Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 12903 — Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be)

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) related to them the story of the beginning of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr's (may Allah be pleased with him) acceptance of Islam. He said: When the news reached him (Abu Dharr) that a man had appeared in Makkah claiming to be a prophet, he sent his brother and said: Go to Makkah, listen to him, and bring me news of him. So his brother went to Makkah, heard the news of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and returned to Abu Dharr and told him that he enjoins good, forbids evil, and teaches noble character. Abu Dharr said: You have not satisfied me. Then he took a waterskin and a vessel and set off until he reached Makkah. There he was afraid to ask anyone about anything, and he could not meet the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until night fell. When the night grew dark, Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by and asked: Who is this man? Abu Dharr said: A man from the tribe of Ghifar. (Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:) Come, let us go to my house. So he took him to his house, and neither of them asked the other about anything. In the morning Abu Dharr went out to meet the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) but could not meet him, so he stood in a corner of the mosque. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by him again and said: Has the time still not come for this man to know his lodging? So he took him again, and neither of them asked the other about anything. When the third day came, Abu Dharr took a promise from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that if he told him his purpose, he would conceal it and keep it secret. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) did so, and Abu Dharr said: News has reached me that a man has appeared in Makkah claiming to be a prophet. I sent my brother, but he could not bring me anything that satisfied me, so I have come myself to find out about him. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Follow behind me. If I sense any danger to you, I will stop as if I am urinating and come back to you; and if I sense no danger, keep following me. So Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) set off, and Abu Dharr kept following him until they both came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He told him (peace and blessings be upon him) his story and listened to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he became Muslim and said: O Messenger of Allah, give me your command. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Return to your people until news of me reaches you." He said: No, by Allah, I will not return until I have proclaimed Islam. So he went out to the mosque, called out aloud and said: I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. At this the idolaters said: This man has turned from his religion! This man has turned from his religion! And they beat him until he fell. Then Sayyiduna al-Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by and bent over him, then said: O people of Quraysh, you are traders, and your route passes through the land of Ghifar; do you want us to cut off your route? So they left him alone. On the second day he repeated the same words, and they beat him again; then Sayyiduna al-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by him and said the same thing to them, and they left him alone. This was the beginning of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr's (may Allah be pleased with him) acceptance of Islam.