of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whenever they conversed while Muʿādh was among them, would look toward him in reverent awe. (1)

Jaʿfar ibn Burqān related: Ḥabīb ibn Abī Marzūq narrated to us, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, from Abū Salamah al-Khawlānī, who said:
“I entered the mosque of Ḥimṣ and found inside it about thirty middle-aged Companions. Among them was a young man with dark-rimmed eyes and glistening teeth, sitting in silence; yet whenever the people differed, they would turn to him and question him.
I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘Muʿādh ibn Jabal.’ Love for him then settled in my heart. (2)

Maʿmar narrated from al-Zuhrī, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Kaʿb, who said:
Muʿādh was young, handsome, and generous, one of the finest youths of his tribe. He was never asked for anything without giving it, until a debt accumulated that consumed all his property. He asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to speak to his creditors on his behalf, and he did so, but they refused to remit even a portion. Had anyone (3) ever waived a debt out of regard for another’s plea, they would have done so for Muʿādh in deference to the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ therefore summoned him and did not let him leave until he had sold his possessions and distributed the proceeds among them.

Muʿādh thus found himself without a penny. Later the Prophet appointed him over Yemen to make good his loss, and he became the first to conduct trade with that money.

When he returned to Abū Bakr, ʿUmar said to him, “Muʿādh, will you obey me? Hand this money over to Abū Bakr; if he then gives it back to you, accept it.”

He replied, “I will not hand it to him, for the Prophet of Allah sent me only to restore me.”

So ʿUmar went to Abū Bakr and said, “Take some from him and leave some for him.”

Abū Bakr answered, “I will not do that; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent him precisely to make him whole.”

When morning came Muʿādh went to ʿUmar and said, “I think I shall do what you advised; last night I saw myself—he thought he said—being dragged toward the Fire while you were holding on to my waist-cloth.”

He then went to Abū Bakr with everything he had brought—even his whip.