- Military command
- Wealth and charity
- Poetry
- Diplomacy
Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (RA), one of the ten companions promised Paradise (Ashara Mubashara), was famous for his immense wealth and unparalleled charity. He was a successful merchant who amassed a fortune through honest trade. When he migrated to Madinah, the Prophet (ﷺ) established brotherhood (mu’akhat) between him and Sa’d bin Rabi (RA), an Ansari who offered to share his wealth and property with him. However, Abdur Rahman (RA) declined, preferring to work for his own livelihood. He then went to the market, engaged in trade, and within a short time built substantial wealth. Despite his riches, he never accumulated for himself. His generosity became legendary; he gave away vast sums in the path of Allah. He equipped the Muslim army for the Battle of Tabuk by donating 200 awqiyyah of gold, and he gave away camels, horses, and gold repeatedly for various causes. At his death, his charitable contributions were staggering—he freed 30,000 slaves and left wealth that was distributed widely among the community, including to the widows of Badr. His humility matched his generosity; he was known to weep upon being reminded of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) words about the reckoning of the wealthy. The Prophet (ﷺ) praised him as one who would enter Paradise “crawling” because of the accountability for his wealth, highlighting that even the most generous must account for their blessings. Abdur Rahman (RA) also served on the committee that selected Hazrat Usman (RA) as the third caliph. His life demonstrates that wealth, when used with faith and generosity, can be a means of immense good. He showed that commercial success and devotion to Allah are not incompatible.
