Mukhtasar Muslim

‘Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Samit narrates that’ Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I, my brother Anis, and our mother, all three of us, left our tribe Ghifar, who used to consider even the sacred months as permissible. So we went to stay with one of our maternal uncles. He treated us well and did good to us, but his people became jealous of us and said to him, “When you leave your house, Anis commits adultery with your wife.” He came to us and foolishly spread this rumor. I said, “The favor you did to us has now been spoiled; we can no longer stay with you.” So we went to our camels, loaded our belongings, and our uncle wrapped himself in his cloth and began to weep. We left until we camped in front of Makkah. Anis made a bet with our camels for an equal number of others. Then both went to a soothsayer, and the soothsayer said to Anis, “He is better.” So Anis brought us all the camels and as many more. Abu Dharr said, “O son of my brother! I had performed prayer three years before meeting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” I asked, “For whom did you pray?” Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “For Allah, the Exalted.” I asked, “In which direction did you face?” He said, “I faced wherever Allah turned my face.” I would pray ‘Isha at the end of the night and would lie like a blanket until the sun rose. Anis said, “I have some work in Makkah; you stay here, I will go.” He went and was delayed in returning. When he came back, I asked, “What did you do?” He replied, “I met a man in Makkah who is upon your religion and says that Allah has sent him.” I asked, “What do people call him?” He said, “People call him a poet, a soothsayer, and a magician.” Anis himself was a poet. He said, “I have heard the words of soothsayers, but the words this man recites are not those of soothsayers. I have measured his speech against all the meters of poetry, but after me, it will not fit anyone’s tongue like poetry. By Allah, he is truthful and the people are liars.” I said, “You stay here, I will go and see this man.” Then I came to Makkah and picked out a weak person from among the people of Makkah (because a strong person might harm me), and asked him, “Where is the man whom you call a Sabi’ (renegade)?” He pointed at me and said, “This is the Sabi’ (since you are asking about the Sabi’).” Hearing this, all the people of the valley attacked me with stones and bones until I fell unconscious. When I regained consciousness and stood up, I saw myself as if I were a red idol (i.e., covered in blood from head to toe). Then I came to Zamzam, washed off all the blood, and drank Zamzam water. So, O my nephew! I stayed there for thirty nights or thirty days, and I had no food except Zamzam water (whenever I felt hungry, I drank it). Then I became fat until the folds of my belly hung down (from obesity), and I did not feel any weakness from hunger in my chest. Once, the people of Makkah slept on a moonlit night, and at that time no one was performing Tawaf of the Ka’bah except two women who were calling upon Isaf and Na’ila (Isaf and Na’ila were two idols in Makkah; Isaf was a man and Na’ila was a woman, and the disbelievers believed that both had committed adultery there, so they were transformed into idols). They came before me while performing Tawaf. I said, “Marry one to the other (i.e., Isaf to Na’ila).” Even after hearing this, they did not desist from their act. Then I openly said, “Put a stick in their private parts (i.e., this obscenity is due to the worship of Isaf and Na’ila),” and I did not use a euphemism (i.e., I did not use indirect language but openly cursed Isaf and Na’ila to anger those accursed women who, in the House of Allah, called upon Isaf and Na’ila instead of Allah). Hearing this, both women screamed and left, saying, “If only there were someone from our people here (who would punish this man for his disrespect)!” On the way, they met the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who were descending from the mountain. They asked the women, “What happened?” They replied, “A Sabi’ has come who is hiding in the curtains of the Ka’bah.” They asked, “What did this Sabi’ say?” They replied, “He said something that fills the mouth (i.e., we cannot utter it).” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came, kissed the Black Stone, performed Tawaf with his companion, and prayed. When they finished the prayer, Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I was the first to offer the greeting and said, ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah!’” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.” Then he asked, “Who are you?” I said, “A man from Ghifar.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lowered his hand and placed his fingers on his forehead (as if in remembrance). I thought to myself, perhaps he disliked that I said I was from (the tribe of) Ghifar. I reached out to take the Prophet’s hand, but his companion (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him), who knew more about the Prophet’s condition than I did, stopped me. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and asked, “When did you come here?” I replied, “I have been here for thirty nights or days.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Who feeds you?” I said, “Nothing except Zamzam water.” Then I became fat until the folds of my belly bent, and I do not feel any weakness from hunger in my chest. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Zamzam water is blessed; it is food and fills the belly like food.” Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to feed him tonight.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) left, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and I went with them. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) opened a door and brought out some dried grapes from Ta’if; this was the first food I ate in Makkah. Then I stayed as long as I stayed, and after that I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said, “A land of date palms has been shown to me; I think that land is none other than Yathrib.” (Yathrib was the name of Madinah.) “So, on my behalf, invite your people to the religion; perhaps Allah will benefit them through you and reward you.” I went to Anis, and he asked, “What did you do?” I said, “I have accepted Islam and affirmed the Prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” He said, “I do not dislike your religion; I too have accepted Islam and affirmed his Prophethood.” Then we both went to our mother, and she said, “I do not dislike your religion either; I too have accepted Islam and affirmed it.” Then we loaded our belongings on the camels until we reached our tribe Ghifar. Half of the tribe became Muslim, and their leader was Ima’ bin Rahda Ghifari, who was also their chief. The other half said, “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) comes to Madinah, we will become Muslim.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah, and the remaining half also became Muslim. The people of (the tribe of) Aslam came and said, “O Messenger of Allah! We too become Muslim like our Ghifari brothers.” So they also became Muslim. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah has forgiven Ghifar, and Allah has saved Aslam (from killing and captivity).”