Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

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
formthe 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 servantof the
Beneficent God.
Abdur-Rahman became a Muslimbefore 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 ofthe 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 alsowent. 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. From 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 wasable 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 andsevere. Even so, his physical
jihadwas matched by his jihad with his wealth.
Once the Prophet, may God blesshim and grant him peace, was preparing
to despatch an expeditionary force. He summoned his companions and
said:
"Contribute sadaqah for I want to despatch 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 with himbut 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 Awf. 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 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 Awf. Could there be a greater honor
conferred on anyone thanto 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 theMuslims and the Prophet's wivesin
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 sheasked:
"Who has sent this money?" andwas told it was Abdur-Rahman, whereupon she said:
"The Messenger of God, may Godbless 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, a loud rumbling sound was heard coming from beyond the
boundaries of Madinah normally a calm and peaceful city. The rumbling
sound gradually increased in volume. Inaddition, clouds of dust and
sand were stirred up and blown in the wind. The people of Madinah soon
realized that a mighty caravan was entering thecity. They stood in
amazement as seven hundred camels laden with goods moved into the city
and crowded the streets. There was much shouting and excitement as
people called to one another to come out and witness the sight and see
what goods and sustenance the camelcaravan had brought.
Aishah, may God be pleased withher, heard the commotion and asked:
"What is this that's happening in Madinah?" and shewas told: "It is
the caravan of Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf which has come from Syria bearing
his merchandise." "A caravan making all this commotion?" she asked in
disbelief." "Yes, O Umm al-Muminin. There are seven hundred camels."
Aishah shook her head and gazed in the distance as if she was trying
to recall some scene or utterance of the past and then she said:
"I have heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him
peace, say: I have seenAbdur-Rahman ibn Awf entering Paradise
creeping."
Why creeping? Why should he not enter Paradise leaping and at a quick
pace with the early companions of the Prophet?
Some friends of his related to Abdur-Rahman the hadith whichAishah had
mentioned. He remembered that he had heard the hadith more than once
from the Prophet and he hurried to the house of Aishah and said to
her: "Yaa Ammah! Have you heard that from the Messenger of God, may
God bless him and grant him peace?" "Yes," she replied.
"You have reminded me of a hadith which I have never forgotten," he is
also reported to have said. He was so over-joyed and added:
"If I could I would certainly like to enter Paradise standing. I swear
to you, yaa Ammah, that this entire caravan with all its merchandise,
I will giver sabilillah."
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 itto 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
thousanddinars 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 toanother 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 goeson. 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 whatcovered his head
but left his legsuncovered. . 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 Awf be granted felicity among "those who spend
their substance in the cause of God and follow up not their gifts with
reminders oftheir 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).