In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Mawaddah Association
Presents:
The Ten Promised Paradise
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf
May Allah be pleased with him.
"Love for the Companions and the Prophet's kin is an established Sunnah,
With which I shall meet my Lord as long as I live."
Love for the Companions and the Prophet's kin.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, set out for the Expedition of Tabuk,
Accompanied by the noble Companions,
During a period of intense hardship.
As they marched, night overtook them,
So they halted to get some rest after arduous effort and long travel.
At dawn,
The Muslims prepared to perform the obligatory prayer prescribed by Allah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) went away to relieve himself,
And he took longer than usual.
When he returned,
He found his Companions standing in straight rows before their Lord,
Praying in congregation,
Having put 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf forward to lead them.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) joined the row with them
And completed the second rak'ah of the prayer behind him.
When the Companions around him realized he had joined,
They were deeply alarmed,
And began repeating tasbih profusely.
Once the prayer was concluded,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up and completed the rak'ah he had missed.
Then he turned to his Companions and said:
"You have done well."
Meaning, you did well by offering the prayer promptly at its prescribed time.
Who, then, is this eminent Companion
Behind whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed,
Thereby attaining an immense, unmatched honor,
And a supreme virtue that none can rival?
Let us get to know him closely.
He is Abu Muhammad, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf
Ibn 'Abd 'Awf ibn 'Abd al-Harith,
The Qurayshi, from the clan of Zuhrah.
His name in the Pre-Islamic Era of Ignorance was 'Abd 'Amr,
But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) renamed him 'Abd al-Rahman.
He was born in Mecca ten years after the Year of the Elephant,
Making him ten years younger than the Prophet (peace be upon him).
May Allah be pleased with him, he was a tall man,
Handsome of face, with fair and delicate skin,
Bright white in complexion,
With thick hair falling below his earlobes,
And broad shoulders.
He had lost his two front teeth, giving him a slight lisp,
Due to injuries he sustained on the Day of Uhud,
Where his front teeth were knocked out.
He also walked with a limp,
Having suffered twenty wounds that day,
Some of which were in his leg,
Permanently affecting his gait.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam early on,
Being counted among the first eight individuals who preceded others in accepting the faith.
He was also among those who embraced Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him).
When the persecution of the early Muslims intensified,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted them to migrate to Abyssinia,
And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was among those who migrated there.
He later returned to Mecca
When rumors spread that its people had embraced Islam.
He remained there until he made the second migration to the City of the Prophet (Madinah),
Thus earning the honor and reward of both migrations.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah,
He established bonds of brotherhood between the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Helpers (Ansar).
He paired 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf and Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with both of them),
Forming one of the greatest pairs of brothers whose bond became legendary.
Sa'd offered to share half of his family and wealth with his brother 'Abd al-Rahman,
Saying: "I am the wealthiest among the Ansar,
So I will divide my wealth into two halves between you and me.
I also have two wives,
So see which of them pleases you more,
Name her to me and I shall divorce her,
And once her waiting period ends, you may marry her."
'Abd al-Rahman replied to him:
"May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth.
Just direct me to the market."
So he directed him to the market of Banu Qaynuqa'.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) began trading,
Buying and selling,
And earned a modest profit on his very first day.
He continued his trade in this manner
Until he accumulated some wealth.
He then married a woman from the Ansar.
A few days later, he came to the Prophet bearing traces of yellow perfume (sufrah).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him:
"What is this, O 'Abd al-Rahman?"
Inquiring about his news.
He replied:
"O Messenger of Allah,
I have married a woman from the Ansar."
He asked:
"And what did you drive to her as a dowry?"
Meaning, what was her bridal gift?
He answered:
"Gold equal to the weight of a date stone."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him:
"Offer a wedding feast, even if only with a single sheep."
And he (peace be upon him) prayed for Allah to bless him.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say:
"I saw myself in such a state that if I were to lift a stone,
I would expect to find gold or silver beneath it."
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) witnessed all the military expeditions alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him),
Ever in the front line during battles,
And standing behind him in prayers.
He was among those who strived with their lives and wealth in the cause of Allah.
On one occasion, he gave half of his entire fortune in charity,
Then later donated forty thousand dinars,
Then provided five hundred horses and five hundred mounts for the cause of Allah.
He stood firm alongside the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the Day of Uhud when many people turned away,
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) dispatched him at the head of an expedition to Dumat al-Jandal,
Where Allah granted him victory.
He continued his jihad and support for Islam under the Caliphs who came after the Prophet.
He held a place of high esteem and was constantly consulted by them.
An instance of this was when 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to travel to the Levant (al-Sham).
When he reached the region of Saragh,
News reached him that a plague had broken out in the Levant.
'Umar consulted those who were with him;
Some advised him to proceed to his destination,
While others advised him to return to Madinah.
However, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) advised him, saying:
"I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say:
'If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land,
Do not enter it;
And if it breaks out in a land while you are in it,
Do not leave it fleeing from it.'"
So 'Umar took his advice
And returned with those accompanying him to Madinah.
When 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was mortally wounded,
He entrusted the matter of succession to a council of six Companions,
Those with whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was pleased
At the time of his death,
Among whom was 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) managed
The transitional process with exceptional wisdom and competence,
Until Allah united the hearts of the people
Upon giving allegiance to 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) was renowned
For his immense wealth.
Most of his wealth came from trade,
Through which he earned vast sums of money.
He owned one thousand camels in Madinah,
Three thousand sheep,
And one hundred horses grazing at al-Baqi'.
He also farmed at al-Jurf using twenty water-drawing camels.
Likewise, he (may Allah be pleased with him) was famous for his abundant spending in the cause of Allah,
Upon the poor among the Muslims,
And for emancipating his slaves—
With numerous accounts recording these deeds.
Among them is that he once sold a piece of land for forty thousand dinars
And distributed all of it among his relatives from Banu Zuhrah
And the poor Muslims.
On a single day, he manumitted thirty slaves.
Talhah ibn 'Ubayd Allah used to say:
"The people of Madinah were dependents upon 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf:
One third he provided loans from his wealth,
One third whose debts he paid off,
And one third to whom he maintained charitable ties."
At the time of his passing (may Allah be pleased with him),
He bequeathed fifty thousand dinars in the cause of Allah,
From which individual men were given a thousand dinars each.
He also bequeathed to every surviving veteran of the Battle of Badr
Four hundred dinars per man;
They numbered one hundred men, and all of them received it.
Furthermore, he bequeathed one thousand horses in the cause of Allah.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him)
Used to provide for the Mothers of the Believers after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
This was among his great merits highlighted in the Prophetic hadiths.
For he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his wives one day:
"The one who will show compassion to you after me is the truthful and righteous one.
O Allah, give 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf to drink from the Salsabil of Paradise!"
Such was the extent of his dutiful care for them
That he bequeathed to them an orchard that was sold for four hundred thousand dinars,
And he used to guard them whenever they went out for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said:
"'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf was the trustee of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) over his wives."
Despite all this immense wealth that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) possessed,
He felt intense fear regarding this wealth,
And his affluence only increased him in humility before Allah.
He could not be distinguished from among his servants and young slaves.
One day, food was brought to him to break his fast while he was fasting;
When his eyes fell upon it, he lost his appetite and wept,
Saying: "Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr was martyred, and he was better than me,
Yet he was shrouded in a single garment—if his head was covered, his feet showed,
And if his feet were covered, his head showed.
And Hamzah was martyred, and he was better than me,
Yet nothing could be found to shroud him in except a single garment.
Then the worldly life was expanded for us as it was expanded,
And we were given of it what we were given.
I truly fear that our good things have been brought forward for us in our worldly life."
On another day, a dish containing bread and meat was placed before him,
So he wept and said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away
Without ever having eaten his fill of barley bread, he or his household.
I do not see that our delay [in death] has been kept for anything better for us."
Then he stood up without eating anything from it.
'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away
in the year 32 AH,
during the caliphate of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with him),
at the age of seventy-five.
'Uthman ibn 'Affan led his funeral prayer,
and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said as he carried his bier:
"Go forth, O Ibn 'Awf,
for you attained its purity
and outran its vanity."
In the eternal Paradise, two text passages increased their honor:
They are Talhah,
Ibn 'Awf, al-Zubayr,
Abu 'Ubaydah,
the two Sa'ds, and the Caliphs.