Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (r.a.)

One of the Companions who tried to announce and spread the cause of Allah all over the world with his sword in battlefields of jihad and with his knowledge and intellect at other times was Abdullah bin Abi Awfa. Hz. Abdullah was among the well-known scholars of the Companions known as “Abadila as-Sab’a [seven Abdullahs]”.

Abdullah, who listened to the blessed talks of the Messenger of Allah with his father, Abu Awfa, entered into the presence of the Messenger of Allah in order to give him the zakah of their goods. The Prophet always appreciated and prayed for this self-sacrificing family due to their sincerity and loyalty to Islam. The Prophet generally prayed for the Companions themselves who brought their zakah but he prayed for Abdullah as follows: “O Lord! Grant mercy and grace to the family of Abu Awfa!”

This prayer was worth the whole world for Abdullah. He remembered this moment and the Prophet’s words as the sweetest and most memorable memory of his life. Finally, the prayer of the Messenger of Allah about Abu Awfa family was accepted and Hz. Abdullah had the honor of spreading the lofty cause of the Messenger of Allah to the world.

Abdullah both studied ilm (knowledge) and participated in wars. He joined seven expeditions with the Messenger of Allah. He fought heroically at the battles of Hunayn and Khaybar.  In Hunayn, where many people were trapped and escaped and when the Muslims faced the risk of defeat, Abdullah was among the Companions who used their bodies as a shield in order to protect the Messenger of Allah. The horror and severity of the war did not frighten him. He resisted against the dangers that could harm the Messenger of Allah. Finally, he was wounded in Hunayn. The scars of these wounds remained as a sign of Hunayn until the end of his life.

While the Messenger of Allah was circumambulating the Kaaba during the Umrah of Qada, Hz. Abdullah was a guardian of the Prophet. He said, “While the Prophet walked between Safa and Marwa, we protected him against the polytheists.” Hz. Abdullah was the guardian of the Messenger of Allah. In fact, the Messenger of Allah was always under the protection of Allah but but he acted in accordance with the law of cause and effect in order to serve as a model to his ummah.

Abdullah bin Abi Awfa, who was one of the important figures in the ilm of hadith, narrated 95 hadiths from the Messenger of Allah. Most of them are about jihad. For example, the following hadith was narrated by Abdullah: “Paradise is under the shadow of swords.”

Abdullah bin Abi Awfa was a very patient person. He would always advise patience to his family and the people around him in the face of the misfortunes that occurred. Once, his beloved little daughter passed away. His wife was crying loudly. Hz. Abdullah did not approve of her crying like this and warned her as follows:

“You can feel sorry with your heart and shed tears, but do not cry out loud!”

He practiced exactly what the Messenger of Allah did. When Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah, died he acted in the same way.

Hz. Abdullah remained in Madinah until the death of the Messenger of Allah. He was enlightened by the light of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah. After his death, he went to Kufa and settled there. Hz. Abdullah is the last Companion who died in Kufa in 86 H. Abu Hanifa was born before Hz. Abdullah died. When Abdullah passed away, Abu Hanifa was six years old.

May Allah be pleased with him!