Part 28

said, "Whoever wants to read Qur'aan as fresh as it was revealed, let him read it in the way Ibn Umm “Abd does."

It was a pleasure for the Prophet (PBUH) to hear Qur'aan being recited from the mouth of Ibn Mas‘uud. The Prophet (PBUH) once called on him and said, "Recite to me, “Abd Allah," and “Abd Allah said, "How can I recite to you when it was revealed to you?" The Prophet (PBUH) said, "I like to hear it from others." Thereupon Ibn Mas‘uud started reading part of Surat An-Nisaa' till he reached the verse: < How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you as a witness against those people. On .that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that they were buried in the earth, but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah > (4: 41-42). Upon hearing this, the Prophet's eyes flooded with tears and he waved to Ibn Mas‘uud saying, "Enough, enough, Ibn Mas‘uud.”

Ibn Mas‘uud himself talked proudly about Allah's bounty upon him. "By Allah, there is no surah in the Book of Allah about which I do not know where and in what context it was revealed. I have a better understanding of the Book of Allah than you do, and if I were to know that someone had a better understanding than I and I could reach him on the back of a mule, I would definitely go to him ona camel's back, but I am not better than you are.”

The Prophet's Companions witnessed this for him. The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar Ibn Al-Kattaab said about him,"He was filled with knowledge." Also Abu Muusaa AlAsh‘ariy said about him, "Don't ask me about any matter as long as you have this scholar among you." He was not only praised for his knowledge of Qur'aan and jurisprudence, but also for his piety and Godconsciousness. Hudhaifah said about him, "I have never seen anyone more like the Prophet(PBUH) in his way of life and characteristics than Ibn Mas*uud.” He also said, "The lucky Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) realized that Ibn Umm “Abd is the nearest one of them to Allah."

One day a number of Companions were gathered at the house of ~Aliy Ibn Abi Taalib and said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, we have never seen a man who is more virtuous, more learned, more companionable, friendly, and God-fearing than “Abd Allah Ibn Mas*uud." ~Aliy said, "I beg you by Allah, is this true from your hearts?" They said, "Yes." ~Aliy said, "O Allah, I testify in front of You that I say about him like what they said and more. He read the Qur'aan and did what is lawful in it and avoided what is forbidden. He was knowledgeable in religion and scholarly in Sunnah."

The Prophet's Companions said about him, "He was admitted to the company of the Prophet (PBUH), whereas we were detained, and he was present in his company, whereas we were absent." This means he used to have more privileges than the others. He used to enter the Prophet's house and sit with him more than anybody else. He was the one the Prophet (PBUH) entrusted with his secrets to the extent that he was entitled "The Secretary.”

Abu Muusaa Al-Ash‘ariy (May Allah be pleased with him) said in this context, "I came to Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and thought that Ibn Mas*uud was among the members of his family." This means that the Prophet (PBUH) loved him dearly for his piety and intelligence. He said about him, "If I were to appoint a commander without consulting the Muslims, 1 would have appointed Ibn Umm “Abd,” and as mentioned before, the Prophet (PBUH) asked his Companions to "Stick to the method of Ibn Umm * Abd.”

He was so near to the Prophet (PBUH) and so trusted by him that he was given more privileges than anyone else was given. The Prophet (PBUH) told him, "My permission to you is that you may taise the curtains." This indicates his being allowed to knock at the Prophet's door at any time during the day or night. This is why the Companions said, "He was admitted to the company of the Prophet (PBUH), whereas we were detained, and he was present in his company, whereas we were absent."

He was really up to this standard. Although such a close relationship could have created some sort of intimacy, Ibn Mas‘uud's attitude towards the Prophet (PBUH) was always one of respect and politeness. This was even after the Prophet's death. Although he seldom mentioned the Prophet (PBUH) after his death, in most cases when he did mention him, he began to tremble and shake, and all the signs of worry and perplexity appeared on him. This occurred whenever his lips began to murmur, "I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say

.." lest he should forget or change one single letter of what was said.

Let us hear what his brothers in Islam said about such behavior. “Amr Ibn Maimuun reported, "I was frequently visited by Ibn Mas*uud for about a year, during which time I did not hear him speak about the Prophet (PBUH). But one day he was talking and he uttered, "The Prophet (PBUH) said..." At this moment he was badly troubled and started to sweat and corrected himself, “The Prophet (PBUH) said something like that."

*Alqamah Ibn Qais reported, "Ibn Mas‘uud used to speak to people every Thursday night. I never heard him saying, "The Prophet (PBUH) said," but he once said it and he was leaning on a stick that started to shake in his hand.

Also, Masruugq narrated on the authority of “Abd Allah, "One day Ibn Mas‘uud was speaking and he said, "I heard the Prophet (PBUH). . .". On this he and his clothes started to shake. Then he corrected himself, "Something like this."

Thus the veneration of the Prophet (PBUH) in his heart was that great, and this was a sign of his intelligence. Such a man, who accompanied the Prophet (PBUH) more than anybody else, was the best to realize how great the Prophet (PBUH) was. Therefore, he maintained the same manner concerning him during his life and after his death.

Ibn Mas*‘uud never missed the company of the Prophet (PBUH) either while traveling or at home. He participated in all the battles, and on the Day of Badr his role was significant, especially with Abu Jahl. The Prophet's (PBUH) caliphs, were also fully aware of his proper value. The Commander of the Faithful ‘Umar Ibn Al-Kattaab appointed him as director of the treasury (Bait Al-Maal) in Kufa and he said to the people there, "By Allah, there is no god but He. You know that I have given you a preference over myself when I sent him to you to learn from him."

The people of Kufa liked him as they never liked anyone before him. It was a real miracle that the whole people of Kufa agreed on liking somebody because they were known to be a people of rebellion and mutiny. They hardly agreed on one kind of food, and they did not tolerate peace and tranquillity. Their love for him was so great that when the Caliph *Uthmaan (May Allah be pleased with him) wanted to discharge him of his office, they surrounded him and said, “Stay with us and don't go. We will protect you against anything that you don't like." But Ibn Mas‘uud gave them an answer that really reflected his greatness and piety. He said, "He has the right of obedience on me. There will be turbulence coming and I hate to be the first to open the door to it."

This wonderful situation discloses to us the nature of the relationship between Ibn Mas*uud and ‘Uthmaan. They had an argument and a disagreement between them which ended with the caliph cutting Ibn Mas‘uud's salary from the Bait Al-Maal. In return, Ibn Mas*uud never spoke ill of the caliph. On the contrary, he used to defend him. When he heard about the attempted assassinations on *Uthmaan, he said his famous words, "If they kill him they will not find anyone like him to succeed ." Some of Ibn Mas‘uud's friends said, “We never heard him uttering a bad word about ‘Uthmaan."”

Allah endowed Ibn Mas‘uud with wisdom along with his piety. He had an insight that enabled him to see facts beyond the surface, and the capability to express such facts in an intelligent style. For example, he summarized the life of ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab in one

concise sentence: " ‘Umar's Islam was an opening, his Hijrah was a victory, and his rule was a mercy."

He once expressed the idea of the relativity of time saying, "Your Lord does not have day or night because the light of the earth and the skies is but from the light of His face."

In another context he praised the value of work in raising the social standard of man: "I hate aman living in leisure with nothing to do, either for his worldly life or the life to come." The next is a comprehensive phrase: "The best wealth is the wealth of the soul. The best provision is right conduct. The most major of sins is lying, the most evil earning is usury, and the most evil of what can be eaten is eating up the property of orphans. Whoever excuses others, will be excused by Allah, and whoever forgives others will be forgiven by others."

That was ‘Abd Allah Ibn Mas‘uud, the Prophet's (PBUH) Companion, and that is but one glimpse of the heroic life he lived in the way of Allah, His Prophet and His religion. That was the man who had been as small as a bird. He was so thin and short that he was the same height as a sitting person. He had very thin legs. He once climbed a tree to pick some arak sticks for the Prophet (PBUH), and when the Companions saw how thin his legs were they laughed. The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Are you laughing at Ibn Mas‘uud's legs? On Allah's scales of justice they are heavier than the mountain of Ubud." Indeed that was the poor, weak hired boy who became by faith an Imam (leader) guiding people to the light.

It was Allah's bounty on him that he was counted among the first ten Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) who were promised to enter Paradise while they were still alive. He participated in all the victorious wars with the Prophet (PBUH) and his caliphs. He witnessed how the two greatest empires opened their gates in submission to the banners of Islam. He saw the high positions and