The Companions of The Prophet
Abdur-Rahman Ibn Awf
Muslim Education & Literacy Services
He was one of the first eight persons to accept Islam. He was one of the ten
persons (al-asharatu-l mubashshirin) who were assured of entering Paradise. He
was one of the six persons chosen by Umar to form the council of shura to
choose the Khalifah after his death.
His name in Jahiliyyah days was Abu Amr. But when he accepted Islam the noble
Prophet called him Abdur-Rahman -- the servant of the Beneficent God.
Abdur-Rahman became a Muslim before the Prophet entered the house of al-Arqam.
In fact it is said that he accepted Islam only two days after Abu Bakr
as-Siddiq did so.
Abdur-Rahman did not escape the punishment which the early Muslims suffered at
the hands of the Quraysh. He bore this punishment with steadfastness as they
did. He remained firm as they did. And when they were compelled to leave Makkah
for Abyssinia because of the continuous and unbearable persecution,
Abdur-Rahman also went. He returned to Makkah when it was rumored that
conditions for the Muslims had improved but, when these rumors proved to be
false, he left again for Abyssinia on a second hijrah. Fro m Makkah once again
he made the hijrah to Madinah.
Soon after arriving in Madinah, the Prophet in his unique manner began pairing
off the Muhajirin and the Ansar. This established a firm bond of brotherhood
and was meant to strengthen social cohesion and ease the destitution of the
Muhajirin. Abdur-Rahman was linked by the Prophet with Sad ibn ar-Rabi'ah. Sad
in the spirit of generosity and magnanimity with which the Ansar greeted the
Muhajirin, said to Abdur-Rahman: "My brother! Among the people of Madinah I
have the most wealth. I have two orchards and I have two wives. See which of
the two orchards you like and I shall vacate it for you and which of my two
wives is pleasing to you and I will divorce her for you."
Abdur-Rahman must have been embarrassed and said in reply: "May God bless you
in your family and your wealth. But just show me where the suq is.."
Abdur-Rahman went to the market-place and began trading with whatever little
resources he had. He bought and sold and his profits grew rapidly. Soon he was
sufficiently well off and was able to get married. He went to the noble Prophet
with the scent of perfume lingering over him.
"Mahyarn, O Abdur-Rahman!" exclaimed the Prophet - "mahyam" being a word of
Yemeni origin which indicates pleasant surprise.
"I have got married," replied Abdur-Rahman. "And what did you give your wife as
mahr?"
"The weight of a nuwat in gold."
"You must have a walimah (wedding feast) even if it is with a single sheep. And
may Allah bless you in your wealth," said the Prophet with obvious pleasure and
encouragement.
Thereafter Abdur-Rahman grew so accustomed to business success that he said if
he lifted a stone he expected to find gold or silver under it!
Abdur-Rahman distinguished himself in both the battles of Badr and Uhud. At
Uhud he remained firm throughout and suffered more than twenty wounds some of
them deep and severe. Even so, his physical jihad was matched by his jihad with
his wealth.
Once the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was preparing to
dispatch an expeditionary force. He summoned his companions and said:
"Contribute sadaqah for I want to dispatch an expedition." Abdur-Rahman went to
his house and quickly returned. "O Messenger of God," he said, "I have four
thousand (dinars). I give two thousand as a qard to my Lord and two thousand I
leave for my family. "
When the Prophet decided to send an expedition to distant Tabuk -- this was the
last ghazwah of his life that he mounted - his need for finance and material
was not greater than his need for men for the Byzantine forces were a numerous
and well-equipped foe. That year in Madinah was one of drought and hardship.
The journey to Tabuk was long, more that a thousand kilometers. Provisions were
in short supply. Transport was at a premium so much so that a group of Muslims
came to the Prophet pleading to go wit h him but he had to turn them away
because he could find no transport for them.
These men were sad and dejected and came to be known as the Bakka'in or the
Weepers and the army itself was called the Army of Hardship ('Usrah). Thereupon
the Prophet called upon his companions to give generously for the war effort in
the path of God and assured them they would be rewarded. The Muslims' response
to the Prophet's call was immediate and generous. In the fore front of those
who responded was Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl. He donated two hundred awqiyyah of gold
whereupon Umar ibn al-Khattab said to the Prophet: "I have (now) seen
Abdur-Rahman committing a wrong. He has not left anything for his family."
"Have you left anything for your family, Abdur-Rahman?" asked the Prophet.
"Yes," replied Abdur-Rahman. "I have left for them more than what I give and
better."
"How much?" enquired the Prophet.
"What God and His Messenger have promised of sustenance, goodness and reward,"
replied Abdur-Rahman.
The Muslim army eventually left for Tabuk. There Abdur-Rahman was blessed with
an honor which was not conferred on anyone till then. The time of Salat came
and the Prophet, peace be on him, was not there at the time. The Muslims chose
Abdur-Rahman as the their imam. The first rakat of the Salat was almost
completed when the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, joined the
worshippers and performed the Salat behind Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl. Could there be
a greater honor conferred on anyone than to have been the imam of the most
honored of God's creation, the imam of the Prophets, the imam of Muhammad , the
Messenger of God!
When the Prophet, peace be on him, passed away, Abdur-Rahman took on the
responsibility of looking after the needs of his family, the Ummahaat
al-Muminin. He would go with them wherever they wanted to and he even performed
Hajj with them to ensure that all their needs were met. This is a sign of the
trust and confidence which he enjoyed on the part of the Prophet's family.
Abdur-Rahman's support for the Muslims and the Prophet's wives in particular
was well-known. Once he sold a piece of land for forty thousand dinars and he
distributed the entire amount among the Banu Zahrah (the relatives of the
Prophet's mother Aminah), the poor among the Muslims and the Prophet's wives.
When Aishah, may God be pleased with her, received some of this money she
asked: "Who has sent this money?" and was told it was Abdur-Rahman, whereupon
she said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said:
'No one will feel compassion towards you after I die except the sabirin (those
who are patient and resolute).' "
The prayer of the noble Prophet that Allah should bestow barakah on the wealth
of Abdur-Rahman appeared to be with Abdur-Rahman throughout his life. He became
the richest man among the companions of the Prophet. His business transactions
invariably met with success and his wealth continued to grow. His trading
caravans to and from Madinah grew larger and larger bringing to the people of
Madinah wheat, flour, butter, cloths, utensils, perfume and whatever else was
needed and exporting whatever surplus produce they had.
One day while the Prophet(saw) was giving a khutbah in Medinah one of
Abdur-Rahman's caravans began to approach the city. During the time famine had
hit the Muslims and supplies were low. The drums to inform the people of the
caravan began to be hit and the Muslims ran to the caravan due to their fear
that it would leave. Only around 12 of the sahabah remained sitting in the
Jummah khutbah all the while the Prophet(saw) continued speaking. When
Abdur-Rahman came to know the reason for everyone leaving the khutbah was
because of his caravan he became distraught and decided to do something in
order to make up for what he had done. When the merchants of Medinah came to
him offering to buy his caravan the first said to him, "We will buy your
caravan for an extra 1/3 of what you paid." Abdur-Rahman responded saying,
"Someone has already bought it for more." Then the another merchant said, "Then
I will buy it for an extra 1/2 that you paid." Again Abdur-Rahman
said, "Someone has already bought it for a high price." Confused the merchants
replied back, "We are the only merchants here, who could have bought it for
more?" With this Abdur-Rahman exclaimed, "I have given it for the sake of Allah
and his Messenger and their price is more than anyone can give."
And so he did. In a great festival of charity and righteousness, he distributed
all that the massive caravan had brought to the people of Madinah and
surrounding areas.
This is just one incident which showed what type of man Abdur-Rahman was. He
earned much wealth but he never remained attached to it for its own sake and he
did not allow it to corrupt him.
Abdur-Rahman's generosity did not stop there. He continued giving with both his
hands, secretly and openly. Some of the figures mentioned are truly astounding:
forty thousand dirhams of silver, forty thousand dinars of gold, two hundred
awqiyyah of gold, five hundred horses to mujahidin setting out in the path of
God and one thousand five hundred camels to another group of mujahidin, four
hundred dinars of gold to the survivors of Badr and a large legacy to the
Ummahaat al Muminin and the catalogue goes on. On account of this fabulous
generosity, Aishah said: "May God give him to drink from the water of Salsabil
(a spring in Paradise)."
All this wealth did not corrupt Abdur-Rahman and did not change him. When he
was among his workers and assistants, people could not distinguish him from
them. One day food was brought to him with which to end a fast. He looked at
the food and said: "Musab ibn Umayr has been killed. He was better than me. We
did not find anything of his to shroud him with except what covered his head
but left his legs uncovered. Then God endowed us with the (bounties of) the
world... I really fear that our reward has been bestowed on us early (in this
world)." He began to cry and sob and could not eat.
May Abdur-Rahman ibn Awl be granted felicity among "those who spend their
substance in the cause of God and follow up not their gifts with reminders of
their generosity or with injury. For them their reward is with their Lord, on
them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve". (The Quran, Surah al-Baqarah, 2:
262).
