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Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf — The Merchant of Paradise: Wealth, Generosity, and Being One of the Ten Promised Paradise

عَبدُ الرَّحمَنِ بنُ عَوف — تَاجِرُ الجَنَّة: الثَّروَةُ وَالكَرَمُ وَكَونُهُ مِنَ العَشَرَةِ المُبَشَّرِينَ
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Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (عَبدُ الرَّحمَنِ بنُ عَوف; c. 581-652 CE; born Mecca; from the Zuhri clan; among the earliest six Muslims; among the ten Companions given the explicit good tidings of Paradise by the Prophet; died in Medina) was the most commercially successful of the Prophet's close Companions — a man whose wealth was extraordinary and whose generosity was equally extraordinary. When the Muhajirin arrived in Medina penniless, the Ansar offered to share their wealth; Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf is reported to have asked only to be shown the market, within a short time establishing himself as one of Medina's major traders. He endowed 700 camels loaded with goods for the path of Allah, freed hundreds of enslaved people, and in his will left significant sums for the widows of the Prophet.

Arriving in Medina Without Wealth

When the Muhajirin made the Hijra to Medina, they arrived having left their property behind in Mecca. The Ansar (Medinan Muslims) partnered with them in a system of mu’akha’ (brotherhood), with each Ansar offering to share half their property with a Muhajir companion.

Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’ offered Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf half of everything, including divorcing one of his wives so Abd al-Rahman could marry her. Abd al-Rahman graciously declined: “May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth. Just show me where the marketplace is.”

Within a short time, through his commercial acumen, he had built a new fortune. The speed of his reconstruction demonstrated not luck but deep mercantile skill.

The Weight of Wealth

Despite his wealth, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf carried a deep ambivalence. The Prophet had warned: “‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf will enter Paradise crawling.” When informed of this, Abd al-Rahman reportedly wept and asked: “Why crawling?” and gave away enormous sums to charity.

He freed 30,000 enslaved people over his lifetime. He endowed 700 camels with their loads for the cause of Allah. He provided for the widows of the Prophet in his will.

He said: “I fear that what I have received here will delay me in the hereafter.”

The Ten Given Tidings of Paradise

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf is among the ten Companions (al-‘ashara al-mubashsharun) whom the Prophet explicitly named as destined for Paradise: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Sa’id ibn Zayd, and Abu ‘Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah.

See also: Seerah Abu Bakr, Seerah Umar Ibn Khattab, Seerah Ali, Fiqh Al Sadaqa, Hijra, Seerah Sad Ibn Abi Waqqas

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