Abdur-Rahman Ibn Auf was one of the early converts to Islam and among the ten who received the glad tidings of having a seat in Paradise in this world by the Messenger of (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). Ibn Auf entered into the fold of Islam during the secret phase of preaching, even before the Messenger moved to Darul-Arqam. His real name was Abu Amr and it was the Messenger of Allah who changed it to Abdur Rahman which means servant of Allah, the most gracious. As Ibn Auf was an early convert, he faced a lot of persecution and terrible torture at the hands of the Makkans which eventually compelled him to migrate to Abyssinia. However, he remained firm and resolute in his commitment to Islam and did not budge to the demands of the Makkans. He returned to Makkah when the rumours became rife that the situation has improved in Makkah; however when the rumours proved to be false he returned to Abyssinia again and later migrated to Madinah.
During the pairing off of the Muhajirin with the Ansar, the Messenger linked Ibn Auf with Sad Ibn Ar-Rabiah. Rabiah accepted Ibn Auf wholeheartedly and out of his kindness and graciousness said, “My brother! Among the people of Madinah I have the most wealth. I have two orchards and I have two wives. See which of the two orchards you like and I shall vacate it for you and which of my two wives is pleasing to you and I will divorce her for you.” Ibn Auf replied, ”May God bless you in your family and your wealth. But just show me where the sooq (market) is.” Ibn Auf had a flair for business and soon he became a wealthy businessman of Madinah and collected enough wealth to get married.
Ibn Auf was a man of great wealth; however his wealth to him was nothing more than a means to earn the pleasure of Allah and to get closer to Him. He never let his wealth and riches cause distraction and hindrance in following Islam completely with its true spirit. He actively participated in the battles and with utmost conviction strove hard in the way of Islam. It was reported that during the Battle of Uhud, he received as many as 20 wounds over his body. He was a fine example of a man who not only used his wealth to attain the pleasure of Allah, but at the same time struggled physically as well and showed no signs of fear of the enemies. He never became complacent with the acts of charity he did and remained always wary of maximising the benefits of the wealth that Allah had given him by donating it to the poor and the needy.
On one occasion the Messenger of Allah asked for donations to support a group of fighters for the cause of Islam. Ibn Auf rushed to his home and came back with a bag full of money and handed it over to the Messenger and said, “I had four thousand pieces. Two thousand I am loaning to Allah and the remaining two thousand I am leaving for my family,” to which the Messenger replied, “May Allah bless what you give and may He bless what you keep.”
On the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk, Ibn Auf again displayed his gracious nature and love for the cause of Islam. The expedition to Tabuk was a very long journey and Muslims were running short of supplies and resources to materialise the expedition. It was at this crucial moment Ibn Auf gave 200 ounces of gold. Umar Ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) somehow got to know of it. Then he that donated everything and informed the Messenger about it. When the Messenger inquired whether he had left anything for his family or not, Ibn Khattab answered, “I have left something more and better than I have donated.” “How much?” The Messenger asked. “I have left them with what Allah and His Messenger have promised of bounties and rewards.”
Upon the death of the Messenger of Allah, it was Ibn Auf who took upon himself the responsibility of supporting the widows of the Messenger. On his charitable nature and fabulous generosity, Aishah said, “May God give him to drink from the water of Salsabil (a spring in Paradise).”
Humility was another great quality of Ibn Auf. He was known for the kind and gentle treatment towards the slaves, so much so that one could hardly make out between him and the slaves when he sat with them. His wealth did not corrupt him; instead he was always wary of his wealth and feared that it might be a cause of temptation for him. One day, while he was fasting, he looked at the food, brought before him to break his fast and said, “Musab ibn Umayr has been killed. He was better than me. We did not find anything of his to shroud him with except what covered his head but left his legs uncovered. Then God endowed us with the (bounties of) the world… I really fear that our reward has been bestowed on us early (in this world).” He began to cry and sob and could not eat and ordered the food to be taken away. One day several hundred camels of Ibn Auf laden with goods reached Madinah. When Aishah got to know about it, she said, “May Allah bless whatever He has given him in this world. But his reward in the hereafter is greater. For I heard the Messenger say, Abdur Rahman (Ibn Auf) will enter paradise on his knees.” Ibn Auf rushed to confirm the glad tidings and when he ascertained that the Messenger himself said the words for him, he said, “I ask you to be witness that I have given all the camels with their load in charity for Allah’s sake.”
Looking at the life of Ibn Auf, make us realise that he was a complete mix of everything good. He was a devout Muslim who submitted completely and fully to the will of Allah; he was an able businessman who started from the scratch and reached the pinnacle of success; he was humble and kind as he was good to slaves, the weak and suppressed; he was generous and gracious and always used his wealth to earn the pleasure of Allah; he was not the one who isolated himself to mere donations, but came forward and participated in Jihad and proved himself a fearless and valiant warrior; and last but not the least he never became complacent with the good deeds done by him.