Continuation of the inspiring life story of Salman Al-Farsi (R.A.)who is a great figure in Islamic history and his life story is a testament to the transformative power of faith. Salman Al-Farsi (R.A.), known for his remarkable journey from Persia to Medina, was born into a family deeply rooted in the customs of fire worship.
The Journey of Salman Al-Farsi from Nasayyibin to Ammuriyyah
When he died and was buried, I went to the man in ‘Ammuriyyah and told him my story. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with a man who was following the same way as his companions. I earned wealth until I had cows and sheep, and then the decree of Allah came to him.
When he was dying I said to him: O So and so, I was with So and so, and So and so told me to go to So and so; then So and so told me to go to So and so; then So and so told me to come to you. To whom do you advise me to go and what do you command me to do? He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know of anyone who follows our way to whom I can advise you to go.
But there has come the time of a Prophet, who will be sent with the religion of Ibrahim. He will appear in the land of the Arabs and will migrate to a land between two harrahs (lave fields; land with black rocks), between which there are palm trees. He will have characteristics that will not be hidden. He will eat of what is given as a gift but he will not eat of what is given as charity. Between his shoulder blades is the Seal of Prophethood. If you can go to that land then do so.
The man knew that Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him) informed of the coming of Prophet Ahmad (same as Muhammad ). This was the glad tidings which Allah spoke about on the tongue of Jesus:
“And (remember) when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming the Torah (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.” (Qur’an 61:6).]
Ahmad literally means: “One who praises Allah more than others.” It is the second name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – who said in an authentic narration: “I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad; I am Al-Mahi through who Allah will eliminate (infidelity); I am Al-Hasher who will be the first to resurrected, the people being resurrected thereafter; and I am also Al-‘Aqib (i.e.: There will be no Prophet after me)”. (Sahih Al-Bukhari V.4, 732)
Salman Al-Farsi sold as slave
Then he died and was buried, and I stayed in ‘Ammooriyyah as long as Allah willed I should stay, then some merchants of Kalb passed by me and I said to them: Will you take me to the land of the Arabs and I will give you these cows and sheep of mine? They said: “Yes”. So I gave them the cows and sheep, and they took me there, but when they brought me to Waadi al-Qura they wronged me and sold me as a slave to a Jewish man.
When I was with him I saw the palm trees, and I hoped that this was the land that my companion had described to me, but I was not sure. Whilst I was with him, a cousin of his from Banu Qurayzah came to him from Madinah, and he sold me to him, and he took me to Madinah. By Allah, as soon as I saw it, I recognized it from the description given to me by my companion.
I stayed there, and Allah sent His Messenger, who stayed in Makkah as long as he stayed, I did not hear anything about him because I was so busy with the work of a slave. Then he migrated to Madinah, and by Allah, I was at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master, doing some work on it, and my master was sitting there. Then a cousin of his came and stood beside him, and said: May Allah kill Banu Qaylah! By Allah, right now they are gathering in Quba’ to welcome a man who has come from Makkah today, and they say that he is a Prophet.
When I heard that, I began to shiver so much that I thought I would fall on top of my master. I came down from the tree and started saying to that cousin of his: What are you saying, what are you saying? My master got angry and he struck me with his fist and said: “What has it got to do with you? Go back to your work!” I said: Nothing; I just wanted to make sure of what he was saying.
Salman Al-Farsi first Meeting with Prophet Muhammad and the Confirmation of the Signs the Previous Priest Told Him about Prophet Muhammad
I had something that I had collected, and when evening came, I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he was in Quba’, and I entered upon him and said to him: I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have companions who are strangers and are in need. This is something that I have to give in charity, and I see that you are more in need of it than anyone else.
I brought it near to him and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: “Eat,” but he refrained from eating. I said to myself: This is one (i.e. one of the
signs about his Prophethood).
Following this encounter with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Salman left to prepare for another test! This time he brought a gift and visited the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Madeenah.
Then I went away and collected some more. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) moved to Madinah, then I came to him and said: I see that you do not eat (food given in) charity; this is a gift with which I wish to honour you. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ate some of it and told his companions to eat too. I said to myself: This is two (second sign).
On the third encounter, Salman came to Baqee’ Al-Gharqad (The Burial site of the Prophet’s companions) where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sharing in a funeral of one of his companions.
Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was in Baqee’ al-Gharqad, where he had attended the funeral of one of his companions and he was wearing two shawls and was sitting among his companions. I greeted him with salam then I moved behind him, trying to look at his back to see the Seal that my companion had described to me.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw me going behind him, he realized that I was trying to find confirmation of something that had been described to me, so he let his rida’ garment drop from his back, and I saw the Seal and recognized it. Then I embraced him, kissing (the Seal) and weeping, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Turn around.” So I turned around and I told him my story as I have told it to you, O Ibn ‘Abbas. (Remember that Salman is telling his story to Ibn Abbass).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wanted his companions to hear that, He (the Prophet) liked to tell my story to his companions.
Salman Al-Farsi was still serving his master as a slave. This even made him to miss two battles against the Pagans of Arabia.
The freedom of Salman Al-Farsi
Then Salman was kept busy with the work of a slave, until he had missed attending Badr and Uhud with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Write O Salman (i.e. to free yourself from your master).” Salman obeyed and wrote for his freedom. So I draw up a contract of freedom with my master in return for three hundred palm trees which I would plant for him, and forty ounces (of gold).
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to his companions: “Help your brother.” So they helped me with the palm trees, one man gave thirty small trees, another gave twenty, and another gave fifteen, and another gave ten, i.e., each man gave according to what he had, until they had collected three hundred small trees for me. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: “Go, O Salman, and dig the holes where they are to be planted. When you have finished, come to me and I will plant them with my own hand.”
So I dug the holes for them, and my companions helped me, then when I had finished, I came to him and told him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out with me and we started to bring the trees close and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) planted them with his own hand. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Salman, not one single tree among them died.
So I had paid off the trees but there still remained the money. A piece of gold the size of an egg was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from one of his campaigns. He said: “What happened to the Persian who had a contract of freedom?
” I was summoned to him and he said: “Take this and pay off what you owe, O Salman.” I said: How could this pay off everything I owe, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Take it, and Allah will help you to pay off what you owe.” So I took it and weighed it for them, and by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Salman, it was forty uqiyahs, so I paid them their dues and I was set free. I was present with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) at al-Khandaq, and after that, I did not miss any major event with him.
Since then, Salman Al-Farsi has become a close companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him);
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were sitting in the company of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when Soorat al-Jumu’ah (Chapter 62 of the
Glorious Quran) was revealed to him. He recited these words:
“And He (Allah) has sent him (Muhammad) also to other (Muslims) who have not joined them (but they will come).” (Qur’an 62:3).
A person amongst them said: Allah’s Messenger! But Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made no reply, until he questioned him once, twice or thrice. And there was
amongst us Salman Al-Farsi.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed his hand on Salman Al-Farsi and then said: “Even if faith were near Ath-Thuraiya (Pleiades, the highest Star) a man amongst these (i.e. Salman’s folk) would surely attain it.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
They Will Come!
Many in this World are like Salman Al-Farsi: They are searching for the truth about the True and Only One God. This story of Salman Al-Farsi has many similarities to our times. The search by some people took them from one Church to another, from Churches to Buddhism or Passiveness. From Judaism to Neutrality! From religion to meditations and to mental abuse. ‘ve met and heard some of those who were moving from one creed to another.
For the non-believers, the story of Salman Al-Farsi beckons you to seek the truth with an open heart and an open mind. Just as Salman Al-Farsi embarked on a journey of discovery that led him from the depths of ignorance to the heights of faith, so too can you find your way out of the shadows and into the embrace of truth. Embrace the journey, for in the search for truth lies the path to enlightenment and fulfillment.
And so, the journey of Salman Al-Farsi to Islam comes to an end, a testament to the power of faith and perseverance in the face of adversity. May his story serve as a source of inspiration for believers around the world, reminding them that, just as Salman Al-Farsi remained steadfast in his commitment to Islam, so too must we hold fast to our beliefs and convictions, knowing that Allah’s mercy and guidance are ever-present in our lives.
Let Salman Al-Farsi’s journey inspire us to deepen our faith, strengthen our resolve, and live each day in following the command of Allah and the teachings of His Messenger.
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