Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras

Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras66%

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Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras
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Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras

Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras

Author:
Publisher: www.winislam.com
English

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


Note:

This book is taken from www.al-islam.org

Examining the Ismaili Imams & the Bohras

This book is about the beliefs of Ismailis. Two major sects within the Ismailis are the Agha Khanis who believe in 49 Imams and the Bohras who believe in 21 Imams. However both the Agha Khanis and the Bohras believe Ismail as an Imam, who was the son of Imam al-Sadiq (as) and they reject Musa al-Kadhim s/o Imam al-Sadiq (as). This book investigates the authenticity of the Ismaili/Fatimid Imams whether they were really divine.

Author(s): Ali Azhar Arastu

Publisher(s): World Islamic Network (WIN)

Table of Contents

Dedication 5

Note 5

Abstract 6

Notes 6

Preface 7

Note 7

Shia, But Shia of which Imam (leader)? 8

The meaning of Shia: 8

Sects within Shi’as 8

The Ithna Ashari Shias (The Twelvers) 8

Zaidis 9

Alawis 9

The Ismailis 9

The Druze 9

The Nizaris 10

The Mustalis 10

Notes 10

Ismaili Imams 11

Ismail Ibn Jafar (6th Ismaili Imam) Start of the Split 11

Some questions to raise & ponder about 12

Muhammed Ibn Ismail, Abd Allah ibn Muhammad & Ahmad ibn Abd Allah 13

Some questions to raise & ponder about 14

Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah (The first Fatimid Caliph) (11th Ismaili Imam) 16

Some questions to raise & ponder about 17

Other Fatimid Caliphs after the death of Ubaydallah 17

Abu Mansur Nizar al-Aziz Billah (Died 386 AH/996 AD) (5th Fatimid Caliph)(15th Ismaili Imam) 17

Some questions to raise & ponder about 18

Abu Ali al-Mansur al-Hakim bi Amr Allah (d 411 AH/1021 AD) (6th Fatimid Caliph) (16th Ismaili Imam) 18

Question to raise & ponder about 18

Some things to ponder about 19

Some things to ponder about 19

Something to ponder about 19

Something to ponder about 20

Something to ponder about 20

Something to ponder about 21

Something to ponder about 21

Something to ponder about 21

Something to ponder about 22

Some things to ponder about 22

Al-Hakim’s death and ascension of Abul Hasan Ali al-Zahir li I’zaz din Allah (d 427 AH/1036 AD) (7th Fatimid Caliph) (17th Ismaili Imam) 22

Some questions to raise & ponder about 23

Something to ponder about 24

Abu Tamim Ma’add al-Mustansir Billah (d 487 AH/1094 AD)lxix (8th Fatimid Caliph) (18th Ismaili Imam) 24

Something to ponder about 24

Something to ponder about 24

Somethings to ponder about 25

Notes 25

Following the ‘Right’ Imam 28

Importance of following the ‘Right’ chain 28

After the Holy Prophet (sawa) what? 28

Need to follow all the ‘Rightful Imams’ 29

Who are the rightful Imams? 30

Who are the ‘Twelve Caliphs’? 31

Imam al-Mahdi (atfs) the twelfth Holy Imam of the Twelvers 32

Notes 33

Kind of lifestyle and characteristics expected from an Imam  35

Imam Musa al-Kadhim ibn Jafar (as) Martyred 183 AH/799 AD 35

His life in a nutshell 35

The childhood of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) 35

The designation (Nass) 36

Points to ponder about 38

What has been said about Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) 39

Points to ponder about 39

Worship of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) 39

Points to ponder about 40

Earning the daily bread 40

Points to ponder about 40

Some interesting anecdotes from his life 40

Anecdote # 1 40

Points to ponder about 41

Anecdote # 2 41

Points to ponder about 42

Sayings of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) 42

Points to ponder about 43

Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-Ridha (as) Martyred 818 AD 43

His nicknames 43

What has been said about Imam al-Ridha (as) 44

Ibrahïm Bin al-’Abbas al-Sawli: 44

Abu al-Salt al-Harawi 44

Al-Raja’ Bin Abu al-Dhhak 44

Al-Shaykh al-Mufïd 44

Al-Waqidi 45

Jamal al-Din 45

Yousif b. Taghri Bardi 45

Ibn Maja 45

Ibn Hajar 45

‘Amir al-Ta’i 46

Hashim Ma’ruf 46

Al-Dhahabi 46

Mahmud Bin Wihayb 46

‘Arif Thamir 46

Mohammed Bin Shakir al-Kutubi 47

Yousif al-Nabahani 47

Points to ponder about 47

Do we find any such praises regarding the Ismaili/Fatimid Imams? 47

His Nomination 47

‘Ali Bin Yaqtin 47

Na’eem Bin Qabus 47

Dawud Bin Kuthayr 48

Sulayman Bin Hafs 48

‘Abd Allah al-Hashimi 48

Points to ponder about 48

His Debates 48

Debate with Abu Qurra 49

“Where is Allah?” asked Abu Qurra 49

Debate with the catholic 49

Debate with Rabbi 51

“Question,” was the answer 51

Al-Sabi’i becomes Muslim 52

Some points to ponder about 53

Notes 53

Problems with Fiqh- Jurisprudence 56

The Bohra Calendar & Moon sighting 56

Bohra Islamic Calendar 59

1429 Hijri/2008 AD 59

1430 Hijri/2009 AD 59

1431 Hijri/2010 AD 59

1432 Hijri/2011 AD 59

Where do the Bohras get this calendar from? 60

Moon sighting report for Shawwal 1429 Hijri (2008) 61

Moonsighting for Ramadan 1430 Hijri (2009) 62

Moon sighting for Shawwal 1430 Hijri (2009) 62

Moon sighting for Ramadan 1431 Hijri (2010) 62

Moon sighting for Shawwal 1431 (2010) 63

Moonsighting for Ramadan 1432 (2011) 63

Moon sighting report for Shawwal 1432 (2011) 63

Some frequently asked questions about moonsighting 64

Notes 65

Conclusive Points 66

Notes 70

Final Points To Ponder About 71

Bibliography 72

Dedication

   فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوْا عَلَيْ ہ ِ قَالُوْا يٰ ٓ اَيُّ ہ َا الْعَزِيْزُ مَسَّـنَا وَاَ ہ ْلَنَا الضُّرُّ وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَاعَ ۃ ٍ مُّزْجٰى ۃ ٍ فَاَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا ۰ ۭ اِنَّ الل ہ َ يَجْزِي الْمُتَصَدِّقِيْنَ ۸۸

…Then, when they entered into his presence, they said, “O Aziz! Distress has befallen our family, and us, and we have brought [just] a meager sum. Yet grant us the full measure, and be charitable to us! Indeed Allah rewards the charitable.” 1

I dedicate this research to my beloved Imam Mahdi, the awaited savior of the mankind (may Allah hasten his return); to my father, Riazath Husain Arastu; my mother, Tahera Begum Arastu; my brother, Shoukath Husain Arastu, my mother-in-law, Rabab Sultana Razavi, and my father-in-law, Akbar Patel.

I also pay special thanks to the personality of Lady Fatima Ma’suma of Qum (The granddaughter of Imam al-Sadiq [as]), for providing me with the opportunity to study in her city and granting me the blessings of her proximity, through which I was able to complete this book.

Note

1. Surah Yusuf (12), Ayah 88

Abstract

This book has been divided into 5 segments which have been further divided into different parts.

The first segment defines the meaning of Shia and talks about the different sects within the Shias and further divides Ismailis and talks about the sects within them. It also discusses some of the Ismaili/Fatimid Imams (the Ismaili Imams after Imam al-Sadiq (as))1 and it questions the authenticity of the Ismaili Imams and questions the fact if they were divinely appointed.

The second segment of the book deals with the importance of following the right chain and the need to follow the rightful Imams after the Holy Prophet (sawa)2 . Also discusses the traditions of the Holy Prophet (sawa) regarding his successors (as) and his traditions regarding Imam al-Mahdi, the twelfth Holy Imam (May Allah hasten his reappearance). Also clarifies some doubts that one may have regarding the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (as).

The third segment discusses about an ideal Imam and the qualities we should expect from him and then addresses two of the Ithna Ashari Imams after Imam al-Sadiq (as), their designation, what has been said about them not only by Shias but also by Ahle Sunna.

The fourth segment deals with the effect of following the wrong chain and its consequences on their deeds. In addition, one of the Bohra Jurisprudential issues (Bohra Calendar and the moon sighting) is scrutinized in detail.

Finally, the fifth segment discusses the importance of having faith in all of the Prophets, all of the Holy books and all of the Imams. It concludes --as per the Holy Quran-- about the end result of the deeds performed without having true faith.

Notes

1. (as) indicates Alaihis Salaam meaning peace be upon him.

2. (sawa) indicates Sallallahu Alaihi wa A’alihi meaning peace be upon him and his progeny

Preface

All praise is due to Allah (swt),1 Creator of the universe, and blessings and salutations upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sawa) and his Holy Progeny.

This book is about the beliefs of Ismailis. Two major sects within the Ismailis are the Agha Khanis, who believe in 49 Imams, and the Bohras who believe in 21 Imams. However both the Agha Khanis and the Bohras believe in Ismail as an Imam, who was the son of Imam al-Sadiq (as). They therefore reject Musa al-Kadhim s/o Imam al-Sadiq (as) as an Imam. This book investigates the authenticity of the Ismaili/Fatimid Imams and questions whether they were truly divine.

Some of the important sources used for this book were: The Ismaili’s their history and doctrines, written by Dr Farhad Daftary. Dr Farhad Daftary is the Co-Director and the head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. An authority on Ismaili studies, Dr Daftary has written more than 150 articles and written and edited several acclaimed books in this field. And other sources like Da’aimul Islam, Hamarey Ismaili Madhab Ki Haqeeqat aur Uska Nizam, Ismailiye az Guzashte ta Hala etc were also utilized.

Most of the translation of the verses used in this book is based upon Sayyid Ali Quli Qarai’s translation of the Holy Qur’an.

I thank Allah (swt) for giving me the ability to complete this book. I could not have handled this project alone and the contributions made by others have been invaluable. My sincere and deep thanks go to my teacher, Shaykh Kumail Rajani for his guidance and help; my cousin, Haneef Arastu for editing and insight; Sister Nahid Hirmendi and Br Zohair Zaidi for further editing and proof reading; Shaykh Salim Yusufali, Shaykh Muhammed Hasnain, and Br Sher Ali Valji for their help, valuable suggestions and being there when needed; and my wife and my daughters for all their help, support, insight and suggestions.

Note

1. (swt) indicates Subhana Wa Ta’ala, meaning He is Glorified and Exalted

Shia, But Shia of which Imam (leader)?

The meaning of Shia:

“Shia” means a group of followers, members of a group, as per Holy Quran, Surah Maryam verse 69:

   ثُمَّ لَنَنْزِعَنَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شِيْعَ ۃ ٍ اَيُّ ہ ُمْ اَشَدُّ عَلَي الرَّحْمٰنِ عِتِيًّا۶۹ ۚ

Then from every group We shall draw whichever of them was more defiant to the All-beneficent.1

   ہ ٰذَا مِنْ شِيْعَتِ ہ ٖ

This one from among his followers.2

As per the two ayahs quoted above a Shia could be a follower or a member of a group.

The Holy Quran, Surah Isra verse 71 says:

   يَوْمَ نَدْعُوْا كُلَّ اُنَاس ٍؚبِـاِمَامِہ ِمْ

The day we shall summon every group of people with their imam.3

As per the ayah, the destiny of the followers depends on their imam and being a Shia does not mean anything, unless we know the Shia of whom.

If one is a Shia (follower) of a wrong leader (Imam) then this leader may invite his Shias towards the fire.

Holy Quran, Surah Qasas verse 41, says:

   وَجَعَلْنٰ ہ ُمْ اَىِٕمَّ ۃ ً يَّدْعُوْنَ اِلَى النَّارِ ۰ ۚ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَ ۃ ِ لَا يُنْصَرُوْنَ۴۱

We made them leaders who invite to the Fire and on the day of Resurrection they will not receive any help.4

The fate of the followers (shias) of imams of this kind is not going to be good.

But if one is a Shia (follower) of a rightful leader (Imam) then this leader will lead them towards the truth.

Holy Quran, Surah Sajdah verse 24, says:

   وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ ہ ُمْ اَىِٕمَّ ۃ ً يَّ ہ ْدُوْنَ بِاَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوْا۰ ۣۭ وَكَانُوْا بِاٰيٰتِنَا يُوْقِنُوْنَ۲۴

And amongst them We appointed imams who guide by Our command when they had been patient and had convictions in Our signs.5

Certainly, the true followers (Shias) of these Imams will be very successful on the day of resurrection. Thus, being a Shia does not mean anything, unless we know the Shia (follower) of whom.

Sects within Shi’as

The Shia and Sunni schools of thought form the major sects within the Islamic nation. Similar to the Sunni sect, the Shia sect also has sub-sects within itself. In this book, we will be talking just about the sects within the Shia sect.

The Ithna Ashari Shias (The Twelvers)

The Twelvers are the largest part of the Shia community. They get their name from their acceptance of twelve divinely appointed successors of the Holy Prophet (sawa). They believe that Imam Ali (as) was the first divinely appointed Holy Imam, who succeeded the Holy Prophet (sawa). All of the Holy Imams that the Twelvers follow were martyred, except the last Holy Imam, Imam Al Mahdi (atfs)6 , who is believed to be in occultation. All of the Holy Imams are from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (sawa); they are the sons of Fatima (sa)7 and Ali (as), and there is no doubt or dispute about it.

The beliefs of the Ithna Ashari Shias have been discussed in many books & only the lives of the 2 imams, which are not followed by the other sub sects, will be discussed in detail later in this book.

Zaidis

The Zaidis do not believe in the 5th Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, because he did not revolt against the corrupt government. They follow Zayd ibn Ali Zainul Abideen as their Imam because he staged a revolution against the corrupt rulers of Bani Umayyah. They do not believe in a direct lineage – instead, any descendant of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (as) who stages a revolution against a corrupt government is considered as an Imam. The Zaidis do not believe that the Imams are divinely appointed. They also do not believe in the infallibility of the Imams, nor do they believe that the Imams receive divine guidance. The Zaidis are mainly found in Yemen.

Alawis

Alawis loved the Ahlul Bayt8 (as) to the extent that after seeing the impeccable qualities of the Ahlul Bayt (as) they started exaggerating the status of the Imams. Alawites are also called Nusayris, Nusairis, Namiriya or Ansariyya. They are also known as the exaggerators. Within Alawites they have various sects. There are over one million Alawis that live in Syria and Lebanon. The Ithna Ashari Imams have condemned the exaggerators.

The Ismailis

The Ismailis are a branch of Islam that is the second largest part of the Shia community after the Twelvers. They get their name from their acceptance of Ismail Ibn Jafar (as) as the divinely appointed spiritual successor to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as).

The Ismailis dispute the succession of the seventh Imam - they say that Ismail ibn Jafar actually succeeded Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as), whereas the Ithna Ashari Shias believe that Musa al-Kadhim (as) succeeded Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as). Ismail died before his father. However, some of the Ismailis claim that Ismail had not died, but rather, had gone into Ghaibat (occultation). Some of the Ismailis accepted his death and therefore claim that his eldest son, Muhammad Ibn Ismail, was now Imam.

There are several offshoots of Ismailis; the most popular ones among them are the Aga Khanis, the Dawoodi Bohras, and the Druze.

The Druze

After the Fatimid Empire was established in 909 AD by Ubaydallah al- Mahdi Billah, he claimed the Ismaili Imamate. The sixth caliph of the Fatimid Empire, al-Hakim bi-Amrillah, ascended the throne when he was only eleven years old and was feared for his eccentricity and insanity. The Fatimid Empire was known for its religious tolerance, but under the reign of al-Hakim, a lot of persecution was seen. In 1021 AD (441 AH), al-Hakim had gone on his mule but never returned and only his mule returned and it was soaked in blood. This led to the birth of the sect of the Druze, who did not accept the successor of al-Hakim and believed that al-Hakim was an incarnation of God and was the Mahdi, who would one day return and bring justice to the world.

The Nizaris

The second but major split among the Ismailis occurred following the death of the Fatimid Caliph, al-Mustansir Billah in 487 AH (1094 AD). After he passed away, the older son Nizar and the younger son fought for the empire. Nizar was defeated and was jailed. His son, however, escaped. A group of people started believing him to be the Imam, and the Imamate of the Nizaris continues to their present, Imam Aga Khan IV. The term Ismailis is referred to the Nizari community, who are followers of the Aga Khan and they are the largest group among the Ismailis.

The Agha Khanis or the Nizaris consider Imam Ali (as) as the first Imam and Imam Husayn (as) as the second Imam and do not consider Imam Hasan (as) as an Imam.9

The Mustalis

Al-Mustali was the younger son of al-Mustansir Billah, whom he succeeded in defeating Nizar. The followers of the Mustali line are also known as Taiyyebi, named after their 21st Imam, Imam al-Taiyyeb who they believe has gone into hiding. The Taiyyebi’s further split into different sects, such as Dawoodi Bohras, Sulaymani Bohras, Alavi Bohras and Hebtiah Bohras etc...

The Bohras consider Imam Ali (as) as the Wasi of the Prophet (sawa); hence Imam Hasan (as) is the first Imam for the Bohras.10

Notes

1. Surah Maryam (19) Ayah 69

2. Surah Qasas (28), Ayah 15

3. Surah Isra (17), Ayah 71

4. Surah Qasas (28), Ayah 41

5. Surah Sajdah (32), Ayah 24

6. Ajjal Allaho Tala Farajahu Shareef (May Allah hasten his reappearance)

7. Salamullah Alaiha (Peace be upon her)

8. The family of the Prophet (sawa), Imam Ali, Lady Fatema, Imam Hasan, Imam Husayn (as) and the nine Imams that succeeded Imam Husayn (as)

9. Daftary, Farhad, Ismailis their history and doctrines, p. 551

10. ibid, p. 551

Chapter 5

History bears witness that Abu Dharr was so much enlightened after embracing Islam that he became without a parallel. He achieved such perfection in purity of faith and sincerity of heart that he proved to be a beacon light for the people of insight. He enriched the people's mind with his counsels, after the appearance of Islam, taught them the lesson of equality and love, and showed them the way of obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet.

His Islamic life had been so dignified that it had no parallel. Abdullah Subaiti writes that Abu Dharr was distinguished among those companions who excelled in piety, abstemiousness, worship of Allah, truthfulness, firmness in faith and peerless in resignation to the Will of Allah. His daily diet was, during the life time of the Holy Prophet, three kilo of dates and he maintained it throughout the rest of his life.

He further writes that he was so elevated in morality and virtue that the Holy Prophet had to include him, like Salman Farsi, in Ahlul Bayt (People of his House). Hafiz Abu Na'im says that Abu Dharr was a devout worshipper, a man of piety and had a highly contented heart. He was the fourth person to have embraced Islam .He had given up all evils even before the enforcement of Islamic law. It was his cherished goal not to bow down his head before the tyrant rulers. He stood firm in bearing pains and sorrows. He won distinction in learning by heart the traditions and exhortations of the Holy Prophet.

Abu Na'im writes that Abu Dharr did great service to the Holy Prophet and acquired the knowledge of the articles of faith and articles of the practice in his company, and abstained from evils. One speciality of his was that he used to ask questions from the Holy Prophet. He learnt by heart the meanings and interpretations given by him and was very greedy in this respect. In short, as far as possible, he not only satisfied himself with his questioning but gathered a vast treasure of Islamic knowledge for the followers of Islam.

Another notable deed of his life was that he treaded on the same path which the Holy Prophet meant and approved of, and for which he had commanded. He attached himself with Imam Ali after the Holy Prophet and did not forsake him at any moment. He followed him, and received benefit from his vast knowledge. He imbibed his knowledge, asceticism worship, benevolence, moral virtues and habits. That is why the Holy Prophet said;“Abu Dharr is the most truthful of this nation” . He said at another place,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa (Jesus) in asceticism” . According to a tradition he said,“One who wants to see the austerity and modesty of Isa should look at Abu Dharr” .

It is obvious that the worship of a divine like Abu Dharr was not limited to ritual prayers only. He had practical proficiency in all the forms of worship. It is undeniable that to think over the existence of Allah and His creations is also a great worship. Abu Dharr was accomplished in this worship too.

Historians and traditionalists are unanimous that Abu Dharr had attained to the great degree of knowledge and it was because he acquired knowledge very sincerely in the company of the Holy Prophet. He put questions to the Prophet all the time and learnt his answers by heart. He had become well-versed in knowledge in his company.

The author of“Kitabud Darajatur Rafi'ah” says that Abu Dharr was reckoned in the rank of great scholars and austeres and held a distinctive rank in scholarship. He was a senior companion of the Prophet, was one of those great persons who fulfilled their covenant with Allah, viz. who kept their promise which they had made to Him about their following the complete faith, and was one of those four personalities whose love has been made obligatory on all.

Allamah Manazir Ahsan Gilani throwing light on the lofty scholarship of Abu Dharr writes:“Read the testimony of Ali, the best judge out of the companions, and the Gate of Knowledge and conclude yourself that he is right when he says, “Abu Dharr was very greedy and avaricious” .

Is this testimony of Imam Ali does not justify Abu Dharr's claim? Sometimes Abu Dharr himself said enthusiastically,“We have separated from the Holy Prophet at a time when there has not been left a single bird flying with flapping wings in the sky, about which we have not come to know some special thing” .1

Allamah Gilani writes about the knowledge of Abu Dharr,“Somebody asked Imam Ali, how he considered Abu Dharr” . He replied that ‘wa'aa 'ilman 'ajaza fihe,’ viz.“He (Abu Dharr) preserved knowledge which overpowered him” .

You have read how sensitive he was to accept impression, and can yourself surmise from the events. That is why he was always ready to act according as he heard from the Holy Prophet. Just as he tried to hear from the Holy Prophet he wanted to put it into action without the least hesitation. It was his earnest desire to see that his action completely conformed to knowledge.

Abu Dharr was so determined and firm about it that he never cared for the biggest power on earth if it came in his way. Sermons and exhortations could not shake him from the stand that he had taken. Taking pride in this distinction he sometimes said,“O people! On the Day of Judgment I shall remain nearest to the Holy Prophet's assembly, because I have heard him saying that the nearest to him on the Day of Judgment will be the man who departs from the world in the same condition in which he has left him. I swear by Allah that now nobody is left among you except I who am in my original state and have not been contaminated with anything new” .2

This was not his assertion only but the leader of the world and last of the Prophets had also certified it. It is written in the Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd that one day the Holy Prophet said,“Who amongst you will come to see me (at Kauthar) in the same condition in which I leave him” . Abu Dharr said,“I” . The Prophet said in reply to it,“You are true” , i.e. you will die in the same state of faith in which I leave you.

Imam Ali also used to say,“Now there is nobody left who does not fear the taunt and sarcasm of the reproacher in matters of Allah, except Abu Dharr” .

Hence 'ajaza fihe clearly means that Abu Dharr had been overpowered by his knowledge and information. He did not have control over doing against what he knew.

In other words, Abu Dharr acquired knowledge, knew its reality and basis and propagated it well. He never cared about anybody's reproach in communicating to the people the learnings which he had gathered from the Prophet. He was never cowed by any government. He was not moved by the politics of Mu'awiyah, nor was he overawed by the wealth of Uthman; but he called right, what the Prophet had called right, till he breathed last. He acted upon the principles and learnings as explained by the Holy Prophet and also repeated them verbally till he was exiled and died in a remotest place.

It is quoted from, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, in the book“al-Isti'ab” that Abu Dharr knew some of those secrets of knowledge which other people were unable to bear, and confined them to himself only.

Hafiz Basri writes in“Al-Mashariq” that faith has ten stages. One who has attained to the first stage, does not know the limits of the faith of the person who is in the second stage, and the one in the second stage is ignorant of the person in the third stage, and the same is the condition of all of the ten stages. Salman Farsi was at the acme of esoteric knowledge. Abu Dharr held the same position in relation to Salman as Moses had in relation to Khizr.

Kharajaski has written in“Kanz” that Salman while addressing Imam Ali used to say,“Be abi anta wa ummi ya qatila Kufah “, (O’ the martyr of Kufah! May my parents be sacrificed for you). He further said, “If I disclose those facts which I know of your (Imam Ali's) real insight an excitement will be stirred up within the people” .

Allamah Majlisi has quoted a hadith of the same type about Salman and Miqdad in“Sharhu Usulil Kafi” .

It means that when a companion cannot gauge the extent of the learning of another companion how can the common people bear the learnings of a firm believer like Abu Dharr.

Ali's above quoted remark“Knowledge overpowered Abu Dharr” can also be seen in Tabaqatul Kubra, vol. 5, Usudul Ghabah, vol. 5, and Sunan Abu Daud.

Abdul Hamid Jaudatus Sahar in his book“Al-Ishtiraki az-Zahid” writes:“Allah wanted to do good to him so he gave him the capacity and eagerness to learn, bestowed on him conviction and truthfulness and also discerning eyes and attentive ears. Hence he memorized whatever he heard from the Prophet of Islam. He got the tradition and narrated it. He was reckoned among the great traditionalists.”

Abdul Hamid writes on page 14 of the same book,“Abu Dharr was a muhaddith (narrator of hadith) of the first order, and spoke very fluent and eloquent Arabic. He was a model of a pious Muslim. Hence he became the most respectable of all the people. One day he was sitting in the masjid and was narrating, as usual, the traditions of the Prophet when a man expressed his wish to have seen the Prophet. Abu Dharr quoted the Prophet of Allah as having said that those people of his nation would love him most, who would come after him and would wish to see him even at the cost of their children and wealth” .

Morality means good habits and the knowledge of morals or ethics is a kind of practical philosophy. Abu Dharr had attained to the highest degree of morality. Good habits of the Holy Prophet reflected in his personality. There is nothing in his character which can be criticized by a just man. Whatever he did in his lifetime was an unparalleled example of morality, and whatever he said was according to the exigencies of society .This is something different if some ignorant people regard his good habits as impolite.

Allamah Subaiti says that the examples of morality set by Abu Dharr deserve commendation. The narrator says,“Seeing Abu Dharr wrapped in a black blanket in a corner of the masjid I asked him why he was sitting there alone. He said that he had heard the Holy Prophet saying: “It is better to sit in a lonely corner than to sit amidst the bad company and it is better to sit in the company of moralists than to sit in a lonely corner. To observe silence is better than telling a bad thing and to say a good thing is better than keeping quiet” .

Abu Dharr said that the Holy Prophet has told many things regarding the instruction in good morals. Here are seven of them:

1. Have friendship with poor people and try to keep them near yourself.

2. In order to improve your own condition have a look at the people of lesser means and do not compare yourself with the people of better means.

3. Do not beg of anybody for material help and make contentment your habit.

4. Have sympathy with your relatives and help them in their hour of need.

5. Do not hesitate to tell the truth even if the whole world turns against you.

6. Do not mind the reproaches of a blasphemous person about Allah.

7. Always keep saying,“La hawala wa la quwwata ilia billah” , (There is no power except Allah). In other words Allah is the Super Power. .

Abu Dharr says,“Having said these things the Prophet touching my chest with his hand said, “O Abu Dharr! No wisdom is better than good planning, no piety is better than self-control, and no beauty is better than good morals” .

Allamah Gilani quoting Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal mentions only two precepts out of the above mentioned seven, which pertain to the friendship with the poor and to look at the people of lesser means, and then writes:

“In fact, this is the best remedy of the ailment of the love for riches and love for the world. Suppose there is a man who has a shirt of Muslin and a trouser of long-cloth to wear, wheat bread and mutton to eat, and a neat and clean clay house to live in. Now, if this man compares himself with a man who has nothing except a coarse dress, a bread of barley and a cottage of straw, he will thank Allah for his better condition and will be free from the mental tortures with which he would have suffered had he compared himself to a wealthier man with costlier dresses and more delicious food. This is the best way to get worldly satisfaction and other worldly benefits. But how many of us are acting upon it today? I even say that a man will not suffer any trouble if he acts upon this principle.”

This is the only golden rule for this world and for the Hereafter, which is explained in the following sentence of Shaykh Sa'di, the celebrated poet of Iran:

“I wept for a pair of shoes unless I saw a man who had no feet” .

After love for riches another part of the love for world is the love for status and power. This is even more dangerous and a cause for the corruption of the system of the world. The mischiefs perpetrated in the world by the slaves of wealth are much less than those caused by the over-ambitious for status and power.

The real cause of this disease is that when a man feels his own perfection in some field, he forgets the power of that Being who bestows this perfection on him, and considers himself of some consequence. Then he tries to make others, who are around him, realize his importance which he has attributed to himself.

With this end in view, he prepares plans according to the power of his thinking. It is seldom seen that a slave of greed and avarice leaves any stone unturned to achieve this end. He fills his mind with hypocrisy and remains busy all the time with making the world conscious of his existence through fair and foul means.

The perfection that Abu Dharr had achieved or was about to achieve, was that of piety. It was feared that it might produce in him pride and conceit, after which the ambition of status and honour sweeps away the peace of the world and the Hereafter. Hence the Prophet prevented it before hand and addressing Abu Dharr, one day, said to him in clear words:

“Allah said: O my bondmen! You are all sinners except those whom I keep safe. So all of you must be praying to me regularly for your forgiveness. I will forgive you. I forgave the sins of the person who considers Me powerful enough to redeem the sins and that I redeem them, and of the person who prayed for the forgiveness of his sins through My power” .

“O my slaves! All of you are deviators except those whom I show the right path. Hence you should pray to Me for guidance. All of you are poor and needy except those whom I make affluent. Pray to Me for your livelihood and remember that if all of your alive and dead, old and young, vicious and virtuous, become united to practice abstinence there will not be the least addition to My existing realm, and if all of you dead and alive, old and young, vicious and virtuous gather together and request Me to fulfil their needs and I satisfy their requirements there will not be any deficiency in My dominion not even equal to the quantity of water taken out with the needle when somebody dips it into the ocean. This is because I am the Bountiful, Forgiver, Great, Exalted and Dominant over all ends” .

Can anybody take pride in his existence or achievements and accomplishments after believing in the truthfulness of the Divine Glory and Majesty which you behold in this version? Can anybody take airs even for a moment after this? Can any believer in Allah excite sedition on the face of the earth for the sake of his station in life, honour, show and perpetuity after this? Who is crazy to be proud of his piety when everyone of us is a sinner?

When all the wealth of the rich people is under the control and authority of Allah; is not he a fool who shows vanity over the purses of money? If it is correct that our great and small cannot even untidily add a jot to the grandeur of the Divine dominion, what does a man who is only a handful of dust boast of? When this is the state of his freedom from want that even in matters of guidance and mental maturity he considers His favour and power to be the real agents, on what basis does a clergyman or a reformer consider his efforts worth appreciating?

Alas! When everything belongs to Him and we are simply poor and needy why, then, is this self-conceit and why this presumption and arrogance?

These were the commands and sermons which instilled the austerity of Prophet Isa in the spirit of Abu Dharr. Anyway, this was the case and even more than that the Prophet used to stir up the ascetic nature of Abu Dharr. But we should take special view of that side of his teachings and exhortations wherein Islam stands out distinguished from all other religions.

You must be feeling tempted to think that if this was the teaching of the Holy Prophet why did Islam oppose the monastic life and consider it one of the innovations of monks and clergymen?

I want to draw your attention to the reply of this question. Generally abstinence and piety mean to leave the cities for mountains and forests to worship Allah in seclusion. Abu Dharr narrates as under:

“The Holy Prophet told me that it is also a good turn to pick up stones from the path, to help the weak is also a charity and even the sexual intercourse with the wife is a charitable act” .3

I asked the Holy Prophet in astonishment,“Is it also a charity to cohabit with ones wife, although he satisfies his urge by this act? If a man satisfies his urge, will he also get a recompense for it? The Prophet said, “Well, tell me, would it not been a sin if you had satisfied this urge through some unlawful and forbidden means?” I replied,“Certainly” . He said,“You people think of the sin but not of the good. Usually those leading the life of austerity give up their practice of earning and craftsmanship and afterwards when their worldly needs press them hard they are willy-nilly driven in to begging” .

The Prophet one day called me and said,“Would you like to swear allegiance on the point that after it there will be only Heaven for you” . I replied,“Yes” . And then I stretched out my hand. The Holy Prophet said,“I want to take word from you that you will not beg anything of anybody” . I replied,“All right” . He said,“Not even that whip which falls down from your horse. You should rather, get down and pick it up yourself” .

Abu Dharr says that the Holy Prophet told him,“Do not think any kindness and favour to be trivial and insignificant. If you have nothing to give to a Muslim brother, you should at least meet him with a smiling face” .

Abu Dharr says,“My beloved (the Prophet) has made a will to me that I should keep on showing kindness to my relatives, even if I am unable to do it completely; 4 because it is very difficult” . Anyway, one should do good to all as far as possible.

Abu Dharr's character becomes apparent when we find that he is always seen in the company of indigent and the needy and holds the poor dear. He had a deep impression of Prophet's teachings and was not among the stone-hearted companions who could not be moved by the morals of the Prophet. He was such a staunch supporter of Imam Ali that he had fully absorbed the lofty character and the good habits of the Prophet.

The order of the Prophet was:“Give your slaves and maids (subordinates) what you eat, and give them to wear what you wear” .5 And the same was the routine of Abu Dharr .He always fed his slaves and slave-girls with what he ate and gave them to wear what he himself wore.

In view of the tradition of the Holy Prophet Abu Dharr considered marriage essential. He was married but to him marriage never meant joy and happiness. He thought that marriage was the name of following the tradition of the Holy Prophet. It is learnt about him that his wife accompanied him wherever he went.

Since his wife belonged to Africa, people sometimes said,“Do you keep a black woman? He used to answer, “I consider it better to have a black and ugly wife than to have a beautiful wife and be mentioned by people simply because of my wife's beauty” . Abu Dharr had great regard for his wife.

Hospitality is not only one of the best attributes, but it is the essence of humanism. The more aware one is of the principles of Islam the more imbued will he be with the spirit of hospitality.

Na'im bin Qa'nat Riyahi says,“One day I went to see Abu Dharr and said that I loved him as well as despised him at the same time” . Abu Dharr said,“How could these two states come together?” I said,“I have been killing my children. Now I have become aware that this has been a wrong practice. So whenever I think that I should come to you to ask about its redemption and forgiveness both the emotions rise at a time. When I thought that it would be better if you told me its solution the emotion of love rose high, but when I thought that it would be painful for me forever if you declared it as irremediable hatred against you swelled up. Now I have come to you for the solution of this problem” .

Abu Dharr said,“All right! Tell me if you have done all this during the days of ignorance or after accepting Islam?”

I said,“In the days of ignorance” .

Abu Dharr said,“Your sin has been forgiven. Islam is the remedy for all such pollutions and sins” .

On hearing it I became satisfied. After it I wanted to beg leave of him when he said,“Wait!” And I stopped at his instruction.

After this he asked his wife in gestures to bring some food for the guest. At this his wife went inside and came out after a while with food.

Abu Dharr said,“Na 'im, Bismillah” (which means begin eating in the name of Allah)

Before I started I requested him also to join me. He said,“I am fasting” . Saying this he started his prayers. I started eating and when I was about to finish meals he finished his prayers and started eating.

I said,“To tell a lie is a great sin in Islam and even if I presume somebody a liar it is possible that he may be a liar, but I wonder what opinion I should form of you” .

Abu Dharr said,“You have been sitting for such a long time with me. In which thing did you find me a liar?”

I said,“A little before you told me that you were fasting and now you are eating with me” .

He told me, and“I have not told a lie. I am fasting as well as eating with you” .

I asked him,“How?”

He said,“The Holy Prophet has said that whoever observes fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th day of this month of Sha'ban, in a way observes fast for the whole month. In other words, he will get the recompense of ten fasts for each fast. As I have observed fast during these dates I have right to think from the point of view of recompense that I am fasting the whole month” .6

Allamah Bayhaqi has also narrated an event of the same kind. Its summary is as follows:

One day Abu Dharr and Abdullah bin Shafiq Uqaili went to somebody as guests. Abu Dharr had already said that he was fasting and when food was brought he started eating. Abdullah hinted,“You are fasting” . Abu Dharr said, “I remember my fast. I have not forgotten it. I always observe fast strictly on those three days of every month which are called Ayyam-al-Beez and according to the tradition of the Holy Prophet regard myself fasting.7

Notes

1. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd vol. 4, p.10

2. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd and Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

3. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

4. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

5. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

6. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and Hayat ul-Qulub, Allamah Majlisi

7. Sunan Bayhaqi.

Chapter 6

Shaheed Thalith Allamah Nurullah Shustari writes:“He was one of the greatest companions and is reckoned among the foremost of the companions who embraced Islam. In embracing Islam his number was third, that is, he embraced Islam after Mother of the Faithful Khadijahtul Kubra and Commander of the Faithful Ali. According to the author of “Isti'ab” he was distinguished in knowledge, austerity, piety and truthfulness, among all the companions. Ali has said that Abu Dharr achieved that position in the acquisition and comprehension of religious learnings which nobody else could reach. The Holy Prophet used to say,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa in my ummah. Abu Dharr possesses the same austerity as Prophet Isa had” .

According to a tradition one who wants to see the modesty of Prophet Isa should see Abu Dharr. Shaykh Saduq in his book“Uyunul Akhbar ar-Ridha” writes that Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a) has said from the authority of his forefathers that according to the hadith of the Holy Prophet,“Abu Dharr is the truthful person of this ummah” .

Ali says that Abu Dharr is the only person who will never care for any reproaches about Allah and His orders and commands, that is, he will say whatever is right and will act upon it, and will neither care for any threats in this connection, nor will he be over-awed by the power of the government.

Scholars have written that Abu Dharr had sworn allegiance to the Prophet (s) with the promise that in the faith of Allah he would not care for any reproacher and that he would speak out the truth howmuchsoever bitter it might be.

Truthfulness and courage is a quality which even the greatest personalities do not hold fast. The Holy Prophet (s) has prophesied this quality of Abu Dharr and said that Abu Dharr would perform a great role in this matter and will remain steadfast even in the face of severe persecution which he had to bear.

The Prophet said:“There is nobody more truthful than Abu Dharr between the canopy of the sky and the carpet of the earth” .1

In the elucidation of this hadith Allamah Subaiti writes:“The Holy Prophet addressing his companions said, “O my companions! Who is one out of you who will meet me on the Day of Reckoning in the same condition in which I leave him in the world?” On hearing this everyone kept quiet, except Abu Dharr who spoke that it was he. The Holy Prophet said,“No doubt! You are true” . After that he added,“O my companions! Remember what I am telling you. There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .2

Allamah Majlisi has written some narratives after having quoted the above mentioned tradition in his book Hayat ul-Qulub.

Ibn Babwayh has narrated on reliable authority that somebody asked Imam al-Sadiq if Abu Dharr was better than the Ahlul Bayt of the Holy Prophet or otherwise. The Imam said,“How many months are there in a year?” He answered,“Twelve” . The Imam said,“How many of these months are respectable and sanctified?”

He said,“Four months? The Imam asked, “Is Ramadhan also included in those four months?” He said“No” . The Imam asked“Is Ramzan better or those four months?” He answered,“The month of Ramzan is better” . The Imam said,“The same is the case with us, the Ahlul Bayt. You cannot compare anybody with us” .

One day Abu Dharr was sitting in the company of people who were describing the virtues of this nation. Abu Dharr said,“Ali is best of all in this nation, and he is the apportioner of Heaven and Hell, the Siddiq and Farooq of the ummah and, the divine proof for this nation” .

Hearing it from him those hypocrites turned their faces from him and refuting his statement called him a liar. At once Abu Amamah rose from there, went to the Holy Prophet and told him what Abu Dharr had said, and how that group had refused to accept it. The Holy Prophet (s) said,“There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .

The same book has narrated on another authority that somebody asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) if that was an authentic hadith wherein the Holy Prophet (s) has declared like this. The Imam said,“Yes” . He said,“Then what positions do the Holy Prophet, Ali, Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn hold?” The Imam replied,“We are like the month of Ramadhan which contains one such night the worship of which is equal to that of one thousand months while the rest of the companions are like the respected month in relation to other months, and nobody can be compared with us, the Ahlul Bayt” .

It becomes as clear as day light from the above mentioned hadith of the Holy Prophet that Abu Dharr was second to none in truthfulness. The commentary and the elucidation of the same hadith as made by Subaiti, describes that Abu Dharr will leave the world in the same condition, in which the Prophet had left him, and will see him in the same condition in the Hereafter.

If it is looked into deeply, Abu Dharr's firm stand on the path which had been strengthened by the Holy Prophet (s) reveals his important virtue. Scholars agree on the point that Abu Dharr did not swerve an inch from the path of the Holy Prophet. After the Prophet even a companion like Salman was forced to swear allegiance and was so much beaten in the masjid one day that his neck became swollen. But Abu Dharr was never found silent.

Allamah Subaiti writes:“Abu Dharr was one of those followers of the Holy Prophet (s) who stuck to their path and stood firm on the covenant which they had made with Allah. He obeyed the Holy Prophet faithfully, followed in his footsteps and imitated his conduct. He did not leave Imam Ali (a) even for a moment, followed him to the end and received the benefits of the light of his knowledge.

Allamah Majlisi writes: Ibn Babwayh narrates on reliable authority from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) that one day Abu Dharr happened to pass by the Prophet (s) while Jibrail was talking to him in privacy in the form of “Dahyah Kalbi” . Abu Dharr went back presuming that Dahyah Kalbi was talking to the Prophet in private. After his return Jibrail said to the Prophet“O Muhammad! Abu Dharr came just now and went back without wishing me. Believe me if he had wished me I would have certainly wished him back. O Muhammad! Abu Dharr has an invocation with him which is well known among the Heavenly people. Look! When I go up to the heavens ask him of that” . He said,“All right” .

When Jibrail had left, and Abu Dharr came to the Prophet he said,“O Abu Dharr! Why did you not greet us when you came here a little before?” Abu Dharr replied,“When I came Dahyah Kalbi was sitting with you and you were busy in conversation with him. I thought you were talking about some secret things and did not consider it proper to intrude upon you. Therefore I went back” . The Holy Prophet said,“He was not Dahyah Kalbi but Jibrail who had come to me in the form of Dahyah Kalbi. O Abu Dharr! He was telling me that if you had wished him he would have wished you back. He was also telling me that you possess an invocation which is famous among the celestial people” . Abu Dharr felt very much ashamed and expressed his regret..

Then the Holy Prophet said,“O Abu Dharr! Just let me know the prayer which you read and which is talked of in the heavens” . Abu Dharr then told him the following prayer:

“Allahumma Inni Asalukal amna wal eimana bika wat tasdiqa bi nabiyyika wal afiyata min jami’il blaa'e wa shukra ‘alal afiyate wal ghina ‘an shirarin naase” .3

We find countless traditions of both Shi'ahs and Sunnis in which special orders have been given for the love of four companions. Scholars say that those four companions are Ali, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Salman. Umar Kashi, writes in his Rijal, Abu Ja'far Qummi in Khasa'il, Abdullah Humayri in Qurbul Asnad, Shaykh Mufid in Ikhtisas, Ayashi in his commentary, Saduq in Uyun Akhbar ar-Ridha, Abdul Barr in Isti'ab, Ibn Sa'd in Tabaqat and the author of Usudul Ghabah in his book:“The Holy Prophet (s) says that Allah has commanded me to keep my four companions my friends and love them, and I have also been told that He (Allah) too holds them as friends. Here are the names of those four companions: 1. Ali bin Abi Talib. 2. Abu Dharr Ghifari 3. Miqdad bin Aswad 4. Salman Farsi.” 4

A tradition says that by four companions are meant Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar. Scholars are of the opinion that these are the companions whom the Heaven and the dwellers of Heaven are fond of. It is narrated in a tradition that when a proclaimer will proclaim on the Day of Judgment,“Where are those companions of Muhammad bin Abdullah who did not break their promise of love for Ahlul Bayt al-Risalah, but remained steadfast to it?” Salman, Miqdad and Abu Dharr will stand up.

Allamah Nuri writes quoting Rauzatul Wai'zin of Shaykh Shahid Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ali bin Fital Nishapuri that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) has said,“There are ten degrees of faith. Miqdad has attained to eight degrees, Abu Dharr to nine and Salman to all the ten of them.”

Bond of brotherhood refers to that historical event in which the Holy Prophet had established brotherhood in the pairs of his companions before and after his migration.

Before the migration he established the bond of brotherhood between two companions so that they may remain sympathetic to each other. In this brotherhood he had in consideration the agreement of the temperaments of the pair. He made those two companions brother to each other as they had the similarity of nature and consonance of temperament. In this way he declared brotherhood between Abu Bakr and Umar, Talhah and Zubayr, Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Hamza and Zayd bin Harithah, Salman and Abu Dharr and between Ali and himself.

Then five or eight months after the migration the Holy Prophet again established the bond of brotherhood in the same way. It was necessary to establish brotherhood between the immigrants and the supporters in order to create sympathy between them. In this connection he established brotherhood among fifty companions.

Allamah Shibli No'mani writes:“Islam has in its domain the best morals and perfect virtues. It was kept in view that the companions between whom the relationship of brotherhood was established had the similarity of taste. This unity of taste between the teacher and the student is necessary for the assimilation of knowledge. On inquiry and examination it is learnt that this unity of taste of those two who were made brothers was taken into consideration, and when we see that it is nearly impossible to judge completely and correctly the temperaments and tastes of hundreds of people in such a short time, it will have to be acknowledged that the Holy Prophet's judgment was an example of specific attribute of Prophethood” .5

Besides, this is also worthy of note that the Prophet got nobody possessing the taste of Ali either among the“Muhajirin” (immigrants) or the“Ansar” (supporters). Ali said,“O Messenger of Allah! With whom have you united me as brother? He replied, “You are my brother in this world as well as in the Hereafter” . That is why Ali announced again and again from the pulpit of the Masjid of Kufa,“I am the slave of Allah and brother of the Prophet of Allah” .6 The Holy Prophet also said about Salman,“Salman is one of our Ahlul Bayt (People of the House)” .

In my opinion this is also one of the superior merits of Abu Dharr that a person of mature judgment like the Holy Prophet (s) declared him the brother of Salman. Allamah Subaiti quotes the statement of Saleh al-Ahwal who had heard Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) saying that the Holy Prophet established the bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Dharr and asked Abu Dharr not to oppose Salman.7

The status of Abu Dharr is so high that the verses of the Holy Qur'an have been revealed in his praise. Here is one of them:

“The righteous striving believers will have the gardens of Paradise as their dwelling place and therein they will live forever” .8

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) says that this verse has been revealed about Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Ammar and Salman. According to a tradition, the Prophet said that Allah had commanded him to love Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar, and he further added that he himself held them friends. According to another tradition the Prophet said,“Paradise is eager for these people” .9

Allamah Gilani writes that Abu Dharr's honour and prestige were increasing day by day in the circle of the Prophet, so much so, that when the Holy Prophet went for the Battle of Zaat al-Ruqa10 he made him the chief of Medina, and not he alone was appointed a chief but for his sake sometimes other Ghifaris also got this rank. For example, the Holy Prophet appointed Saya' bin Urfah al-Ghifari as the chief of Medina on the occasion of the Battle of Daumatul Jandal.11

It was a common practice in Arabia that whenever somebody rode a camel he made his special man his“file” . When the file sat behind, he used to hold the rider by the waist. According to this general tradition the Holy Prophet also made somebody his file. During the last pilgrimage his file was Fazl bin Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.

The companions considered it a great honour to be a file. The file of the Prophet was called“Radifun Nabi” . The scholars say that the Prophet bestowed this honour mostly upon Abu Dharr. The Prophet used to ride not only the camels but also other smaller animals. Asses have also been often seen for his riding. He used to seat Abu Dharr behind him and rode talking to him.12

Shah Walyullah Dehlavi, while describing the disturbances in Islam writes about the event of Harrah: Abu Dawud quotes Abu Dharr who said,“One day I was riding behind the Holy Prophet on an ass. When we had gone out of the populated area of Medina he asked me as to what my condition would be when hunger overtakes Medina, and I would hardly bear it before I could reach the masjid from my bed. I said, “Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Do not go for begging at that time” , Then he said,“What would be your condition when the price of a grave is equal to that of a slave due to high death rate?” I said,“Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Practise patience then” .

Again he asked,“O Abu Dharr! What will be your condition when there is such a general massacre in Medina that the stones and the sand will be soaked in blood?” I replied,“Allah and His Messenger know well” He said,“You should, then, confine yourself to your house” I asked,“Should I take the sword in hand at that time?” He replied,“If you do so you will be considered their partner” , I then asked,“O Messenger of Allah! What should I do then?” He said,“Even if you fear that the flash of the sword would dazzle your eyes, you should only cover your face with the cloth of your dress, and do not fight but be silent” .

It is given on page 176 in vol. 5 of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal (printed in Egypt) that the Holy Prophet (s) used to confide in Abu Dharr his secrets and said that he trusted him fully well. Abu Dharr, too, was very keen to guard his secrets. Whenever he was asked about a tradition he said,“Except those things which the Holy Prophet (s) has told me to keep secret I am willing to tell you everything.You may ask me whatever you want to” .

Notes

1. Mustadrak Hakim p. 342, Isabah ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, vol. 2 p. 622, Fehrist-i Tusi, p. 70

2. Tarikhul A'immah p. 251.

3. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2 p. 455, Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 166 ; Rabi'ul Abrar, chapter 23, hand written, Mamba'us Sadiqin.

4. Mishkat Sharif p. 572

5. Siratun Nabi vol.1, p.112.

6. Tarikh Abul Fida, vol. 1, p.127.

7. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari p.86 as quoted by Usulul Kafi.

8. Surah al-Kahf, 18: 107

9. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2.

10. This battle was called Zaat al-Ruqa' (the battle of Patches of Cloth) because the path was stony and rugged, on account of which the feet of the people were rent and they had tied them with patches of cloth. (Zaadul Ma'ad).

11. Zaadul Ma'ad

12. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd

Chapter 5

History bears witness that Abu Dharr was so much enlightened after embracing Islam that he became without a parallel. He achieved such perfection in purity of faith and sincerity of heart that he proved to be a beacon light for the people of insight. He enriched the people's mind with his counsels, after the appearance of Islam, taught them the lesson of equality and love, and showed them the way of obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet.

His Islamic life had been so dignified that it had no parallel. Abdullah Subaiti writes that Abu Dharr was distinguished among those companions who excelled in piety, abstemiousness, worship of Allah, truthfulness, firmness in faith and peerless in resignation to the Will of Allah. His daily diet was, during the life time of the Holy Prophet, three kilo of dates and he maintained it throughout the rest of his life.

He further writes that he was so elevated in morality and virtue that the Holy Prophet had to include him, like Salman Farsi, in Ahlul Bayt (People of his House). Hafiz Abu Na'im says that Abu Dharr was a devout worshipper, a man of piety and had a highly contented heart. He was the fourth person to have embraced Islam .He had given up all evils even before the enforcement of Islamic law. It was his cherished goal not to bow down his head before the tyrant rulers. He stood firm in bearing pains and sorrows. He won distinction in learning by heart the traditions and exhortations of the Holy Prophet.

Abu Na'im writes that Abu Dharr did great service to the Holy Prophet and acquired the knowledge of the articles of faith and articles of the practice in his company, and abstained from evils. One speciality of his was that he used to ask questions from the Holy Prophet. He learnt by heart the meanings and interpretations given by him and was very greedy in this respect. In short, as far as possible, he not only satisfied himself with his questioning but gathered a vast treasure of Islamic knowledge for the followers of Islam.

Another notable deed of his life was that he treaded on the same path which the Holy Prophet meant and approved of, and for which he had commanded. He attached himself with Imam Ali after the Holy Prophet and did not forsake him at any moment. He followed him, and received benefit from his vast knowledge. He imbibed his knowledge, asceticism worship, benevolence, moral virtues and habits. That is why the Holy Prophet said;“Abu Dharr is the most truthful of this nation” . He said at another place,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa (Jesus) in asceticism” . According to a tradition he said,“One who wants to see the austerity and modesty of Isa should look at Abu Dharr” .

It is obvious that the worship of a divine like Abu Dharr was not limited to ritual prayers only. He had practical proficiency in all the forms of worship. It is undeniable that to think over the existence of Allah and His creations is also a great worship. Abu Dharr was accomplished in this worship too.

Historians and traditionalists are unanimous that Abu Dharr had attained to the great degree of knowledge and it was because he acquired knowledge very sincerely in the company of the Holy Prophet. He put questions to the Prophet all the time and learnt his answers by heart. He had become well-versed in knowledge in his company.

The author of“Kitabud Darajatur Rafi'ah” says that Abu Dharr was reckoned in the rank of great scholars and austeres and held a distinctive rank in scholarship. He was a senior companion of the Prophet, was one of those great persons who fulfilled their covenant with Allah, viz. who kept their promise which they had made to Him about their following the complete faith, and was one of those four personalities whose love has been made obligatory on all.

Allamah Manazir Ahsan Gilani throwing light on the lofty scholarship of Abu Dharr writes:“Read the testimony of Ali, the best judge out of the companions, and the Gate of Knowledge and conclude yourself that he is right when he says, “Abu Dharr was very greedy and avaricious” .

Is this testimony of Imam Ali does not justify Abu Dharr's claim? Sometimes Abu Dharr himself said enthusiastically,“We have separated from the Holy Prophet at a time when there has not been left a single bird flying with flapping wings in the sky, about which we have not come to know some special thing” .1

Allamah Gilani writes about the knowledge of Abu Dharr,“Somebody asked Imam Ali, how he considered Abu Dharr” . He replied that ‘wa'aa 'ilman 'ajaza fihe,’ viz.“He (Abu Dharr) preserved knowledge which overpowered him” .

You have read how sensitive he was to accept impression, and can yourself surmise from the events. That is why he was always ready to act according as he heard from the Holy Prophet. Just as he tried to hear from the Holy Prophet he wanted to put it into action without the least hesitation. It was his earnest desire to see that his action completely conformed to knowledge.

Abu Dharr was so determined and firm about it that he never cared for the biggest power on earth if it came in his way. Sermons and exhortations could not shake him from the stand that he had taken. Taking pride in this distinction he sometimes said,“O people! On the Day of Judgment I shall remain nearest to the Holy Prophet's assembly, because I have heard him saying that the nearest to him on the Day of Judgment will be the man who departs from the world in the same condition in which he has left him. I swear by Allah that now nobody is left among you except I who am in my original state and have not been contaminated with anything new” .2

This was not his assertion only but the leader of the world and last of the Prophets had also certified it. It is written in the Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd that one day the Holy Prophet said,“Who amongst you will come to see me (at Kauthar) in the same condition in which I leave him” . Abu Dharr said,“I” . The Prophet said in reply to it,“You are true” , i.e. you will die in the same state of faith in which I leave you.

Imam Ali also used to say,“Now there is nobody left who does not fear the taunt and sarcasm of the reproacher in matters of Allah, except Abu Dharr” .

Hence 'ajaza fihe clearly means that Abu Dharr had been overpowered by his knowledge and information. He did not have control over doing against what he knew.

In other words, Abu Dharr acquired knowledge, knew its reality and basis and propagated it well. He never cared about anybody's reproach in communicating to the people the learnings which he had gathered from the Prophet. He was never cowed by any government. He was not moved by the politics of Mu'awiyah, nor was he overawed by the wealth of Uthman; but he called right, what the Prophet had called right, till he breathed last. He acted upon the principles and learnings as explained by the Holy Prophet and also repeated them verbally till he was exiled and died in a remotest place.

It is quoted from, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, in the book“al-Isti'ab” that Abu Dharr knew some of those secrets of knowledge which other people were unable to bear, and confined them to himself only.

Hafiz Basri writes in“Al-Mashariq” that faith has ten stages. One who has attained to the first stage, does not know the limits of the faith of the person who is in the second stage, and the one in the second stage is ignorant of the person in the third stage, and the same is the condition of all of the ten stages. Salman Farsi was at the acme of esoteric knowledge. Abu Dharr held the same position in relation to Salman as Moses had in relation to Khizr.

Kharajaski has written in“Kanz” that Salman while addressing Imam Ali used to say,“Be abi anta wa ummi ya qatila Kufah “, (O’ the martyr of Kufah! May my parents be sacrificed for you). He further said, “If I disclose those facts which I know of your (Imam Ali's) real insight an excitement will be stirred up within the people” .

Allamah Majlisi has quoted a hadith of the same type about Salman and Miqdad in“Sharhu Usulil Kafi” .

It means that when a companion cannot gauge the extent of the learning of another companion how can the common people bear the learnings of a firm believer like Abu Dharr.

Ali's above quoted remark“Knowledge overpowered Abu Dharr” can also be seen in Tabaqatul Kubra, vol. 5, Usudul Ghabah, vol. 5, and Sunan Abu Daud.

Abdul Hamid Jaudatus Sahar in his book“Al-Ishtiraki az-Zahid” writes:“Allah wanted to do good to him so he gave him the capacity and eagerness to learn, bestowed on him conviction and truthfulness and also discerning eyes and attentive ears. Hence he memorized whatever he heard from the Prophet of Islam. He got the tradition and narrated it. He was reckoned among the great traditionalists.”

Abdul Hamid writes on page 14 of the same book,“Abu Dharr was a muhaddith (narrator of hadith) of the first order, and spoke very fluent and eloquent Arabic. He was a model of a pious Muslim. Hence he became the most respectable of all the people. One day he was sitting in the masjid and was narrating, as usual, the traditions of the Prophet when a man expressed his wish to have seen the Prophet. Abu Dharr quoted the Prophet of Allah as having said that those people of his nation would love him most, who would come after him and would wish to see him even at the cost of their children and wealth” .

Morality means good habits and the knowledge of morals or ethics is a kind of practical philosophy. Abu Dharr had attained to the highest degree of morality. Good habits of the Holy Prophet reflected in his personality. There is nothing in his character which can be criticized by a just man. Whatever he did in his lifetime was an unparalleled example of morality, and whatever he said was according to the exigencies of society .This is something different if some ignorant people regard his good habits as impolite.

Allamah Subaiti says that the examples of morality set by Abu Dharr deserve commendation. The narrator says,“Seeing Abu Dharr wrapped in a black blanket in a corner of the masjid I asked him why he was sitting there alone. He said that he had heard the Holy Prophet saying: “It is better to sit in a lonely corner than to sit amidst the bad company and it is better to sit in the company of moralists than to sit in a lonely corner. To observe silence is better than telling a bad thing and to say a good thing is better than keeping quiet” .

Abu Dharr said that the Holy Prophet has told many things regarding the instruction in good morals. Here are seven of them:

1. Have friendship with poor people and try to keep them near yourself.

2. In order to improve your own condition have a look at the people of lesser means and do not compare yourself with the people of better means.

3. Do not beg of anybody for material help and make contentment your habit.

4. Have sympathy with your relatives and help them in their hour of need.

5. Do not hesitate to tell the truth even if the whole world turns against you.

6. Do not mind the reproaches of a blasphemous person about Allah.

7. Always keep saying,“La hawala wa la quwwata ilia billah” , (There is no power except Allah). In other words Allah is the Super Power. .

Abu Dharr says,“Having said these things the Prophet touching my chest with his hand said, “O Abu Dharr! No wisdom is better than good planning, no piety is better than self-control, and no beauty is better than good morals” .

Allamah Gilani quoting Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal mentions only two precepts out of the above mentioned seven, which pertain to the friendship with the poor and to look at the people of lesser means, and then writes:

“In fact, this is the best remedy of the ailment of the love for riches and love for the world. Suppose there is a man who has a shirt of Muslin and a trouser of long-cloth to wear, wheat bread and mutton to eat, and a neat and clean clay house to live in. Now, if this man compares himself with a man who has nothing except a coarse dress, a bread of barley and a cottage of straw, he will thank Allah for his better condition and will be free from the mental tortures with which he would have suffered had he compared himself to a wealthier man with costlier dresses and more delicious food. This is the best way to get worldly satisfaction and other worldly benefits. But how many of us are acting upon it today? I even say that a man will not suffer any trouble if he acts upon this principle.”

This is the only golden rule for this world and for the Hereafter, which is explained in the following sentence of Shaykh Sa'di, the celebrated poet of Iran:

“I wept for a pair of shoes unless I saw a man who had no feet” .

After love for riches another part of the love for world is the love for status and power. This is even more dangerous and a cause for the corruption of the system of the world. The mischiefs perpetrated in the world by the slaves of wealth are much less than those caused by the over-ambitious for status and power.

The real cause of this disease is that when a man feels his own perfection in some field, he forgets the power of that Being who bestows this perfection on him, and considers himself of some consequence. Then he tries to make others, who are around him, realize his importance which he has attributed to himself.

With this end in view, he prepares plans according to the power of his thinking. It is seldom seen that a slave of greed and avarice leaves any stone unturned to achieve this end. He fills his mind with hypocrisy and remains busy all the time with making the world conscious of his existence through fair and foul means.

The perfection that Abu Dharr had achieved or was about to achieve, was that of piety. It was feared that it might produce in him pride and conceit, after which the ambition of status and honour sweeps away the peace of the world and the Hereafter. Hence the Prophet prevented it before hand and addressing Abu Dharr, one day, said to him in clear words:

“Allah said: O my bondmen! You are all sinners except those whom I keep safe. So all of you must be praying to me regularly for your forgiveness. I will forgive you. I forgave the sins of the person who considers Me powerful enough to redeem the sins and that I redeem them, and of the person who prayed for the forgiveness of his sins through My power” .

“O my slaves! All of you are deviators except those whom I show the right path. Hence you should pray to Me for guidance. All of you are poor and needy except those whom I make affluent. Pray to Me for your livelihood and remember that if all of your alive and dead, old and young, vicious and virtuous, become united to practice abstinence there will not be the least addition to My existing realm, and if all of you dead and alive, old and young, vicious and virtuous gather together and request Me to fulfil their needs and I satisfy their requirements there will not be any deficiency in My dominion not even equal to the quantity of water taken out with the needle when somebody dips it into the ocean. This is because I am the Bountiful, Forgiver, Great, Exalted and Dominant over all ends” .

Can anybody take pride in his existence or achievements and accomplishments after believing in the truthfulness of the Divine Glory and Majesty which you behold in this version? Can anybody take airs even for a moment after this? Can any believer in Allah excite sedition on the face of the earth for the sake of his station in life, honour, show and perpetuity after this? Who is crazy to be proud of his piety when everyone of us is a sinner?

When all the wealth of the rich people is under the control and authority of Allah; is not he a fool who shows vanity over the purses of money? If it is correct that our great and small cannot even untidily add a jot to the grandeur of the Divine dominion, what does a man who is only a handful of dust boast of? When this is the state of his freedom from want that even in matters of guidance and mental maturity he considers His favour and power to be the real agents, on what basis does a clergyman or a reformer consider his efforts worth appreciating?

Alas! When everything belongs to Him and we are simply poor and needy why, then, is this self-conceit and why this presumption and arrogance?

These were the commands and sermons which instilled the austerity of Prophet Isa in the spirit of Abu Dharr. Anyway, this was the case and even more than that the Prophet used to stir up the ascetic nature of Abu Dharr. But we should take special view of that side of his teachings and exhortations wherein Islam stands out distinguished from all other religions.

You must be feeling tempted to think that if this was the teaching of the Holy Prophet why did Islam oppose the monastic life and consider it one of the innovations of monks and clergymen?

I want to draw your attention to the reply of this question. Generally abstinence and piety mean to leave the cities for mountains and forests to worship Allah in seclusion. Abu Dharr narrates as under:

“The Holy Prophet told me that it is also a good turn to pick up stones from the path, to help the weak is also a charity and even the sexual intercourse with the wife is a charitable act” .3

I asked the Holy Prophet in astonishment,“Is it also a charity to cohabit with ones wife, although he satisfies his urge by this act? If a man satisfies his urge, will he also get a recompense for it? The Prophet said, “Well, tell me, would it not been a sin if you had satisfied this urge through some unlawful and forbidden means?” I replied,“Certainly” . He said,“You people think of the sin but not of the good. Usually those leading the life of austerity give up their practice of earning and craftsmanship and afterwards when their worldly needs press them hard they are willy-nilly driven in to begging” .

The Prophet one day called me and said,“Would you like to swear allegiance on the point that after it there will be only Heaven for you” . I replied,“Yes” . And then I stretched out my hand. The Holy Prophet said,“I want to take word from you that you will not beg anything of anybody” . I replied,“All right” . He said,“Not even that whip which falls down from your horse. You should rather, get down and pick it up yourself” .

Abu Dharr says that the Holy Prophet told him,“Do not think any kindness and favour to be trivial and insignificant. If you have nothing to give to a Muslim brother, you should at least meet him with a smiling face” .

Abu Dharr says,“My beloved (the Prophet) has made a will to me that I should keep on showing kindness to my relatives, even if I am unable to do it completely; 4 because it is very difficult” . Anyway, one should do good to all as far as possible.

Abu Dharr's character becomes apparent when we find that he is always seen in the company of indigent and the needy and holds the poor dear. He had a deep impression of Prophet's teachings and was not among the stone-hearted companions who could not be moved by the morals of the Prophet. He was such a staunch supporter of Imam Ali that he had fully absorbed the lofty character and the good habits of the Prophet.

The order of the Prophet was:“Give your slaves and maids (subordinates) what you eat, and give them to wear what you wear” .5 And the same was the routine of Abu Dharr .He always fed his slaves and slave-girls with what he ate and gave them to wear what he himself wore.

In view of the tradition of the Holy Prophet Abu Dharr considered marriage essential. He was married but to him marriage never meant joy and happiness. He thought that marriage was the name of following the tradition of the Holy Prophet. It is learnt about him that his wife accompanied him wherever he went.

Since his wife belonged to Africa, people sometimes said,“Do you keep a black woman? He used to answer, “I consider it better to have a black and ugly wife than to have a beautiful wife and be mentioned by people simply because of my wife's beauty” . Abu Dharr had great regard for his wife.

Hospitality is not only one of the best attributes, but it is the essence of humanism. The more aware one is of the principles of Islam the more imbued will he be with the spirit of hospitality.

Na'im bin Qa'nat Riyahi says,“One day I went to see Abu Dharr and said that I loved him as well as despised him at the same time” . Abu Dharr said,“How could these two states come together?” I said,“I have been killing my children. Now I have become aware that this has been a wrong practice. So whenever I think that I should come to you to ask about its redemption and forgiveness both the emotions rise at a time. When I thought that it would be better if you told me its solution the emotion of love rose high, but when I thought that it would be painful for me forever if you declared it as irremediable hatred against you swelled up. Now I have come to you for the solution of this problem” .

Abu Dharr said,“All right! Tell me if you have done all this during the days of ignorance or after accepting Islam?”

I said,“In the days of ignorance” .

Abu Dharr said,“Your sin has been forgiven. Islam is the remedy for all such pollutions and sins” .

On hearing it I became satisfied. After it I wanted to beg leave of him when he said,“Wait!” And I stopped at his instruction.

After this he asked his wife in gestures to bring some food for the guest. At this his wife went inside and came out after a while with food.

Abu Dharr said,“Na 'im, Bismillah” (which means begin eating in the name of Allah)

Before I started I requested him also to join me. He said,“I am fasting” . Saying this he started his prayers. I started eating and when I was about to finish meals he finished his prayers and started eating.

I said,“To tell a lie is a great sin in Islam and even if I presume somebody a liar it is possible that he may be a liar, but I wonder what opinion I should form of you” .

Abu Dharr said,“You have been sitting for such a long time with me. In which thing did you find me a liar?”

I said,“A little before you told me that you were fasting and now you are eating with me” .

He told me, and“I have not told a lie. I am fasting as well as eating with you” .

I asked him,“How?”

He said,“The Holy Prophet has said that whoever observes fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th day of this month of Sha'ban, in a way observes fast for the whole month. In other words, he will get the recompense of ten fasts for each fast. As I have observed fast during these dates I have right to think from the point of view of recompense that I am fasting the whole month” .6

Allamah Bayhaqi has also narrated an event of the same kind. Its summary is as follows:

One day Abu Dharr and Abdullah bin Shafiq Uqaili went to somebody as guests. Abu Dharr had already said that he was fasting and when food was brought he started eating. Abdullah hinted,“You are fasting” . Abu Dharr said, “I remember my fast. I have not forgotten it. I always observe fast strictly on those three days of every month which are called Ayyam-al-Beez and according to the tradition of the Holy Prophet regard myself fasting.7

Notes

1. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd vol. 4, p.10

2. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd and Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

3. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

4. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

5. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

6. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and Hayat ul-Qulub, Allamah Majlisi

7. Sunan Bayhaqi.

Chapter 6

Shaheed Thalith Allamah Nurullah Shustari writes:“He was one of the greatest companions and is reckoned among the foremost of the companions who embraced Islam. In embracing Islam his number was third, that is, he embraced Islam after Mother of the Faithful Khadijahtul Kubra and Commander of the Faithful Ali. According to the author of “Isti'ab” he was distinguished in knowledge, austerity, piety and truthfulness, among all the companions. Ali has said that Abu Dharr achieved that position in the acquisition and comprehension of religious learnings which nobody else could reach. The Holy Prophet used to say,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa in my ummah. Abu Dharr possesses the same austerity as Prophet Isa had” .

According to a tradition one who wants to see the modesty of Prophet Isa should see Abu Dharr. Shaykh Saduq in his book“Uyunul Akhbar ar-Ridha” writes that Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a) has said from the authority of his forefathers that according to the hadith of the Holy Prophet,“Abu Dharr is the truthful person of this ummah” .

Ali says that Abu Dharr is the only person who will never care for any reproaches about Allah and His orders and commands, that is, he will say whatever is right and will act upon it, and will neither care for any threats in this connection, nor will he be over-awed by the power of the government.

Scholars have written that Abu Dharr had sworn allegiance to the Prophet (s) with the promise that in the faith of Allah he would not care for any reproacher and that he would speak out the truth howmuchsoever bitter it might be.

Truthfulness and courage is a quality which even the greatest personalities do not hold fast. The Holy Prophet (s) has prophesied this quality of Abu Dharr and said that Abu Dharr would perform a great role in this matter and will remain steadfast even in the face of severe persecution which he had to bear.

The Prophet said:“There is nobody more truthful than Abu Dharr between the canopy of the sky and the carpet of the earth” .1

In the elucidation of this hadith Allamah Subaiti writes:“The Holy Prophet addressing his companions said, “O my companions! Who is one out of you who will meet me on the Day of Reckoning in the same condition in which I leave him in the world?” On hearing this everyone kept quiet, except Abu Dharr who spoke that it was he. The Holy Prophet said,“No doubt! You are true” . After that he added,“O my companions! Remember what I am telling you. There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .2

Allamah Majlisi has written some narratives after having quoted the above mentioned tradition in his book Hayat ul-Qulub.

Ibn Babwayh has narrated on reliable authority that somebody asked Imam al-Sadiq if Abu Dharr was better than the Ahlul Bayt of the Holy Prophet or otherwise. The Imam said,“How many months are there in a year?” He answered,“Twelve” . The Imam said,“How many of these months are respectable and sanctified?”

He said,“Four months? The Imam asked, “Is Ramadhan also included in those four months?” He said“No” . The Imam asked“Is Ramzan better or those four months?” He answered,“The month of Ramzan is better” . The Imam said,“The same is the case with us, the Ahlul Bayt. You cannot compare anybody with us” .

One day Abu Dharr was sitting in the company of people who were describing the virtues of this nation. Abu Dharr said,“Ali is best of all in this nation, and he is the apportioner of Heaven and Hell, the Siddiq and Farooq of the ummah and, the divine proof for this nation” .

Hearing it from him those hypocrites turned their faces from him and refuting his statement called him a liar. At once Abu Amamah rose from there, went to the Holy Prophet and told him what Abu Dharr had said, and how that group had refused to accept it. The Holy Prophet (s) said,“There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .

The same book has narrated on another authority that somebody asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) if that was an authentic hadith wherein the Holy Prophet (s) has declared like this. The Imam said,“Yes” . He said,“Then what positions do the Holy Prophet, Ali, Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn hold?” The Imam replied,“We are like the month of Ramadhan which contains one such night the worship of which is equal to that of one thousand months while the rest of the companions are like the respected month in relation to other months, and nobody can be compared with us, the Ahlul Bayt” .

It becomes as clear as day light from the above mentioned hadith of the Holy Prophet that Abu Dharr was second to none in truthfulness. The commentary and the elucidation of the same hadith as made by Subaiti, describes that Abu Dharr will leave the world in the same condition, in which the Prophet had left him, and will see him in the same condition in the Hereafter.

If it is looked into deeply, Abu Dharr's firm stand on the path which had been strengthened by the Holy Prophet (s) reveals his important virtue. Scholars agree on the point that Abu Dharr did not swerve an inch from the path of the Holy Prophet. After the Prophet even a companion like Salman was forced to swear allegiance and was so much beaten in the masjid one day that his neck became swollen. But Abu Dharr was never found silent.

Allamah Subaiti writes:“Abu Dharr was one of those followers of the Holy Prophet (s) who stuck to their path and stood firm on the covenant which they had made with Allah. He obeyed the Holy Prophet faithfully, followed in his footsteps and imitated his conduct. He did not leave Imam Ali (a) even for a moment, followed him to the end and received the benefits of the light of his knowledge.

Allamah Majlisi writes: Ibn Babwayh narrates on reliable authority from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) that one day Abu Dharr happened to pass by the Prophet (s) while Jibrail was talking to him in privacy in the form of “Dahyah Kalbi” . Abu Dharr went back presuming that Dahyah Kalbi was talking to the Prophet in private. After his return Jibrail said to the Prophet“O Muhammad! Abu Dharr came just now and went back without wishing me. Believe me if he had wished me I would have certainly wished him back. O Muhammad! Abu Dharr has an invocation with him which is well known among the Heavenly people. Look! When I go up to the heavens ask him of that” . He said,“All right” .

When Jibrail had left, and Abu Dharr came to the Prophet he said,“O Abu Dharr! Why did you not greet us when you came here a little before?” Abu Dharr replied,“When I came Dahyah Kalbi was sitting with you and you were busy in conversation with him. I thought you were talking about some secret things and did not consider it proper to intrude upon you. Therefore I went back” . The Holy Prophet said,“He was not Dahyah Kalbi but Jibrail who had come to me in the form of Dahyah Kalbi. O Abu Dharr! He was telling me that if you had wished him he would have wished you back. He was also telling me that you possess an invocation which is famous among the celestial people” . Abu Dharr felt very much ashamed and expressed his regret..

Then the Holy Prophet said,“O Abu Dharr! Just let me know the prayer which you read and which is talked of in the heavens” . Abu Dharr then told him the following prayer:

“Allahumma Inni Asalukal amna wal eimana bika wat tasdiqa bi nabiyyika wal afiyata min jami’il blaa'e wa shukra ‘alal afiyate wal ghina ‘an shirarin naase” .3

We find countless traditions of both Shi'ahs and Sunnis in which special orders have been given for the love of four companions. Scholars say that those four companions are Ali, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Salman. Umar Kashi, writes in his Rijal, Abu Ja'far Qummi in Khasa'il, Abdullah Humayri in Qurbul Asnad, Shaykh Mufid in Ikhtisas, Ayashi in his commentary, Saduq in Uyun Akhbar ar-Ridha, Abdul Barr in Isti'ab, Ibn Sa'd in Tabaqat and the author of Usudul Ghabah in his book:“The Holy Prophet (s) says that Allah has commanded me to keep my four companions my friends and love them, and I have also been told that He (Allah) too holds them as friends. Here are the names of those four companions: 1. Ali bin Abi Talib. 2. Abu Dharr Ghifari 3. Miqdad bin Aswad 4. Salman Farsi.” 4

A tradition says that by four companions are meant Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar. Scholars are of the opinion that these are the companions whom the Heaven and the dwellers of Heaven are fond of. It is narrated in a tradition that when a proclaimer will proclaim on the Day of Judgment,“Where are those companions of Muhammad bin Abdullah who did not break their promise of love for Ahlul Bayt al-Risalah, but remained steadfast to it?” Salman, Miqdad and Abu Dharr will stand up.

Allamah Nuri writes quoting Rauzatul Wai'zin of Shaykh Shahid Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ali bin Fital Nishapuri that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) has said,“There are ten degrees of faith. Miqdad has attained to eight degrees, Abu Dharr to nine and Salman to all the ten of them.”

Bond of brotherhood refers to that historical event in which the Holy Prophet had established brotherhood in the pairs of his companions before and after his migration.

Before the migration he established the bond of brotherhood between two companions so that they may remain sympathetic to each other. In this brotherhood he had in consideration the agreement of the temperaments of the pair. He made those two companions brother to each other as they had the similarity of nature and consonance of temperament. In this way he declared brotherhood between Abu Bakr and Umar, Talhah and Zubayr, Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Hamza and Zayd bin Harithah, Salman and Abu Dharr and between Ali and himself.

Then five or eight months after the migration the Holy Prophet again established the bond of brotherhood in the same way. It was necessary to establish brotherhood between the immigrants and the supporters in order to create sympathy between them. In this connection he established brotherhood among fifty companions.

Allamah Shibli No'mani writes:“Islam has in its domain the best morals and perfect virtues. It was kept in view that the companions between whom the relationship of brotherhood was established had the similarity of taste. This unity of taste between the teacher and the student is necessary for the assimilation of knowledge. On inquiry and examination it is learnt that this unity of taste of those two who were made brothers was taken into consideration, and when we see that it is nearly impossible to judge completely and correctly the temperaments and tastes of hundreds of people in such a short time, it will have to be acknowledged that the Holy Prophet's judgment was an example of specific attribute of Prophethood” .5

Besides, this is also worthy of note that the Prophet got nobody possessing the taste of Ali either among the“Muhajirin” (immigrants) or the“Ansar” (supporters). Ali said,“O Messenger of Allah! With whom have you united me as brother? He replied, “You are my brother in this world as well as in the Hereafter” . That is why Ali announced again and again from the pulpit of the Masjid of Kufa,“I am the slave of Allah and brother of the Prophet of Allah” .6 The Holy Prophet also said about Salman,“Salman is one of our Ahlul Bayt (People of the House)” .

In my opinion this is also one of the superior merits of Abu Dharr that a person of mature judgment like the Holy Prophet (s) declared him the brother of Salman. Allamah Subaiti quotes the statement of Saleh al-Ahwal who had heard Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) saying that the Holy Prophet established the bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Dharr and asked Abu Dharr not to oppose Salman.7

The status of Abu Dharr is so high that the verses of the Holy Qur'an have been revealed in his praise. Here is one of them:

“The righteous striving believers will have the gardens of Paradise as their dwelling place and therein they will live forever” .8

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) says that this verse has been revealed about Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Ammar and Salman. According to a tradition, the Prophet said that Allah had commanded him to love Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar, and he further added that he himself held them friends. According to another tradition the Prophet said,“Paradise is eager for these people” .9

Allamah Gilani writes that Abu Dharr's honour and prestige were increasing day by day in the circle of the Prophet, so much so, that when the Holy Prophet went for the Battle of Zaat al-Ruqa10 he made him the chief of Medina, and not he alone was appointed a chief but for his sake sometimes other Ghifaris also got this rank. For example, the Holy Prophet appointed Saya' bin Urfah al-Ghifari as the chief of Medina on the occasion of the Battle of Daumatul Jandal.11

It was a common practice in Arabia that whenever somebody rode a camel he made his special man his“file” . When the file sat behind, he used to hold the rider by the waist. According to this general tradition the Holy Prophet also made somebody his file. During the last pilgrimage his file was Fazl bin Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.

The companions considered it a great honour to be a file. The file of the Prophet was called“Radifun Nabi” . The scholars say that the Prophet bestowed this honour mostly upon Abu Dharr. The Prophet used to ride not only the camels but also other smaller animals. Asses have also been often seen for his riding. He used to seat Abu Dharr behind him and rode talking to him.12

Shah Walyullah Dehlavi, while describing the disturbances in Islam writes about the event of Harrah: Abu Dawud quotes Abu Dharr who said,“One day I was riding behind the Holy Prophet on an ass. When we had gone out of the populated area of Medina he asked me as to what my condition would be when hunger overtakes Medina, and I would hardly bear it before I could reach the masjid from my bed. I said, “Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Do not go for begging at that time” , Then he said,“What would be your condition when the price of a grave is equal to that of a slave due to high death rate?” I said,“Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Practise patience then” .

Again he asked,“O Abu Dharr! What will be your condition when there is such a general massacre in Medina that the stones and the sand will be soaked in blood?” I replied,“Allah and His Messenger know well” He said,“You should, then, confine yourself to your house” I asked,“Should I take the sword in hand at that time?” He replied,“If you do so you will be considered their partner” , I then asked,“O Messenger of Allah! What should I do then?” He said,“Even if you fear that the flash of the sword would dazzle your eyes, you should only cover your face with the cloth of your dress, and do not fight but be silent” .

It is given on page 176 in vol. 5 of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal (printed in Egypt) that the Holy Prophet (s) used to confide in Abu Dharr his secrets and said that he trusted him fully well. Abu Dharr, too, was very keen to guard his secrets. Whenever he was asked about a tradition he said,“Except those things which the Holy Prophet (s) has told me to keep secret I am willing to tell you everything.You may ask me whatever you want to” .

Notes

1. Mustadrak Hakim p. 342, Isabah ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, vol. 2 p. 622, Fehrist-i Tusi, p. 70

2. Tarikhul A'immah p. 251.

3. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2 p. 455, Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 166 ; Rabi'ul Abrar, chapter 23, hand written, Mamba'us Sadiqin.

4. Mishkat Sharif p. 572

5. Siratun Nabi vol.1, p.112.

6. Tarikh Abul Fida, vol. 1, p.127.

7. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari p.86 as quoted by Usulul Kafi.

8. Surah al-Kahf, 18: 107

9. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2.

10. This battle was called Zaat al-Ruqa' (the battle of Patches of Cloth) because the path was stony and rugged, on account of which the feet of the people were rent and they had tied them with patches of cloth. (Zaadul Ma'ad).

11. Zaadul Ma'ad

12. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd

Chapter 5

History bears witness that Abu Dharr was so much enlightened after embracing Islam that he became without a parallel. He achieved such perfection in purity of faith and sincerity of heart that he proved to be a beacon light for the people of insight. He enriched the people's mind with his counsels, after the appearance of Islam, taught them the lesson of equality and love, and showed them the way of obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet.

His Islamic life had been so dignified that it had no parallel. Abdullah Subaiti writes that Abu Dharr was distinguished among those companions who excelled in piety, abstemiousness, worship of Allah, truthfulness, firmness in faith and peerless in resignation to the Will of Allah. His daily diet was, during the life time of the Holy Prophet, three kilo of dates and he maintained it throughout the rest of his life.

He further writes that he was so elevated in morality and virtue that the Holy Prophet had to include him, like Salman Farsi, in Ahlul Bayt (People of his House). Hafiz Abu Na'im says that Abu Dharr was a devout worshipper, a man of piety and had a highly contented heart. He was the fourth person to have embraced Islam .He had given up all evils even before the enforcement of Islamic law. It was his cherished goal not to bow down his head before the tyrant rulers. He stood firm in bearing pains and sorrows. He won distinction in learning by heart the traditions and exhortations of the Holy Prophet.

Abu Na'im writes that Abu Dharr did great service to the Holy Prophet and acquired the knowledge of the articles of faith and articles of the practice in his company, and abstained from evils. One speciality of his was that he used to ask questions from the Holy Prophet. He learnt by heart the meanings and interpretations given by him and was very greedy in this respect. In short, as far as possible, he not only satisfied himself with his questioning but gathered a vast treasure of Islamic knowledge for the followers of Islam.

Another notable deed of his life was that he treaded on the same path which the Holy Prophet meant and approved of, and for which he had commanded. He attached himself with Imam Ali after the Holy Prophet and did not forsake him at any moment. He followed him, and received benefit from his vast knowledge. He imbibed his knowledge, asceticism worship, benevolence, moral virtues and habits. That is why the Holy Prophet said;“Abu Dharr is the most truthful of this nation” . He said at another place,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa (Jesus) in asceticism” . According to a tradition he said,“One who wants to see the austerity and modesty of Isa should look at Abu Dharr” .

It is obvious that the worship of a divine like Abu Dharr was not limited to ritual prayers only. He had practical proficiency in all the forms of worship. It is undeniable that to think over the existence of Allah and His creations is also a great worship. Abu Dharr was accomplished in this worship too.

Historians and traditionalists are unanimous that Abu Dharr had attained to the great degree of knowledge and it was because he acquired knowledge very sincerely in the company of the Holy Prophet. He put questions to the Prophet all the time and learnt his answers by heart. He had become well-versed in knowledge in his company.

The author of“Kitabud Darajatur Rafi'ah” says that Abu Dharr was reckoned in the rank of great scholars and austeres and held a distinctive rank in scholarship. He was a senior companion of the Prophet, was one of those great persons who fulfilled their covenant with Allah, viz. who kept their promise which they had made to Him about their following the complete faith, and was one of those four personalities whose love has been made obligatory on all.

Allamah Manazir Ahsan Gilani throwing light on the lofty scholarship of Abu Dharr writes:“Read the testimony of Ali, the best judge out of the companions, and the Gate of Knowledge and conclude yourself that he is right when he says, “Abu Dharr was very greedy and avaricious” .

Is this testimony of Imam Ali does not justify Abu Dharr's claim? Sometimes Abu Dharr himself said enthusiastically,“We have separated from the Holy Prophet at a time when there has not been left a single bird flying with flapping wings in the sky, about which we have not come to know some special thing” .1

Allamah Gilani writes about the knowledge of Abu Dharr,“Somebody asked Imam Ali, how he considered Abu Dharr” . He replied that ‘wa'aa 'ilman 'ajaza fihe,’ viz.“He (Abu Dharr) preserved knowledge which overpowered him” .

You have read how sensitive he was to accept impression, and can yourself surmise from the events. That is why he was always ready to act according as he heard from the Holy Prophet. Just as he tried to hear from the Holy Prophet he wanted to put it into action without the least hesitation. It was his earnest desire to see that his action completely conformed to knowledge.

Abu Dharr was so determined and firm about it that he never cared for the biggest power on earth if it came in his way. Sermons and exhortations could not shake him from the stand that he had taken. Taking pride in this distinction he sometimes said,“O people! On the Day of Judgment I shall remain nearest to the Holy Prophet's assembly, because I have heard him saying that the nearest to him on the Day of Judgment will be the man who departs from the world in the same condition in which he has left him. I swear by Allah that now nobody is left among you except I who am in my original state and have not been contaminated with anything new” .2

This was not his assertion only but the leader of the world and last of the Prophets had also certified it. It is written in the Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd that one day the Holy Prophet said,“Who amongst you will come to see me (at Kauthar) in the same condition in which I leave him” . Abu Dharr said,“I” . The Prophet said in reply to it,“You are true” , i.e. you will die in the same state of faith in which I leave you.

Imam Ali also used to say,“Now there is nobody left who does not fear the taunt and sarcasm of the reproacher in matters of Allah, except Abu Dharr” .

Hence 'ajaza fihe clearly means that Abu Dharr had been overpowered by his knowledge and information. He did not have control over doing against what he knew.

In other words, Abu Dharr acquired knowledge, knew its reality and basis and propagated it well. He never cared about anybody's reproach in communicating to the people the learnings which he had gathered from the Prophet. He was never cowed by any government. He was not moved by the politics of Mu'awiyah, nor was he overawed by the wealth of Uthman; but he called right, what the Prophet had called right, till he breathed last. He acted upon the principles and learnings as explained by the Holy Prophet and also repeated them verbally till he was exiled and died in a remotest place.

It is quoted from, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, in the book“al-Isti'ab” that Abu Dharr knew some of those secrets of knowledge which other people were unable to bear, and confined them to himself only.

Hafiz Basri writes in“Al-Mashariq” that faith has ten stages. One who has attained to the first stage, does not know the limits of the faith of the person who is in the second stage, and the one in the second stage is ignorant of the person in the third stage, and the same is the condition of all of the ten stages. Salman Farsi was at the acme of esoteric knowledge. Abu Dharr held the same position in relation to Salman as Moses had in relation to Khizr.

Kharajaski has written in“Kanz” that Salman while addressing Imam Ali used to say,“Be abi anta wa ummi ya qatila Kufah “, (O’ the martyr of Kufah! May my parents be sacrificed for you). He further said, “If I disclose those facts which I know of your (Imam Ali's) real insight an excitement will be stirred up within the people” .

Allamah Majlisi has quoted a hadith of the same type about Salman and Miqdad in“Sharhu Usulil Kafi” .

It means that when a companion cannot gauge the extent of the learning of another companion how can the common people bear the learnings of a firm believer like Abu Dharr.

Ali's above quoted remark“Knowledge overpowered Abu Dharr” can also be seen in Tabaqatul Kubra, vol. 5, Usudul Ghabah, vol. 5, and Sunan Abu Daud.

Abdul Hamid Jaudatus Sahar in his book“Al-Ishtiraki az-Zahid” writes:“Allah wanted to do good to him so he gave him the capacity and eagerness to learn, bestowed on him conviction and truthfulness and also discerning eyes and attentive ears. Hence he memorized whatever he heard from the Prophet of Islam. He got the tradition and narrated it. He was reckoned among the great traditionalists.”

Abdul Hamid writes on page 14 of the same book,“Abu Dharr was a muhaddith (narrator of hadith) of the first order, and spoke very fluent and eloquent Arabic. He was a model of a pious Muslim. Hence he became the most respectable of all the people. One day he was sitting in the masjid and was narrating, as usual, the traditions of the Prophet when a man expressed his wish to have seen the Prophet. Abu Dharr quoted the Prophet of Allah as having said that those people of his nation would love him most, who would come after him and would wish to see him even at the cost of their children and wealth” .

Morality means good habits and the knowledge of morals or ethics is a kind of practical philosophy. Abu Dharr had attained to the highest degree of morality. Good habits of the Holy Prophet reflected in his personality. There is nothing in his character which can be criticized by a just man. Whatever he did in his lifetime was an unparalleled example of morality, and whatever he said was according to the exigencies of society .This is something different if some ignorant people regard his good habits as impolite.

Allamah Subaiti says that the examples of morality set by Abu Dharr deserve commendation. The narrator says,“Seeing Abu Dharr wrapped in a black blanket in a corner of the masjid I asked him why he was sitting there alone. He said that he had heard the Holy Prophet saying: “It is better to sit in a lonely corner than to sit amidst the bad company and it is better to sit in the company of moralists than to sit in a lonely corner. To observe silence is better than telling a bad thing and to say a good thing is better than keeping quiet” .

Abu Dharr said that the Holy Prophet has told many things regarding the instruction in good morals. Here are seven of them:

1. Have friendship with poor people and try to keep them near yourself.

2. In order to improve your own condition have a look at the people of lesser means and do not compare yourself with the people of better means.

3. Do not beg of anybody for material help and make contentment your habit.

4. Have sympathy with your relatives and help them in their hour of need.

5. Do not hesitate to tell the truth even if the whole world turns against you.

6. Do not mind the reproaches of a blasphemous person about Allah.

7. Always keep saying,“La hawala wa la quwwata ilia billah” , (There is no power except Allah). In other words Allah is the Super Power. .

Abu Dharr says,“Having said these things the Prophet touching my chest with his hand said, “O Abu Dharr! No wisdom is better than good planning, no piety is better than self-control, and no beauty is better than good morals” .

Allamah Gilani quoting Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal mentions only two precepts out of the above mentioned seven, which pertain to the friendship with the poor and to look at the people of lesser means, and then writes:

“In fact, this is the best remedy of the ailment of the love for riches and love for the world. Suppose there is a man who has a shirt of Muslin and a trouser of long-cloth to wear, wheat bread and mutton to eat, and a neat and clean clay house to live in. Now, if this man compares himself with a man who has nothing except a coarse dress, a bread of barley and a cottage of straw, he will thank Allah for his better condition and will be free from the mental tortures with which he would have suffered had he compared himself to a wealthier man with costlier dresses and more delicious food. This is the best way to get worldly satisfaction and other worldly benefits. But how many of us are acting upon it today? I even say that a man will not suffer any trouble if he acts upon this principle.”

This is the only golden rule for this world and for the Hereafter, which is explained in the following sentence of Shaykh Sa'di, the celebrated poet of Iran:

“I wept for a pair of shoes unless I saw a man who had no feet” .

After love for riches another part of the love for world is the love for status and power. This is even more dangerous and a cause for the corruption of the system of the world. The mischiefs perpetrated in the world by the slaves of wealth are much less than those caused by the over-ambitious for status and power.

The real cause of this disease is that when a man feels his own perfection in some field, he forgets the power of that Being who bestows this perfection on him, and considers himself of some consequence. Then he tries to make others, who are around him, realize his importance which he has attributed to himself.

With this end in view, he prepares plans according to the power of his thinking. It is seldom seen that a slave of greed and avarice leaves any stone unturned to achieve this end. He fills his mind with hypocrisy and remains busy all the time with making the world conscious of his existence through fair and foul means.

The perfection that Abu Dharr had achieved or was about to achieve, was that of piety. It was feared that it might produce in him pride and conceit, after which the ambition of status and honour sweeps away the peace of the world and the Hereafter. Hence the Prophet prevented it before hand and addressing Abu Dharr, one day, said to him in clear words:

“Allah said: O my bondmen! You are all sinners except those whom I keep safe. So all of you must be praying to me regularly for your forgiveness. I will forgive you. I forgave the sins of the person who considers Me powerful enough to redeem the sins and that I redeem them, and of the person who prayed for the forgiveness of his sins through My power” .

“O my slaves! All of you are deviators except those whom I show the right path. Hence you should pray to Me for guidance. All of you are poor and needy except those whom I make affluent. Pray to Me for your livelihood and remember that if all of your alive and dead, old and young, vicious and virtuous, become united to practice abstinence there will not be the least addition to My existing realm, and if all of you dead and alive, old and young, vicious and virtuous gather together and request Me to fulfil their needs and I satisfy their requirements there will not be any deficiency in My dominion not even equal to the quantity of water taken out with the needle when somebody dips it into the ocean. This is because I am the Bountiful, Forgiver, Great, Exalted and Dominant over all ends” .

Can anybody take pride in his existence or achievements and accomplishments after believing in the truthfulness of the Divine Glory and Majesty which you behold in this version? Can anybody take airs even for a moment after this? Can any believer in Allah excite sedition on the face of the earth for the sake of his station in life, honour, show and perpetuity after this? Who is crazy to be proud of his piety when everyone of us is a sinner?

When all the wealth of the rich people is under the control and authority of Allah; is not he a fool who shows vanity over the purses of money? If it is correct that our great and small cannot even untidily add a jot to the grandeur of the Divine dominion, what does a man who is only a handful of dust boast of? When this is the state of his freedom from want that even in matters of guidance and mental maturity he considers His favour and power to be the real agents, on what basis does a clergyman or a reformer consider his efforts worth appreciating?

Alas! When everything belongs to Him and we are simply poor and needy why, then, is this self-conceit and why this presumption and arrogance?

These were the commands and sermons which instilled the austerity of Prophet Isa in the spirit of Abu Dharr. Anyway, this was the case and even more than that the Prophet used to stir up the ascetic nature of Abu Dharr. But we should take special view of that side of his teachings and exhortations wherein Islam stands out distinguished from all other religions.

You must be feeling tempted to think that if this was the teaching of the Holy Prophet why did Islam oppose the monastic life and consider it one of the innovations of monks and clergymen?

I want to draw your attention to the reply of this question. Generally abstinence and piety mean to leave the cities for mountains and forests to worship Allah in seclusion. Abu Dharr narrates as under:

“The Holy Prophet told me that it is also a good turn to pick up stones from the path, to help the weak is also a charity and even the sexual intercourse with the wife is a charitable act” .3

I asked the Holy Prophet in astonishment,“Is it also a charity to cohabit with ones wife, although he satisfies his urge by this act? If a man satisfies his urge, will he also get a recompense for it? The Prophet said, “Well, tell me, would it not been a sin if you had satisfied this urge through some unlawful and forbidden means?” I replied,“Certainly” . He said,“You people think of the sin but not of the good. Usually those leading the life of austerity give up their practice of earning and craftsmanship and afterwards when their worldly needs press them hard they are willy-nilly driven in to begging” .

The Prophet one day called me and said,“Would you like to swear allegiance on the point that after it there will be only Heaven for you” . I replied,“Yes” . And then I stretched out my hand. The Holy Prophet said,“I want to take word from you that you will not beg anything of anybody” . I replied,“All right” . He said,“Not even that whip which falls down from your horse. You should rather, get down and pick it up yourself” .

Abu Dharr says that the Holy Prophet told him,“Do not think any kindness and favour to be trivial and insignificant. If you have nothing to give to a Muslim brother, you should at least meet him with a smiling face” .

Abu Dharr says,“My beloved (the Prophet) has made a will to me that I should keep on showing kindness to my relatives, even if I am unable to do it completely; 4 because it is very difficult” . Anyway, one should do good to all as far as possible.

Abu Dharr's character becomes apparent when we find that he is always seen in the company of indigent and the needy and holds the poor dear. He had a deep impression of Prophet's teachings and was not among the stone-hearted companions who could not be moved by the morals of the Prophet. He was such a staunch supporter of Imam Ali that he had fully absorbed the lofty character and the good habits of the Prophet.

The order of the Prophet was:“Give your slaves and maids (subordinates) what you eat, and give them to wear what you wear” .5 And the same was the routine of Abu Dharr .He always fed his slaves and slave-girls with what he ate and gave them to wear what he himself wore.

In view of the tradition of the Holy Prophet Abu Dharr considered marriage essential. He was married but to him marriage never meant joy and happiness. He thought that marriage was the name of following the tradition of the Holy Prophet. It is learnt about him that his wife accompanied him wherever he went.

Since his wife belonged to Africa, people sometimes said,“Do you keep a black woman? He used to answer, “I consider it better to have a black and ugly wife than to have a beautiful wife and be mentioned by people simply because of my wife's beauty” . Abu Dharr had great regard for his wife.

Hospitality is not only one of the best attributes, but it is the essence of humanism. The more aware one is of the principles of Islam the more imbued will he be with the spirit of hospitality.

Na'im bin Qa'nat Riyahi says,“One day I went to see Abu Dharr and said that I loved him as well as despised him at the same time” . Abu Dharr said,“How could these two states come together?” I said,“I have been killing my children. Now I have become aware that this has been a wrong practice. So whenever I think that I should come to you to ask about its redemption and forgiveness both the emotions rise at a time. When I thought that it would be better if you told me its solution the emotion of love rose high, but when I thought that it would be painful for me forever if you declared it as irremediable hatred against you swelled up. Now I have come to you for the solution of this problem” .

Abu Dharr said,“All right! Tell me if you have done all this during the days of ignorance or after accepting Islam?”

I said,“In the days of ignorance” .

Abu Dharr said,“Your sin has been forgiven. Islam is the remedy for all such pollutions and sins” .

On hearing it I became satisfied. After it I wanted to beg leave of him when he said,“Wait!” And I stopped at his instruction.

After this he asked his wife in gestures to bring some food for the guest. At this his wife went inside and came out after a while with food.

Abu Dharr said,“Na 'im, Bismillah” (which means begin eating in the name of Allah)

Before I started I requested him also to join me. He said,“I am fasting” . Saying this he started his prayers. I started eating and when I was about to finish meals he finished his prayers and started eating.

I said,“To tell a lie is a great sin in Islam and even if I presume somebody a liar it is possible that he may be a liar, but I wonder what opinion I should form of you” .

Abu Dharr said,“You have been sitting for such a long time with me. In which thing did you find me a liar?”

I said,“A little before you told me that you were fasting and now you are eating with me” .

He told me, and“I have not told a lie. I am fasting as well as eating with you” .

I asked him,“How?”

He said,“The Holy Prophet has said that whoever observes fast on the 13th, 14th and 15th day of this month of Sha'ban, in a way observes fast for the whole month. In other words, he will get the recompense of ten fasts for each fast. As I have observed fast during these dates I have right to think from the point of view of recompense that I am fasting the whole month” .6

Allamah Bayhaqi has also narrated an event of the same kind. Its summary is as follows:

One day Abu Dharr and Abdullah bin Shafiq Uqaili went to somebody as guests. Abu Dharr had already said that he was fasting and when food was brought he started eating. Abdullah hinted,“You are fasting” . Abu Dharr said, “I remember my fast. I have not forgotten it. I always observe fast strictly on those three days of every month which are called Ayyam-al-Beez and according to the tradition of the Holy Prophet regard myself fasting.7

Notes

1. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd vol. 4, p.10

2. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd and Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

3. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

4. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

5. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal

6. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and Hayat ul-Qulub, Allamah Majlisi

7. Sunan Bayhaqi.

Chapter 6

Shaheed Thalith Allamah Nurullah Shustari writes:“He was one of the greatest companions and is reckoned among the foremost of the companions who embraced Islam. In embracing Islam his number was third, that is, he embraced Islam after Mother of the Faithful Khadijahtul Kubra and Commander of the Faithful Ali. According to the author of “Isti'ab” he was distinguished in knowledge, austerity, piety and truthfulness, among all the companions. Ali has said that Abu Dharr achieved that position in the acquisition and comprehension of religious learnings which nobody else could reach. The Holy Prophet used to say,“Abu Dharr is like Prophet Isa in my ummah. Abu Dharr possesses the same austerity as Prophet Isa had” .

According to a tradition one who wants to see the modesty of Prophet Isa should see Abu Dharr. Shaykh Saduq in his book“Uyunul Akhbar ar-Ridha” writes that Imam Ali ar-Ridha (a) has said from the authority of his forefathers that according to the hadith of the Holy Prophet,“Abu Dharr is the truthful person of this ummah” .

Ali says that Abu Dharr is the only person who will never care for any reproaches about Allah and His orders and commands, that is, he will say whatever is right and will act upon it, and will neither care for any threats in this connection, nor will he be over-awed by the power of the government.

Scholars have written that Abu Dharr had sworn allegiance to the Prophet (s) with the promise that in the faith of Allah he would not care for any reproacher and that he would speak out the truth howmuchsoever bitter it might be.

Truthfulness and courage is a quality which even the greatest personalities do not hold fast. The Holy Prophet (s) has prophesied this quality of Abu Dharr and said that Abu Dharr would perform a great role in this matter and will remain steadfast even in the face of severe persecution which he had to bear.

The Prophet said:“There is nobody more truthful than Abu Dharr between the canopy of the sky and the carpet of the earth” .1

In the elucidation of this hadith Allamah Subaiti writes:“The Holy Prophet addressing his companions said, “O my companions! Who is one out of you who will meet me on the Day of Reckoning in the same condition in which I leave him in the world?” On hearing this everyone kept quiet, except Abu Dharr who spoke that it was he. The Holy Prophet said,“No doubt! You are true” . After that he added,“O my companions! Remember what I am telling you. There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .2

Allamah Majlisi has written some narratives after having quoted the above mentioned tradition in his book Hayat ul-Qulub.

Ibn Babwayh has narrated on reliable authority that somebody asked Imam al-Sadiq if Abu Dharr was better than the Ahlul Bayt of the Holy Prophet or otherwise. The Imam said,“How many months are there in a year?” He answered,“Twelve” . The Imam said,“How many of these months are respectable and sanctified?”

He said,“Four months? The Imam asked, “Is Ramadhan also included in those four months?” He said“No” . The Imam asked“Is Ramzan better or those four months?” He answered,“The month of Ramzan is better” . The Imam said,“The same is the case with us, the Ahlul Bayt. You cannot compare anybody with us” .

One day Abu Dharr was sitting in the company of people who were describing the virtues of this nation. Abu Dharr said,“Ali is best of all in this nation, and he is the apportioner of Heaven and Hell, the Siddiq and Farooq of the ummah and, the divine proof for this nation” .

Hearing it from him those hypocrites turned their faces from him and refuting his statement called him a liar. At once Abu Amamah rose from there, went to the Holy Prophet and told him what Abu Dharr had said, and how that group had refused to accept it. The Holy Prophet (s) said,“There is no man between the earth and the sky more truthful than Abu Dharr” .

The same book has narrated on another authority that somebody asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) if that was an authentic hadith wherein the Holy Prophet (s) has declared like this. The Imam said,“Yes” . He said,“Then what positions do the Holy Prophet, Ali, Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn hold?” The Imam replied,“We are like the month of Ramadhan which contains one such night the worship of which is equal to that of one thousand months while the rest of the companions are like the respected month in relation to other months, and nobody can be compared with us, the Ahlul Bayt” .

It becomes as clear as day light from the above mentioned hadith of the Holy Prophet that Abu Dharr was second to none in truthfulness. The commentary and the elucidation of the same hadith as made by Subaiti, describes that Abu Dharr will leave the world in the same condition, in which the Prophet had left him, and will see him in the same condition in the Hereafter.

If it is looked into deeply, Abu Dharr's firm stand on the path which had been strengthened by the Holy Prophet (s) reveals his important virtue. Scholars agree on the point that Abu Dharr did not swerve an inch from the path of the Holy Prophet. After the Prophet even a companion like Salman was forced to swear allegiance and was so much beaten in the masjid one day that his neck became swollen. But Abu Dharr was never found silent.

Allamah Subaiti writes:“Abu Dharr was one of those followers of the Holy Prophet (s) who stuck to their path and stood firm on the covenant which they had made with Allah. He obeyed the Holy Prophet faithfully, followed in his footsteps and imitated his conduct. He did not leave Imam Ali (a) even for a moment, followed him to the end and received the benefits of the light of his knowledge.

Allamah Majlisi writes: Ibn Babwayh narrates on reliable authority from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) that one day Abu Dharr happened to pass by the Prophet (s) while Jibrail was talking to him in privacy in the form of “Dahyah Kalbi” . Abu Dharr went back presuming that Dahyah Kalbi was talking to the Prophet in private. After his return Jibrail said to the Prophet“O Muhammad! Abu Dharr came just now and went back without wishing me. Believe me if he had wished me I would have certainly wished him back. O Muhammad! Abu Dharr has an invocation with him which is well known among the Heavenly people. Look! When I go up to the heavens ask him of that” . He said,“All right” .

When Jibrail had left, and Abu Dharr came to the Prophet he said,“O Abu Dharr! Why did you not greet us when you came here a little before?” Abu Dharr replied,“When I came Dahyah Kalbi was sitting with you and you were busy in conversation with him. I thought you were talking about some secret things and did not consider it proper to intrude upon you. Therefore I went back” . The Holy Prophet said,“He was not Dahyah Kalbi but Jibrail who had come to me in the form of Dahyah Kalbi. O Abu Dharr! He was telling me that if you had wished him he would have wished you back. He was also telling me that you possess an invocation which is famous among the celestial people” . Abu Dharr felt very much ashamed and expressed his regret..

Then the Holy Prophet said,“O Abu Dharr! Just let me know the prayer which you read and which is talked of in the heavens” . Abu Dharr then told him the following prayer:

“Allahumma Inni Asalukal amna wal eimana bika wat tasdiqa bi nabiyyika wal afiyata min jami’il blaa'e wa shukra ‘alal afiyate wal ghina ‘an shirarin naase” .3

We find countless traditions of both Shi'ahs and Sunnis in which special orders have been given for the love of four companions. Scholars say that those four companions are Ali, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Salman. Umar Kashi, writes in his Rijal, Abu Ja'far Qummi in Khasa'il, Abdullah Humayri in Qurbul Asnad, Shaykh Mufid in Ikhtisas, Ayashi in his commentary, Saduq in Uyun Akhbar ar-Ridha, Abdul Barr in Isti'ab, Ibn Sa'd in Tabaqat and the author of Usudul Ghabah in his book:“The Holy Prophet (s) says that Allah has commanded me to keep my four companions my friends and love them, and I have also been told that He (Allah) too holds them as friends. Here are the names of those four companions: 1. Ali bin Abi Talib. 2. Abu Dharr Ghifari 3. Miqdad bin Aswad 4. Salman Farsi.” 4

A tradition says that by four companions are meant Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar. Scholars are of the opinion that these are the companions whom the Heaven and the dwellers of Heaven are fond of. It is narrated in a tradition that when a proclaimer will proclaim on the Day of Judgment,“Where are those companions of Muhammad bin Abdullah who did not break their promise of love for Ahlul Bayt al-Risalah, but remained steadfast to it?” Salman, Miqdad and Abu Dharr will stand up.

Allamah Nuri writes quoting Rauzatul Wai'zin of Shaykh Shahid Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Ali bin Fital Nishapuri that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) has said,“There are ten degrees of faith. Miqdad has attained to eight degrees, Abu Dharr to nine and Salman to all the ten of them.”

Bond of brotherhood refers to that historical event in which the Holy Prophet had established brotherhood in the pairs of his companions before and after his migration.

Before the migration he established the bond of brotherhood between two companions so that they may remain sympathetic to each other. In this brotherhood he had in consideration the agreement of the temperaments of the pair. He made those two companions brother to each other as they had the similarity of nature and consonance of temperament. In this way he declared brotherhood between Abu Bakr and Umar, Talhah and Zubayr, Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Hamza and Zayd bin Harithah, Salman and Abu Dharr and between Ali and himself.

Then five or eight months after the migration the Holy Prophet again established the bond of brotherhood in the same way. It was necessary to establish brotherhood between the immigrants and the supporters in order to create sympathy between them. In this connection he established brotherhood among fifty companions.

Allamah Shibli No'mani writes:“Islam has in its domain the best morals and perfect virtues. It was kept in view that the companions between whom the relationship of brotherhood was established had the similarity of taste. This unity of taste between the teacher and the student is necessary for the assimilation of knowledge. On inquiry and examination it is learnt that this unity of taste of those two who were made brothers was taken into consideration, and when we see that it is nearly impossible to judge completely and correctly the temperaments and tastes of hundreds of people in such a short time, it will have to be acknowledged that the Holy Prophet's judgment was an example of specific attribute of Prophethood” .5

Besides, this is also worthy of note that the Prophet got nobody possessing the taste of Ali either among the“Muhajirin” (immigrants) or the“Ansar” (supporters). Ali said,“O Messenger of Allah! With whom have you united me as brother? He replied, “You are my brother in this world as well as in the Hereafter” . That is why Ali announced again and again from the pulpit of the Masjid of Kufa,“I am the slave of Allah and brother of the Prophet of Allah” .6 The Holy Prophet also said about Salman,“Salman is one of our Ahlul Bayt (People of the House)” .

In my opinion this is also one of the superior merits of Abu Dharr that a person of mature judgment like the Holy Prophet (s) declared him the brother of Salman. Allamah Subaiti quotes the statement of Saleh al-Ahwal who had heard Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) saying that the Holy Prophet established the bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Dharr and asked Abu Dharr not to oppose Salman.7

The status of Abu Dharr is so high that the verses of the Holy Qur'an have been revealed in his praise. Here is one of them:

“The righteous striving believers will have the gardens of Paradise as their dwelling place and therein they will live forever” .8

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) says that this verse has been revealed about Abu Dharr, Miqdad, Ammar and Salman. According to a tradition, the Prophet said that Allah had commanded him to love Salman, Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Ammar, and he further added that he himself held them friends. According to another tradition the Prophet said,“Paradise is eager for these people” .9

Allamah Gilani writes that Abu Dharr's honour and prestige were increasing day by day in the circle of the Prophet, so much so, that when the Holy Prophet went for the Battle of Zaat al-Ruqa10 he made him the chief of Medina, and not he alone was appointed a chief but for his sake sometimes other Ghifaris also got this rank. For example, the Holy Prophet appointed Saya' bin Urfah al-Ghifari as the chief of Medina on the occasion of the Battle of Daumatul Jandal.11

It was a common practice in Arabia that whenever somebody rode a camel he made his special man his“file” . When the file sat behind, he used to hold the rider by the waist. According to this general tradition the Holy Prophet also made somebody his file. During the last pilgrimage his file was Fazl bin Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.

The companions considered it a great honour to be a file. The file of the Prophet was called“Radifun Nabi” . The scholars say that the Prophet bestowed this honour mostly upon Abu Dharr. The Prophet used to ride not only the camels but also other smaller animals. Asses have also been often seen for his riding. He used to seat Abu Dharr behind him and rode talking to him.12

Shah Walyullah Dehlavi, while describing the disturbances in Islam writes about the event of Harrah: Abu Dawud quotes Abu Dharr who said,“One day I was riding behind the Holy Prophet on an ass. When we had gone out of the populated area of Medina he asked me as to what my condition would be when hunger overtakes Medina, and I would hardly bear it before I could reach the masjid from my bed. I said, “Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Do not go for begging at that time” , Then he said,“What would be your condition when the price of a grave is equal to that of a slave due to high death rate?” I said,“Allah and His Messenger know it best” , He said,“O Abu Dharr! Practise patience then” .

Again he asked,“O Abu Dharr! What will be your condition when there is such a general massacre in Medina that the stones and the sand will be soaked in blood?” I replied,“Allah and His Messenger know well” He said,“You should, then, confine yourself to your house” I asked,“Should I take the sword in hand at that time?” He replied,“If you do so you will be considered their partner” , I then asked,“O Messenger of Allah! What should I do then?” He said,“Even if you fear that the flash of the sword would dazzle your eyes, you should only cover your face with the cloth of your dress, and do not fight but be silent” .

It is given on page 176 in vol. 5 of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal (printed in Egypt) that the Holy Prophet (s) used to confide in Abu Dharr his secrets and said that he trusted him fully well. Abu Dharr, too, was very keen to guard his secrets. Whenever he was asked about a tradition he said,“Except those things which the Holy Prophet (s) has told me to keep secret I am willing to tell you everything.You may ask me whatever you want to” .

Notes

1. Mustadrak Hakim p. 342, Isabah ibn Hajar 'Asqalani, vol. 2 p. 622, Fehrist-i Tusi, p. 70

2. Tarikhul A'immah p. 251.

3. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2 p. 455, Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 166 ; Rabi'ul Abrar, chapter 23, hand written, Mamba'us Sadiqin.

4. Mishkat Sharif p. 572

5. Siratun Nabi vol.1, p.112.

6. Tarikh Abul Fida, vol. 1, p.127.

7. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari p.86 as quoted by Usulul Kafi.

8. Surah al-Kahf, 18: 107

9. Hayat ul-Qulub, vol. 2.

10. This battle was called Zaat al-Ruqa' (the battle of Patches of Cloth) because the path was stony and rugged, on account of which the feet of the people were rent and they had tied them with patches of cloth. (Zaadul Ma'ad).

11. Zaadul Ma'ad

12. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd


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