Introduction to the Early Life of Salman Al-Farsi
Salman Al-Farsi (R.A.) 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. No one can tell the story of Salman better than Salman himself. He, may Allah’s Mercy be upon him, told his story to one of the companions and a close relative of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wassallam) by the name of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father): Salman said:
“I was a Persian man from the people of Isfahaan from a town known as Jayyan. My father was the town Chief. To him, I was the most beloved creature of Allah.”
He loved me so much that he kept me in his house near the fire, as girls are kept in. I strove hard in the Magian religion until I became the keeper of the fire, which I tended and did not let go out for a moment. My father had a huge garden, and he was busy one day with some construction work, so he said: “O my son, I am too busy with this building today, go and check my garden,” and he told me some of the things he wanted done.
Salman Al-Farsi: Journey to Seeking Truth
I went out, heading towards his garden, and I passed by one of the Christian churches, where I could hear their voices as they were praying. I did not know anything about the people because my father had kept me in his house. When I passed by and heard their voices, I entered upon them to see what they were doing.
When I saw them, I was impressed with their prayer and I was attracted to their way. I said: By Allah, this is better than the religion that we follow. By Allah, I did not leave them until the sun set, and I forgot about my father’s garden and did not go there. I said to them: Where did this religion originate? They said: In Syria.
[He gave himself the time to find out about this religion which he thought then it was the right belief. An open mind free from blind imitation. A perceiving and a kind heart charged with patience is needed to drive oneself from being confined to such thought as: “O well! I will try to find out, but I am kind of busy now, etc.! ‘ Death may knock the door sooner than one hopes, one shouldn’t delayed searching for the truth.]
Then I went back to my father, who had sent people out to look for me, and I had distracted him from all his work. When I came to him, he said: O my son, where were you? Did I not ask you to do what I asked? I said: O my father, I passed by some people who were praying in a church of theirs, and I was impressed with what I saw of their religion. By Allah, I stayed with them until the sun set.
He said: O my son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better than that. I said: No, by Allah, it is better than our religion.
[This is the theme of those who blindly follow others in the matter of faith. This reminds us with the saying of Allah: “We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps.” (Qur’an 43:22)
“Nay, we shall follow that which we found our fathers (following).” (Qur’an 31: 21)
But we are going to see that he didn’t accept what his father told him. We shouldn’t compromise the truth for falsehood because we don’t want others to feel bad. No! Our Lord Allah should comes first]
He was afraid for me, and he put fetters on my legs and kept me in his house. I sent word to the Christians saying: If any Christian merchants come to you from Syria, tell me about them. He said: Some Christian merchants came to them from Syria, and they told me about them. I said to them: When they have completed their business and want to go back to their own country, tell me about that. So when they wanted to go back to their own country, they told me about that, and I threw off the irons from my legs and went out with them, until I came to Syria.
[He did not surrender to the unjust orders of his father. He was striving in the cause of the truth which led him ultimately to know the truth about the Creator, Allah:
“As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (i.e. Allah’s Religion, Islamic Monotheism)” (Qur’an 29:69).
Salman Al-Farsi decided, made up his mind and took the journey, regardless of the fact that it was a distant and strange land to him]
When I reached Syria, I said: Who is the best person in this religion? They said: The bishop in the church. So I went to him and said: I like this religion, and I would like to stay with you and serve you in your church and learn from you and pray with you. He said: Come in. So I went in with him, but he was a bad man. He would command them and exhort them to give charity, but he kept a great deal of it for himself and did not give it to the poor; he had amassed seven chests of gold and silver.
I hated him deeply when I saw what he was doing, then he died and the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them: This was a bad man; he commanded you and exhorted you to give charity, but when you brought it to him he kept it for himself and did not give any of it to the poor. They said: How do you know that? Show us where his treasure is. So I showed them where it was and they brought out seven chests filled with gold and silver. When they saw that they said:
By Allah, we will never bury him; then they crucified him and pelted him with stones. Then they brought another man and appointed him in his place. Salman Al-Farsi رضي الله عنه said: I have never seen a man who does not offer the five daily prayers who was better than him (that is, this new Bishop prays his five times prayer very well); he shunned this world and sought the Hereafter and no one strive harder than him night and day. I loved him as I had never loved anyone before, and I stayed with him for a while.
Then when he was about to die, I said: O So and so, I was with you and I loved you as I had never loved anyone before, and now the decree of Allah has come to you as you see; to whom do you advise me to go? What do you command me to do? He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know of anyone today who follows what I followed. The people are doomed; they have changed and abandoned most of what they used to follow, except for a man in Mosul. He is So and so, and he follows what I used to follow, so go and join him.
Salman Al-Farsi Search for Good People with Good Knowledge
Mosul
When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Mosul. I said to him: O So and so, So and so advised me when he died to come to you, and he told me that you follow the same as he followed. He said to me: Stay with me. So I stayed with him, and I found him to be a good man who followed the same as his companion had followed. But soon he died.
When he was dying I said to him: O So and so, So and so advised me to come to you and told me to join you, but now there has come to you from Allaah what you see. To whom do you advise me to go? What do you command me to do? He said: O my son, by Allah I do not know of anyone who follows what we used to follow except a man in Nasayyibeen. He is So and so; go to him.
Nasayyibin
When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Nasayyibin. I came to him and told him my story and what my companion had told me to do. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with him and I found him to be a follower of the same way as his two companions, and I stayed with a good man. By Allah, soon death came upon him, and when he was dying I said to him: O So and so, So and so advised me to go to So and so; then So and so advised 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 we do not know of anyone left who follows our way and to whom I can tell you to go, except a man in ‘Ammuriyyah. He follows something like what we follow. If you wish, go to him, for he follows our way.
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, 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. Continue part two here of the history of Salman Al-Farsi (R.A.).
