Stories of the Prophets
Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak
عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ
Ulama, Mujahid, and Generous Merchant (d. 181 H)
Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak combined four roles at once in his life: a highly trusted hadith scholar, a mujahid who actively fought jihad on the front lines, a successful merchant, and a philanthropist who channeled the proceeds of his business to finance jihad and help fellow students of knowledge. He wrote the Book of Az-Zuhd, one of the earliest and most influential works in ascetic literature and Sunni Sufism, combining asceticism with sincerity in charity, not just leaving the world.
1Ulama, Mujahid, and Merchant
Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak (118–181 H) from Khurasan, hadith and fiqh scholar who was also a mujahid on the border and a generous merchant. He combines knowledge, jihad and charity in one rare person.
📖 QS At-Taubah: 20
2Turning on Science and Jihad
He wrote the books Az-Zuhd and Al-Jihad, financed seekers of knowledge and mujahids from his wealth, and said that he raised the glory of knowledge by trading so as not to look up to humans.
📖 QS Al-Ankabut: 69
3Sincerity and Death
Ibnul Mubarak was famous for his sincerity and humility; he hid his alms from those who were embarrassed to ask. He died in 181 H after returning from jihad, an example of a scholar who was perfect in terms of knowledge and charity.
📖 QS Al-Insan: 9