Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Embraces Islam

5. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Embraces Islam.

     Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (radiyallahu 'anhu) is famous among the sahabah for his piety and knowledge. 'Ali (radiyallahu 'anhu) used to say : "Abu Dharr possesses such knowledge as other people are unable to learn." 

     When he first got news of Rasulullah 's nubuwwah, he sent his brother to Makkah to find out about the person who claimed to be receiving Divine revelation and news of the heavens. His brother returned after necessary enquiries, and told him that he found Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) to be a man of good habits and excellent conduct, and that his wonderful revelations were neither poetry nor the sayings of the magicians?

     This report did not satisfy him, and he decided to set out for Makkah and find out the facts for himself. On reaching Makkah, he went straight to the masjid of the ka'bah. He did not know Rasullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) and he did not consider it advisable (under the circumstances prevailing at that time) to enquire about him from anybody. When it became dark, 'Ali (radiyallahu 'anhu) noticed him, seeing a stanger, could not ignore him, as hospitality and care for the travellers, the poor and the strangers, were the sahabah's second nature. He, therefore, took him to his place. He did not ask him the purpose of his visit to Makkah, nor did Abu Dharr himself tell him.

     Next day, he again went to the masjid of the ka'bah and stayed there till nightfall without being able to learn who Rasulullah was. In fact everybody knew that Rasulullah and his companions were being opposed in Makkah, and Abu Dharr might have been afraid about the result of his search for the Nabi (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) not have any talk with him about the purpose of his visit to the city. On the third night, however, after 'Ali had entertained him as on the two previous nights, he asked him: "Brother, what brings you to this town?" 

     Before replying, Abu Dharr took an undertaking from 'Ali (radiyallahu 'anhu), that he would speak the truth, and then he enquired  from him about Muhammad (sallalahu 'alaihi wasallam). 'Ali (radiyallahu 'anhu) replied: "He is truly the Rasul of Allah. You accompany me tomorrow and I shall take you to him. But you have to be very careful,  lest people come to know of your association with me, and you get into trouble. When on our way I fear some trouble, I shall get aside pretending some necessity or adjusting my shoes, and you will proceed ahead without stopping, so that the people may not connect us."

     Next day, he followed 'Ali (radiyallahu 'alaihi wasallam). who took him before Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). In the very first meeting, he embraced Islam. Rasulluallah (sallallahu'alaihi wasallam), fearing that the Quraysh might harm him, and asked not to disclose his acceptance of Islam, and told  him to go back to his clan and return when Muslims had gained power. Abu Dharr (radiyallahu 'anhu) replied: "O Rasul of Allah! By Him who is the Master of my soul, I must go and recite the kalimah in the midst of these nonbelievers."

     True to his word, he went straight to the masjid of the Ka'bah and, right in  the midst of the crowd and at the top of his voice, recited:

           "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and i bear witness that Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is the messenger of Allah."

      People fell upon him from all sides, and would have beaten him to death if 'Abbas (Rasulullah's uncle, who had not till then embraced Islam) had not fallen upon him to save him. 'Abbas said to the mob: "Do you know who he is? He belongs to the Ghifar clan, who live on the route of our caravans Syria. If he is killed, they will close the route  to Syria and we shall not be able to trade with that country." This appealed to their good sense and they left him alone. The next day,  Abu Dharr (radiyallahu 'anhu) repeated his declaration of iman and would have surely been beaten to death by the crowd, had not  'Abbas intervened once again and save him for the second time.

  

      Note: The action of Abu Dharr (radiyallahu 'anhu) was due to his great desire to proclaim the kalimah among the nonbelievers and the prohibition by Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) was due to his concern for Abu Dharr (radiyallahu 'anhu), so that he may not suffer hardships which might prove too much for him. There is not the slightest disobedience in this story. Since Rasulullah ( sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) himself was undergoing all sorts of hardships in spreading the message of Islam, Abu Dharr (radiyallahu 'anhu) also thought it fit to follow his example, rather than to accept his permission to avoid danger. It was this spirit of of the Sahabah that took them to the heights of worldy and spiritual progress. When a person once recited the kalimah and entered the fold of  Islam, no power on earth could trun him back and no oppression or tyranny could stop him from propagation of Islam.. . . . . . . . .

Posted   By   Azeem Ullah Shinwari