Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum
Encyclopedia
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum (died 636) was a companion
of Islamic prophet Muhammad
. In some traditions his mame has also appeared as `Amr ibn Umm-Maktum. The first verses of Abasa
, the 80th sura
of Qur'an
, are considered to be revealed in an incident connected to him.
, Muhammad's first wife.
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum was among the first converts to Islam. Muhammad sent him and Mus`ab ibn `Umair to Medina for teaching Qur'an to the inhabitants before the Hijra
took place. He and Bilal ibn Rabah were chosen as muezzin
s in Medina
by Muhammad. When Muhammad left Medina for participating in battles, he was given the responsibility of leading the prayers.
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum requested Umar
, the second Caliph
of Islam, to let him take part in Jihad
in spite of his blindness. Umar allowed him to take part in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
in 636 C.E. He served in the battle as the standard bearer for the Muslim side, and he was killed in the fighting.
narration, the story behind the revelation of the first ten verses of Abasa
is as follows : Muhammad was preaching Islam to Walid ibn al-Mughira
and other Quraysh chieftains in Mecca
. Abd-Allah ibn Umm Maktum came along and asked Muhammad about something. Muhammad did not want to turn his attention away from the chieftains and frowned at ibn Umm Maktum. Allah
admonished Muhammad for this action via the first ten verses of Abasa :
After this incident, Muhammad used to greet Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum thus :
However, Shias do not agree that the verses were admonishing Muhammad. They do not accept the authenticity of the Hadith either.
Another verse based on an incident involving ibn Umm-Maktum is the 95th verse of An-Nisa
. As related by Ibn Kathir in his exegesis of the Qur'an, Al-Bukhari recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`di said, "I saw Marwan bin Al-Hakam sitting in the Masjid. I came and sat by his side. He told us that Zayd bin Thabit told him that Allah's Messenger dictated this Ayah to him, Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah. Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet as he was dictating that very Ayah to me. Ibn Umm Maktum said, `O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, if I had power, I would surely take part in Jihad.' He was a blind man. So Allah sent down revelation to His Messenger while his thigh was on mine and it became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. That ended after Allah revealed, ... except those who are disabled and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah.
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
of Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. In some traditions his mame has also appeared as `Amr ibn Umm-Maktum. The first verses of Abasa
Abasa
Sūrat al-ʿAbasa is the 80th sura of the Qur'an with 42 ayat. It is a Meccan sura.He/the rich notable [on seeing-74:21-25] contracted/wrinkled his face with feel of disgust and he turned his side...
, the 80th sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
of Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, are considered to be revealed in an incident connected to him.
Biography
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum was the son of Qays ibn Sayd and Aatikah bint Abdullah. He was blind by birth and hence his mother was called Umm-Maktum (Mother of the concealed one). Ibn Umm-Maktum was a cousin of Khadijah bint KhuwaylidKhadijah bint Khuwaylid
Khadījah bint Khuwaylid or Khadījah al-Kubra was the first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was the daughter of Khuwaylid ibn Asad and Fatimah bint Za'idah and belonged to the clan of Banu Asad. She is important in Islam as Muhammad's first wife, and one of the "mothers of the believers"...
, Muhammad's first wife.
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum was among the first converts to Islam. Muhammad sent him and Mus`ab ibn `Umair to Medina for teaching Qur'an to the inhabitants before the Hijra
Hijra (Islam)
The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
took place. He and Bilal ibn Rabah were chosen as muezzin
Muezzin
A muezzin , or muzim, is the chosen person at a mosque who leads the call to prayer at Friday services and the five daily times for prayer from one of the mosque's minarets; in most modern mosques, electronic amplification aids the muezzin in his task.The professional muezzin is chosen for his...
s in Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
by Muhammad. When Muhammad left Medina for participating in battles, he was given the responsibility of leading the prayers.
Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum requested Umar
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
, the second Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Islam, to let him take part in Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
in spite of his blindness. Umar allowed him to take part in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah
The Battle of al-Qādisiyyah was fought in 636; it was the decisive engagement between the Arab muslim army and the Sassanid Persian army during the first period of Muslim expansion. It resulted in the Islamic conquest of Persia, and was key to the conquest of Iraq...
in 636 C.E. He served in the battle as the standard bearer for the Muslim side, and he was killed in the fighting.
Qur'anic verses
According to traditional SunniSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
narration, the story behind the revelation of the first ten verses of Abasa
Abasa
Sūrat al-ʿAbasa is the 80th sura of the Qur'an with 42 ayat. It is a Meccan sura.He/the rich notable [on seeing-74:21-25] contracted/wrinkled his face with feel of disgust and he turned his side...
is as follows : Muhammad was preaching Islam to Walid ibn al-Mughira
Walid ibn al-Mughira
Walid ibn Mughira was the chief of the Banu Makhzum clan of the Quraish Tribe. His clan was responsible for warfare, and he was wealthy. These two factors combined to make him proficient in warfare.-Family:...
and other Quraysh chieftains in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. Abd-Allah ibn Umm Maktum came along and asked Muhammad about something. Muhammad did not want to turn his attention away from the chieftains and frowned at ibn Umm Maktum. Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
admonished Muhammad for this action via the first ten verses of Abasa :
After this incident, Muhammad used to greet Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum thus :
However, Shias do not agree that the verses were admonishing Muhammad. They do not accept the authenticity of the Hadith either.
Another verse based on an incident involving ibn Umm-Maktum is the 95th verse of An-Nisa
An-Nisa
Sura An-Nisa is the fourth chapter of the Qur'an, with 176 verses. It is a Medinan sura...
. As related by Ibn Kathir in his exegesis of the Qur'an, Al-Bukhari recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`di said, "I saw Marwan bin Al-Hakam sitting in the Masjid. I came and sat by his side. He told us that Zayd bin Thabit told him that Allah's Messenger dictated this Ayah to him, Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah. Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet as he was dictating that very Ayah to me. Ibn Umm Maktum said, `O Allah's Messenger! By Allah, if I had power, I would surely take part in Jihad.' He was a blind man. So Allah sent down revelation to His Messenger while his thigh was on mine and it became so heavy for me that I feared that my thigh would be broken. That ended after Allah revealed, ... except those who are disabled and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah.