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`ABD AR-RAHMAN IBN `AWF
What Makes You Cry, Abu Muhammad?
One day while Al-Madiinah was calm, heavy dust was accumulating near it till it covered the
horizon. The wind pushed these quantities of yellow dust coming from the soft sand of the desert so that
they came near the gates of Al-Madiinah, blowing strongly over the streets.
People thought it was a raging storm, but soon they heard beyond the dust the noise of a great
caravan. After a while, 700 heavily laden camels were crowding the streets. People were calling each
other to see the festive scene and rejoicing at the provisions the caravan might be carrying.
The Mother of the Faithful Aa'ishah, (May Allah be pleased with her) heard about the coming
caravan and asked, "What's going on in Al-Madiinah?" She was answered, "It's a caravan of `Abd Ar
Rahman Ibn `Awf coming from Syria carrying his goods." The Mother of the Faithful said, "But can one
caravan make all this tremor?" "Yes, Mother of the Faithful. There are 700 camels."
The Mother of the Faithful nodded and looked away as if searching for the memory of a scene she
had witnessed or a conversation she had heard, then she said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)
saying,: "I saw `Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn `Awf crawling into Paradise."
`Abd Ar-Rahman lbn `Awf crawling into Paradise! Why does he not jump or hurry into it with the
first ones to embrace Islam among the Companions of the Messenger? When some of his friends
informed him of what `Aa'ishah said, he remembered that he heard the Prophet (PBUH) say this hadith
more than once in various forms.
Before unloading the camels, he hastened to `Aa'isha's house and told her, "I call you to witness that
this caravan with all its loads is in the cause of Allah Almighty." And the loads of 700 camels were
distributed among the people of Al-Madiinah and the places around it in a great charity festival.
This incident alone represents the complete image of the life of `Abd Ar-Rahman Ibn `Awf,
Companion of the Messenger of Allah. He was very much a successful merchant and rich man. He was
the wise believer who refused that his portion of this life would sweep away his portion of religion, or
that his fortune would make him lag behind the caravan of belief or the reward of Paradise; He (May
Allah be pleased with him) would generously sacrifice his fortune and feel satisfied.
When and how did this great man embrace Islam? He did so very early in the first hours of the
mission. He had done so even before the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) entered Daar Al-Arqam's house
and took it as a seat to meet his faithful Companions. He was one of the eight who were the first to
embrace Islam. When Abu Bakr preached Islam to him together with `Uthmaan lbn Affaan, Az Zubair
lbn Al-'Awaam, Talhah Ibn `Ubaid Allah, and Sa'd lbn Abi Waqqaai they did not grudge or doubt the
matter. On the contrary, they hastened with As-Siddiiq to the Messenger of Allah, acknowledging him as
Allah's Messenger and carrying his standard. From the time he embraced Islam till he died at 75, he was
a splendid model of a great believer, which made the Prophet (PBUH) count him among the ten to whom
he gave glad tidings of inheriting Paradise. This also made `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him)
count him among the six advisers whom he assigned for succession after himself. He said, "The
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) died while pleased with them."
After `Abd Ar-Rahman embraced Islam, he faced his own portion of the persecution and challenges
of the Quraish. When the Prophet (PBUH) ordered his Companions to emigrate to Abyssinia, Ibn `Awf
emigrated but returned to Makkah. Then he emigrated to Abyssinia in the second migration, and from
there to Al-Madiinah, where he witnessed Badr, Uhud, and all the battles.