Muslim

Hudhab bin Khalid Azdi said: Sulaiman bin Mughira narrated to us, he said: Humaid bin Hilal informed us from Abdullah bin Samit, who said that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I, my brother Anis, and our mother, all three of us, left from our tribe Ghifar, who used to consider the sacred months as permissible. So we went to 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 spread this rumor foolishly. I said: "The favor you did to us is now ruined, we cannot stay with you anymore." 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 Mecca. Anis made a bet with our camels for an equal number more. 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 prayed 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 in the direction Allah turned my face." I used to pray the Isha prayer in the last part of the night and would lie like a blanket until the sun rose. Anis said: "I have some work in Mecca, you stay here, I will go." He went and delayed his return. When he came back, I asked: "What did you do?" He said: "I met a man in Mecca 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." And Anis himself was a poet. He said: "I have heard the words of soothsayers, but the words this man recites are not the words of soothsayers, and I have measured his words against all the meters of poetry, but after me, no one's tongue will be able to compose poetry like it. 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 Mecca and picked out a weak person from among the people of Mecca (because a strong person might harm me), and asked him: "Where is the man whom you call a Sabi (apostate)?" 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 that I was as if 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 the weakness of hunger in my chest. Once, the people of Mecca slept on a moonlit night, and at that time no one was circumambulating the Ka'bah except two women who were calling upon Isaf and Na'ilah (Isaf and Na'ilah were two idols in Mecca; Isaf was a man and Na'ilah a woman, and the disbelievers believed that they committed adultery there, so they were transformed into idols), they came before me while circumambulating. I said: "Marry one to the other (i.e., Isaf to Na'ilah)." Hearing this, they did not desist from their act. Then I said openly: "Put wood in their private parts (i.e., this obscenity is due to the worship of Isaf and Na'ilah)," and I did not use a euphemism (i.e., I did not use indirect language but openly cursed Isaf and Na'ilah to anger those accursed women who were calling upon them in Allah's House instead of Allah)." Hearing this, both women screamed and said: "If only there was someone from our people (to punish this man for his disrespect)." On the way, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) met them as they were descending from the mountain. They asked the women: "What happened?" They said: "A Sabi has come who is hiding in the curtains of the Ka'bah." They asked: "What did this Sabi say?" They said: "He said something that fills the mouth (i.e., they could not utter it)." And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came until he kissed the Black Stone, circumambulated with his companion, and prayed. When they finished praying, Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I was the first to greet and said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: '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 that perhaps he disliked that I said I was from (the tribe of) Ghifar. I reached out to take his 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 said: 'When did you come here?' I replied: 'I have been here for thirty nights or days.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Who feeds you?' I said: 'I have nothing except Zamzam water.' Then I became fat until the folds of my belly turned over, and I do not feel the weakness of hunger in my chest.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Zamzam water is blessed, it is food and it fills like food.' Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to host him tonight.' Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) left, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as well, and I went with both of 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 Mecca. 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 with date palms has been shown to me, and I think that land is none other than Yathrib.' (Yathrib was the name of Madinah). Then he said: 'Go to your people and invite them to the religion on my behalf; 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 Rahdah 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.'"

This hadlth has been narrated on the authority of Humaid bin Hilal with the same chain of transmitters but with this addition:" As I came to Makkah, Unais said: (Well), go but be on your guard against the Makkahns for they are his enemies and are annoyed with him."

Abdullah bin Samit reported that Abu Dharr (RA) said: Son of my brother, I used to observe prayer two years before the advent of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) . I said: To which direction did you turn your face? He said: To which Allah directed me to turn my face. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this addition that they went to a Kahin and his brother Unais began to praise him until he (in verses declared) him (Unais) as winner (in the contest of poetry), and so we got his camels, mixed them with our camels, and there is in this hadith also these words that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) came there and he circumambulated the House and observed two Rak'ahs of prayer behind the Station (of Ibrahim). I came to him and I was the first amongst persons to greet him with Assalam-o-'Alaikum, and I said to Allah's Messenger Let there be peace upon you. And he said: Let there be peace upon you too; who are you? And in the hadith (these words are) also found: Since how long have you been here? And Abu Bakr (RA) said: Let him be my guest tonight.

Ibn 'Abbas reported that when Abu Dharr (RA) heard of the advent of the Apostle (ﷺ) in Makkah he said: Brother, ride in this valley and bring information for me about the person who claims that there comes to him information from the Heavens. Listen to his words and then come to me. So he rode on until he came to Makkah and he heard his words (the sacred words of the Holy Prophet) and then came back to Abu Dharr (RA) and said: I have seen him exhorting (people) to develop good morals and his expressions can in no way be termed as poetry. He (Abu Dharr) said: I have not been satisfied with it regarding that which I had in my mind (as I sent you). So he took up provisions for the journey and a small water-skin con- taining water (and set forth) until he came to Makkah. He came to the mosque (Ka’bah) and began to find out Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and he did not re- cognise him (the Holy Prophet) and he did not even like that he should ask about him from anyone until it was night, and he slept. 'All saw him and found him to be a stranger. So he went with him. He followed hive but one did not make any inquiry from the other about anything until it was morning. He then brought the water and his provisions to the mosque and spent a day there, but he did not see Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) until it was night. He then returned to his bed that there happened to pass 'Ali and he said: This man has not been able to find his destination until this time. He made him stand and he went with him and no one made an in- quiry from his companion about anything. And when it was the third day he did the same. 'Ali made him stand up and brought him along with him. He said: By Him, besides Whom there is no god, why don't you tell me (the reason) which brought you here to this town? He said: (I shall do this) provided you hold me promise and a covenant that you would guide me aright. He then did that. He ('Ali) said: Verily, he Is truthful and he is a Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and when it is morning, follow me and if I would say anything from which I would sense fear about you I would stand (in a manner) as if I was throwing water and if I move on, you then follow me until I get in (some house). He did that and I followed him until he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . He entered (the house) of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) along with him and listened to his words and embraced Islam at his very place. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said to him: Go to your people and inform them until my command reaches you. Thereupon he said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I shall say to the people of Makkah this thing at the top of my voice So he set forth until he came to the mosque and then spoke at the top of his voice (saying): I bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The people attacked him and made him fall down when 'Abbas came and he leaned over him and said: Woe be upon you, don't you know that he is from amongst the tribe of Ghifar and your trad- ing route to Syria passes through (the settlements of this tribe), and he rescued him. He (Abu Dharr) did the same on the next day and they (the Makkahns) again attacked him and Abbas leaned upon him and he rescued him.