Virtues of Abu al-Darda Uwaymir bin Zayd al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him)

Muhammad bin Umar relates that the name and lineage of Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) is Uwaymir bin Zayd bin Qays bin A'ishah bin Umayyah bin Malik bin Amir bin Adi bin Ka'b bin al-Khazraj bin al-Harith bin al-Khazraj. It has also been said that Abu al-Darda's name was Amir, but it was made diminutive and he came to be called Uwaymir. His mother was Muhibbah bint Waqid bin Amr bin al-Itnabah bin Amir bin Zayd Manat bin Malik bin Tha'labah bin Ka'b. It is related that Abu al-Darda was the last of his household to accept Islam; he was devoted to an idol of his over which he had placed a cloth. Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to invite him to Islam, but he would refuse. Abdullah bin Rawahah, who was his brother both in the Jahiliyyah and in Islam, was looking for an opportunity. When he saw that Abu al-Darda had left his house, he entered his house from behind him. He hurried Abu al-Darda's wife while she was combing her hair. Abdullah bin Rawahah asked: "Where is Abu al-Darda?" She said: "Your brother has just gone out." So he entered the room in which the idol was kept, and he had an adze with him. He brought the idol down and began to break it into pieces, reciting this rajaz verse as he did so: "Declare your innocence of all the names of the devils; listen! Everything that is called upon besides Allah is false." Then he went out, and the wife had heard the sound of the adze while he was breaking the idol, and she began to say: "O Ibn Rawahah! You have ruined me." He went out in that state. Then only a short while had passed when Abu al-Darda returned to his house. He went in and saw that his wife was sitting and weeping out of fear of him. He asked: "What is the matter with you?" She said: "Your brother Abdullah bin Rawahah came to me and did what you see." On hearing this he became intensely angry, then he thought to himself and said: "If there were any good in this (idol), it would certainly have defended itself." So he set off until he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), taking Ibn Rawahah with him, and accepted Islam. It has also been said that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at Abu al-Darda while the people were fleeing in defeat in every direction, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What an excellent horseman Uwaymir is, not sluggish (heavy)." Muhammad bin Umar says: I have heard some people mention that Abu al-Darda did not take part in the Battle of Uhud. However, he was among the eminent Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and took part in many campaigns with him (peace and blessings be upon him). Muhammad bin Umar says: Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) died in Damascus in the year 32 AH, during the caliphate of Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Abu Ibrahim al-Tarjumani that he said: I saw an old man in Damascus who was called Ishaq Abu Harith, and he was a freed slave of Banu Habbar al-Qurashi. He said: "I saw Abu al-Darda Uwaymir bin Qays bin A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). His eyes were dark with a reddish tinge and his nose was high-bridged, and he used to dye his hair with yellow. I saw on his head a small quilted cap, and he had a turban which he had thrown over his shoulders." Al-Abbas says: I heard a man who was with me ask Ishaq: "How long ago did you see him?" He said: "I saw him more than a hundred years ago. And he was wearing two socks and sandals." The narrator says: And at that time Ishaq's age had reached about one hundred and twenty years.
Chapter on the virtues of Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him).