It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning this verse: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face" [Surah al-An'am: 52] , that it was revealed about five people of Quraysh, among whom were I and Ibn Mas'ud. Quraysh had said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): If you drive these people away from you, we will sit with you. Do you bring these people close to you in preference to us? So Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening" up to "the grateful" [Surah al-An'am: 52-53] . This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin Hurayth (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "Recite the Qur'an to me." He said: Shall I recite it to you when it was revealed to you?! He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed I love to hear it from someone other than myself." So he began reciting Surah al-Nisa until, when he reached this verse: "So how will it be when We bring from every nation a witness, and bring you as a witness against these?" [Surah al-Nisa: 41] , the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wept profusely and Abdullah stopped reciting. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Say something." So he praised and glorified Allah, sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and bore witness to the truth, saying: 'Radina billahi rabban wa bil-Islami dinan' (We are pleased with Allah as Lord and with Islam as religion), "and I am pleased for you with what Allah and His Messenger are pleased with." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am pleased for you with what Ibn Umm Abd is pleased with for you." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of transmission, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.

Al-A'mash relates that Shaqiq (Abu Wa'il) was mentioning the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) but did not mention Ibn Mas'ud. I said to him: I see that you are not mentioning Ibn Mas'ud?! He replied: "He is a man over whom I do not give preference to anyone." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

Alqamah relates that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) resembled the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his habits and manners, his ways and his bearing. And Ibrahim al-Nakha'i says that Alqamah himself resembled Abdullah bin Mas'ud. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it.

Amr bin Wabisah al-Asadi narrates from his father, who said: I was in my house in Kufah when suddenly I heard at the door of the house: "As-salamu alaykum, may I come in?" I said: "Wa alayk as-salam, come in." When he entered, I saw that it was Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). I said: "O Abu Abd al-Rahman, what time is this for a visit?" and it was the very middle of the day. He said: "The day had grown long for me, so I thought I would talk with someone." The narrator says: He began narrating to me hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and I to him. Then he narrated this hadith, saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Soon there will be a tribulation (fitnah). In it the one sleeping will be better than the one lying down, the one lying down will be better than the one sitting, the one sitting will be better than the one standing, the one standing will be better than the one walking, the one walking will be better than the rider, and the rider will be better than the one who gallops (his horse). All those killed in this tribulation will be in the Fire." I said: O Messenger of Allah, when will this be? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It will be in the days of 'harj' (turmoil, chaos and killing)." I asked: When will the days of harj be? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a man does not feel safe even from the one sitting with him." I said: If I reach that time, what do you command me? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Restrain yourself and your hand (from the tribulation) and stay in your house." I said: O Messenger of Allah, what if someone forcibly enters my house? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then go into your room (inner chamber)." I said: What if someone breaks in there too? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then go into your place of prayer (masjid) and do like this" - and he (peace and blessings be upon him) showed by gripping the wrist joint (of the left hand) with his right hand - "and say: My Lord is Allah, until death comes to you in that state."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked: "Are you older, or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He replied (with the utmost courtesy and reverence): "He (the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)) is the greater, but I was born before him."

Al-Zubayr bin Bakkar relates that Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was three years older than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: (When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was born) my mother was told that Sayyidah Aminah had given birth to a boy. So in the morning she took me by the hand to her. It is as if I can still see him (peace and blessings be upon him) moving his feet in his courtyard, while the women were pulling me towards them and saying: "Kiss your brother." Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) died in the year 34 AH, and at that time he was 88 years old.

Muhammad bin Umar narrates from his teachers that Sayyiduna al-Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf was the paternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). His mother was Nutaylah bint Khabbab bin Kulayb bin Malik bin Amr bin Amir bin Zayd Manat bin Amir al-Khazrajiyyah. Sayyiduna al-Abbas's kunyah was Abu al-Fadl, because al-Fadl was his eldest son. He was three years older than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) took part with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Conquest of Makkah, Hunayn, Ta'if and Tabuk, and on the day of the Battle of Hunayn, when the people scattered, he stood firm with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) along with his family.

Shu'bah (the freed slave of Ibn Abbas) relates that Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was of very well-proportioned and upright stature, and he used to tell us that Abd al-Muttalib was of even more upright stature than him. Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) died on Friday, 14 Rajab, in the year 32 AH, during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). At that time he was 88 years old, and he was buried in Jannat al-Baqi', in the graveyard of Banu Hashim.

Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Numayr relates that the mother of Sayyiduna al-Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) was Nutaylah bint Janab bin Kulayb bin Malik bin Amr bin Amir bin al-Namir bin Qasit. Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was born three years before the Event of the Elephant.