Abdullah bin Masood ( رضي الله عنه – may Allah be pleased with him) was a very short and thin man with dark skin and poor family background. Prophet ﷺ once commanded him to climb a tree. When other companions looked at his legs, they laughed at his lean stature. Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Why are you laughing? ‘Abdullah’s foot is heavier in the balance than the mountain of Uhud.’ When companions were concerned that people of Quraish have not heard the Quran being recited to them loudly, Abdullah bin Mas’ood declared that he will do that job! Companions warned him that Quraish will beat him up because he was so thin and short with a poor heritage and no one to protect him. Abdullah bin Mas’ood said: Allah will protect me! He then recited a portion from Surah Rahman loudly in front of Quraish. So just like sahaba warned, Quraish beat him up. Abdullah responded – the sweetness of faith that I experienced, I would not mind returning tomorrow and doing it again! And hence he became the 1st person to recite the Quran publicly in Makkah after Muhammad ﷺ – who liked to listen to him recite the Quran. Abdullah said: “The Prophet ﷺ said to me: ‘Recite for me.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Shall I recite for you while it is to you whom it was revealed?’ He ﷺ said: ‘I love to hear it from other than me.'” So I recited Surat An-Nisa until I reached: “…and We bring you (Muhammad) as a witness against these people (4:41)” and I saw the eyes of Prophet ﷺ overflowing with tears.”
