Among the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were individuals whose lives became living reflections of prophetic guidance. One of the most remarkable among them was `Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased them), whose devotion, caution, and meticulous following of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) distinguished him throughout his long life of worship and service.
`Abdullah would observe and scrutinize closely every saying and action of the Prophet.
Early Devotion and Companionship
From an early age, Abdullah ibn `Umar thus demonstrated his keenness to be associated with the Prophet in all his undertakings. He had accepted Islam before he was ten years old and had made the Hijrah with his father and his sister, Hafsah, who was later to become a wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Before the Battle of Uhud he was also turned away from the Battle of Badr and it was not until the Battle of the Ditch that he and Usamah, both now fifteen years old and others of their age were allowed to join the ranks of the men not only for the digging of the trench but for the battle when it came.
From the time of his Hijrah till the time of his death more than seventy years later, Abdullah ibn Umar distinguished himself in the service of Islam and was regarded among Muslims as “the Good One, son of the Good One”, according to Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari. He was known for his knowledge, his humility, his generosity, his piety, his truthfulness, his incorruptibility and his constancy in acts of worship.
Learning from the Greatest Teacher
From his great and illustrious father, `Umar, he learnt a great deal and both he and his father had the benefit of learning from the greatest teacher of all, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). `Abdullah would observe and scrutinize closely every saying and action of the Prophet in various situations and he would practice what he observed closely and with devotion.
For example, if `Abdullah saw the Prophet performing Salah in a particular place, he would later pray in the same place. If he saw the Prophet making a supplication while standing, he would also make a supplication while standing. If he saw him making a supplication while sitting, he would do the same.
On a journey, if he saw the Prophet descend from his camel at a particular place and pray two rak`ahs, and he had occasion to pass on the same route, he would stop at the same place and pray two rak`ahs.
In the Exact Footsteps of the Prophet
In a particular place in Makkah, he once observed the Prophet’s camel making two complete turns before he dismounted and prayed two rak`ahs. It might be that the camel did that involuntarily but `Abdullah ibn `Umar, when he happened to be in the same place at another time, made his camel complete two turns before making it kneel and dismounting. He then prayed two rak`ahs in precisely the same manner as he had seen the Prophet do.
`A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) noticed this devotion of `Abdullah to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and remarked:
“There was no one who followed the footsteps of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the places where he alighted as did Ibn `Umar.”
Humility Before Sacred Knowledge
In spite of his close observance of the Prophet’s actions, `Abdullah was extremely cautious, even afraid, of reporting the sayings of the Prophet. He would only relate a hadith if he was completely sure that he remembered every word of it.
One of his contemporaries said: “Among the Companions of the Prophet, no one was more cautious about adding to or subtracting from the hadith of the Prophet than Abdullah ibn `Umar.”
Similarly, he was extremely cautious and reluctant to make legal judgments (fatwas). Once someone came to him asking for a judgment on a particular matter and Abdullah ibn `Umar replied: “I have no knowledge of what you ask.”
The man went on his way and `Abdullah clapped his hands in glee and said to himself: “The son of `Umar was asked about what he does not know and he said: I do not know.” Because of this attitude he was reluctant to be a judge even though he was well qualified to be one.
This careful restraint, humility before knowledge, and unwavering commitment to following the Prophet (peace be upon him) precisely laid the foundation for a life of profound piety.
In the second part, we see how these qualities blossomed into deep worship, asceticism, generosity, and a heart softened by constant remembrance of Allah.
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Source: Taken from the book entitled “Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)”