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Hadith 1470
Narrated Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both): Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I was a man from the tribe of Ghifar. We received news that a man had appeared in Makkah who claimed to be a Prophet. So I said to my brother, “Go to this man, speak to him, and tell me about his situation.” He went, met the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and then returned. I asked him, “What did you see?” He said, “By Allah, I saw a man who commands good and forbids evil.” (He only said this much.) I said to him, “This report does not satisfy me.” So I took a water-skin and my staff and set out for Makkah. I did not know the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and did not think it appropriate to ask anyone about him. I kept drinking Zamzam water and stayed in the mosque. Then (one day) Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by me and said, “You seem to be a traveler.” Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I replied, “Yes!” He (Ali) said, “Come with me to my house.” I went with him; he did not ask me anything, nor did I tell him anything.
The next morning, I went to the mosque again, hoping to ask someone about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but I found no one who could tell me anything about him. (Abu Dharr said:) Then Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by me again and said, “Has this man (meaning me) not found his place yet?” I said, “No.” He said, “Come with me.” Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me, “Tell me, what is your purpose? For what reason have you come to this city?” I said to him, “If you promise to keep it secret, I will tell you.” He said, “I will do so.” So I said, “We received news that a man has appeared here who claims to be a Prophet. I sent my brother to speak to him, but the report he brought did not satisfy me, so I decided to meet him myself.” (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Indeed, you have found the right path (by meeting me). I also go to him, so follow me. Wherever I enter, you also enter. If I see anything that causes fear on the way, I will stand by a wall as if I am cleaning my shoe, and you should pass by.”
Then (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) set off, and I (Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) went with him until he entered a house, and I entered with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was there. I said to him, “Teach me Islam.” So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me, and I became Muslim right there (at that moment). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “O Abu Dharr! Conceal this matter (your faith) and return to your homeland. When you hear of our victory, then come.” I said, “(O Messenger of Allah!) By Him Who sent you with the truth, I will proclaim this (testimony) among them (the disbelievers), whatever may happen.” So (Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) went to the mosque, where the disbelievers of Quraysh were present. (Abu Dharr) said, “O people of Quraysh! I bear witness that there is no (true) god except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His servant and His Messenger.” (Upon hearing this) they said, “Get up and deal with this apostate!” So they stood up and beat me severely, intending to kill me. Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me, leaned over me, and then turned to them and said, “Woe to you! (What are you doing?) You are killing a man from the tribe of Ghifar, while your trade and travel route passes by their territory.” (Upon hearing this) they left me alone.
The next day, I came to the mosque again and proclaimed as I had done the previous day. (The disbelievers of Quraysh) said, “Get up! Deal with this apostate!” and they beat me as they had done the day before. Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me again, came and leaned over me, and said the same thing he had said the previous day. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: This is how Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam.
The next morning, I went to the mosque again, hoping to ask someone about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but I found no one who could tell me anything about him. (Abu Dharr said:) Then Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by me again and said, “Has this man (meaning me) not found his place yet?” I said, “No.” He said, “Come with me.” Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me, “Tell me, what is your purpose? For what reason have you come to this city?” I said to him, “If you promise to keep it secret, I will tell you.” He said, “I will do so.” So I said, “We received news that a man has appeared here who claims to be a Prophet. I sent my brother to speak to him, but the report he brought did not satisfy me, so I decided to meet him myself.” (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Indeed, you have found the right path (by meeting me). I also go to him, so follow me. Wherever I enter, you also enter. If I see anything that causes fear on the way, I will stand by a wall as if I am cleaning my shoe, and you should pass by.”
Then (Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) set off, and I (Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) went with him until he entered a house, and I entered with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was there. I said to him, “Teach me Islam.” So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me, and I became Muslim right there (at that moment). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “O Abu Dharr! Conceal this matter (your faith) and return to your homeland. When you hear of our victory, then come.” I said, “(O Messenger of Allah!) By Him Who sent you with the truth, I will proclaim this (testimony) among them (the disbelievers), whatever may happen.” So (Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him) went to the mosque, where the disbelievers of Quraysh were present. (Abu Dharr) said, “O people of Quraysh! I bear witness that there is no (true) god except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is His servant and His Messenger.” (Upon hearing this) they said, “Get up and deal with this apostate!” So they stood up and beat me severely, intending to kill me. Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me, leaned over me, and then turned to them and said, “Woe to you! (What are you doing?) You are killing a man from the tribe of Ghifar, while your trade and travel route passes by their territory.” (Upon hearing this) they left me alone.
The next day, I came to the mosque again and proclaimed as I had done the previous day. (The disbelievers of Quraysh) said, “Get up! Deal with this apostate!” and they beat me as they had done the day before. Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) saw me again, came and leaned over me, and said the same thing he had said the previous day. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: This is how Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam.
