born just three years beforethe Hijrah. When the Prophet died,
Abdullah was thus only thirteen years old.
When he was born, his mother took him to the blessed Prophet who put
some of his saliva on the babe's tongue even before he began to
suckle. This was the beginning of the close and intimate tie between
Abbas and the Prophet that was to be part of a life-long love and
devotion.
When Abdullah reached the age of discretion, he attached himselfto the
service of the Prophet. He would run to fetch water for himwhen he
wanted to make wudu. During Salat, he would stand behind the Prophet
in prayer and when the Prophet went on journeys or expeditions, he
would follow next in line to him. Abdullah thus became like the shadow
of the Prophet, constantly in his company.
In all these situations he was attentive and alert to whatever the
Prophet did and said. His heart was enthusiastic and his young mind
was pure and uncluttered, committing the Prophet's words to memory
withthe capacity and accuracy of a recording instrument. In this way
and through his constant researches later, as we shall see, Abdullah
became one of the most learned companions of the Prophet, preserving
on behalf of later generations of Muslims, the priceless words of the
Messenger of God. It is said that he committed to memory about one
thousand, six hundred and sixty sayings of the Prophet which are
recorded and authenticated in the collections of al-Bukhari and
Muslim.
The Prophet would often draw Abdullah as a child close to him, pat him
on the shoulder and pray: "O Lord, make him acquire a deep
understanding of the religion of Islam and instruct himin the meaning
and interpretation of things."
There were many occasions thereafter when the blessed Prophet would
repeat this dua orprayer for his cousin and before long Abdullah ibn
Abbas realized that his life was to be devoted tothe pursuit of
learning and knowledge.
The Prophet moreover prayed that he be granted not just knowledge and
understanding but wisdom. Abdullah related thefollowing incident about
himself:"Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, was on the point of
performing wudu. I hurried to get water ready for him. He was pleased
with what I was doing. As he was about to begin Salat, he indicated
that I should stand at his side. However, I stood behind him. When the
Salat was finished, he turned to me and said: 'What prevented you from
being at my side, O Abdullah?' 'You are too illustrious and too great
in my eyes for me to standside by side with you,' I replied.
Raising his hands to the heavens, the Prophet then prayed: 'O Lord,
grant him wisdom." The Prophet's prayer undoubtedly was granted for
the young Abdullah was to prove time and again that he possessed a
wisdom beyond his years. But it was a wisdom that came only with
devotion and thedogged pursuit of knowledge both during the Prophet's
lifetime and after his death.
During the lifetime of the Prophet, Abdullah would not miss any of his
assemblies and he would commit to memory whatever he said. After the
Prophet passed away, he would take care to go to as many companions as
possible especially those who knew the Prophet longer and learn from
them what the Prophet had taught them. Whenever he heardthat someone
knew a hadith of the Prophet which he did not know he would go quickly
to him and record it. He would subject whatever he heard to close
scrutiny and check it against other reports. He would go to as many as
thirty companions to verify a single matter.
Abdullah described what he oncedid on hearing that a companionof the
Prophet knew a hadith unknown to him: "I went to him during the time
of the afternoon siesta and spread my cloak in front of his door. The
wind blew dust on me (as I sat waiting for him). If I wished I could
have sought his permission to enter and he would certainly have given
me permission. But I preferred to wait on him so that he could be
completely refreshed. Coming out of his house and seeing me in that
condition he said: 'O cousin of the Prophet! What's the matter with
you? If you had sent for meI would have come to you.' 'I amthe one who
should come to you, for knowledge is sought, it does not just come,' I
said. I asked him about the hadith and learnt from him."
In this way, the dedicated Abdullah would ask, and ask, andgo on
asking. And he would sift and scrutinize the information he had
collected with his keen and meticulous mind.
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