Abdullah ibn Umm-Maktum ( ar, عبد الله بن أم مكتوم) (died 636) was, according to
Ibn Kathir
Abū al-Fiḍā’ ‘Imād ad-Dīn Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī al-Damishqī (Arabic: إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي أبو الفداء عماد; – 1373), known as Ibn Kathīr (, was ...
(d.1373), a
companion of Islamic prophet
Muhammad. In some traditions his name has also appeared as `Amr ibn Umm-Maktum. The first verses of ''
He Frowned'', the 80th
chapter of
Qur'an, are considered to be revealed in an incident connected to him.
Biography
Abdullah Ibn Umm-Maktum was the son of Qays Ibn Zayd 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 Khuwaylid
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ( ar, خَدِيجَة بِنْت خُوَيْلِد, Khadīja bint Khuwaylid, 555 – November 619 CE) was the first wife and is considered to be the first follower of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Khadija was the da ...
, Muhammad's first wife.
Abdullah Ibn Umm-Maktum was among the first converts to Islam. Muhammad sent him and
Mus`ab ibn `Umair
Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr ( ar, مصعب بن عمير) also known as Muṣʿab al-Khayr ("the Good") was a ''sahabi'' (companion) of Muhammad. From the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār branch of the Quraysh, he embraced Islam in 614 CE and was the first ambass ...
to Medina for teaching Qur'an to the inhabitants before the
Hijra took place. He and
Bilal Ibn Rabah were chosen as
muezzins in
Medina by Muhammad. When Muhammad left Medina for participating in battles, he was given the responsibility of leading the
prayers.
Abdullah Ibn Umm-Maktum requested
Umar, the second
Caliph of Islam, to let him take part in
Jihad
Jihad (; ar, جهاد, jihād ) is an Arabic word which literally means "striving" or "struggling", especially with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it can refer to almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with Go ...
in spite of his blindness. Umar allowed him to take part in the
Battle of al-Qādisiyyah
The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah ( ar, مَعْرَكَة ٱلْقَادِسِيَّة, Maʿrakah al-Qādisīyah; fa, نبرد قادسیه, Nabard-e Qâdisiyeh) was an armed conflict which took place in 636 CE between the Rashidun Caliphate and the ...
in 636 C.E. He served in the battle as the standard bearer for the Muslim side, and he was martyred in the fighting.
Qur'anic verses
According to traditional
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
narration, the story behind the revelation of the first ten verses of
Abasa
ʻAbasa ( ar, عبس, "He Frowned") is the 80th chapter ('' sura'') of the Qur'an, with 42 verses ('' ayat''). It is a Meccan sura. The Surah is so designated after the word `abasa with which it opens.
Summary
*1-11 Muhammad rebuked for frown ...
is as follows : Muhammad was preaching Islam to
Walid ibn al-Mughira and other
Quraysh
The Quraysh ( ar, قُرَيْشٌ) were a grouping of Arab clans that historically inhabited and controlled the city of Mecca and its Kaaba. The Islamic prophet Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the tribe. Despite this, many of the Qur ...
chieftains in
Mecca. Abdullah 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 (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
admonished Muhammad for this action via the first ten verses of Abasa :
After this incident, Muhammad used to greet Abdullah 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''.''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abd-Allah ibn Umm-Maktum
Blind people
Year of birth unknown
636 deaths
Companions of the Prophet
Khadija bint Khuwaylid