Acceptance of Islam & Dar-e-Arqam
He accepted Islam before the Holy Prophet (sa) went to Dar-ul-Arqam.
(Al-Tabqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 3, p. 112, Dar-ul-Kutb Al-ilimiyya, Beirut, 1990)
Dar-ul-Arqam is the place which was built in Mecca for Muslims to be able to gather. Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud relates, “I was the sixth person to accept Islam. At that time, there was no other Muslim on the face of the earth apart from the six of us.” Narrating his acceptance of Islam, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas‘ud says, “When I reached the age of understanding (an age where a person is able to correctly recognise and distinguish between good and bad, the age of maturity), I was grazing the sheep of Uqba bin Mu‘ayt one day. The Holy Prophet (sa) approached me and Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was also alongside him. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to me, ‘Young man! Do you have any milk?’ I replied that I did, but as I had been entrusted with that, I could not give him any.” He was extremely pious from his very childhood. “The Holy Prophet (sa) then said to bring him a sheep, which is not expecting, nor producing any milk.” He further states, “I brought a young sheep to the Holy Prophet (sa). Following this, the Holy Prophet (sa) tied its feet together, rubbed his hands on its teats and started to pray until they were filled with milk. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) then brought a bowl, which the Holy Prophet (sa) filled with its milk and then told Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra)to drink from it. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) drank the milk and then the Holy Prophet (sa) drank from it. The Holy Prophet (sa) then rubbed his hands over the teats and said, “Contract” and they began to contract and returned to their previous form. I asked the Holy Prophet (sa) to teach me the words he had recited. Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) placed his hand on my head and said, ‘You are an intelligent young man.’” He then states that he memorised seventy chapters of the Holy Quran directly from the Holy Prophet (sa).
(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 3, p. 382, Dar-ul-Kutub Al-ilmiyyah, Beirut)