Introduction
Ibn Umm Maktum was blind and a cousin of Khadijah. He was among the first to accept Islam. Surah Abasa begins with an episode involving him.
He and Musab ibn Umayr were the first to arrive in Madinah teaching the Quran. Later he was one of the Prophet's two muadhdhins, with Bilal.
He wanted to fight in the way of Allah. The Quran gave a concession to those with disabilities, but he is reported to have taken part at Qadisiyyah as standard-bearer.
The story
Makkan period
Came to the Prophet asking for guidance; this is linked to the opening verses of Surah Abasa.
Read the wording
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3331Sahih Isnaad Arabic text
… فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْرِضُ عَنْهُ وَيُقْبِلُ عَلَى الآخَرِ وَيَقُولُ أَتَرَى بِمَا أَقُولُ بَأْسًا فَيُقَالُ لاَ. فَفِي هَذَا أُنْزِلَ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ. وَرَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ أُنْزِلََ:( عبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى) فِي ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ. وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنْ …
“O Messenger of Allah! Guide me.'”
Quran 80:1Quran Arabic text
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
“He frowned and turned away”
Before 622 CE
Reached Madinah teaching the Quran.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 3925Sahih Arabic text
… الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ وَابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، وَكَانَا يُقْرِئَانِ النَّاسَ، فَقَدِمَ بِلاَلٌ وَسَعْدٌ وَعَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ، ثُمَّ قَدِمَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فِي عِشْرِينَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَرِحُوا …
“Mus`ab bin `Umair and Ibn Um Maktum who were teaching Qur'an to the people.”
Madinah period
Served as one of the Prophet's two muadhdhins.
c. 15 AH / 636 CE
Reported to have been at Qadisiyyah (per Wikipedia).
A day in their footsteps
4 small, repeatable practices from Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum's life. Each comes with the Arabic text and English wording of its source, and links to read the full report.
Giving the dawn adhan with precision
He was blind and would not call the dawn adhan until someone told him that dawn had broken. Bilal called earlier at night, and people were told to eat until Ibn Umm Maktum called.
Try this today
Do your duty accurately, with help if you need it.
Sit with this
What duty do you carry that would be better done with someone's help?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 617Sahih أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ بِلاَلاً يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ، فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يُنَادِيَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ". ثُمَّ قَالَ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً أَعْمَى لاَ يُنَادِي حَتَّى يُقَالَ لَهُ أَصْبَحْتَ أَصْبَحْتَ.
“He was a blind man who would not pronounce the Adhan unless he was told that the day had”
Teaching the Quran
He arrived in Madinah with Musab ibn Umayr teaching the Quran to the people, before the Prophet himself arrived.
Try this today
Teach what you know of the Quran, wherever you are.
Sit with this
What portion of the Quran could you teach to someone else?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 3925Sahih … الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ وَابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ، وَكَانَا يُقْرِئَانِ النَّاسَ، فَقَدِمَ بِلاَلٌ وَسَعْدٌ وَعَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ، ثُمَّ قَدِمَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فِي عِشْرِينَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَرِحُوا …
“Mus`ab bin `Umair and Ibn Um Maktum who were teaching Qur'an to the people.”
Longing to strive despite disability
When the verse about those who sit and those who strive was dictated, he said that he would fight if he could. Allah then revealed an exception for those with disabilities.
Try this today
Intend good even when you cannot do it, and ask for it.
Sit with this
What good do you intend that your circumstances do not yet allow?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 4592Sahih … مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَجَاءَهُ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ وَهْوَ يُمِلُّهَا عَلَىَّ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَسْتَطِيعُ الْجِهَادَ لَجَاهَدْتُ ـ وَكَانَ أَعْمَى ـ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَفَخِذُهُ عَلَى فَخِذِي، فَثَقُلَتْ عَلَىَّ حَتَّى خِفْتُ أَنْ تُرَضَّ فَخِذِي، ثُمَّ سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ{غَيْرَ …
“if I had the power to fight (in Allah's Cause), I would,"”
Seeking guidance eagerly
He came to the Prophet asking for guidance, and revelation addressed the episode, teaching that those who come eagerly for guidance deserve attention.
Try this today
Seek out knowledge actively.
Sit with this
How eagerly do you go looking for guidance?
Sources
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3331Sahih Isnaad … فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْرِضُ عَنْهُ وَيُقْبِلُ عَلَى الآخَرِ وَيَقُولُ أَتَرَى بِمَا أَقُولُ بَأْسًا فَيُقَالُ لاَ. فَفِي هَذَا أُنْزِلَ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ. وَرَوَى بَعْضُهُمْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ أُنْزِلََ:( عبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى) فِي ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ. وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنْ …
“O Messenger of Allah! Guide me.'”
Quran 80:1Quran بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
“He frowned and turned away”
Sayings and moments
He said he would fight in Allah's cause if he were able.
“if I had the power to fight (in Allah's Cause), I would,"”
Arabic text
… مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَجَاءَهُ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ وَهْوَ يُمِلُّهَا عَلَىَّ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَسْتَطِيعُ الْجِهَادَ لَجَاهَدْتُ ـ وَكَانَ أَعْمَى ـ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَفَخِذُهُ عَلَى فَخِذِي، فَثَقُلَتْ عَلَىَّ حَتَّى خِفْتُ أَنْ تُرَضَّ فَخِذِي، ثُمَّ سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ{غَيْرَ …
Sahih al-Bukhari 4592Sahih
Words on this page
- Adhanأذان
- The call to prayer, given aloud before each of the five daily prayers.
- Madinahالمدينة
- The city, formerly Yathrib, to which the Prophet ﷺ migrated and where the first Muslim community was built.
- Mu'adhdhinمؤذن
- The person who gives the adhan. Bilal ibn Rabah was the first.
- Surahسورة
- A chapter of the Quran. There are 114.
Related companions
- بلال بن رباحBilal ibn RabahBilal ibn Rabah, a formerly enslaved man tortured for saying "Ahad", became the first mu'adhdhin of Islam and…
- خديجة بنت خويلدKhadijah bint KhuwaylidKhadijah bint Khuwaylid, the first Mother of the Believers: her steadying support of the Prophet and her loya…
- أنس بن مالكAnas ibn MalikThe Prophet's young attendant for ten years, who reported his conduct with remarkable patience and detail.
- أم أيمن (بركة)Umm Ayman (Barakah)The Prophet's nurse and freed servant, who loved him as a son and wept when revelation ceased.
Sources and review
- Ibn Umm Maktum - Wikipedia (biography) (opens in a new tab)
- hadith-api (mirror used to confirm hadith text, numbering and grades; mirrors sunnah.com) (opens in a new tab)
Hadith numbers follow sunnah.com. Each report links to sunnah.com, and, where the numbering matches, to al-Hadees or HadithUnlocked as well. Quran verses link to quran.com, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tanzil. The Arabic is taken from the hadith editions and trimmed around the quoted words, so read the full report at the source before relying on it. Grades are the ones those editions give.
This page is pending scholar review. It was compiled from public sources, and its citations were last checked on 7 October 2026. If you notice a mistake or a missing source, please tell us.