| *Furniture Online UK* | | | | religion (without even leaving his place). He was |
| Upto 50% Off Sale Now On! | | | | among the first persons to accept Islam. Let us |
| *On All Shoe Storage Cabinets* | | | | leave Abu Dharr to continue his own story . . . |
| Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari | | | | After that I stayed with the Prophet in Makkah |
| In the Waddan valley which connects Makkah with | | | | and he taught me Islam and taught me to read |
| the outside world, lived the tribe of Ghifar. The | | | | the Qur'an. Then he said to me, "Don't tell anyone |
| Ghifar existed on the meagre offerings of the | | | | in Makkah about your acceptance of Islam. I fear |
| trade caravans of the Quraysh which plied | | | | that they will kill you." "By Him in whose hands is |
| between Syria and Makkah. It is likely that they | | | | my soul, I shall not leave Makkah until I go to the |
| also lived by raiding these caravans when they | | | | Sacred Mosque and proclaim the call of Truth in |
| were not given enough to satisfy their needs. | | | | the midst of the Quraysh," vowed Abu Dharr. |
| Jundub ibn Junadah, nicknamed Abu Dharr, was a | | | | The Prophet remained silent. I went to the |
| member of this tribe. He was known for his | | | | Mosque. The Quraysh were sitting and talking. I |
| courage, his calmness and his far sightedness and | | | | went in their midst and called out at the top of |
| also for the repugnance he felt against the idols | | | | my voice, "O people of Quraysh, I testify that |
| which his people worshipped. He rejected the silly | | | | there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is |
| religious beliefs and the religious corruption in which | | | | the messenger of Allah." My words had an |
| the Arabs were engaged. | | | | immediate effect on them. They jumped up and |
| While he was in the Waddan desert, news | | | | said, "Get this one who has left his religion." They |
| reached Abu Dharr that a new Prophet had | | | | pounced on me and began to beat me |
| appeared in Makkah. He really hoped that his | | | | mercilessly. They clearly meant to kill me. But |
| appearance would help to change the hearts and | | | | Abbas ibn Abdulmuttalib, the uncle of the Prophet, |
| minds of people and lead them away from the | | | | recognised me. He bent over and protected me |
| darkness of superstition. Without wasting much | | | | from them. He told them: "Woe to you! Would |
| time, he called his brother, Anis, and said to him: | | | | you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your |
| "Go to Makkah and get whatever news you can | | | | caravans must pass through their territory?" |
| of this man who claims that he is a Prophet and | | | | They then released me. I went back to the |
| that revelation comes to him from the heavens. | | | | Prophet, upon whom be peace, and when he saw |
| Listen to some of his sayings and come back and | | | | my condition, he said, "Didn't I tell you not to |
| recite them to me." Anis went to Makkah and | | | | announce your acceptance of Islam?" "O |
| met the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be | | | | Messenger of God," I said, "It was a need I felt in |
| on him. He listened to what he had to say and | | | | my soul and I fulfilled it." "Go to your people," he |
| returned to the Waddan desert. Abu Dharr met | | | | commanded, "and tell them what you have seen |
| him and anxiously asked for news of the Prophet. | | | | and heard. Invite them to God. Maybe God will |
| "I have seen a man," reported Anis, "who calls | | | | bring them good through you and reward you |
| people to noble qualities and there is no mere | | | | through them. And when you hear that I have |
| poetry in what he says." "What do people say | | | | come out in the open, then come to me." I left |
| about him?" asked Abu Dharr. "They say he is a | | | | and went back to my people. My brother came |
| magician, a soothsayer and a poet." "My curiosity | | | | up to me and asked, "What have you done?" I |
| is not satisfied. I am not finished with this matter. | | | | told him that I had become a Muslim and that I |
| Will you look after my family while I go out and | | | | believed in the truth of Muhammad's teachings. "I |
| examine this prophet's mission myself?" "Yes. But | | | | am not averse to your religion. In fact, I am also |
| beware of the Makkans." | | | | now a Muslim and a believer," he said. We both |
| On his arrival at Makkah, Abu Dharr immediately | | | | went to our mother then and invited her to Islam. |
| felt very apprehensive and he decided to exercise | | | | "I do not have any dislike for your religion. I |
| great caution. The Quraysh were noticeably angry | | | | accept Islam also," she said. |
| over the denunciation of their gods. Abu Dharr | | | | From that day this family of believers went out |
| heard of the terrible violence they were meting | | | | tirelessly inviting the Ghifar to God and did not |
| out to the followers of the Prophet but this was | | | | flinch from their purpose. Eventually a large |
| what he expected. He therefore refrained from | | | | number became Muslims and the congregational |
| asking anyone about Muhammad not knowing | | | | Prayer was instituted among them. Abu Dharr |
| whether that person might be a follower or an | | | | remained in his desert abode until after the |
| enemy. At nightfall, he lay down in the Sacred | | | | Prophet had gone to Madinah and the battles of |
| Mosque. Ali ibn abi Talib passed by him and, | | | | Badr, Uhud and Khandaq had been fought. At |
| realising that he was a stranger, asked him to | | | | Madinah at last, he asked the Prophet to be in his |
| come to his house. Abu Dharr spent the night | | | | personal service. The Prophet agreed and was |
| with him and in the morning took his water pouch | | | | pleased with his companionship and service. He |
| and his bag containing provisions and returned to | | | | sometimes showed preference to Abu Dharr |
| the Mosque. He had asked no questions and no | | | | above others and whenever he met him he |
| questions were asked of him. Abu Dharr spent | | | | would pat him and smile and show his happiness. |
| the following day without getting to know the | | | | After the death of the Prophet, Abu Dharr could |
| Prophet. At evening he went to the Mosque to | | | | not bear to stay in Madinah because of grief and |
| sleep and Ali again passed by him and said: "Isn't it | | | | the knowledge that there was to be no more of |
| time that a man knows his house?" Abu Dharr | | | | his guiding company. So he left for the Syrian |
| accompanied him and stayed at his house a | | | | desert and stayed there during the caliphate of |
| second night. Again no one asked the other about | | | | Abu Bakr and Umar. During the caliphate of |
| anything. On the third night, however, Ali asked | | | | Uthman, he stayed in Damascus and saw the |
| him, "Aren't you going to tell me why you came | | | | Muslims' concern for the world and their |
| to Makkah?" "Only if you will give me an | | | | consuming desire for luxury. He was saddened |
| undertaking that you will guide me to what I | | | | and repelled by this. So Uthman asked him to |
| seek." Ali agreed and Abu Dharr said: "I came to | | | | come to Madinah. At Madinah he was also critical |
| Makkah from a distant place seeking a meeting | | | | of the people's pursuit of worldly goods and |
| with the new Prophet and to listen to some of | | | | pleasures and they were critical in turn of |
| what he has to say." Ali's face lit up with | | | | hisreviling them. Uthman therefore ordered that |
| happiness as he said, "By God, he is really the | | | | he should go to Rubdhah, a small village near |
| Messenger of God," and he went on telling | | | | Madinah. There he stayed far away from people, |
| Abu Dharr more about the Prophet and his | | | | renouncing their preoccupation with worldly goods |
| teaching. Finally, he said: "When we get up in the | | | | and holding on to the legacy of the Prophet and |
| morning, follow me wherever I go. If I see | | | | his companions in seeking the everlasting abode of |
| anything which I am afraid of for your sake, I | | | | the Hereafter in preference to this transitory |
| would stop as if to pass water. If I continue, | | | | world. |
| follow me until you enter where I enter." Abu | | | | Once a man visited him and began looking at the |
| Dharr did not sleep a | | | | contents of his house but found it quite bare. He |
| wink the rest of that night because of his | | | | asked Abu Dharr: "Where are your possessions?" |
| intense longing to see the Prophet and listen to | | | | "We have a house yonder (meaning the |
| the words of revelation. | | | | Hereafter)," said Abu Dharr, "to which we send |
| In the morning, he followed closely in Ali's | | | | the best of our possessions." The man |
| footsteps until they were in the presence of the | | | | understood what he meant and said: "But you |
| Prophet. "As-salaamu alayka yaa Rasulullah, (Peace | | | | must have some possessions so long as you are |
| be on you, O Messenger of God)," greeted Abu | | | | in this abode." "The owner of this abode will not |
| Dharr. " | | | | leave us in it," replied Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr |
| Wa alayka salaamullahi wa rahmatuhu wa | | | | persisted in his simple and frugal life to the end. |
| barakaatuhu (And on you be the peace of God, | | | | Once the amir of Syria sent three hundred dinars |
| His mercy and His blessings)," replied the Prophet. | | | | to Abu Dharr to meet his needs. He returned the |
| Abu Dharr was thus the first person to greet the | | | | money saying, "Does not the amir of Syria find a |
| Prophet with the greeting of Islam. After that, the | | | | servant more deserving of it than I?" In the year |
| greeting spread and came into general use. The | | | | 32 AH, the self-denying Abu Dharr passed away. |
| Prophet, peace be on him, welcomed Abu Dharr | | | | The Prophet, peace be upon him, had said of him: |
| and invited him to Islam. He recited some of the | | | | "The earth does not carry nor the heavens cover |
| Qur'an for him. Before long, Abu Dharr | | | | a man more true and faithful than Abu Dharr. |
| pronounced the Shahadah, thus entering the new | | | | |