Abdullah ibn Masud

Abdullah ibn Masud (594-653 CE) was one of the earliest converts to Islam and one of the foremost authorities on the Quran among the companions. A young shepherd from the Hudhail tribe, he was among the first six people to embrace Islam. The Prophet specifically instructed the Muslims to learn the Quran from four people, placing Abdullah ibn Masud first on the list. His recitation was so beloved to the Prophet that Muhammad once asked him to recite the Quran to him, and the Prophet wept upon hearing his recitation of Surah an-Nisa.

Abdullah ibn Masud was a constant attendant of the Prophet, carrying his sandals, his pillow, and his miswak (tooth-stick). He was privy to the Prophet's private conversations and had access to his household that few others enjoyed. The Prophet said that his two thin legs would outweigh Mount Uhud on the Day of Judgment. Despite his small physical stature, Abdullah was fearless: he was the first person to publicly recite the Quran aloud at the Kabah, for which he was beaten by the Quraysh.

Abdullah ibn Masud participated in the battles of Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and all major campaigns. After the Prophet's death, he became one of the most important teachers of the Quran and Islamic law, particularly in Kufa, Iraq, where he served as the treasury official during Umar's caliphate. His school of Quranic recitation and legal interpretation became the foundation for the later Hanafi school of fiqh. He narrated 848 hadith and is counted among the most prolific and reliable transmitters. He died in Medina in 32 AH (653 CE).