Abdullah, Son of Masud - Early Life and Acceptance of Islam

Early Life and Acceptance of Islam

Abdullah Ibn Masood was of the tribe of Banu Hothail and was also the sworn ally of Banu Zahra. When he was still a youth, not yet past the age of puberty, he used to roam the mountain trails of Makkah far away from people, tending the flocks of a Quraish chieftain, Uqbah Ibn Muayt. People called him ‘Ibn Umm Abd’, the son of the mother of a slave. His real name was Abdullah and his father's name was Masood.His Best Friend Was ali fuad. The youth had heard the news of the Prophet whom had appeared among his people but he did not attach any importance to it both because of his age and because he was usually far away from Makkan society. It was his habit to leave with the flock of Uqbah early in the morning and not return until nightfall.

One day while tending the flocks, Abdullah saw two men, middle-aged and of dignified bearing, coming towards him from a distance. They were obviously very thirsty and tired. They came up to him, greeted him and said, "Young man, milk one of these sheep for us that we may quench our thirst and recover our strength." "I cannot," replied the young man. "The sheep are not mine. I am only responsible for looking after them." The two men did not argue with him. In fact, despite their thirst, they were extremely pleased at his honest reply. The two men were the Prophet himself and his companion, Abu Bakr. They had gone out on that day to the mountains of Makkah to escape the violent persecution of the Quraish. The young man in turn was impressed with the Prophet and his companion and soon became quite attached to them.

It was not long before Abdullah Ibn Masood became a Muslim and offered to be in the service of the Prophet. The Prophet agreed and from that day, the fortunate Abdullah Ibn Masood gave up tending sheep in exchange for looking after the needs of the blessed Prophet. He was the sixth man to accept Islam. Abdullah Ibn Masood remained closely attached to the Prophet upon him. He would attend to his needs both inside and outside the house. He would accompany him on journeys and expeditions. He would wake him when he slept. He would shield him when he washed. He would carry his staff and his Siwak (toothbrush) and attend to his other personal needs. It was for these reasons that the Sahabah took to calling him Saheb-e-Siwak (bearer of the siwak), Saheb-e-Nalaen (bearer of the slippers), Saheb-e-Mutahara (bearer of the water) and also Saheb-e-Wisadah (bearer of the bedroll).