Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi'

An Ansari companion from the Khazraj tribe of Madinah, described as the wealthiest of the Anṣār at the time of the Hijrah. He was a successful businessman whose prosperity was well known in Madinah.

He is immortalized in Islamic history for a single extraordinary exchange with his Mu'akhah partner ʿAbdur-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf. When the Prophet ﷺ paired them together, Saʿd brought ʿAbdur-Raḥmān back to his home and made him an offer of breathtaking generosity:

"I am the richest of the Anṣār in wealth. I shall give you half of everything I own. I have a two-storey house, one floor is yours. I have two gardens, one is yours."

Then he added what no one had asked of him: "I have two wives. Choose whichever one you prefer. After her ʿIddah is completed, you may marry her."

He was offering to halve his entire life, his wealth, his property, his household, without any return whatsoever.

ʿAbdur-Raḥmān said: "Bārakallāhu laka fī mālik wa ahlik", "May Allāh bless you in your wealth and your family." He declined everything, asked only to be shown the marketplace, and began trading from scratch.

The Prophet ﷺ had paired them together because both were businessmen, and both had the character of people who understand the meaning of partnership and dignity in trade. As the Seerah records, the pairing worked, they genuinely became like brothers, and their names are repeatedly mentioned together in subsequent events.