Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Salman narrates that I was from the descendants of the horsemen of Persia. And I was in a school and there were two boys with me. When these two boys returned from their teacher, they went to a priest and entered upon him. So I also entered upon the priest with them. The priest said: Did I not forbid you both (boys) from bringing anyone to me? Hazrat Salman says: I started going to that priest. Until I became more beloved to him than those two boys. Hazrat Salman says: The priest said to me: When your family asks you who kept you back, say: My teacher did. And when your teacher asks you, who kept you back, say: My family did.

2. Then that priest intended to move from there. So I said to the priest: I will also migrate with you. So I migrated with him and we settled in a town. A woman used to come to him there. Then, when the time of the priest’s death approached, the priest said to me: O Salman! Dig a pit near my head. I dug a pit near him and found a pot of dirhams. The priest said to me: Pour this pot over my chest. I poured the pot over his chest. Then the priest said: Woe to my hoarding. Then the priest died. I intended to take the dirhams. Then I remembered his words, so I left the dirhams. Then I informed the priests and worshippers of his death, so they came to him. I said to those present: This deceased has left some wealth. Hazrat Salman says: Some young men from the town stood up and said: This is our father’s wealth. So they took the wealth.

3. Hazrat Salman says: I said to the worshippers: Tell me of a knowledgeable man so that I may follow him. They replied: We do not know anyone on the face of the earth more knowledgeable than the man of Hims. So I went to him and met him and told him the whole story. Hazrat Salman says: He said: Did only the search for knowledge bring you here? I replied: Only the search for knowledge brought me here. He said: Today, I do not know anyone on the face of the earth more knowledgeable than a man who comes to Bayt al-Maqdis every year. If you set out now, you will find his donkey present. Hazrat Salman says: I set out and suddenly found his donkey at the gate of Bayt al-Maqdis. So I sat with him and the man left. I did not see that man for a whole year. Then the man came, so I said to him: O servant of Allah! What did you do with me? He asked: And (did) you remain here? I replied: Yes! He said: By Allah! I do not know anyone more knowledgeable than the man who has appeared in the land of Tayma. If you set out now, you will find him, and he will have three signs. That person will eat gifts, and will not eat charity, and on his right shoulder near the soft bone will be the seal of Prophethood, which will resemble a pigeon’s egg and its color will be like the skin.

4. Hazrat Salman says: So I set out, while the ups and downs of the land affected me. Until I passed by some villagers, and they made me a slave, then they sold me. Until a woman in Madinah bought me. I heard people mentioning the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Life was very hard. I said to that woman: Gift me for a day. She said: Fine. I went and gathered wood and sold it and prepared food. Then I took that food to the service of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The food was a little. I placed the food before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: What is this? I said: It is charity. He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: Eat. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not eat himself. He says: I said: This is one of the signs of that person.

5. Then I stayed as long as Allah willed, then I said to my mistress: Gift me for a day. She said: Fine. I went and gathered wood and sold it at a higher price than before and