Abdullah ibn 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 name of kunya and Abu Abdulrahman.

Abdallāh ibn Masʿūd was born in Mecca in c.594, the son of Masud ibn Ghafil and Umm Abd bint Abdwadd, who were both from the Tamim tribe, apparently slaves, and certainly of low social status. However, Umm Abd's mother, 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, and 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 they had several daughters. He specified in his will that none of his daughters should be married off without her own knowledge. He also had an Abdulrahman.{in, short man with very dark skin and smooth hair reaching to his shoulders.

Abdullah wore white clothes and could be recognized in the dark by his distinctive, high-quality perfume. He was reported to be sociable and willing to speak out to put people at ease. In his 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 converted to Islam.