رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الْأَسْلَمِيّ
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b al-Aslami
Served the Prophet ﷺ by night · Offered anything · Asked for Paradise
may Allah be pleased with him
Aslam · Madinah, in the years after the Hijrah
A poor Companion who had no household of his own in Madinah, and attached himself to serving the Prophet ﷺ directly. Offered anything he wanted in return, he asked only to remain his companion in Paradise.
Known for
He served the Prophet ﷺ at night, bringing him water for prayer and attending to his needs
Offered anything he wanted, he asked to remain the Prophet's ﷺ companion in Paradise
When asked if he wanted anything else, he said that request was enough
He was told he could help make that happen for himself by increasing his prostration in prayer
His story in moments
Short episodes from his life, in order. Read one at a time.
Life & legacy
Serving the Prophet ﷺ
Rabi'ah ibn Ka'b was of Aslam, and had no family or household of his own in Madinah. Along with a number of other Companions in a similar position, he stayed near the mosque without means of his own, and gave his days to serving the Prophet ﷺ and learning from him.
Part of that service was practical: he would bring water for the Prophet's ﷺ ablution and for the night prayer, and attend to whatever else was needed, without being asked to.
Afterwards
The exchange in which he was offered anything he wanted, and asked only for Paradise, is set out in the moment below. It is the episode he is remembered for.
The sources say comparatively little about the rest of his life, and do not settle when or where he died.
How the sources describe him
He asked for a single thing when he could have asked for anything at all
He served without being asked, before he was ever offered anything in return
Connect
People around him
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
He served him directly in Madinah, and was told to ask for anything he wanted — asking only for his companionship in Paradise.
Full timeline
- The Madinan years
Attaches himself to serving the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah
- The Madinan years
Offered anything he wants, he asks for companionship in Paradise
- Not settled in the sources approximate, reports differThe biographical sources give little detail about his later life and do not agree on when or where he died.
Dies
Sources & review
In reviewBased on the listed sources. See something to correct? Tell us.
Sahih Muslimصحيح مسلم
Hadith collection · Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
References follow the citation detail available in the source material.
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