A Boy in the Prophet's Household

'Abdullah was the son of al-'Abbas, the Prophet's uncle, and was born in Makkah around three years before the Hijrah, while the Banu Hashim were confined to the mountain pass of Abu Talib. He was about thirteen when the Prophet ﷺ died.

His aunt Maymunah, the Prophet's wife, lived in Madinah, so the boy was often in the Prophet's house. He used to watch, listen and ask, and he took from every Companion he could find, even going to their doors at midday and waiting in the dust until they came out.

That patience was the beginning of his knowledge. He had little time with the Prophet ﷺ compared with the older Companions, yet he spent it as a student spends a lifetime.