Abdullah ibn Masud RA, was a companion of Prophet Muhammad PBUH whom Islamic tradition regards as the greatest interpreter of the Quran of his time and the second ever.
Family Background
Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud was born in Mecca in about 594 CE to Masud ibn Ghafil and Umm Abd bint Abdwadd, both of whom were from the Hudhayl tribe, and believed to be slaves, or otherwise of low social status. At the time of his conversion to Islam, he worked as a shepherd.
He specified in his will that none of his daughters should be married off without their own knowledge. He also had a son named Abd al-Rahman.
He is described as a thin, short man with very dark skin, and smooth hair reaching to his shoulders. Abd Allah wore white clothes, and could be recognized in the dark by his distinctive, high-quality perfume.
He was reported to be sociable and willing to speak out to put people at ease. In his character and goals, he was said to be the person “most like Muhammad” PBUH.
Conversion to Islam
Ibn Masʿūd was an early follower of Islam, having converted before 616 CE. He appears nineteenth on Ibn Ishaq’s list of people who were converted by Abu Bakr RA.
As a youth, he worked as a shepherd for Uqba ibn Abu Mu’ayt. He first met Prophet Muhammad PBUH and Abu Bakr RA while watching his flocks when they were “fleeing from the idolators”. They asked him for milk, but Abd Allah said he could not steal from his employer.
According to Masʿūd, Muhammad PBUH then asked for an unmated ewe and stroked its udder, whereupon milk poured out.
Abd Allah immediately asked to be taught “some of these words”, and Prophet Muhammad PBUH began to teach him the Qur’an. Abd Allah later said that he learned 70 surahs from Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
Persecution by Meccan Elites
Around 614 CE the elite Quraysh Arabs began a campaign to suppress Islam through the oppression of Muslims of lower social status.
Abdullah as a foreigner whose allies had withdrawn their protection, was vulnerable to this persecution. Abu Jahl—one of the high-status leaders among the Quraysh—once “clawed at him and punched him“.
Abu Jahl met his karma when Abdullah seized him in the Battle of Badr. Even there Abu Jahl insulted Abdullah by saying “you have climbed high you little shepherd”.
Abd Allah and his brother Utba were among those who emigrated to Abyssinia in 616. Allah returned to Mecca in 619 with Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf.
Relation with Muhammad PBUH
Outsiders perceived Abd Allah and his mother as members of Prophet Muhammad’s household, PBUH. He worked as a personal servant, taking care of Muhammad’s bedding, toothbrush, sandals and travelling hygiene.
“He used to screen him when he bathed and wake him when he slept and walk with him in a wild land.” He was said to be the “keeper of secrets”.
Prophet Muhammad PBUH once told him to climb a tree and bring him a twig. The companions laughed at how thin Abd Allah’s legs were. Prophet Muhammad PBUH said: “Why are you laughing? Abd Allah’s foot will be heavier than Mount Uhud in the scales on the Day of Resurrection.“
Prophet Muhammad PBUH recognised Abd Allah as one of the four foremost experts on the Qur’an. He once asked him to recite; when Abd Allah protested, “Should I recite it to you when you are the one to whom it was sent down and revealed?” The Prophet PBUH replied, “I love to hear it from someone else.” Abd Allah then recited it until the Prophet wept, PBUH.
Military career
Abd Allah fought at the Battle of Badr. After the battle, Prophet Muhammad PBUH ordered the warriors to search among the corpses for his enemy Abu Jahl, who could be recognised by a distinctive scar on his knee.
Abd Allah found Abu Jahl “at his last gasp” with his leg cut off. He seized his beard and asked, “Are you Abu Jahl?” Abu Jahl replied, “Can there be a man superior to the one you have killed or one whom his own folk has killed?“
Abd Allah then placed his foot on Abu Jahl’s neck, and asked, “Allah’s enemy, has Allah put you to shame?” Abu Jahl replied, “How has he shamed me? Am I anything more than a man whom you have killed? Tell me how the battle went.”
Abd Allah told him that the Muslims had won. Abu Jahl responded, “You have climbed high, you little shepherd!” Then Abd Allah struck off his head. He brought it to Prophet Muhammad PBUH, proclaiming, “This is the head of Allah’s enemy Abu Jahl!“
Abd Allah also fought at the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of the Trench and “all the battles,” including Tabuk. Twenty years later, he said he wished he had died at Tabuk.
After Prophet’s Death
After the death of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud became the eighth-most prominent transmitter of hadith with a total of 848 narrations. Umar called him “a box full of knowledge”. The following traditions are among those attributed to him.
- I asked Allah’s Messenger which deed was the best. He replied: “Prayer at its appointed hour.” I said: “Then what?” He replied: “Kindness to the parents.” I said: “Then what?” He replied: “Jihad in the cause of Allah.” And I would not have ceased asking more questions but out of regard.
- A man said: “Allah’s Messenger, which offence is the most grievous in Allah’s eye?” He replied: “That you associate a partner with Allah, who created you.” He said: “What next?” He replied: “That you kill your child out of fear that he would join you in food.” He said: “What next?” He replied: “That you commit adultery with your neighbour’s wife.” And the Almighty and Exalted Lord testified it: All those who call not unto another god along with Allah, and slay not any soul which Allah has forbidden, except in the cause of justice, nor commit fornication, and he who does this shall meet a requital of sin. [Qur’an 25:68]
- We were along with Allah’s Messenger at Mina, that moon was split up into two. One of its parts was behind the mountain and the other one was on this side of the mountain. Allah’s Messenger said to us: “Bear witness to this.”
Umar allotted Abd Allah a pension of 6,000 dirhams, and he was said to be very generous with his money. His mother was also granted a pension of 1,000 dirhams.
Around 642 CE, Umar appointed him as a preacher, treasurer and magistrate (qāḍī) in Kufa, saying: “I have preferred you with him over myself, so take him.“
Disagreements with Government
Abd Allah, in his capacity as treasurer, lent a sum of money to Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, the Governor of Kufa, and when he was unable to repay it, they quarrelled.
Their quarrel spread to their individual supporters until they became two “wrangling factions” in the city.
Uthman became angry with both of them; in 646 he recalled Saad, extracted the money from him, and replaced him with al-Walid ibn Uqba. He thought of replacing Abd Allah too, but in the end he decided against it.
By 650, Abd Allah had quarrelled with al-Walid. A petition was brought to Abd Allah to investigate rumours that al-Walid was drinking alcohol; Abd Allah responded that it was not his business to spy on another man’s privacy.
Al-Walid felt that this statement was tantamount to a suspicion of his guilt. He accused Abd Allah of not defending his reputation, and they insulted one another verbally.
Al-Walid also tried to misappropriate state finances, but Abd Allah refused to comply with his demands. When Uthman instructed Abd Allah to obey al-Walid in everything, Abd Allah resigned his post. However, he remained in Kufa and continued to criticise the Governor.
Another long-serving Muslim, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, was also living in Kufa. He lived in the desert of Al-Rabadha. Sometime later, Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. As he passed through al-Rabadha, his camels almost trod upon a funeral bier. A slave told him that it was the funeral of his master Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who had died alone.
Abd Allah burst into tears, exclaiming: “The apostle was right! You walked alone, you died alone and you will be raised alone!” Then he alighted from his camels and helped to bury his old friend.
Role during Quran Compilation
Uthman produced a standardised version of the Qur’an in 652. He sent a copy to each province, and ordered that all other Quranic materials “whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies,” must be burned.
It is said that Ibn Mas’ud was displeased by the finished product; in particular he accused Uthman’s scribes of adding three extra suras (1, 113 and 114) that had never been part of the original, and of making many other small changes to the text.
He also preached a sermon in Kufa wherein he called Uthman’s standardised Quran a “deceit”. “And whoever deceives like this will bring his deceit on the Day of Resurrection … I like it better to read according to the recitation of him whom I love than that of Zayd ibn Thabit … If I knew anyone to be more conversant with Allah’s Book than I am, I would surely go to him if camels could carry me there.“
When Uthman’s agents came to Kufa to burn all the variants, Abd Allah hid his copy from them. He justified his own version of the recitation by reminding people: “I recited before Allah’s Messenger more than seventy suras of the Qur’an. His Companions know that I have a better understanding of Allah’s Book than they do; and if I were to know that someone had a better understanding than I have, I would have gone to him.”
It was said that nobody could find fault with Abd Allah’s version. When Uthman was called to account for his mismanagement as Caliph, one of the grievances against him was that he had destroyed variant readings of the Qur’an.
Much later, Abd Allah ibn Masud’s variant readings were discussed on equal terms with the Uthmanic text by al-Farra. Ramon Harvey asserts that Ibn Masʿūd’s reading continued in use and was even taught as the dominant reading in Kufa for at least a century after his death and has shown that some of his distinctive readings continued to play a role in Hanafi fiqh.
Death and Legacy
Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud died in Medina in 653 and was buried by the night at Al-Baqi’. It is disputed whether it was Ammar ibn Yasir or Caliph Uthman who led his funeral prayers.
He left a fortune of 90,000 dirhams. Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awam petitioned the Caliph to give Abd Allah’s pension to his heirs “because they need it more than the treasury does.” Uthman granted this request, although the exact value of the pension is disputed.
Source: This Article has been reproduced from Wikipedia with some of the headings, order, and highlights changed to emphasise certain elements.