Biography

ʿAbd al-Rahman emigrated to Abyssinia and then Madinah with nothing. When the Prophet ﷺ made him brother to Saʿd ibn al-Rabiʿ of the Ansar, Saʿd offered him half his wealth; he thanked him and asked only to be shown the market.

Through honest trade he became very wealthy and spent enormously in the path of Allah, including caravans given entirely in charity. He was one of the six whom ʿUmar named to choose the next Caliph, and died in 32 AH.

Virtues

• Offered half of his brother’s wealth in Madinah, he said: “Show me the market” — and built his living by honest trade.

  Sahih al-Bukhari 2049

• Named by the Prophet ﷺ among the ten promised Paradise.

  Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi 3747