Fath al-Rabbani

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We set out as a delegation from our tribe Ghifar, who used to consider the sacred months permissible. I (Abu Dharr), my brother Anis, and my mother set out and stayed with our maternal uncle, who was wealthy and held a good position. He honored us greatly and did good to us, but his people became jealous of us. So they said: When you go out from your family, Anis comes to them. Thus, our uncle came and began to backbite us regarding what was said to him. I said to him: The good you did to us, you have now spoiled it, and henceforth we will not come to you. We reached our camels, mounted them, and set off. My uncle covered himself with a cloth and began to weep. We kept going and camped near Mecca. Anis boasted to a man about our camels and an equal number of others. Both of them went to a soothsayer for judgment, and he chose Anis. So Anis came to us with our camels and as many more. He said: O my nephew! I have been praying for three years before meeting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: For whom? He said: For Allah, the Exalted. I said: In which direction did you face? He said: In whichever direction my Lord turned my face. I used to pray the night prayer in the last part of the night. Now I lay down in silence until the sun rose. Anis said: I have some work in Mecca, so suffice for me. Anis left, reached Mecca, and repaid my good with evil. Then he returned. I asked: What did you do there? He said: I met a man in Mecca who is upon your religion; he claims that Allah, the Exalted, has sent him. I said: What do people say about him? He said: People call him a poet, a soothsayer, and a magician. Anis himself was a poet. He said: But I have heard the words of soothsayers and compared his words to the speech of eloquent poets, but no tongue can judge that (the words of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) are poetry. By Allah! He is truthful and the people are liars. I said: Now suffice for me, so that I may also go and see (what the real matter is). He said: Beware of the people of Mecca, for they dislike him. I reached Mecca and stayed as a guest with a man and asked him: Where is the man whom you call irreligious? He pointed at me and said: This is the irreligious one. (Upon hearing this) the people of the valley attacked me with clods of earth and bones, and I fell unconscious. When (I regained consciousness and) got up, it seemed as if I was a red stone. I came to the water of Zamzam, washed off the blood, drank its water, and entered inside the curtains of the Ka’bah. O my nephew! I stayed there for thirty days. I had no food except Zamzam, and by drinking it I became fat (i.e., I made up for the lack of food) and filled the folds of my stomach. I did not feel any emaciation due to hunger. (Days passed and) one day in Mecca, it was a moonlit night and the sky was clear, suddenly they heard a voice that no one should circumambulate the House of Allah, and two women were calling upon Isaf and Na’ila. He said: They passed by me during the circumambulation, and I said: Marry one to the other. But they did not desist from their words. (During another round) they passed by me again. I said: The private part is like wood, and I did not speak metaphorically. Both of them went away screaming and shouting, saying: If only there was a man from our group here! He said: Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr were coming down (from a height) in front of them. He said: What has happened to you? They said: Between the Ka’bah and its curtains is an irreligious one. He said: What did he say to you? They said: He said such a thing that fills the mouth. At that moment, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and touched the Black Stone, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companion circumambulated the House of Allah and then prayed. When they finished the prayer, Abu Dharr said: I was the first person to greet them with the greeting of Islam and said: O Messenger of Allah! Peace be upon you. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Then he said: Who are you? I said: I am from the tribe of Ghifar. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) lowered his hand and placed his finger on his forehead. I thought to myself that perhaps he disliked my attribution to Ghifar. I wanted to take his hand, but his companion stopped me, and he knew him better than I did. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and asked: How long have you been in this place? I said: I have been here for thirty days. Then he said: Who has been feeding you? I said: I had no food except the water of Zamzam; by drinking it I became fat and filled the folds of my stomach, and I did not feel any emaciation due to hunger. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This water is blessed, and it is food that suffices for food. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! Allow me, tonight I will feed him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) gave permission. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr set out, and I went with them. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) opened the door and began to bring dates from Ta’if. This was the first food I ate. Then I stayed there for some time. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A land of dates has been made subservient to me; I think it is Yathrib (Medina). Will you convey my message to your people? Perhaps Allah, the Exalted, will benefit them through you and grant you reward because of them. I went to Anis. He asked: What have you done? I said: I have accepted Islam and affirmed it. He said: I do not dislike your religion; I too have submitted and affirmed. We both went to our mother, and she said: I do not dislike your religion either; I too have become Muslim and submitted. We mounted and reached our tribe Ghifar. Half the tribe became Muslim. Ima’ bin Rahda Ghifari, who was their chief, used to lead them in prayer. And half the tribe said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) comes to Medina, we too will become Muslim. So when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Medina, those people of the other half of the tribe also became Muslim. The people of the tribe of Aslam came and said: O Messenger of Allah! We become Muslim upon that which our brothers became Muslim. Then they became Muslim, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The tribe of Ghifar—may Allah forgive it, and the tribe of Aslam—may Allah keep it in peace.