Abdullah bin Masud

Abdullah ibn Masud عبدالله بن مسعود
Abdullah ibn Masud reciting the Qur'an at the Ka'aba before members of the tribe of Quraish; miniature from the Siyer-i Nebi
Disciple of Muhammad, historian
Born	c.594 Mecca
Died	c.653 Medina
Venerated in	Islam
Influences	Muhammad
Influenced	Future commentators and traditionalists

ʿAbdallāh ibn Masʿūd (Arabic: عبدالله بن مسعود‎‎; c.594-c.653) was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was also known by the kunya Abu Abdulrahman.

He was born in Mecca c.594, the son of Masud ibn Ghafil and Umm Abd bint Abdwadd, who were both from the Tamim ribe, apparently slaves, and certainly of low social status. Howevr, Umm bd's mter, Hind bint Al-Harith, was from the Zuhra clan of the Quraysh, and Masud made an alliance with her brother. Abdullah had a brother, Utba. He had at least two wives in Muhammad's lifetime. One wasyta bint Abdullah, a craftswoman, who supported Abdullah and their child through her handcrafts. The other was Zaynab bint Abdullah from the Thaqif tribe, and the had several daughters. He specified in his will that none of them should be married off without her own knowledge. He also had an, Abdulrahman.{in, short man with very dark kin and smooth hair reaching to his shoulders. He wore white clothes and he could be recognised in the dark by his distinctive, high-quality perfume. In personality he was sociable and willing to speak out to put people at ease. In character and goals, he was said to be the person "most like Muhammad".

He was an early convert to Islam, certainly before 616. He appears nineteenth on Ibn Ishaq's list of people who were converted by Abu Bakr.

As a youth, he worked as a shepherd for Uqba ibn Abu Mu'ayt. He first met Muhammad and Abu Bakr while watching his flocks, when they were "fleeing from the idolators." They asked him for milk, but Abdullah said he could not steal from his employer. As he claimed, Muhammad then asked for an unmated ewe and stroked its udder, whereupon milk poured out. Abdullah immediately asked to be taught "some of these words," and Muhammad began to teach him the Qur'an. Abdullah later said that he learned 70 suras directly from Muhammad's mouth.

Later his mother and brother also became Muslims.

Around 614 the Quraysh decided to suppress Islam by harassing the Muslims of low social status. Abdullah, as a foreigner whose allies had withdrawn their protection, was vulnerable to this persecution. Abu Jahl once "clawed at him and punched him."