Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (12) - Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:15 Mawaddah Association is pleased

0:18 to present to you snapshots from the lives of the Companions

0:22 by 'Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,

0:25 may Allah have mercy on him.

0:27 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him.

0:45 He was at that time a young boy who had not yet reached puberty,

0:51 tending his flock in the mountain passes of Makkah, far away from people.

0:55 He had with him sheep that he was pasturing for one of the chieftains of Quraysh,

0:59 namely 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt.

1:01 People used to call him "Ibn Umm 'Abd" (the son of the mother of a slave),

1:04 while his given name was 'Abdullah,

1:06 and his father's name was Mas'ud.

1:09 The youth used to hear news of the Prophet who had appeared among his people,

1:13 but he paid no attention to it, partly due to his tender age

1:16 and partly because he was so distant from Makkan society.

1:20 For he was accustomed to going out with 'Uqbah's sheep at early dawn,

1:24 not returning with them until night fell.

1:28 One day, the Makkan youth, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, saw

1:33 two dignified, middle-aged men approaching him from afar.

1:38 Exhaustion had taken a heavy toll on them,

1:41 and their thirst was so intense that their lips and throats were completely parched.

1:47 When they reached him, they greeted him and said,

1:50 "O young man, milk one of these sheep for us

1:54 so that we may quench our thirst

1:57 and moisten our veins."

1:59 But the youth replied, "I will not do so.

2:02 The sheep are not mine; I am merely entrusted with them."

2:06 The two men did not object to his answer,

2:09 and satisfaction with him was evident on their faces.

2:12 Then one of them said to him,

2:14 "Show me a ewe that has not yet mated with a ram."

2:18 The youth pointed to a small ewe near him.

2:23 The man stepped up to it, held it,

2:26 and began wiping its udder with his hand while mentioning the name of Allah over it.

2:30 The youth looked at him in astonishment, saying to himself,

2:34 "Since when do small sheep that have never mated with rams

2:39 yield milk?"

2:41 But it was not long before the ewe's udder swelled,

2:44 and milk began gushing from it abundantly.

2:48 The other man took a hollowed stone from the ground

2:52 and filled it with milk.

2:54 He and his companion drank from it,

2:56 and then they offered me some to drink with them,

2:59 while I could scarcely believe what I was seeing.

3:02 When we had drunk our fill,

3:04 the blessed man said to the ewe's udder,

3:06 "Shrink!"

3:08 And it kept shrinking until it returned to its original state.

3:12 Thereupon,

3:14 I said to the blessed man,

3:16 "Teach me some of these words you have spoken!"

3:19 He replied to me, "You are a taught, receptive boy."

3:23 This was the beginning of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's journey with Islam.

3:28 For the blessed man was none other than

3:30 the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

3:34 and his companion was none other than Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.

3:38 They had fled that day into the mountain passes of Makkah

3:42 due to the extreme persecution inflicted by Quraysh,

3:45 and the severity of the trials they had poured upon them.

3:48 Just as the young boy came to love the noble Messenger and his companion

3:52 and became attached to them,

3:54 so too did the Messenger and his companion admire the youth,

3:57 greatly appreciating his honesty and resolute character,

4:00 discerning in him much goodness.

4:02 Before long,

4:04 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud embraced Islam

4:06 and offered his services to the Messenger of Allah.

4:10 So the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, took him into his service.

4:14 From that day onward,

4:16 the fortunate youth, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, transitioned

4:20 from tending sheep

4:22 to serving the master of all creation and nations.

4:25 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud remained devoted to

4:27 the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

4:30 sticking to him like his very shadow.

4:33 He accompanied him whether he was resident or traveling,

4:36 remaining by his side inside the house and outside it.

4:39 He would wake him when he slept,

4:42 screen him when he washed,

4:44 put on his sandals for him when he intended to go out,

4:47 take them off his feet when he was about to enter,

4:51 carry his staff and miswak,

4:54 and enter the apartment ahead of him when he retired to his room.

4:58 Indeed, the Messenger, peace be upon him,

5:01 permitted him to enter upon him whenever he wished

5:05 and to learn his private affairs without hesitation or fear of fault,

5:09 to the point that he was called "the keeper of the secret of the Messenger of Allah."

5:13 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was raised

5:16 in the household of the Messenger of Allah;

5:18 he was guided by his guidance, adopted his noble characteristics,

5:21 and followed him in every single one of his traits,

5:25 until it was said of him that he was the closest of all people to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in guidance and demeanor.

5:33 Ibn Mas'ud learned in the school of the Messenger, peace be upon him,

5:39 becoming one of the most proficient readers of the Qur'an among the Companions,

5:42 the most knowledgeable of them regarding its meanings,

5:44 and the most versed in Allah's sacred law.

5:46 Nothing illustrates this better than the story of the man

5:50 who came to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab while he was standing at 'Arafah,

5:54 and said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, I have come from Kufa,

5:58 where I left a man dictating copies of the Qur'an from memory."

6:03 Upon hearing this, 'Umar grew exceedingly angry, as he rarely ever did,

6:07 swelling with rage until he almost filled the space between the pommels of his saddle.

6:11 He demanded, "Woe to you! Who is he?"

6:14 The man replied, "'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud."

6:17 'Umar's anger immediately subsided, his composure returned, and he calmed down,

6:23 then said, "Woe to you! By Allah, I know of no person remaining

6:29 who is more entitled to this matter than he. Let me tell you about that."

6:34 'Umar resumed his speech and said,

6:37 "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

6:40 was chatting late one night at Abu Bakr's place,

6:43 discussing the affairs of the Muslims,

6:46 and I was with them.

6:48 Then the Messenger of Allah left, and we left with him.

6:51 Suddenly, we saw a man standing and praying in the mosque, whom we could not clearly identify,

6:56 so the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stopped to listen to him.

7:01 Then he turned to us and said,

7:04 'Whoever would be pleased to recite the Qur'an fresh and tender as it was revealed,

7:08 let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm 'Abd.'

7:12 Then 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud sat down suppliantly making supplication,

7:15 and the Messenger, peace be upon him, began saying to him,

7:19 'Ask, and you shall be given! Ask, and you shall be given!'

7:22 'Umar then added, saying,

7:24 'I said to myself: By Allah, I will surely go early tomorrow to 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

7:29 to give him the glad tidings of the Messenger's, peace be upon him, saying "Amen" to his supplication!

7:35 So I went to him in the morning to convey the glad tidings,

7:38 only to find that Abu Bakr had already preceded me to him and given him the news!

7:42 By Allah, I never tried to race Abu Bakr toward any good deed

7:46 but that he beat me to it.'

7:48 So vast was 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's knowledge of the Book of Allah

7:53 that he used to say,

7:55 'By Allah, besides Whom there is no deity except Him,

7:58 no verse of the Book of Allah was revealed

8:01 except that I know where it was revealed

8:04 and regarding what it was revealed.

8:06 And if I knew of anyone more knowledgeable than me regarding the Book of Allah whom camels could reach,

8:11 I would surely travel to him.'

8:13 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was not exaggerating in what he said about himself.

8:18 For here is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him,

8:21 encountering a caravan during one of his journeys.

8:24 Night had fallen, cloaking the caravan in its darkness,

8:28 and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud happened to be among the travelers.

8:31 'Umar ordered a man to call out to them, "Where is the party from?"

8:36 'Abdullah replied to him,

8:38 "From the deep mountain pass (al-fajj al-'amiq)."

8:40 'Umar asked, "Where are you heading?"

8:43 'Abdullah answered,

8:45 "To the Ancient House (al-Bayt al-'Atiq)."

8:47 'Umar remarked,

8:49 "There is a scholar among them."

8:51 He then ordered a man to call out to them,

8:53 "Which part of the Qur'an is the greatest?"

8:55 'Abdullah replied to him,

8:57 "◁ Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. ▷"

9:06 “Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.” (2:255)

9:12 'Umar said, "Call out to them:

9:14 Which part of the Qur'an is the most decisive?"

9:16 'Abdullah replied,

9:18 “Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.” (16:90)

9:23 "◁ Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives, ▷

9:27 ◁ and forbids immorality ▷

9:31 ◁ and bad conduct and oppression. ▷

9:34 ◁ He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. ▷"

9:41 'Umar said,

9:43 "Call out to them:

9:44 Which part of the Qur'an is the most comprehensive?"

9:46 'Abdullah replied,

9:48 "◁ So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. ▷"

9:53 “And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then.” (99:8)

10:00 'Umar said,

10:02 "Call out to them:

10:03 Which part of the Qur'an is the most terrifying?"

10:05 'Abdullah replied,

10:07 “It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Scripture. He who doeth wrong will have the recompense thereof, and will not find against Allah any protecting friend or helper.” (4:123)

10:16 "◁ Whoever does an evil will be recompensed for it, ▷

10:22 “It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor the desires of the People of the Scripture. He who doeth wrong will have the recompense thereof, and will not find against Allah any protecting friend or helper.” (4:123)

10:26 ◁ nor will he find for himself besides Allah any protector or helper. ▷"

10:30 'Umar said,

10:31 "Call out to them:

10:33 Which part of the Qur'an gives the greatest hope?"

10:35 'Abdullah replied,

10:37 "◁ Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves... ▷

10:41 “Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)

10:49 “Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (39:53)

10:55 ◁ Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.' ▷"

11:01 'Umar then said,

11:02 "Call out to them:

11:03 Is 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud among you?"

11:06 They answered,

11:07 "By Allah, yes!"

11:09 And 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was not

11:12 merely a reciter, scholar, worshipper, and ascetic;

11:15 rather,

11:16 along with all that, he was

11:18 strong, resolute,

11:20 a courageous warrior—

11:22 when serious matters called for action.

11:24 Suffice it to say that he was the first Muslim on the face of the earth to recite the Qur'an aloud

11:29 after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

11:32 One day, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah gathered in Makkah

11:36 when they were few and weak,

11:39 and they said,

11:40 "By Allah, Quraysh has never heard this Qur'an recited to them aloud.

11:45 Who is the man who will make them hear it?"

11:48 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said,

11:50 "I will make them hear it."

11:53 They said,

11:54 "We fear for you from them.

11:56 We want a man who has a clan

11:59 to protect him and defend him from them if they intend harm against him."

12:03 He replied,

12:04 "Let me be,

12:05 for Allah will surely protect and defend me."

12:08 Then the next morning he went to the Mosque until he reached the Station of Ibrahim during the forenoon,

12:13 while Quraysh were sitting around the Ka'bah.

12:16 He stood by the Station and recited,

12:19 "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,"

12:21 raising his voice with it:

12:24 "The Most Gracious,

12:28 Taught the Qur'an,

12:31 Created man,

12:37 Taught him eloquent speech."

12:40 And he continued reciting it.

12:43 Quraysh looked closely at him and said,

12:46 "What is the son of Umm 'Abd saying?

12:48 May he perish!

12:50 He is reciting some of what Muhammad brought!"

12:53 So they stood up and went to him,

12:55 and began striking his face while he kept reciting,

12:58 until he had recited as much of it as Allah willed him to recite.

13:02 Then he returned to his companions with blood flowing from him.

13:06 They said to him,

13:07 "This is what we feared for you."

13:10 He said, "By Allah, the enemies of Allah were never

13:13 more insignificant in my eyes than they are right now.

13:16 And if you wish, I will go to them and do the exact same thing tomorrow."

13:20 They said, "No, that is enough for you;

13:23 you have made them hear what they detest."

13:26 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud lived

13:28 until the caliphate of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).

13:31 When he fell illness in his final sickness,

13:34 'Uthman came to visit him

13:36 and said to him,

13:37 "What do you complain of?"

13:39 He said,

13:40 "My sins."

13:41 He said,

13:42 "And what do you desire?"

13:44 He said,

13:45 "The mercy of my Lord."

13:47 He said,

13:48 "Shall I order that your stipend be given to you, which you have refused to take for years?"

13:53 He said,

13:54 "I have no need of it."

13:56 He said,

13:57 "Let it be for your daughters after you."

14:00 He said,

14:01 "Do you fear poverty for my daughters?

14:03 I have commanded them to recite Surah Al-Waqi'ah every night,

14:08 for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say,

14:13 'Whoever recites Al-Waqi'ah every night,

14:16 poverty shall never strike him.'"

14:18 And as night fell,

14:21 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud joined the Highest Companion,

14:25 his tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah,

14:28 fresh with His clear verses.

14:31 "Whosoever would be pleased to recite the Qur'an fresh as it was revealed,

14:37 let him recite it according to the recitation of the son of Umm 'Abd."

14:41 Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

Pictures from the lives of the Companions - Episode (12) - Abdullah bin Masoud, may God be pleased with him

Transcript