Chapter 26: Mentioning of Abu Dharr’s conversion to Islaam

Al-Baihaqee reported from the route of al-Haakim, 180 from his chain that Abu Dharr رضي اهلل عنه said: ❝I was one of four persons who were Muslims (i.e. one-fourth of Islaam). (Only) three people accepted Islaam before me, and I was the fourth. I came to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and said: ‘Assalaamu `alaika, O Messenger of Allaah! I bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.’ I saw the signs of joy on the face of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.❞ This is how it was reported in a shorter form. Imaam al-Bukhaaree reported that Ibn `Abbaas رضي ا هلل عنهما said: “When Abu Dhar رضي اهلل عنه received the news of the advent of the Prophet ﷺ he said to his brother: “Ride to this valley (of Makkah) and try to find out the truth of the person who claims to be a prophet and that there comes to him information from the Heavens.

Listen to what he says and come back to me.” So his brother set out and came to the Prophet ﷺ and listened to some of his talks, and returned to Abu Dhar and said to him: “I have seen him exhorting (people) to develop good morals and his expressions can in no way be termed as poetry.” Abu Dhar said: “You have not satisfied me as to what I wanted.” He then took his provision for the journey and carried a water-skin of his, containing some water till be reached Makkah. He went to the Masjid (Ka`bah) and searched for the Prophet ﷺ and though he did not know him, he hated to ask anybody about him until it was night. 181 `Alee saw him and knew that he was a stranger. So when Abu Dhar saw `Alee, he followed him, and none of them asked the other about anything, and when it was dawn, Abu Dhar took his provision and his water-skin to the Masjid and stayed there the whole day but he did not see the Prophet ﷺ, and when it was evening, he came back to his retiring place. `Alee passed by him and said: “Has this man not been able to find his destination until now?” So `Alee awakened him and took him with him 180 I (al-Albaanee) say: al-Haakim reported it in his “al-Mustadrak” (5459). Had he (Ibn Katheer) reported from him directly would have been better (because of the smaller chain of narration), and he (Ibn Katheer) a lot of times used the longer chains. Al-Haakim said: “The chain of this narration is “sahih” as per the condition of Muslim”, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. 181 In sahih Muslim, it is: “and then he slept”. and none of them spoke to the other about anything.

When it was the third day, `Alee did the same and Abu Dhar stayed with him. Then `Alee said: “Will you tell me what has brought you here?” Abu Dhar said: “If you give me a firm promise that you will guide me, then I will tell you.” `Alee promised him, and he informed `Alee about the matter. `Alee said: “It is true, and he is the Messenger of Allaah, when it is morning, follow me, and if I see any danger for you, I will stop as if to pass water, but if I go on, follow me and enter the place which I will enter.” Abu Dhar did so, and followed `Alee till he entered the place of the Prophet ﷺ, and Abu Dhar went in with him, Abu Dhar listened to some of the Prophet’s talks and embraced Islaam on the spot. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: ❝Go back to your people and inform them (about it) (and stay there) till you receive my command.❞ Abu Dhar said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I will proclaim my conversion loudly amongst them (i.e. the pagans).” So he went out, and when he reached the Masjid, he said as loudly as possible: “I bear witness that none has the right to be worshiped except Allaah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” The People got up and beat him badly. Then al-`Abbaas came and knelt over him (to protect him) and said (to the people): “Woe to you! Don’t you know that this man belongs to the tribe of Ghifaar and your trade to Shaam is through their way?” So he rescued him from them.

Abu Dhar again did the same the next day. They beat him and took vengeance on him and again al-Abbas knelt over him (and rescued him).” 182 This is the wording of al-Bukhaaree. In sahih Muslim and Musnad Ahmad, there is a more detailed narration of his conversion to Islaam. `Abdullaah Ibn al-Saamit reported that Abu Dharr رضي اهلل عنه said: We set out from our tribe Ghifaar, who used to regard the sacred months as permissible (for fighting). I set out with my brother Unais and our mother, and we stayed with a maternal uncle of ours. Our uncle honored us and treated us kindly, but his people felt jealous of us, and they said: ‘When you are away from your wife, Unais comes into your house (i.e., an accusation of adultery).’ Our uncle came and told us of what had been said to him.

I said: ‘As for your past kindness, you have undone it, and we cannot stay with you after this.’ We went to our camels and loaded them up, and our uncle covered himself with his garment and started weeping. We set out and halted at Makkah. Unais made a wager that our herd of camels was better than another similar herd, and they went to a soothsayer and he made Unais win and Unais came with our camels and an equal number along with them. 182 sahih al-Bukhaaree (3522, 3861) and sahih Muslim (2474-133), Al-Haakim also reported it in his “alMustadrak”, and said that they (al-Bukhaaree and Muslim) did not report it, but this is a conjecture from him. He (Abu Dharr) said (`Abdullaah Ibn al-Saamit): “I started to perform prayers, O son of my brother, three years before I met the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.” I (`Abdullaaah) said: “To whom?” He said: “To Allaah.” I said: “What direction did you face?” He said: “I faced where my Lord directed me to. I used to pray at night until the end of the night, then I fell down (in exhaustion) like a piece of cloth until the sun rose over me.” (Abu Dharr continued): (One day) Unais said: ‘I have some work in Makkah; stay here.’ He went to Makkah, and he came back late.

I said: ‘What did you do?’ He said: ‘I met a man in Makkah who follows your religion. He says that Allazh has sent him.’ I said: ‘What do the people say?’ He said: ‘They say that he is a poet, or a soothsayer, or a magician.’ And Unais was one of the poets. Unais said: ‘I have heard the words of the soothsayers, and he is not a soothsayer. I compared his words to the words of poetry, and no one after me can say that he is a poet. By Allaah, he is telling the truth and they are lying.’ “I said: ‘Stay here while I go and look.” He said: “I came to Makkah and looked for an insignificant man among them.

I said: ‘Where is this man whom you call alSaabee’a (i.e. the one who changed his religion)?’ He pointed at me and called out: ‘He is a Saabee’a.’ The people of the valley attacked me with clods of earth and bones, until I fell unconscious. I got up whenever I recovered, and it was as if I was a red idol (due to excessive blood loss). I went to Zamzam and washed the blood from myself, and I drank some of its water. O son of my brother, I stayed there for thirty nights or days and I had no food but the water of Zamzam, but I grew so fat that I got folds on my stomach and I did not feel any hunger in my stomach. (Abu Dharr continued): “While the people of Makkah were sleeping deeply one moonlit night, no one was circumambulating the Ka`bah except two of their women, who were calling upon Isaafaa and Naa’ilah (two of their idols).

They came to me during their circumambulation and I said: ‘Marry one of them to the other.’ But they did not stop what they were saying. They came to me again and I said: ‘They are just pieces of wood like private parts’; and I could not use a metaphor. They turned away from me saying: ‘If any of our people were here they would teach you a lesson (for the obscene words used for our idols before us).’ They were met by the Messenger of Allaah and Abu Bakr as they were coming down the hill, and he ﷺ said: ❝What is the matter with you?❞ They (the two women) said: ‘There is a Saabee’a between the Ka`bah and its curtain.’ He ﷺ said: ❝What did he say to you?❞ They said: ‘He uttered such words before us as we cannot express.’ The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ came and kissed the (Black) Stone, then he circumambulated the Ka`bah, along with his Companion, then he prayed.” Abu Dharr said: “When he had finished his prayer, I was the first one to greet him with the greeting of Islaam.” I said: “As-Salaamu `alaika yaa Rasoolullaah.’ He ﷺ replied: ❝Wa `alaika wa rahmatullaah.❞ Then he ﷺ said: ❝Who are you?❞ I said: “I am from Ghifaar.” He ﷺ lifted his hand and placed his fingers on his forehead, and I said to myself: “He does not like the fact that I am from Ghifaar.” I wanted to take his hand but his Companion stopped me, and he knew him better than I did. Then he raised his head and said: ❝How long have you been here?❞ I said: “I have been here for thirty days or nights.” He ﷺ said: ❝Who has been feeding you?❞ I said: “I had no food except the water of Zamzam, and I have grown so fat that I have folds on my stomach, and I did not feel any hunger.” He ﷺ said: ❝It is blessed, it serves as food.❞ 183 Abu Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allaah, give me permission to offer him food tonight.” The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and Abu Bakr set off, and I went with them. Abu Bakr opened a door and brought us raisins of al-Taa’if, and that was the first food I ate (in a month).

I stayed for a while, then I came to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and he said: ❝I have been shown a land that has palm trees, and I do not think that it is any other than Yathrib (old name for al-Madeenah). Will you convey a message from me to your people? Perhaps Allaah will benefit them through you and grant you reward through them.❞ I came to Unais and he said: ‘What did you do?’ I said: “What I did is become a Muslim and attest to the truth.” He said: ‘I have no aversion to your religion; I have also become Muslim and attested to the truth.’ We went to our mother and she said: ‘I have no aversion to your religion; I have also become Muslim and attested to the truth.’ We went to our people, Ghifaar, and half of them became Muslim, and they were led in prayer by Aymaa’ Ibn Rahadhah al-Ghifaaree, who was their chief. The other half of them said: ‘When the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ comes to al-Madeenah, we will become Muslim.’ When the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ came to al-Madeenah, the other half also became Muslim. (The tribe of) Aslam came and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (Ghifaar) our brothers, we become Muslim on the same basis that they became Muslim.’ The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: ❝May Allaah forgive Ghifaar and may Allaah keep Aslam safe and sound.❞ We have already mentioned the narration regarding Salmaan al-Faarisee’s conversion to Islaam. 183 (Shaikh al-Albaanee said): In Musnad Abu Dawood al-Tayaalisee (459), there is the addition: ❝and it is serves as cure for the sick.❞ 184 Musnad Ahmad (21525) and sahih Muslim (2473-132)