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The Great Companion of the Prophet (s): Abu Dharr

The Great Companion of the Prophet (s): Abu Dharr

Author:
Publisher: Islamic Seminary Publications
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Chapter 9

Historians and traditionists of both the sects (Shi'ah and Sunni) agree that when the Holy Prophet was to start for the last pilgrimage, he proclaimed far and wide that all the companions should accompany him for pilgrimage. After this proclamation the companions of the Prophet started reaching Medina from all quarters. He had also made it known to the people that those who could not come to Medina, should reach Mecca directly and perform the rites of the pilgrimage with him.

The Prophet left Medina on 25th of Ziq'adah l0th A.H.1 Innumerable companions started with him from Medina, including Salman, Miqdad, Abu Dharr and Ammar.

On reaching Mecca he performed the ceremonies of the pilgrimage. All his Ahlul Bayt, wives and companions joined him in the pilgrimage. He delivered a sermon also at the time of Hajj in which he enumerated the bright points of the well-being of his followers and explained the means through which the ummah could get salvation.

Having finished pilgrimage he left Mecca for Medina. At that time with him were (according to Muhaddis Dehlavi) 1, 25,000 or (according to Khawand Shah) 1, 24,000 companions2 .

When he reached a place called Ghadir Khum with his companions Jibrail brought the Divine message to him:

“O My Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not do it, then you have not delivered His message, (convey my message without fear), and Allah will save you from the mischief of the people” . (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:67)3

After this clear command there was no alternative left for him except to convey the message to the people. Accordingly he ordered a pulpit to be raised with the pack-saddles of the camel. After that he said to Bilal of Africa,“O Bilal! Call the people and tell my companions that those who have gone forward should come back and those who have lagged behind must hasten to come forward” . Bilal called out, Hayya 'ala Khairil 'amal“Rush for the virtuous act” .

The crowd gathered round the pulpit of the Prophet. He climbed to the pulpit and after a very long and eloquent sermon called Ali to himself. Then holding the two hands of Ali in his own hands raised him so high that the whiteness of his armpit became completely visible. Then he said,“Whoever considers me to be his master and patron he should consider Ali also to be his master and patron. O Allah! Be the friend of him who is the friend of Ali and be the enemy of him who is the enemy of Ali” .

As soon as the people heard it, they raised their supporting voices. The Holy Prophet (s) came down from the pulpit and ordered Ali to accept the congratulations of the companions in a green tent. Accordingly, Ali received the congratulations for the succession of the Holy Prophet (s) and thanked the people for the same. It is written in Ma'arijun Nubuwwah that besides the companions the wives of the Prophet (s) also congratulated Ali for becoming the master and guardian of the Muslim ummah.

According to Tarikh ibn Khalqan the Prophet in his address of Ghadir threw light on the pre-eminence and status of Ali and said that Ali had the same relationship with him as Harun had with Musa. According to Mustadrak, al-Hakim he said,“I leave behind two valuable things amongst you, the Book of Allah and my Ahlul Bayt. You will never go astray if you hold them fast” . The same is written in Khasa 'es an-Nisai.

According to Rauzatul Ahbab the Holy Prophet also said,“O Allah! Be a friend of one who is a friend of Ali and be an enemy of one who is an enemy of Ali and also turn the truth to the direction which Ali turns his face” . It is given in Asbab al-Nuzul, Tafsir Durrul Manthur, Tafsir Fatahul Bayan by Siddiq Hasan, that this verse“Balligh” has been revealed only about Ali. It is written in Sharh Bukhari Aini, Tafsir Ghara'ibul Qur'an of Naishapuri, Tarikh ibnul Wazih, Kanzul 'ummal etc., that the verse“Balligh” has been revealed about the dignity and superiority of Ali.

It is given in Tarikh Abul Fida that after his retum from Ghadir al-Khum, the Holy Prophet (s) fell ill in the last days of Safar, 11 A.H. According to Mishkat Sharif the cause of his illness was the same poison which was given to him in Khaybar and which showed its effect at times. It is given in Tarikh ibn Alwardi that he asked all the companions to go with the army of Usamah bin Zayd and said that he had appointed Usamah the commander of the army.

Muhaddith Dehlavi writes in Madarij that the next day the Holy Prophet in the severity of his illness handed to Usamah a flag of war and asked him to leave and fight the unbelievers for the sake of Allah. Usamah gave that flag to Buraydah ibn Khazib outside the city, and appointed him the standard-bearer of the army. Then starting from Medina he halted at“Jaraf” which is close to Medina till the army gathered. The Prophet (s) had also ordered that except Ali all the“Muhajirin” and“Ansar” must join the army of Usamah and go with him.

Some companions became critical that the Holy Prophet had appointed a slave over the high ranking“Muhajirin and Ansar” . So they indulged in open criticism about it. When this information reached the Holy Prophet (s) he felt greatly hurt, and in spite of fever came out of the house in a state of extreme displeasure and went upto the pulpit. There he addressed the people,“O people! What are these talks that you are indulged in at Usamah's appointment as the commander of the army, just as you had done at the time of the Battle of Motah when Usamah's father was appointed the army commander. By Allah Usamah deserves command just as his father deserved to be the army commander” .

It is in al-Milal wan Nahl by Shahristani and Hujajul Karamah by Siddiq Hasan that the Holy Prophet (s) asked the companions to make immediate preparations for the army of Usamah. Cursed be the man who opposes Usamah's army! According to Madarijun Nubuwwah Abu Bakr and Umar remained behind in Medina and Usamah despatched the army.

When he was about to move, his mother informed him that the condition of the Prophet was not satisfactory. She advised him to come back and so he did. According to Tarikhut Tabari in that condition the Prophet called for Ali. ‘Ayesha suggested him to call her father (Abu Bakr) instead, and Hafsa suggested the name of her father (Umar) in place of Ali. In the meantime these people gathered there. But the Prophet said,“You should go back. I will call you myself if I need you at all” , Hearing this, those people went away.

In Sahih Muslim it is reported from Ibn Abbas that when the Holy Prophet was about to die on his death bed Umar ibn Khattab and other companions were present in the house of the Prophet. The Holy Prophet said,“Bring me a piece of paper and pen so that I may write something (as my will) for you lest you should be misled after me” . Umar said,“The Prophet (s) is saying so because of delirium, we have the Holy Qur'an and that is sufficient for us” . At this there arose an altercation among those present there. Some said,“It is obligatory on us to obey his orders so that he may write whatever he likes for us” . Some sided with Umar. When there, arose a great noise over this matter, the Prophet said,“Be off from me” . It was for this reason that Ibn Abbas used to say,“It was a great tragedy and disaster that the Prophet could not write anything because of the noise and dissension among the people” .

Abdullah ibn Abbas is quoted as saying through the narration of Sa'id bin Jubayr related in Sahih Bukhari,“What a calamitous day was the day of Thursday!” After having said this he wept and then said,“When, on Thursday, the illness of the Prophet (s) grew serious he said, bring me the articles of writing so that I may write for you something by way of my will by which you will not be misled after me” , At this people started arguing and disputing. The Prophet said;“It is not proper to quarrel before the Prophet” , People said,“The Prophet is speaking in delirium” . He said,“Get away from me. I am all right in whatever condition I am. It is wrong whatever you say. Leave me alone. Get away from me” . After that the Holy Prophet made his three wills, firstly to turn out all the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula and secondly to entertain the deputations which came from far off places. The narrator did not narrate the third one or he forgot it”.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin Jubayr in Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and Sahib Muslim that Abdullah ibn Abbas having said,“What a day it was of Thursday; wept so much that tears rolled down his cheeks like the pearl strings. After that he explained that Thursday was the day when the Holy Prophet said, “Give me the writing articles so that I may write something for you (by way of my will) in order that you may never go astray after me” , But, alas! The people said,“He is speaking in delirium” .

Shahabuddin Khafaji writes in Nasimur-Riyaz Sharah Shafa Qazi 'Ayaz that according to some versions of this hadith Umar said,“The Prophet is speaking in delirium” , Shahristani writes in his book al-Milal wan Nahl that the first dispute and difference that arose during the illness of the Prophet was one which Muhammad Ismail Bukhari has narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas with his own authorities in his book Sahih Bukhari that when the death disease of the Prophet worsened he said,“Give me the inkpot and paper so that I may write for you a document (by way of testimony) lest you should go astray after me” .

Hearing this Umar said,“The Prophet is saying so on account of the severity of illness. The Divine Book will do for us” . So when there arose a squabble at it the Prophet said,“Get away from me and do not dispute and argue before me” . That was the reason why Abdullah ibn Abbas used to say afterwards,“What a great calamity that dispute was! It came in between ourselves and the writing of the Prophet and kept him from writing” .

Allamah Shibli No'mani writes,“There is a word of Hajr in the tradition which means delirium. Umar had interpreted the speech of the Holy Prophet as delirium” . (Al-Faruq, p.61) In the dictionary the meaning of Hizyan is given as nonsensical talk4 .

Nazir Ahmad Dehlavi writes,“Those who were cherishing the hope of Caliphate in their minds turned off the plan through scuffling and justified their opposition by saying that Qur'an was sufficient for them and as the Prophet (s) was not in his senses there was no need to bring the paper and inkpot or else he would dictate irrelevant matters” 5 .

Imam Ghizali writes that before his death the Prophet of Allah asked his companions to bring for him pen, paper and ink so that he might write as to who deserved to be their Imam and Caliph. But at that time Umar asked people to leave that man as he was talking nonsense6 .

In short, when the Prophet was not given pen and ink there arose a row among those who were present there. My historical inference says that at that time Abu Dharr, Salman, Miqdad and Ibn Abbas etc. opposed the refusal and the ladies admonished them from behind the curtain,“What has happened to you? Why don't you listen to what the Holy Prophet says? For Allah's sake give him what he wants” . Hearing this Umar said“Keep quiet! You are like the ladies of Yusuf. You weep during the Prophet's illness and get on his nerves when he is healthy” . When his voice reached the ears of the Prophet he said,“Do not scold them as they are better than you” . (Tabrani)

According to Rauzatul Ahbab the Prophet at the time of his death asked his daughter Fatimah Zahra to call her sons. She brought them to him. The two grandsons after paying respect to the grandfather set by his side and finding him in the agony of the illness wept so bitterly that those who saw them also began weeping. Hasan put his face on the face of the Prophet and Husayn put his head upon his chest. He opened his eyes and looking at them affectionately caressed them with love, and expressed his wish to the people to respect and reverence them.

There is also a tradition that hearing Hasnain weep, all those present there started crying and hearing them the Prophet also began weeping. Then he sent for his dear brother, Ali came and took his seat towards the head of the Prophet. When he raised his head, Ali, coming to his side, placed the Prophet's head up on his arm. The Prophet said,“Ali! I have borrowed this much loan from a certain Jew for the equipment of the army of Usamah. Pay him back the same. O Ali! You will be the first to come to me at the Cistern of Kauthar, and you will suffer great troubles after me. Face them with patience and when you see that the people have chosen the world you should care for the hereafter” 7

It is also recorded in Madarijun Nubuwwah that Fatimah Zahra was extremely shocked at the death of the Prophet and wept bitterly and excessively with painful cries. Muhaddith Dehlavi writes in the book“Mathabata bis Sunnah” that many tragic events happened to her after the death of the Prophet. She has mentioned them in a couplet saying that if the hardships which she had to face, had befallen the day, it would have turned into dark night. The writer of Rauzatul Ahbab says that after the demise of the Prophet nobody saw her laughing.

Tabaqat ibn Sa'd writes that the Prophet's head was in Ali's lap at the time of his death. Hakim says in Mustadrak that the Prophet before breathing his last passed on secrets to Ali and solved mysteries for him.

Abdul Barr in his book Isti'ab quotes Abdullah ibn Abbas as saying,“Ali possesses four such distinctions as none of us has. Firstly, Ali was the first person to have earned the honour of offering prayers with the Holy Prophet. Secondly, he was the only standard bearer of the Prophet in every battle. Thirdly, when in the holy wars people fled away leaving the Prophet behind, Ali remained steadfast in the company of the Prophet. Fourthly, Ali is that person who gave funeral bath to the Prophet and laid him into the grave” .

According to Shi 'ah Muslim belief, the Holy Prophet died on Monday, the 28th of Safar, 11 A.H.8 Following his death there were lamentations and wailings among the members of his household and his revered companions. Abu Dharr, Salman, Miqdad, Ammar, and other sincere companions were crying their hearts out. In short he was like a sincere friend beside himself with sorrow. History shows that Abu Dharr Ghifari had a lasting impression of this tragedy. Manazir Ahsan Gilani writes,“In most descriptions of Abu Dharr's life, though clear signs are found of that pain without which a believer is not a believer, yet there are some inspiring events which present a beautiful portrait of the mutual relationship of the lover and the beloved before our mind's eye” 9

At the time of the death of the Holy Prophet Abu Bakr was at his home at Sakh, at a distance of one mile from Medina. Umar prevented the death news from being publicized and when Abu Bakr arrived both of them went to Saqifah Bani Sa'dah which was at a distance of three miles from Medina, and with them went Abu Ubaydah bin Jarrah as well who was a washer by profession. Anyhow, the chief companions of the Prophet went to join the dispute of Caliphate leaving his dead body behind, and Ali arranged and managed the affairs of the Prophet's bath and burial. Ali did the washing, Fazl ibn Abbas kept his skirt raised, Abbas and Qathm turned his sides and Usamah and Shaqran poured water. After washing he was enshrouded. Abu Talha dug the grave. Ali led the funeral prayer and it was he who got down into the grave and lowered the corpse in it. After that he covered the grave with earth with great lamentation. Abu Bakr and Umar etc. could not join the washing, enshrouding and the funeral prayer of the Holy Prophet; because when they came back from Saqifah the Prophet had already been buried10 . The Holy Prophet was 63 at the time of his death11 .

Notes

1. Tarikh ibn Alwardi

2. Izalatul Khulfa, vol. 1, p. 514 and Rauzatus Safa, vol. 2, p. 215

3. Izalatul Khulfa, vol. 1, p. 514 and Rauzatus Safa, vol. 2, p. 215

4. Sirat, vol. 2, p. 522

5. Ummahatul ummah, p. 92

6. Sirrul 'Alamin, Sharah Muslim, Navai, vol. 2

7. Madarijun Nubuwwah, vol. 2, and Tarikhul Baghdad, vol. 11

8. Ma waddatul Qurba, p. 49 printed Bombay 1310 A.H

9. Al-Ishteraki az-Zahid p. 90

10. Kanzul Ummal, vol. 3 p. 140 Arjahul Matalib, p. 670, Fatahul Bari, vol. 6, p. 4

11. Abul Fida, vol. 1 p. 152

Chapter 10

After the death of the Prophet those companions who were critical of his action at Ghadir al-Khum and who opposed Ali, immediately got together at“Saqifah Bani Sa'dah” which was specially made for vain consultations (Ghayathul Lughaat) and a few individuals, whose number might have been about 200 and in whom both agreeing and disagreeing immigrants and supporters were included, laid the foundation of a personal government. When they returned to Medina from Saqifah, after the burial of the Prophet, they started demanding allegiance from people in order to give that personal government a collective and democratic form. To achieve this end they behaved not only with the dignified companions but also with the Ahlul Bayt in such a manner that humanity shudders even to mention it.

The gist of the painful story of this period is that Ali was compelled to swear allegiance (Rauzatul Ahbab) and on his refusal the army of the caliph took him to the court with his neck tied with a rope. (Ibn Abil Hadid Mo'tazali). Fatimah's house was set on fire. (Tarikh Tabari, Tarikh al-Imamah wa as-Siyasah, Mir'atul Uqul).

The door of the house was dropped on Fatimah resulting in the miscarriage of her male child. (al-Milal wan Nahl of Shahristani). Allamah Mullah Mu 'in Kashifi writes that Fatimah fell ill on account of this shock, which caused her death1 . Then those who had refused fealty to Abu Bakr were forced with an iron hand to show allegiance, and some were badly beaten. Salman Farsi whom the Prophet had included in his Ahlul Bayt was also one of the victims of their tyranny. He was so severely beaten that his neck became tilted and the tilt lasted till his death.

The names of those who were in Medina and who refused allegiance to Abu Bakr are given below:

Imam Ali, Abu Dharr, Salman Farsi, Ammar bin al-Yasir , Miqdad bin al-Aswad, Khalid bin Sa'id, Burayda Aslami, Ubay bin Ka'b, Huzayma bin Thabit, Suhayl bin Hanif, Uthman bin Hanif, Abu Ayyub Ansari, Huzayfa bin al-Yamani, Sa'd bin Ubaydah, Qays bin Sa'd, Abdullah bin Abbas, Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, Abdul Haytham bin Tayhan, Jabir bin Abdullah, Abdullah bin Thamit, Ubaydah bin Thamit, Abu Sa 'id Khudari,2

It is written on page 43 of the same book (Tabsaratul- Awam) that after a few days Sa'd bin Ubaydah was killed with arrows on account of his refusal to pay allegiance.

Anyway, this political hoolinganism continued after the death of the Holy Prophet. Historians write that the land of Fadak, the property of Ahlul Bayt was confiscated only on account of this refusal of allegiance. These people said that Caliphate was Ali's inalienable right and he should get it. The details of this claim ate still available In Ali's sermon of Shiqshiqiyyah recorded.in Nahjul Balaghah. He has stated in clear terms that Caliphate was his right which was snatched away from him. He has also mentioned his attempt for the establishment of his claim as is seen on page 231 of the book an-Nihayah of Ibn Athir. Now we quote from Tarikh-i Ahmadi this great tragedy and catastrophic event which happened to the Ahlul Bayt and the sincere companions after the death of the Holy Prophet, so that the reader may know after all what happened to the progeny of the Prophet and his sincere companions only two weeks after the Prophet's death, and what role Abu Dharr played at that juncture.

According to Tarikh Ibn Jarir, Umar was present at the time of the Holy Prophet's death but Abu Bakr was not there. He was in the village Sakh. When the Prophet died Umar said,“According to the presumption of hypocrites the Prophet is dead, but I swear by Allah that he is alive” .

According to al-Milal wan Nahl of Shahristani Umar threatened to kill the man with his sword if he said that the Prophet was dead. This incident is also recorded in other books such as, (Tarikh Abul Fida vol. 1, p. 164, Tabaqatul Kubra vol. 2, p. 271, Sunan Ibn Maja vol. 1, p. 571, Hadith 1618, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal vol. 1.)

According to Rauzatul Ahbab the people started doubting the death of the Prophet when they heard this threat of Umar At that time Abu Bakr was in his house at Sakh. When he was informed of the death of the Prophet he immediately rode to Medina and on reaching Masjid an-Nabi saw that the people were in a melee.

According to Tarikh Abul Fida when Abu Bakr witnessed this condition of people he recited the verse meaning:“Muhammad is but a Messenger of Allah and before him also many messengers (like him) have passed away. Should Muhammad die or be slain, would you then turn back to your pre-Islamic behaviour?” 3 Hearing this people became convinced of the demise of the Holy Prophet. After that, all of them hastened to Saqifah Bani Sa'da.

According to Tarikh Ibn Khaldun Abu Bakr on reaching Saqifah said,“We are the companions and kinsmen of the Prophet and hence have a better claim to the Caliphate of the Prophet than anybody else” .

According to Tarikh Tabari of Ibn Jarir Umar said to Abu Bakr:“Hold out your hand so that I may swear allegiance to you” . Abu Bakr said,“No; you should hold out your hand because you are in every way more powerful than I” . This tussle continued for sometime. At last Umar stretched the hand of Abu Bakr and promised loyalty to him and also said,“You should count my strength also combined with yours” .

According to Tarikh Kamil of Ibn Athir, Umar and others promised loyalty to Abu Bakr, but all or some of the Ansar said,“We will not swear allegiance to anybody except Ali” . According to Tarikh Khamis when Abu Bakr got relief from the work of allegiance he returned from Saqifah to Masjidun Nabi and took his seat on the pulpit. Here, too, he took allegiance till the day came to an end and the people failed to attend the burial of the Holy Prophet. It was Tuesday night.

According to Kanzul 'Ummal it is narrated by Urwa that Abu Bakr and Umar were not present at the burial of the Holy Prophet, but were present in the crowd of the“Ansar” (at Saqifa Bani Sa'dah) and the Prophet had been buried before they returned from there.

According to Nihayah of Ibn Athir Jazari, Majma' al-Bihar of Mulla Tahir Qutni and al-Milal wan Nahl of Shahristani, Umar said afterwards that the allegiance of Abu Bakr was an expected event but Allah saved us from its evil.

According to Tarikh Abul Fida a group of Hashimites and also Zubayr bin al-'Awam, Miqdad bin 'Amr, Salman Farsi, Abu Dharr, Ammar al-Yasir, Bara' bin Azib etc. siding with Ali kept away from swearing allegiance to Abu Bakr.

It is written in Isti'ab of Abdul Barr that when loyalty was promised to Abu Bakr, Ali did not promise loyalty to him and stayed at home.

According to Muruj uz-Zahab of Mas'udi, when on the day of Saqifah allegiance was promised to Abu Bakr, Ali said to Abu Bakr,“You ruined our affairs, did not consult us and did not regard our right” . Abu Bakr said,“Your complaint is justified but I have done so for fear of revolt” .

According to Rauzatul Ahbab when Abu Bakr became free from the work of seeking allegiance he called Ali through some Muhajir and Ansar. Ali came and asked,“Why have I been called?” Umar said,“You have been called to promise loyalty as others have done” . Ali said,“I put before you the same argument, which you have presented before the Ansar to acquire the Caliphate. Tell me honestly the man nearest to the Prophet” . Umar said,“We will not leave you unless you promise allegiance” . Ali said,“Answer my question first and than ask me for allegiance” . Abu Ubaydah bin Jarrah said,“O Abul Hasan! Only you deserve the Caliphate and administration on account of your priority in Islam and your nearness to the Prophet, but as the companions have agreed on Abu Bakr, it is better that you also join them. Ali said, “O Abu Ubaydah! You want to transfer to other place the great blessing which Allah has bestowed upon the Family of the Prophet. Look! We are the place of descent of revelation, the place of arrival of commands and prohibitions, source of virtue and learning, and mine of reason and forbearance” . Hearing this Bashir bin Sa'id said,“O Abul Hasan! We presumed by your staying at home that you like to withdraw from the Caliphate” . Ali said,“Do you people deem it proper that leaving the dead body of the Prophet (s) unwashed, unshrouded and unburied, I should have involved myself in the dispute and hospitality to seek the Caliphate?”

It is recorded in Usud ul-Ghabah that Ali quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as saying,“O Ali! You are like Ka'bah to which everybody goes, whereas it does not go to anybody. So, if the people of your group come to you to swear allegiance to you, accept it. Do not go to them till they themselves come to you” .

According the Rauzatul Ahbab when Abu Bakr heard these things and saw that every reason and argument of Ali was as indisputable, solid and irrefutable as one thousand arguments, he said politely,“O Abul Hasan! I had presumed that you would not refuse allegiance to me. Had I known that you would withhold your allegiance to me I would not have accepted it. Now, as people have sworn allegiance to me I think you should also join them, if you like. But, in case, you have any hesitation in this connection I do not blame you” . At this Ali rose from there and came back home.

According to 'Iqdul Farid by Shahabuddin ibn Abd Rabbihi Undlusi, the people who refused allegiance to Abu Bakr were Ali, Abbas, Zubayr and S'ad bin Ubadah. Of them Ali, Abbas and Zubayr stayed in the house of Lady Fatimah till Abu Bakr sent Umar to turn out of the house those who were staying there and to use sword if they refused to go out. Hence Umar reached there with some fire in order to ignite the house. When Fatimah came to know of it she said,“O the son of Khattab! Have you come to burn my house?” Umar said,“of course, I have come with the same intention, or else, those who are in this house should come out to promise allegiance to Abu Bakr” .

According to Tarikh Abul Fida Umar came with some fire with the intention of burning the house of Fatimah. When she came to know of it, she said,“O the son of Khattab! Have you come to burn my house?” Umar replied,“Yes, otherwise the people who are inside the house should swear allegiance to Abu Bakr” .

According to the Tarikhut Tabari of Ibn Jarir, Umar went to the house of Murtaza (Imam Ali) in which there were Talha, Zubayr and some immigrants and said,“By Allah! I will burn the house otherwise you should come out for allegiance” .

It is written in“Al-Imamah wa as-Siyasah'' of Ibn Qutaybah Dinuri that when Abu Bakr did not see in his company when allegiance to him was being faced, those who were with Ali, he sent Umar to call them to him. Those people were inside the house of Ali. They refused to come out. Umar sent for faggots and said, “Come out or by Allah I will bum those people who are inside the house by setting the house on fire” . People said,“Fatimah, the daughter of the Holy Prophet is also in this house” , Umar replied,“It does not matter” , Hearing this all those people who were inside the house came out except Ali who addressing the people who had come to call him said:“O the group of immigrants! I have a better right to Caliphate than you in every respect. I will not swear allegiance to you. Rather, you should swear allegiance to me. Look! You got the Caliphate by putting forth the argument before the Ansar that you are related to the Prophet and (surprisingly enough) now you are trying to snatch away the Caliphate from the Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet. Do you not base your claim of superiority over the Ansar on the plea that the Prophet belonged to your tribe? Now I put against you the same argument which you had put against the Ansar that is, our relationship with the Prophet is, in every way, superior to and nearer than yours during his lifetime as well as after his death. Now be just and fair if you believe in Allah and fear Him. O the group of immigrants! Remember Allah and do not take the Prophet's leadership from his house to your houses” . After that Fatimah said at her doorstep,“O people! Leaving the dead body of the Prophet to us you settled the matter of Caliphate in your favour and ignored our right” .

According to Tarikh Ibn Qutaybah when Umar went to Abu Bakr he said,“Why do you not arrest Ali when he is opposing your allegiance?” Abu Bakr again sent his slave Qanfaz to call Ali to him. Qanfaz said to Ali,“The Caliph of the Prophet of Allah is calling you” . Ali said,“So soon you people have slandered the Prophet” . Qanfaz went back and he repeated to Abu Bakr what Ali had said to him. After hearing it Abu Bakr kept on weeping for some time. Umar said to Abu Bakr, the second time,“Do not give time to Ali who is withholding allegiance to you” . Abu Bakr again ordered Qunfaz to go to Ali and say,“The Commander of the Faithful is calling you for allegiance. Qunfaz conveyed the message of Abu Bakr to Ali. Ali said loudly, “Allah be praised! Your master has claimed that relationship with which he has no connection” . Qanfaz went back to Abu Bakr and repeated Ali's words. On hearing this Abu Bakr started weeping again. Then Umar rose and with a group of people went to Fatimah's house and knocked at the door. Hearing the shouts of people Fatimah began to weep and cry loudly,“O my father! O the Prophet of Allah! What a severe trouble has been inflicted on us by the son of Khattab and the son of Abu Quhafah! “When the people heard the wailings of Fatimah most of them went back weeping and only a few persons stayed behind with Umar. Then Ali came out of the house and went with them to Abu Bakr. There he was asked to swear fealty to him. He said, “If I do not swear allegiance then?” He said,“If you do not swear allegiance, by Allah, we will kill you” .

Ali said,“Will you kill a man who is a slave of Allah and brother of the Messenger of Allah?” Umar said,“We admit that you are a slave of Allah but we do not acknowledge that you are also the brother of the Prophet” . Abu Bakr was absolutely quiet at that time. Umar said to him,“Why do you not order and sit quietly?” Abu Bakr said,“I will not force Ali in the life time of Fatimah” . Then Ali rose from there and went to the grave of the Prophet and there he cried bitterly saying:“O brother! The people of the tribe have insulted me so much and were about to kill me” .

Abu Dharr was seeing these things with his own eyes. He had in his mind what he had seen at Ghadir al-Khum. He was wonder-struck to see what was happening. In this state of wonder his faith suddenly stirred his sentiment and he ran up to Masjidun Nabi. His mind was agitated and perturbed and his blood was ebullient in enthusiasm. He was waiting for an opportunity to give vent to his feelings. When he reached the masjid he found a gathering of companions there with Abu Bakr and Umar also in their midst. His manly courage got excited and he started to deliver a speech standing on a raised spot.

He said:“O the people of Quraysh! What has happened to you? How careless are you! You have completely ignored the kinship of the Holy Prophet! By Allah a group of Arabs have turned apostates, and have created breaches of doubts in the faith. Listen to me! Caliphate is the right of Ahlul Bayt. This violence and brawl is uncalled-for. What has happened to you? You call the capable incapable and praise the incapable. By Allah all of you know that the Prophet has declared again and again “After me the Caliphate and leadership is for Ali, then for Hasan, then for Husayn and then my infallible progeny will hold this Office” . You ignored the word of the Prophet and the command of Allah! You forgot that covenant and command which was made binding on you. You have done obeisance to the perishing world and have sold the hereafter which is everlasting, and in which the young will not grow old, and the blessings will not diminish, and the dwellers will not feel sorrowful or depressed and to which angel of death will have no access. You sold away such a valuable thing for a paltry price. You have done the same thing which the people of the Prophets of the past had done. They had broken the allegiance and gave up their faith when their Prophet died. They annulled the covenants, changed the commands and metamorphosed the faith. You have proved yourselves on a par with them. O group of Quraysh! Very soon you will get the recompense for your misdeeds and the punishment for your evil doing. That which you have sent through your conduct will come before you. Remember! Whatever will happen will be just, because Allah does not do injustice to His slaves4 .

The manly courage of Abu Dharr may be judged by this eloquent speech. It is obvious that he had a very sensitive heart and was endowed with boldness and courage.

Abu Dharr delivered this speech at a time when nobody could even utter a word. The army of the Caliph was bent upon strangling the companions of the Holy Prophet. Whoever hinted at the refusal of allegiance was beheaded. He who hesitated to swear allegiance was strangled. A brave man like Ali was tied by the neck with a rope, and a companion like Salman was strangulated and was beaten so much that he felt its torment till he breathed his last.

Shaykh Abbas Qummi writes that when Fatimah the daughter of the Prophet, being hurt from falling of the door, remained ill for some time and then expired. Ali did not, according to her will, give the news of her death to those who were planners in giving her trouble. Having finished with the bathing of her dead body Ali sent Imam Hasan to call Abu Dharr in order to help him in her burial, and he came along5 .

Hafiz Muhammad bin Ali bin Shahr Ashob (died 588 A.H.) writes that the funeral prayers of Fatimah was offered by Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Aqil, Salman, Abu Dharr , Miqdad, Ammar and Buraydah. Another narration includes the names of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, Fazal, Huzayfah and Ibn Mas'ud also6 .

Notes

1. Ma'arij un-Nabuwwah Rukn 4, chapter 3 p. 42

2. Tabsaratul Awam p. 24, Ainul Hayat p.5

3. Surah Ale Imran, 3: 144

4. Al-Ishtiraki az-Zahid p. 113

5. Safinatul Bihar, of Shaykh Abbas Qummi, vol. 1, p. 483

6. Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashob, vol. 2, p. 65 printed in Multan

Chapter 3

After embracing Islam, Abu Dharr left Mecca for his country. Abdullah Subaiti writes what when Abu Dharr took leave of the Prophet he was brimful of complete faith, and Islam had pervaded his personality. He started from there with great joy. He was very happy that Allah had guided him to a faith which is accepted by pure bondmen and conscience is satisfied with it and reason whole-heartedly welcomes it.

He went on and reached his country. The first man to greet him was his brother Unais, and he was also the first to get the flash of his faith. Unais came forward to kiss his brother's feet and said,“O brother! You have spent so many days in Mecca. Now tell me what you have made out” .

Abu Dharr said:

“Unais! I have arrived at a conclusion which is welcomed by sound reason. I concluded after a lot of thinking that I should accept the faith of Muhammad. O Unais! I cannot tell you that when I met Muhammad and looked at his face, I felt as if my chest was expanding. My heart was filled with pleasure and the mind was intoxicated with faith. I, at once, recited the formula of faith (Kalimah) and acknowledging his Prophethood requested him to teach me the articles of faith. So he explained to me the principles of Islam. O Unais! I ask you honestly with the sincerity of intention to bow your head humbly before Allah and leave the worship of these men made gods of stone” .

Hearing this, Unais sat down with his head bowed and started thinking. He got in such a state as if intoxicated. Unais recalled all those things which he himself had seen in Mecca. He spoke after a while,“O brother! My mind confirms your truthfulness and my sound reason asks me not to disobey you. Hence listen! I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” .

Abu Dharr became very happy on Unais's accepting the faith. He said to him:“Now let us go to our mother” . Both of them then went to their mother.

Greeting his mother Abu Dharr said,“Dear mother! I beg your pardon! I have been away from you for a very long time. But, I have brought a treasure which nobody possesses here” .

His mother asked,“What is that treasure which distinguishes you?” Abu Dharr said, it is the treasure of faith, mother. I met a person in Mecca whose face gleamed with nobleness. He is peerless in good manners and magnanimity. He speaks what is true. He says what is right. He does what is just. There is wisdom in his words. Mother! His enemies also call him truthful and trustworthy. He invites people towards Allah who is the creator of heaven and the earth and is the organizer of the existence of this universe. I have acknowledged faith in him having been influenced by his bearing, statements and sayings, and Unais has also become a Muslim. We have accepted the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (s).

Abu Dharr's mother said:“My son, if it is so I also bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” .

Abu Dharr was encouraged when his brother and mother also embraced Islam and now he began thinking how to influence his tribesmen and persuade them towards the right path.

After great deliberation Abu Dharr came out of his house. His mother and brother were also with him. After travelling a little distance they pitched their tent near their tribe's tents.

The night had fallen. These tired travellers were lying in their tents to sleep when they felt that many tribesmen who were present at that place were telling stories among themselves and narrating different events. They were busy in continuous conversation.

When Abu Dharr tried to overhear them he heard that they were talking about him.

After that the people got up from their place and reached near the tent of Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr said to his brother, Unais,“The tribesmen have come close to our tent. Go out and see them” .

Unais went out at once. He saw that some young men of the tribe had come. They had come to know that Unais and Abu Dharr were there. They saluted him. Unais, after saluting them in return, asked the reason for their visit. They said,“We have come simply to see you and Abu Dharr” .

Unais went in to Abu Dharr and said,“The youths of our tribe have come to know the conditions of journey” .

Abu Dharr said,“Call them in. I shall talk to them. May be I make them the worshippers of Allah, the One” .

Unais came out and said,“Come in as brother Abu Dharr is calling you” .

All of them went to Abu Dharr. One of them said,“O Abu Dharr! We have not seen you since long as a result of which we have become very sad” .

Abu Dharr said,“My dear young men! I have great love and sympathy for you in my heart” .

One man:“Abu Dharr! Where have you been so long? We have not been able to see you for quite some time” .

Abu Dharr:“I had gone to Mecca. I came back a few days ago” .

Second man:“We are happy that you have been to Mecca” .

Abu Dharr:“I had, of course, gone to Mecca, but I did not offer any sacrifice to Hubal nor did I prostrate before Laat and Uzza. My young men! Why should have I done all this when I know that these idols have neither life, nor can they harm or benefit anybody? They can neither see nor hear, nor can they ward off a calamity which may befall them.

Listen! I resort to Allah in all my actions and matters. He is certainly single without peer or partner, and I testify to Allah who alone is to be worshipped. He is the Creator of everything and Nourisher of every creature.

I ask you to join me in our plan of action and testify to the Oneness of Allah like us” .

Hearing this all the people began to tremble. One of them said in amazement,“O Abu Dharr! What are you saying?”

Abu Dharr:“Listen to what I say. Though I cannot see Allah with my eyes, yet I see Him with the internal eye; and listen! He is seen in everything of the world. Think for a while! How can anything be worthy of human worship when it is made by human hands? It is not wise to worship idols made of stone and wood, and pray to them to satisfy our needs. My tribesmen! You know that these idols do not have any power. They can neither ward off evil, nor do they have the strength to acquire benefit” .

Hearing this exhortation of Abu Dharr’s people started whispering to one another.

One of them said,“I have told you already that a man has appeared in Mecca, he calls himself a prophet and invites people to worship One Allah. Abu Dharr has met him and has been moved by his preaching, so much so that whatever ideas he puts forth belong to that man” .

The other man said,“Conditions are very grave. We are exposed to danger by Abu Dharr's personality and his preaching. We feel that if he goes on preaching like these differences will crop up within our tribe and our lives will be ruined. Better it is that we go to Khafaf, the chief of our tribe, explain to him all the dangers involved, and insist upon him to give full attention to counteract them.”

The youngmen of Ghifar took leave of Abu Dharr and went to see Khafaf. On the way they exchanged views with one another.

One of them said,“Abu Dharr has raised a great disturbance” .

The other said,“It will be very shameful for us to ignore this great sin of Abu Dharr. He openly outrages our religion and ridicules our gods” .

The third one said,“It is obligatory on us to turn him out of our tribe without the least delay, because if we delay his excommunication little; he will overpower our young men, women and slaves and instil his corrupt ideas in their minds. In case it so happened, we shall suffer a great loss” .

The fourth one said,“Your viewpoint is correct. But who will bell the cat? He is not a man of an ordinary stature. He is a great man of the tribe, and an elder of the family. I also see that Unais holds the same views, and he is also a man of repute” .

The fifth one said,“There is no cause for alarm. Come and let us put the case before Khafaf. We are sure that Khafaf, and other nobles of the tribe will themselves expel him from the tribe” .

The sixth one said,“I am pondering over their ideas. I am not sure they will be able to change them. It is possible that they may of themselves come to the right path. We should not be perturbed but should reflect on their religion. Listen to me! I am noticing reality in their faith, Anyway, we are about to reach Khafaf. After our talk with him we expect to arrive at some definite conclusion” .

In short, conversing together, these people reached the chief of Ghifar tribe and said to him,“We are coming from Abu Dharr to you” .

Khafaf:“Has Abu Dharr come back from the journey to Mecca?”

A man said,“Sir, Abu Dharr has turned a pervert. He ridicules our gods. He says that a man has been appointed as a prophet. His duty is to invite people to the worship of One God and also to teach good things. Abu Dharr is not content with acknowledging his prophethood and keeping it to himself, but he is constantly preaching in the masses and is inviting all others to that prophet and his God.”

When Khafaf heard it, he said,“It is a pity that Abu Dharr, leaving all gods, propagates the worship of a Single God. It is a great evil and very repugnant. I foresee that it will stir up a serious commotion in our tribe, which will be destroyed in consequence. O my young men! Do not make haste but give me some time to think over the case of Abu Dharr” .

After the young men went back, Khafaf, the chief of the tribe, began to think why all of them were speaking against Abu Dharr. He kept on pondering over the matter the whole night in his bed. He was extremely bewildered and could not form a definite opinion. But his mind had the deep impression of the hearsay expressed by Abu Dharr. He passed sleepless hours and was simply closing and opening his eyes.

He also recalled an address of the Arab philosopher, Qays bin Sa'idah, in the market-place; He had said that the Creator of the universe is undoubtedly One and only He is worthy of worship. He had completely endorsed Abu Dharr's views in his remarkable address, and had also mentioned that the ideas of Warqa bin Naufil, Zayd bin Amr, Uthman bin Hoverath and Abdullah bin Hajash had changed, and all of them were inclined towards the faith of Abu Dharr .

He was in this puzzling situation when his reason guided him and he said to himself,“Indeed! Abu Dharr is right because Qays bin Sa'ida has supported him and I am sure that Qays will not misunderstand, nor will he accept any false belief. Undoubtedly, there must be a reformer for this world, and there must exist a Being who may run the system of the universe, and it is quite obvious that our gods of stone and wood are far from such capabilities. O God of Abu Dharr! Guide us and delivering us from this perversion put us on the right path” .

While Khafaf was busy making his important decision, the day dawned till the sun appeared in the sky and with the spread of sunlight the news also gained currency that Abu Dharr, his brother and his mother have all come back from Mecca and worship only One God.

With the spreading of this news there stirred an agitation. People started reviling Abu Dharr and said,“He has gone mad and has seen incapacitated to understand that these very idols of ours heal us, give us food and protect us. Abu Dharr is a strange man who invites us to an Invisible God. It appears to us that Abu Dharr wants to create disturbance and trouble among our young people and mislead our children and women. Surely he is a liar and what he claims is wrong. He should be expelled from the tribe” .

One of them said,“Why! How could you express the idea of his expulsion? How can it be done? No, never! It can not happen. He is the bravest man of our tribe” .

After these conversations those people decided to draw the attention of their elders to this point. Accordingly they asked their elders to deliberate on this matter. The elders of the tribe decided to take the case of Abu Dharr to the chief. Consequently all of them went to Khafaf.

The chief of the tribe sent his slave immediately to call Abu Dharr to him. The slave on reaching him said,“Abu Dharr! you and Unais have been called on by the chief” .

Abu Dharr said that he was just coming. After the slave had left, Abu Dharr held his sword in the belt and said to his brother Unais,“Come on; let us go to Khafaf” .

Unais:“O brother! I hear bad things about you from the people. I am afraid this meeting of ours may not prove useful; something unexpected may come out, instead” .

Abu Dharr:“No, it is not so. I know Khafaf very well. He is a wise man. Allah has blessed him with wisdom. He is the most intelligent man of our tribe” .

The two brothers were going on talking together till they reached Khafaf. There they saw that the nobles of the tribe were sitting in a circle around him.

Addressing them all Abu Dharr said,“Salamun Alaykum” (Peace be upon you).

Hearing Abu Dharr's salutation in the Islamic way the nobles of the tribe got enraged and spoke in a furious manner.“What is this wishing which we have never heard before” .

Then one of them said,“It is a pity. We do not know which side Abu Dharr goes” .

Another man said,“Just look at him. He is sitting with his sword, and has no respect for the chief” .

The third man said,“You are right. But he is a horse rider of the tribe and brave people are always armed” .

Abu Dharr spoke,“Listen! I respect you because you are the nobles of the tribe, worthy of our pride and esteem. The salute I have offered to you is the Islamic salute” .

After this Abu Dharr and Unais took their seats face to face with the chief of the tribe, Khafaf.

Khafaf spoke in a kind but sharp tone,“O Abu Dharr! I am informed that you have been inclined to the worship of Allah Who is Invisible. The nobles of the tribe are offended with this attitude of yours. They say that Abu Dharr insults their gods and calls them devoid of all wisdom” .

“O Abu Dharr! We do respect you but it does not mean that we are willing to tolerate the insult of our gods. I ask you to give up your present ideas and come back to your ancestral faith, or else explain your faith to me so that I may be able to understand the reality of your faith. Also, I assure you that I shall think to accept it if you prove that your faith is reasonably better than ours” .

At this Abu Dharr replied,“O chief of the tribe! We respect you and honour whatever you say. But, at the same time, we want to explain that Allah, the One, Whom we have decided to worship and in Whom we believe, is the same Who has created the earth and the sky, Who gives sustenance to all creatures, Who has a control over the life of every animate object and Whose power knows no bounds” .

The idols whom we have been worshipping up till now, have been made by our own hands and have been cut with our own chisels and hammers. Can reason believe that he who is our handmade should be our creator, our sustainer and the listener of our prayers?”

“Man is the noblest of the creation. How can it be worthy of his dignity to bow his head before a stone? My chief! Please think dispassionately what I say. They have no power even to repel their enemy from themselves” .

Listen to me, O chief! Once I went to Manat and offered a cup of milk to him. I was still there when a fox came, drank up the cupful of milk and urinated on Manat. This incident had a great effect on me and I thought how a god could be so helpless!”

“This thing made it clear to me that it cannot be god. I am sure and every reasonable man will believe that the Creator of the heavens is better than the heavens and the Maker of the earth is better than the earth. According to this rule of reason the idols cannot be better than us and when they are not superior to us it is meaningless for us to worship them” .

“O my chief! I have come to the truth that Allah is one Who is the Creator and Sustainer of the whole universe, and Muhammad Mustafa who had been sent in Mecca is His Messenger” .

“He possesses such good qualities that he has no match in the world. The Quraysh who are his bitter enemies admit his truthfulness and capability. Even knowing well that Muhammad is against their gods and religion, they have given him the title of Sadiq and Amin, as I have come to know quite lately. Listen! Light reflects from his face and wisdom flows from his words” .

As soon as Abu Dharr finished his speech there arose a great noise all round,“How sweetly Abu Dharr talks! So, our gods are deaf and dumb! Abu Dharr has humiliated our faith and has insulted our gods” . A group of them also said,“My friends! Do not talk nonsense. We sincerely say that whatever Abu Dharr has said appears to be right, and reason demands that we should accept the truth. We are sure that we cannot get better guidance than whatever Abu Dharr has brought for us” .

Another voice arose:“Arabia needs a reformer and there does not appear to be a better reformer than the one introduced by Abu Dharr” . Then another voice was raised,“Abu Dharr's speech is very reasonable” . After this a very loud voice rose; it pierced the ear drums,“O Abu Dharr! I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His Messenger” .

Seeing this, Khafaf, the chief of the tribe, after intense thinking raised up his head and said to his people:“My dear tribesmen! Listen attentively. You have heard whatever Abu Dharr said. It is our duty to think over his speech very carefully and intensively and find out how much truth it contains. Hastiness is not advisable. It does not carry sense to dismiss somebody's suggestion without examining it.

My friends! You are aware how much confusion prevails among us and how excessive are the crimes in which we are involved. The rich squeeze the poor, and there is no limit to sins and evils. I have come to the conclusion that I should accept and endorse what Abu Dharr says. Now it is up to you to form an opinion for yourselves. Listen you all: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger”

As soon as Khafaf recited the Kalimah (La ila ha illal lah Muhammadun Rasulullah) there was an outburst of noise in the tribe,“Khafaf became a Muslim. Khafaf embraced Islam” .

No sooner had Khafaf become a Muslim than the condition of the tribe completely changed. Most of them accepted Islam then and there, while others waited to acknowledge Islam at the hands of the Holy Prophet at the time of his arrival at Medina.

In short, with the great efforts of Abu Dharr the majority of the tribesmen of Ghifar embraced Islam, and there arose the cries of“God is the Greatest” , and“God is praise worthy” , and the name of the Holy Prophet began to be proclaimed day and night.

After infusing the spirit of Islam in the tribe of Ghifar and converting the people to Islam Abu Dharr turned his attention to Asfan. Reaching there he preached Islam among the people. As this place lay on the high way frequented by the Quraysh, and he had developed a feeling against them which was due to the tortures he had suffered at their hands he exercised a little strictness in making them Muslims. When a group of the Quraysh came over there, he presented Islam to them, and consequently a large number of the Quraysh embraced Islam.

Chapter 4

Abdul Hamid Jaudatus Sahar of Egypt writes,“Islam spread in Medina like wild fire” . The tribe of Ghifar became overjoyed at it. Muslims congratulated one another that the two tribes of Aus and Khazraj, who were most eloquent, best swordsmen, and best sympathizers, turned Muslims, and also because Allah had willed to raise up His religion, and was determined to help the Holy Prophet and fulfil His promise.

Unais came to his brother Abu Dharr with the happy news and said,“Islam has spread in Medina and Aus and Khazraj have embraced Islam” .

Abu Dharr said,“The Messenger of Allah will go to them and migrate to their city very shortly” .

Unais looked surprisingly at his brother and said,“Have you received any such information?”

Abu Dharr:“No, neither I have any information about it, nor did I know of the people of Yathrib becoming believers” .

Unais:“How, then, did you know that the Messenger of Allah will migrate to Yathrib?”

Abu Dharr:“He had told me the very day I saw him, that he will go to a town of date palms and I think that place is Yathrib. The Messenger had spoken the truth” .

Unais:“Is it possible that his tribe lets him go out of that place along with Muslims, so that after making thorough preparation he may attack them?”

Abu Dharr:“They may let him or not, but he will shortly migrate to that place. Of course, only Allah knows how and when it will happen” .

Abu Dharr converted his tribe to Islam after he had become a believer. Then he turned his attention to Medina. Since his return from Mecca, till the migration of the Holy Prophet, Abu Dharr remained busy with the preaching of Islam and continued making efforts to take the Divine religion to the masses.

The Holy Prophet kept on doing his duty to preach Islam, and the Quraysh continued to perform their duty of torturing the Prophet. They gave him so much torture that no alternative was left for him except to leave his home. In short, by the command of Allah, Jibrail asked him to leave Mecca after making Ali sleep in his (Prophet's) bed.

He did likewise. He made Ali sleep in his bed and then left, so that the Quraysh might not know that he was not in his bed. After staying for three days in the cave of Hira he set off for Medina.

Abu Dharr was anxiously waiting for the migration. His tribesmen were also in waiting and used to enquire about the Holy Prophet from everybody who happened to come from his side.

Starting from Mecca and after staying for a few days in cave the Prophet left for Medina. When the tribe of Ghifar came to know that he was between Mecca and Medina they became very happy. Abu Dharr felt a wave of blessing coming. He joined the waiting tribe. People gathered round him and inquired of him about the Prophet of Allah, his temperament, and his face and form.

He replied,“You will see him very soon. He is the best of all and excels everyone in merits” . When the people waited long Abu Dharr kept an eye on the way, so that he might be the first to inform the people of the Prophet's arrival and give relief to the eager hearts and remove the fear that had overcome them for their waiting for him for such a long time.

Time passed on. Bani Ghifar were very eager to receive the Prophet. When Abu Dharr cast a glance he saw a camel coming. All began to look towards Abu Dharr's eyes. After a short while Abu Dharr exclaimed,“By Allah, the Prophet has arrived. Allamah Subaiti writes, “The Holy. Prophet's face was shedding a light. In short, all followed Abu Dharr, in shouting with one voice, ‘The Prophet of Allah has come'. ‘The Prophet of Allah has come'. Abu Dharr rushed forward in haste and caught hold of the rein of his camel” .

People started shouting“Allaho Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest) round the Prophet with enthusiasm. All women, old and young, boys and girls were shouting with great joy. 'The Prophet of Allah has come'. 'The Prophet of Allah has come'.

The Holy Prophet got down from the camel and began reciting the Holy Qur'an. His voice entered the people's hearts. Then he began preaching. People came forward in groups to swear allegiance to him. Abu Dharr was standing proudly near the Holy Prophet overjoyed.

The Ghifar tribe came forward and said,“O Prophet of Allah! Abu Dharr taught us whatever you had told him. We became Muslims and we testified that you are the Prophet of Allah” .

After that the people of the tribe of Aslam said,“We have also embraced Islam in the same way as our brethren (Ghifar) have done” . The Prophet of Allah became happy and raising his hands towards the sky prayed,“O Lord of the world! Pardon the tribe of Ghifar and keep the tribe of Aslam safe” .

People were very happy and were looking at the Prophet's face again and again. Abdul Hamid Jaudatus Sahar writes,“People began to look at his (Prophet's) face intently. They saw that he was a man of a shining face, smiling lips and sweet morals. He was neither lean and thin, nor fat. His features were beautiful.

He possessed big and black eyes, long eye lashes, arch like black brows, black hair, a long neck and a thick beard. He was dignified when silent and awe-inspiring when he spoke. His talks were sweet. He was neither taciturn, nor was he a talkative person speaking with a loud voice. He looked most handsome from a distance, and most sweet from near. He was middle sized, neither so tall as to be unpleasant to look at, nor so short as to be considered lowly by the people. After that the Holy Prophet set off for Medina and Abu Dharr stayed back in his tribe” .

From there the Holy Prophet left for Medina. When he reached Medina people gave him a very warm welcome. Soon after his arrival he started preaching the message of Islam. Abu Dharr who could not accompany the Holy Prophet to Medina stayed so long in his home that the three great Islamic wars (Ghazawat) -Badr in 2nd Hijra, Uhud in 3rd Hijra and Ahzab in 5th Hijra had been fought to a finish.

After the Battle of Ahzab, a verse of the Holy Qur'an forced Abu Dharr to leave for Medina. One day he was busy in his post-prayer recitals after offering his evening prayers in the masjid of his home town, when he heard a man reciting the verse:

“O believers! Should I show you a bargain which can save you from a painful punishment”. (Surah al-Saf, 61:10)

After a reflection on the meaning of this verse he became anxious for Jihad and said to Unais,“I will leave for Yathrib tomorrow” .

Unais: All right! Go. May Allah take you there safely! But tell me, when will you come back?

Abu Dharr: I will not come back. I will spend the rest of my life in the service of the Holy Prophet.

Unais: O Brother! You have become a true believer and the faith has penetrated in your heart and soul. Your tribe and your people here need you very much. There will be a great loss if you go away from here. I think you should give up the idea of leaving for Medina and spend the rest of your life here.

Abu Dharr: The Holy Prophet is better than these people. Whatever has been lapsed is quite enough. The Holy Prophet fought in Badr and I could not join him. He fought in Uhud and I could not join him. He fought in Ahzab and I could not join him. How long should I serve my tribe and be deprived of the blessing of martyrdom. Whatever has happened up till now is enough. Now, I will not for a moment give up the idea of leaving for Yathrib.

Unais: My proposal is that you should stay in your home as usual. The Holy Prophet will himself call you whenever he needs you. Just see! There were many people who were in their home towns and left for Medina at the call of the Holy Prophet.

Abu Dharr: The period of waiting has passed. If the Prophet has not called me, I have also an obligation. I will not be waiting now but will go uninvited.

Unais: All right! But do not make haste. Take some necessary provisions for the journey.

Abu Dharr: I need no provisions. Some dried bits of bread are enough for me. Abu Dharr left his hearth and home for Medina. Reaching there he got the honour of meeting the Prophet and stayed in his company.

He used to live in the Prophet's masjid the whole night, and met people throughout the day. He used to take food with the Prophet and adorn his material life with piety and virtuousness. He fully concentrated on learning the hadith (tradition of the Holy Prophet) by heart. After his arrival in Medina, Abu Dharr fell ill on account of the change of climate. The Prophet got the news of his ailment. He came to see Abu Dharr and said to him,“Abu Dharr! You should stay for some days at the place outside Medina where the camels, sheep and goats of the public property graze, and take note that you should not eat anything as food except their milk during your stay there” .

As soon as he received the command of the Prophet Abu Dharr left for the appointed place with his wife. The illness was severe for some days but gradually he regained his health after which he performed the sexual obligation with his wife. Now there was the difficulty of getting water for the obligatory bath as a pre-requisite for offering prayers. Till then he did not know the method of“Tayammum” (prescribed rubbing of hands and forehead with clay). So he was in a fix for some time as to what he should do. At last his reason guided him and he went to the Prophet on the back of a very fast camel.

As soon as the Prophet caught sight of Abu Dharr he smiled and spoke before Abu Dharr opened his lips,“Abu Dharr! Do not worry. Water is arranged for you here and now. So a slave girl brought water and he took the bath. After that he came to the Holy Prophet and he taught him the method of Tayammum” .1

Abu Dharr was passing his life-time when the Battle of Tabuk came by in the 9th year of Hijra. Historians say that the Prophet came to know that the Christians of Syria had made a firm resolve to attack Medina with forty thousand troops from Hercules, the Roman King: Hence the Prophet, as a precautionary measure, intended to leave for Syria with thirty to forty thousand troops. He appointed Ali as his viceroy at Medina. After arraying his army he left Medina.

After his departure the hypocrites started taunting Ali that the Messenger of Allah had left him behind to lighten his own burden. In order to prove the hypocrites liars he decided to go to the Prophet. Accordingly he left Medina and joined the Prophet at Jaraf and informed him of the hypocrites' taunting.

The Prophet said,“The hypocrites are liars. I have come here after having made you my deputy. O Ali! Are you not happy with your rank made higher? You have with me the same relation as Harun had with Musa with the only difference that there will be no prophet after me. 2

By this he meant that when Musa went to the Mount Tur he appointed Harun as his deputy and he (the Holy Prophet) had also conducted himself in the same way” .3

Having heard this Ali returned to Medina, and the Prophet made for Tabuk which was situated on the border of the then Roman Empire at a distance of ten stages from Medina and Damascus both. Having arrived at Tabuk he stayed there for twenty days. During his stay there he sent sariyas (army of Islam under the command of somebody other than the Prophet) all round, and laid emphasis on invitation to Islam.

No army came to fight from Rome. Hence he had to return from there. During his return one night when he was passing through the valley of Aqaba zi Fatq the hypocrites wanted to kill him in the same valley by frightening his camel, which might throw him down, but Huzayfah bin Yaman and Ammar binYasir saved him. After the Holy Prophet had crossed the valley, told Huzayfah b. Yaman the names of those hypocrites who wanted to kill him in the darkness of night, and commanded him to keep the names secret. Notable companions were included in this list.4

According to Tahzibut Tahzib those people tried to get their names from Huzayfah but he did not disclose. At last, a companion himself admitted,“Whether you tell me or not, by Allah I was one of those hypocrites” , In short, the Prophet returned to Medina during the month of Ramadhan.

At the time of his departure from Medina for the Battle of Tabuk Abu Dharr was also with him. But his camel being very weak and thin could not keep pace with the caravan .He, however, remained behind the caravan at a distance of three days journey. He tried his best to be with him but could not succeed. He became extremely distressed when he saw that it was impossible for him to catch up with the caravan.

According to another version when he was left behind, some people said to the Prophet that it was very difficult for Abu Dharr to keep up with him. Upon this he said,“Leave him to himself. He will come up if Allah wills” . So the caravan proceeded further and Abu Dharr was left behind in perplexity and anxiety.

Sometimes he thought to go back to Medina and at sometime he intended to reach Tabuk at any cost because lagging behind the Prophet was tormenting him badly. He drove his camel in a fit of excitement but he could not move quickly on account of his weakness. Seeing this he got down from the camel and taking all his luggage from its back loaded it upon his own back and started on foot. It was a very hot season. Hence it is not unknown to the travellers what the intensity of his thirst would have been.

He was going with the luggage on his back when thirst almost over-powered him. He was already fatigued and now the thirst made his condition all the worse. Abu Dharr being in intense thirst moved about in search of water till he saw some rain water collected in a pit. He reached the pit while he was extremely thirsty, and wanted to drink a handful of water from it, when, all of a sudden, he thought that the water was very cold and it was unfair on his part to drink it before the Holy Prophet did it. So, as this idea occurred to him he threw away the water from the hand and filled container with it.

Abu Dharr was going alone in his extreme thirst with the water-skin till he reached the borders of Tabuk.

As soon as he reached the borders of Tabuk the Muslims saw him and informed the Prophet of the arrival of a distressed traveller. At once, he said,“He is my companion, Abu Dharr. Run on, O my companions, and bring him to me. Hearing this, the companions rushed to Abu Dharr and returned with him to the Prophet. The Prophet after enquiring about his health said, “O Abu Dharr, you have water with you. Why, then, are you so thirsty?”

Abu Dharr: My master! Water is, of course, there, but I cannot drink it.

The Prophet: What is the reason for that?

Abu Dharr: My Lord! On my way here I found cold water at the foot of a hill, but my conscience did not allow me to use it in advance of you. Hence I have brought that water with me for you. I shall taste it after you drink it.

Hearing this, the Prophet said,“O Abu Dharr! Allah will have His mercy on you. You will live alone and will go away from this world alone. You will rise alone on the Day of Judgment. You will enter Heaven alone and a group of Iraqis will get bliss on your account, that is, they will give you a bath, shroud you, and offer prayers for you” .

This incident not only shows Abu Dharr's unparalleled love for the Holy Prophet, but through it the Holy Prophet clearly foretold the troubles and calamities which were to befall Abu Dharr. It becomes clear from the statement of the renowned Shi'ah scholar, Allamah Majlisi that the Prophet had thrown light on different occasions, on the coming events which Abu Dharr had to face.

He quotes an incident on authority of Ibn Babwayh from Abdullah bin Abbas that one day the Holy Prophet was sitting in Masjid of Quba and many of his companions were around him. He said,“The man who is first to enter the gate this masjid, will be from the people of the Heaven” . At a while Abu Dharr entered the gate. He was the first who came from outside all alone.

The Holy Prophet, there up said,“O Abu Dharr! You are from the people of the Heaven. He continued to say, “You will be banished from me, on account of your love for the people of my House. You will live in foreign land and will die in loneliness. A group of the people of Iraq will be blessed for giving you funeral bath and shrouding your dead body, and will be with me in the Heaven” .

Notes

1. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

2. Sahih Bukhari.

3. Fatahul Bari vol. 3, page 387

4. Madarijun Nubuwwah page 302


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