arabic: Arabic: عبد الله بن مسعود, romanized: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʽūd; born around 594 AD, died around 653 AD) was a very important companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is known as one of the greatest experts in understanding the Qur'an during his time. People also called him Abu Abdur Rahman.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was born in Mecca around 594 AD. His parents, Masud ibn Ghafil and Umm Abd bint Abdwadd, were from the Hudhayl tribe. His mother's family, however, was connected to the important Quraysh tribe.

Abdullah had a brother named Utba. He also had at least two wives during Muhammad's lifetime. One wife, Rayta bint Abdullah, was a skilled craftswoman who supported her family. His other wife, Zaynab bint Abdullah, was from the Thaqif tribe. They had several daughters. Abdullah made sure that his daughters would only marry if they agreed. He also had a son named AbdurRahman.

People described Abdullah as a thin, short man with dark skin and smooth hair that reached his shoulders. He often wore white clothes and used a special, high-quality perfume. He was known for being friendly and good at making people feel comfortable. Many said he was very much like Prophet Muhammad in his character and goals.

Becoming a Muslim

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was one of the first people to become a Muslim. He converted before the year 616 AD. He was among the early followers who learned about Islam from Abu Bakr, a close companion of Muhammad.

When he was young, Abdullah worked as a shepherd for a man named Uqba ibn Abu Mu'ayt. He first met Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr while he was looking after his sheep. They had left Mecca to escape from people who did not believe in Islam. They asked Abdullah for some milk, but he said he could not give it because the sheep belonged to his employer.

According to Abdullah, Muhammad then asked for a ewe (a female sheep) that had not been mated. Muhammad gently stroked its udder, and milk poured out. Abdullah was amazed and immediately asked to be taught more about Islam. Muhammad then began to teach him the Qur'an. Abdullah later said that he learned 70 suras (chapters) of the Qur'an directly from Muhammad.

Later, Abdullah's mother and brother also became Muslims.

Around 614 AD, the Quraysh leaders in Mecca started to treat Muslims badly, especially those who were not from powerful families. Abdullah was vulnerable because he was not from a strong tribe in Mecca. Abu Jahl, a powerful Quraysh leader, once attacked him.

One day, Muslims talked about how the Quraysh had never truly heard the Qur'an recited clearly. Abdullah bravely volunteered to recite it to them. His friends worried he would be attacked, but Abdullah said, "Allah will protect me." He stood in front of the Kaaba, a holy building in Mecca, and began to recite Surah Ar-Rahman from the Qur'an. When the Quraysh realized he was reciting Muhammad's teachings, they started to hit his face. But Abdullah kept reciting. He returned to his friends with bruises, saying he had never felt more strongly against Allah's enemies. He even offered to do it again the next day, but his friends said he had already done enough.

Abdullah and his brother Utba were among the Muslims who moved to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia) in 616 AD to escape persecution. Abdullah returned to Mecca in 619 AD with Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf.

Moving to Medina

When Muslims moved to Medina in 622 AD, an event known as the Hegira, Abdullah stayed with Muadh ibn Jabal or Saad ibn Khaythama. Some stories say that Prophet Muhammad made Abdullah and Muadh ibn Jabal brothers in Islam. Other stories say Abdullah's brother in Islam was Al-Zubayar ibn Al-Awwam. When land in Medina was given to the new arrivals, Abdullah and his brother Utba received plots near the mosque.

Close to Prophet Muhammad

People outside Muhammad's family saw Abdullah and his mother as part of Muhammad's household. Abdullah served Prophet Muhammad closely. He took care of Muhammad's bedding, toothbrush, sandals, and travel items. He would even help screen Muhammad when he bathed and wake him when he slept. He was known as the "keeper of secrets."

Once, Muhammad asked Abdullah to climb a tree to get a twig. Some companions laughed at how thin Abdullah's legs were. Muhammad then said, "Why are you laughing? Abdullah's foot will be heavier than Mount Uhud (a large mountain) on the Day of Resurrection." This showed Abdullah's great importance.

Prophet Muhammad recognized Abdullah as one of the four best experts on the Qur'an. Muhammad once asked Abdullah to recite the Qur'an. Abdullah was surprised, saying, "Should I recite it to you when it was sent down to you?" Muhammad replied, "I love to hear it from someone else." Abdullah then recited until Muhammad cried.

Fighting in Battles

Abdullah fought in many important battles for Islam. He was at the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud, and the Battle of the Trench. He also participated in "all the battles," including the Tabuk expedition. Years later, he said he wished he had died at Tabuk.

After Prophet Muhammad's Death

After Prophet Muhammad passed away, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud became a very important person for sharing hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet). He narrated 848 hadith. Umar, the second Caliph (leader of the Muslim community), called him "a box full of knowledge."

Umar gave Abdullah a yearly payment of 6,000 dirhams (a type of currency). Abdullah was known for being very generous with his money. His mother also received a yearly payment.

Around 642 AD, Umar appointed Abdullah as a preacher, treasurer, and judge (qāḍī) in Kufa, a city in Iraq. Umar said, "I have chosen him for you over myself, so take him."

Discussions with the Government

Abdullah, as the treasurer in Kufa, once lent money to Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, who was the Governor of Kufa. When Saad could not repay it, they had a disagreement. This disagreement grew and caused some tension among their supporters in the city. Uthman, the third Caliph, was unhappy with both of them. In 646 AD, he removed Saad from his position and replaced him with al-Walid ibn Uqba. Uthman thought about replacing Abdullah too, but decided not to.

By 650 AD, Abdullah had disagreements with al-Walid and decided to leave his job. However, he stayed in Kufa and continued to share his views about the Governor.

Another respected Muslim, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, also lived in Kufa, but in the desert area of Al-Rabadha. Later, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. As he passed through Al-Rabadha, he saw a funeral. A slave told him it was the funeral of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who had died alone. Abdullah cried, remembering a saying of the Prophet: "You walked alone, you died alone and you will be raised alone!" He then helped bury his old friend.

Uthman's Qur'an Collection

Uthman, the Caliph, worked to create a single, standard version of the Qur'an around 652 AD. He sent copies to different regions and asked that other versions be gathered and kept safely.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was a highly respected scholar of the Qur'an. He had his own way of reciting and preserving the Qur'an, which he had learned directly from Prophet Muhammad. When Uthman's standardized Qur'an was completed, there were some differences between it and Abdullah's version. Abdullah felt strongly about his own version, which he had learned from the Prophet. He reminded people that he had recited over seventy suras before Prophet Muhammad. He believed he had a deep understanding of the Qur'an.

Despite these differences, the standardized Qur'an became widely accepted. Many Islamic scholars believe that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's own recitations and teachings actually influenced some of the later standard ways of reciting the Qur'an.

Disagreement with Uthman

Eventually, Uthman called Abdullah back to Medina. When Abdullah entered the mosque where Uthman was speaking, Uthman spoke harshly to him. Aisha, Prophet Muhammad's wife, protested, saying that Uthman should not speak that way to a companion of the Prophet. Uthman then told Abdullah he could not leave Medina again and ordered him out of the mosque. Abdullah's servants removed him, and he was hurt in the process. He had to be carried home.

Uthman did not pay Abdullah's pension for the rest of his life.

Teaching the Qur'an in Kufa

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud taught a very important way of reading the Qur'an in Kufa. This reading was well-known and respected. Even after his death, his way of reading the Qur'an continued to be taught in Kufa for at least a hundred years. Some of his unique readings also influenced Islamic law.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's teachings played a role in how the main ways of reciting the Qur'an, known as qira'at, developed. For example, one important chain of Qur'an transmission goes through Abdullah ibn Mas'ud. His influence is even stronger in the readings of Hamza and his student Al-Kisa'i, who were famous reciters from Kufa.

Many scholars have studied the differences between Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's reading and the standard Qur'an text. These differences show his unique scholarly approach.

Death

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud died in Medina in 653 AD and was buried at night in Al-Baqi', a famous cemetery. There is some discussion about whether Ammar ibn Yasir or Caliph Uthman led his funeral prayers. He left behind a large amount of money. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awam asked the Caliph to give Abdullah's pension to his family, saying they needed it more. Uthman agreed to this request.

See also

• Sahaba
• List of Sahabah
• 7th century in Lebanon § Ṣaḥāba who have visited Lebanon