‘Abdallah ibn Mas’ud
Within the lives of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), there are countless sources of guidance and beautiful inspirational exemplars that we can benefit from. Through the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) we receive a lot of guidance in all matters, and some situations are best shown in his (peace and blessings be upon him) dealings with his companions – an array of his followers blessed to have spent time in the company of the one whom beasts would follow through the wilds out of their love for him (peace and blessings be upon him). Some people of course had met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) but hadn’t embraced Islam, so its worth making mention that one shouldn’t wish to have been alive in the time of the beloved (peace and prayers be upon him). A soul that Allah (the loftiest and elevated) chooses (in His divine way) to guide none can misguide and vice versa.
A companion who spent time under the tutelage of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and whose status has been elevated is ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud. He is renown for his memory of the Qur’an, truthfulness and bravery amongst other impeccable character traits.
As a young shepherd boy, tending flocks just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the then marketing metropolis of al-Makkah, he had received word of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) but he hadn’t preoccupied himself in travelling to hear more. On a day that he was tending some flocks, he was approached by two middle-aged men, of stature. They were tired and thirsty, and requested for him to milk a sheep so that they could reduce their thirst.
“I cannot,” replied ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud. “The sheep are not mine. I am only responsible for looking after them.” The two men were startled, and although the young shepherd might have anticipated a displeased reaction, the two men were indeed filled with joy at the honesty of the simple boy’s answer. These two people were the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr. From this moment forth, ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud became attached to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and did all to serve him. This truthfulness he expressed has paved for a lifetime of admiration, and an endless life of incomprehensible awesomeness.
His rank was elevated in that he became renown and remembered for his actions and physical insistence of tawheed in circumstances that are apparently unbearable. Furthermore, Allah (the loftiest and elevated) put in his heart emphatic and precise knowledge of the Qur’an. Such that it is he who had an important hand in compiling the written version that we recite from today. To give an example of how vast his knowledge was of the Qur’an, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud once stated that he knows each ayah of the Qur’an and the circumstances upon which it was revealed. This kind of circumstantial knowledge is invaluable in shari’ah and making rulings in this religion. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was closest to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in character, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was the perfection of good character.
The leader of the believers, al-Amir al-Mu’mineen, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, once came across the caravan of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and indirectly asked him what part of the Qur’an is the greatest. The response was that it is ‘The Verse of the Throne’ – ayat al-Kursi. This is verse number 255 is surah al-Baqarah (2nd chapter of al-Qur’an), and within it are ideals of tawheed that we need to learn. To further emphasise this verse, it is documented that whomsoever recites this ayah, an ayah that takes only a moment to flow on the tongue, right after every prayer, nothing will prevent that soul from entering the Garden.
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