Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was a young, thin shepherd tending the flocks of Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt when he first encountered the Prophet and Abu Bakr. They asked him for milk, and he told them the sheep were not his to milk from. The Prophet asked him to bring a she-goat that had not been mated, placed his hand on its udder, prayed, and milk flowed forth. Ibn Mas'ud was astonished and immediately accepted Islam. He was the sixth person to enter the faith. He was the first Muslim to recite the Qur'an aloud publicly at the Ka'bah. When the Companions discussed who would dare to recite before the Quraysh, Ibn Mas'ud volunteered. He stood near the Maqam Ibrahim and began reciting Surah ar-Rahman. The Quraysh struck him in the face, but he continued reciting. He returned to the Companions with his face bloodied, and they said: 'This is what we feared for you.' He replied: 'The enemies of Allah have never been lighter in my sight than they are now. If you wish, I will go back and do the same tomorrow.' Ibn Mas'ud was constantly at the Prophet's side — he carried his sandals, his siwak, and his water for ablution. He had such unrestricted access to the Prophet's home that people assumed he was a member of the household. The Prophet said: 'I am pleased for my ummah with what Ibn Umm Abd is pleased with for them.' He participated in Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and all the major expeditions. After the Prophet's death, Umar ibn al-Khattab sent Ibn Mas'ud to Kufah as a teacher and treasurer, saying: 'I have preferred you over myself by sending him to you.' He established a major school of Qur'anic recitation and fiqh in Kufah that produced generations of scholars. He died in Madinah in 32 AH and was buried in al-Baqi. Uthman ibn Affan led his funeral prayer.