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"Show me the market"

Date
1 AH · approximate
Location
Madinah
People
'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf (RA), Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' (RA)

'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari that when his Ansari brother Sa'd offered him half his wealth, he thanked him and asked only to be shown the market — and began to earn by trade.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ لَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ آخَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ سَعْدِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ فَقَالَ سَعْدُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ إِنِّي أَكْثَرُ الأَنْصَارِ مَالاً، فَأَقْسِمُ لَكَ نِصْفَ مَالِي، وَانْظُرْ أَىَّ زَوْجَتَىَّ هَوِيتَ ن…

Narrated Ibrahim bin Sa`d from his father from his grandfather:`Abdur Rahman bin `Auf said, "When we came to Medina as emigrants, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) established a bond of brotherhood between me and Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi`. Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi` said (to me), 'I am the richest among the Ansar, so I will give you half of my wealth and you may look at my two wives and whichever of the two you may choose I will divorce her, and when she has completed the prescribed period (before marriage) you may marry her.' `Abdur-Rahman replied, "I am not in need of all that. Is there any marketplace where trade is practiced?' He replied, "The market of Qainuqa." `Abdur- Rahman went to that market the following day …

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 2048 · Sales and Trade
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

Lessons

  • Dignity in earning: accept help gratefully, but prefer to stand on your own feet.
  • Brotherhood means offering; self-respect means not taking more than you need.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

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Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 2048 ('Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf) · primary source
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

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