ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd
Before Islam, 437 men were named ʿAbdullāh; all of them embraced Islam and had the honour of accompanying the Prophet ﷺ. Among them were ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās, ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar, ʿAbdullāh ibn Zubair, and ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀs.
ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd was the sixth person to accept Islam. He was known for his close companionship with the Prophet ﷺ, visiting him so often that some Companions, among them Sayyidunā Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, believed he was part of the Prophet's household.
He bore special titles: ṣāḥib al-wisādah (Bearer of the Pillow), ṣāḥib al-siwāk (Bearer of the Toothbrush), and ṣāḥib al-naʿlayn (Bearer of the Sandals); he was recognised as one of the Prophet's particular helpers.
ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd migrated to Abyssinia and took part in the Battle of Badr. His manner and physical features were said to resemble those of the Prophet ﷺ, and Sayyidunā ʿUmar (raḍ. ʿanhu) described him as "a vessel filled with knowledge".
He was known for his intelligence, his attention to detail, and his devotion to knowledge, which earned him high standing among the Companions. The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said, "Whoever pleases ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, I am pleased with them."
ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim listed ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd as one of the six chief Companions of the Prophet ﷺ recognised by all the Companions for issuing legal rulings (iftāʾ). The six were:
- Sayyidunā ʿUmar (raḍ. ʿanhu)
- Sayyidunā ʿAlī (raḍ. ʿanhu)
- Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Thābit (raḍ. ʿanhu)
- Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (raḍ. ʿanhu)
- Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (raḍ. ʿanhu)
- Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (raḍ. ʿanhu)
Sayyidunā ʿUmar (raḍ. ʿanhu) appointed ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd to teach Islam and to serve as qāḍī in Kūfa, and sent fifteen hundred students with him to assist in the task. Sayyidunā ʿUmar (raḍ. ʿanhu) is reported to have said: "I am in more need of Ibn Masʿūd's knowledge, but I have preferred you over myself, and so I have sent him to you."
During the caliphate of Sayyidunā ʿUthmān (raḍ. ʿanhu), ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd returned to Madīnah. He passed away in 32 hijrī at the age of sixty, and was buried in Jannat al-Baqīʿ.