Abd Al-Rahman Ibn ‘Auf (1/3)

Muslims are often told of the benefits of giving away wealth. In the Qur'an, salah and zakah are mentioned together time and again. Zakah is the purification of wealth, and when it is paid, the remainder is halal and good for the user. Sadaqah is advised by the Prophet, (Peace be upon him), even if it be only a date or a smile. So, Muslims try to give when they can, as much as they can.

This chapter tells the story of a man who could never give it all away, however much he tried. He had the blessing of great wealth and great generosity. Shaitan could never catch him having thoughts of pride or greed, because he was saved by his deep and lasting iman. This man became a Muslim soon after Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam. He was one of the first eight people to come to the truth in Makkah. His name in Jahiliyyah was 'Abdu 'Amr ibn 'Awf, which means the slave of 'Amr. When he became a Muslim, Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) gave him a name which was very close to his own heart. The Qur'an says, "Invoke Allah or invoke the Infinitely Good (ar-Rahman), whichever you invoke, His are the most beautiful names." (Surah Al-Isra', 17: 110). The word 'Rahman' was hardly used before Islam. When 'Abdu 'Amr became a Muslim, Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) called him 'Abd-ar-Rahman.

Along with the other early Muslims 'Abd-ar­Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) endured torture from the Quraish. He was probably better off than some, because he was not a slave or a man without protection or connections. However, even those of very good families were tormented for their beliefs.

'Abd-ar-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) was patient, firm, and loyal. With Rasulullah's (Peace be upon him) permission, he and many others at last fled to Abyssinia to save their din and possibly even their lives. Later, when he returned to Makkah, after Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) allowed his sahabah to migrate to Madinah, he was among the first Muhajirin to go.

In Madinah, the Muhajirin were landless and without property or money except that which they had been able to carry away with them. One of the brilliant acts of Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) was to join together the Muhajirun and the Ansar. The Muhajirun had experience with Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) and a wealth of knowledge about the Qur'an and Islam. The Ansar had homes and property and a knowledge of Madinah. The combination of the two was good for both of them.

Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) bound 'Abd-ar-Rahman (may Allah be leased with him) in brotherhood to Sa'd ibn Rabi'ah al-Ansari. For this, Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) was very enthusiastic. He was vastly generous, as is an Arab custom, and he said to his new brother 'Abd-ar­Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him), "O brother, we are the most wealthy people of Madinah. I have two gardens and two wives. Look at which garden you want, and I'll give it to you and which wife you like better, I'll divorce her for you."

'Abd-ar-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) replied politely to his Ansari brother, "May Allah grant you blessings in your wives and your wealth. The only thing I need to know is where the market is." Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) guided him to the market, where from the first day, he carried on business, buying and selling, making profits, and saving money.

Soon after that, 'Abd-ar-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) had enough money for a dowry, and he eventually got married. One day, he came to Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) all perfumed. Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) said, "Oh wonder! ‘Abd-ar-Rahman!"

"I got married," he replied.

"What did you give the bride for a dowry?" asked Rasulullah (Peace be upon him).

"The weight of a date stone of gold," he answered.

"Make a banquet even with a sheep," said Rasulullah (Peace be upon him), "May Allah grant you blessings in your wealth!"

‘Abd ar-Rahman Takes Prisoners

Like the other Sahabah, he did business and carried on with his family and his daily life, but when the time came to fight, there he was, dressed for war and standing beside his Prophet lb. On the day of Badr, 'Abd-ar­Rahman ibn 'Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) fought bravely for the sake of Allah and killed Allah's enemy, 'Umair ibn 'Uthman ibn Ka'b Al-Tayyimi.

In those days, soldiers would take anything they could get from the enemy soldiers or the enemy camp. Badr was no exception to this; after the battle, the Muslims combed the battlefield for weapons, armor, tools, anything the enemy left behind. They also took prisoners, as prisoners would bring money when their families ransomed them. The Muhajirun had left their belongings behind, and the Ansar had shared half of what they had with the newcomers.

'Abd-ar-Rahrnan (may Allah be pleased with him) had gotten two nice suits of armor and was carrying them across the battlefield when somebody, Umayyah, called out to him. (Umayyah used to be a friend of his in the days before Islam, but he had become one of the great haters of the Muslims. He had been the owner of Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), torturing him so severely in the blazing sun that he nearly died.) Umayyah was too fat to escape and had lost his camel. He cried, "O 'Abd­ar-Rahman, I cannot escape, take me captive and you will get my ransom along with my son here." Hearing this, 'Abd-ar-Rahrnan (may Allah be pleased with him) put down his valuable suits of armor, captured him and his son, and was walking with them back across the battlefield, when Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) himself spotted Umayyah.

"Look! The Shaitan Umayyah! By He Who owns my soul, that man cannot leave here alive!" shouted Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) in the big voice that he used to call the prayer. 'Abd-ar-Rahman tried to protect his prisoners, but Bilal's shout had alerted the army, and soon, the little group was surrounded with furious Muslims who knew the extent of Umayyah's tortures and cruelties. 'Abd-ar­Rahman saw what was coming, dropped the hands of his prisoners, and told them to fend for themselves. So, on that day he lost both his two suits of armor and his prisoners. (And he never let Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) forget it, even when he became rich beyond his wildest dreams.)

(Continued)