Name
Noble Companion of the Prophet ﷺ and one of the most knowledgeable scholars amongst them. He died 32H, Allāh be pleased with him.
Author
It is reported from ʿAbdullah b. Mas’ūd – Allah be pleased with him – that he said:
For every bid’ah with which Islām is plotted against, Allah has a beloved worshipper (walī) who refutes and repels it and speaks about its signs, so take the full opportunity of attending such places, and trust in Allah. Ibn Waddāḥ, Al-Bid’ah p5.
Ibn Waddāḥ, Al-Bid’ah p5.
He was one of the major scholars, he was born during the life of the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him…he was a reliable and truthful reporter…he reported numerous ahādīth. The following are some of the Companions he reported from: Here is the story of how he repented. He narrates: I was a boy with a nice voice and I was good at playing drums. I was once with a friend and we had nabīdh (a date infusion drink that can turn alcoholic) and I was singing for my friends. Ibn Mas’ūd was passing by and entered upon us; he struck the drink container we had and broke the drum. Then he said, “O boy! If your nice voice was to be heard reciting Qur`ān instead you would be the man!” And then he went on his way. I asked my friends, “Who was that?” They told me it was Ibn Mas’ūd. At that point tawbah was cast into my soul, and so I ran after him crying, I grabbed his garment and he turned to me and embraced me and cried. He said, “Welcome to him who Allah loves. Sit down.” He then went inside and brought out some dates for me. Thereafter, Zādhān became pious; Al-Dhahabī also reports that he was seen praying and it was as if he was a piece of wood or a tree in his stillness and humility in prayer. He died in 82H, Allah have mercy on him. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of Zādhān.
ʿAbdullāh b. Mas’ūd – Allah be pleased with him – went to visit someone who was ill, and a group of people went with him. In the house (where they were visiting) was a woman. One of the visitors, a man, started to look at the woman. ʿAbdullāh [Ibn Mas’ūd] said to him, “If your eye had been gouged out (or popped out] it would have been better for you.”
Al-Bukhārī, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad. See Shaykh Al-Albānī’s Sahīh Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Vol.1 p212.
I would sit with Ibn Mas’ūd a whole year without him saying “Allah’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said…” When he did actually say “Allah’s Messenger – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – said…” he would tremble and add, “…or something similar to this” or “words to that effect.” Al-Dhahabī, Tadhkirah Al-Huffādh Vol.1 p15. Imām Al-Dhahabī said: [Ibn Mas’ūd] was one of those who were very careful and conscientious in the delivery of narrations and he was very strict in reporting; he used to reprimand his students for any negligence in precisely narrating the wordings of narrations.
[Ibn Mas’ūd] was one of those who were very careful and conscientious in the delivery of narrations and he was very strict in reporting; he used to reprimand his students for any negligence in precisely narrating the wordings of narrations.
Everyone speaks of good things. It is those whose words and deeds match who have acquired their share. Those whose words and deeds do not match have only reproached themselves. Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p.153.
Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq Vol.1 p.153.
Singing sprouts hypocrisy (nifāq) in the heart as water sprouts greens and herbs. Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol.2 p469, and Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā Vol. 52 p231. Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzīyah – Allah have mercy on him – said in Madārij Al-Sālikīn, Vol.1 p487: These are the words of someone who fully understood singing and its effects, for no one regularly sings or listens to song except that his heart falls into nifāq without him realizing. If such a person understood the reality of nifāq and its end he would see it in his own heart. Never do the love of song and the love of Qur`ān come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other. I and others have witnessed how heavy the Qur`ān feels to singers and song-listeners; how they coil when it is recited and how they get angry with a reciter when he recites too long for them (in prayer etc); and how their hearts do not benefit from what he recites: they are not moved to do anything by it. But when the Qur`ān of Shaytān comes, lā ilāha illallāh! How they lower their voices and settle down! How their hearts feel at peace and how the crying and emotions start, how moved they are inwardly and outwardly and spend on clothing and perfume and staying up hoping for a long night ahead. If this is not nifāq then it is certainly the way to it and its foundation.
These are the words of someone who fully understood singing and its effects, for no one regularly sings or listens to song except that his heart falls into nifāq without him realizing. If such a person understood the reality of nifāq and its end he would see it in his own heart. Never do the love of song and the love of Qur`ān come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other. I and others have witnessed how heavy the Qur`ān feels to singers and song-listeners; how they coil when it is recited and how they get angry with a reciter when he recites too long for them (in prayer etc); and how their hearts do not benefit from what he recites: they are not moved to do anything by it. But when the Qur`ān of Shaytān comes, lā ilāha illallāh! How they lower their voices and settle down! How their hearts feel at peace and how the crying and emotions start, how moved they are inwardly and outwardly and spend on clothing and perfume and staying up hoping for a long night ahead. If this is not nifāq then it is certainly the way to it and its foundation.
The believer sees his sins as if he is sitting at the foot of a mountain fearing that it might fall on him, while the sinner (fājir) sees his sins as a fly that lands on his nose, he just waves it away. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Sahīh, The Book of Supplications, Chapter on Tawbah. Ibn Hajr quotes in his commentary, Fath Al-Bārī: Ibn Abī Jumrah said, “The reason for this [fear] is that the heart of a believer is illuminated; so when he sees from himself something that goes against what he illuminates his heart with, it is very distressing to him. The wisdom behind giving the example of a mountain is that a person might find some way to escape from other dangers, but if a mountain falls on a person he does not survive. In short, the believer is dominated by fear (of Allah) due to the strength of īmān he has; he does not therefore feel falsely secure about being punished because of his sins. This is the way of the Muslim: he always fears and checks on himself, his good deeds are little to him and he fears even the small bad deeds he has done.”
Ibn Abī Jumrah said, “The reason for this [fear] is that the heart of a believer is illuminated; so when he sees from himself something that goes against what he illuminates his heart with, it is very distressing to him. The wisdom behind giving the example of a mountain is that a person might find some way to escape from other dangers, but if a mountain falls on a person he does not survive. In short, the believer is dominated by fear (of Allah) due to the strength of īmān he has; he does not therefore feel falsely secure about being punished because of his sins. This is the way of the Muslim: he always fears and checks on himself, his good deeds are little to him and he fears even the small bad deeds he has done.”