Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf

ProfileAbd ar-Rahman ibn Awf

Abd ar-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) was a merchant of Quraysh from the clan of Zuhrah. He accepted Islam early, through Abu Bakr, and according to the early biographies he migrated to Abyssinia and then to Madinah.

When the Emigrants arrived in Madinah, the Prophet ﷺ made him the brother of Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi', one of the richest of the Ansar. Sa'd offered him half of his wealth and the choice of one of his two wives. Abd ar-Rahman prayed that Allah would bless Sa'd's family and property, and asked only where the market was. He went to trade, made a profit, and was soon able to marry (Sahih al-Bukhari). He later became one of the richest of the Companions.

His wealth worried him. Once, when food was served while he was fasting, he said that Mus'ab ibn Umayr and Hamzah had been better than he was and had died with almost nothing, and he feared that his own reward had been given early in this world, and he wept and left the food (Sahih al-Bukhari). After Umar's death, the six named by Umar left the choice of the next caliph to him. He took pledges from Ali and Uthman that each would be just if chosen and obey the other if not, and then he gave the pledge of allegiance to Uthman (Sahih al-Bukhari).

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