Abdullah Bin Mas’ud

 

As a child Abdullah was a shepherd.  He spent his time in the mountains watching the sheep of a Qureish chief.  He was far away from Mecca and people.

Abdullah heard about the new Prophet.  However, he was very young.  So he didn’t take much interest in the news.  Also he was busy taking the sheep back and forth to graze.

One day, Abdullah was tending his flock.  He saw two middle-aged men approaching him.  They were very tired and thirsty.  One of the men said, “Young boy, milk one of the sheep for us.  We are very thirsty.”

“I can’t,”  replied Abdullah.  “The sheep are not mine.  I am only looking after them.”

The two men did not argue with him.  They liked this honest boy.  The two men were the blessed Prophet and his companion, Abu Bakr.  They were escaping the persecution of the Qureish.  Abdullah was impressed by the Prophet and his companion.  He liked them and the new religion.  So he became a Muslim.

Abdullah wanted to serve the Prophet. Muhammad (pbuh) accepted him into his service.  The young boy looked after the needs of the Prophet.  He attended to him both inside and outside of the house.  He traveled with him, too.  Abdullah woke the Prophet from sleep and he held his cover when Muhammad (pbuh) washed.  He carried the Prophet’s staff and miswak for brushing his teeth. Generally, Abdullah attended to all  of the Prophet’s personal needs.

Abdullah learned a great deal from the Prophet.  He was under his personal guidance.  People said that he was the closest to Muhammad in character.

Also Abdullah attended the Prophet’s ‘school’.  He was the best reciter of the Qur’an among the companions, and he understood the Qur’an better than the others.

One day, a man went up to Omar and said, “I have come from Kufa.  There is a man in Kufa who is having the Qur’an written down from memory.”

Omar became furious.  “Who is that man?” he asked.

“Abdullah bin Mas’ud,” replied the other man.

Suddenly Omar’s anger passed and he smiled.  “I don’t know of anyone more worthy to do that than him,”  Omar said.

One night the Messenger of God was having a conversation with Abu Bakr about the situation of the Muslims.  Omar was with them.  They left all together.  In the masjid they saw a man praying.  The Prophet stood and listened to him.  It was Abdullah.

Then the Prophet said, “If you want to read the Qur’an the same as it was revealed, read it like Abdullah.”  When Abdullah began to pray, the Prophet said, “Whatever you ask for will be given to you.”

Omar went to give the good news to Abdullah, but Abu Bakr got there first.  He repeated what Muhammad (pbuh) had said.

Abdullah learned a lot about the Qur’an.  He said about the Qur’an, “I swear to the only God that I know where and why each ayat was revealed.  If someone knows more about the Qur’an than me, I’ll equal him if possible.”

Abdullah wasn’t exaggerating.  One night, Omar met a caravan on one of his journeys as a caliph.  It was dark and Omar couldn’t see the caravan very well.  Omar ordered someone to ask the caravan where they were coming from.

“From the deep valley,” they replied.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Ancient House,” they answered.

Someone from the caravan told Omar that there was a learned man with them. Omar wanted to find out more about this learned man so he had his men ask more questions.

“Which part of the Qur’an is the greatest?”

The reply was from the Verse of the Throne, “God. There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal.  No slumber can seize Him nor sleep,” replied the person.

“Which part of the Qur’an is the clearest on justice?”

“God commands what is just and fair, the feeding of relatives...” came the answer.

“What is the most concise statement in the Qur’an?”

“Whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it,” was the reply.

“Which part of the Qur’an gives rise to the greatest hope?”

“O my servants who have done wrong to their souls!  Do not despair of the Mercy of God.  For God forgives all sins.  He is often Forgiving and most Merciful,” was the answer.

Finally Omar asked, “Is Abdullah bin Mas’ud among you?”

“Yes, he is,” they replied.

Abdullah was a reciter of the Qur’an, a learned man and a fervent worshipper.  He was also a strong and brave fighter.

One day the companions of the Prophet gathered together in Mecca.  They were still very few in number.  They said, “The Qureish haven’t yet heard the Qur’an read out loud.  Who can recite it to them?”

“I’ll recite it,” volunteered Abdullah.

“We’re afraid for you,” they said.  “We want someone with a big family to protect him.”

“Let me recite,” said Abdullah, “God will protect me from the pagans.”

The next morning he went to the masjid.  The Qureish were sitting around the Ka’ba.  Abdullah began to recite, “In the name of God, the Merciful, the compassionate... He has taught the Qur’an.  He has created man and taught him the clear truth...”

The Qureish asked one another, “What is Abdullah saying?”

“He’s reciting some of Muhammad’s words,” others said.

The Qureish got up and began beating Abdullah.  He continued reciting.  They hit his face.

Abdullah returned to the companions.  The blood was flowing from his nose and mouth.  “We were afraid of this,” they said.

“By God,” replied Abdullah, “the enemies of God have never been weaker than they are now.  If you like, I’ll go tomorrow and recite again.”

“No, you’ve done enough.  You have shown them your dislike.”

Abdullah lived until the caliphate of Osman.  When he was on his death-bed, Osman came to visit him.  “What’s your complaint?” asked Osman.

“My sins,” answered Abdullah.

“Do you need anything?” the caliph asked.

“The mercy of my Lord,” replied Abdullah.

“You haven’t taken your salary for years,” said Osman.  “Do you want it now?”

“I don’t need it anymore,” answered Abdullah.

“But it would remain for your daughters,” insisted Osman.

Abdullah asked, “Are you afraid my daughters will face poverty?  I advised them to read the Wakia sura every night.  I heard the Prophet say that anyone who reads it every night will never be poor.”

That night Abdullah passed away.  He was reciting the Qur’an when he died.