From
Christianity to Islam
The blessed Companion of the Prophet
Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, Salman al-Farisi
narrates[1] his journey to Islam as follows:
“I was a
Persian man from the people of Isfahaan[2]
from a town known as Jayi. My father was the town chief. To
him, I was the most beloved creature of God. His love for me reached the
point to which he trusted me to supervise the fire[3]
he lit. He would not let it die down.
My
father owned a large area of fertile land. One day, while busy with his
construction, he told me to go to his land and fulfill some chores he
desired. On my way to his land, I came across a Christian church. I
heard the sound of people praying inside. I did not know how people lived
outside, for my father kept me confined to his house! So when I came
across those people [in the church] and I heard their voices, I went inside to
watch what they were doing.”
When I
saw them, I liked their prayers and became interested in their religion.
I said [to myself], “By God, this religion is better than that of ours.”
By God, I did not leave them until sunset. I did not return to my
father’s Land.
I asked
[i.e., the people of the church]. “From where did this religion
originate?”
“They
said, ‘In Al-Shaam.’[4]
I
returned to my father who had become worried and sent [someone] after me.
Upon my arrival, he said, ‘O son! Where have you been? Didn’t I
entrust you with an assignment?”
I said,
“My father, I came across some people praying in their church and I liked their
religion. By God I stayed with them until sunset.”
My
father said, “My Son! There is no good in that religion; the religion of
you and your forefathers’ is better.’ ”
“No, by
God, it is better than our religion.”
He
threatened me, chained me by my feet and kept me confined to his home. I
sent a message to the Christians requesting them to inform me of the arrival of
any Christian trade caravan coming from Al-Shaam. A trade caravan arrived
and they informed me, so I then told [the Christians] to let me know once the
people of the caravan finish their business and set off to return to their
country. I [indeed] was informed [by them] when the people of Al-Shaam
finished their business and were about to set off to their country, so I then
let loose the chains from my feet and accompanied [the caravan] until we
reached Al-Shaam.
Upon my
arrival I asked, “Who is the best amongst the people of this religion [of
yours]?”
They
said, “The bishop. [He is] in the church.”
I went
to him and said, “I like this religion, and I would love to be with you and
serve you in your church, in order that I may learn from you and pray with
you.”
He said,
“You may enter and stay with me,” so I joined him.
After some time, Salman discovered something
of the bishop. He was a bad man who ordered and motivated his people to
pay charity, only to keep it for himself. He did not give it to the
poor. He had heaped up seven jars of gold and silver! Salman
continued:
I
despised him because of his deeds.
He [the
bishop] died. The Christians gathered to bury him. I informed them
that he was a bad man who ordered and motivated people to give him their
charity only to keep it for himself, and that he did not give any of it to the
poor. They said, “How do you know this?”
I
replied, “I can show you his treasure.”
They
said, “Show us!”
I showed
them the place [where he kept it] and they recovered from it seven jars heaped
up with gold and silver. When they saw it they said, “By God we will
never bury him.” So they crucified him and stoned him.[5]
They
replaced their bishop. I never saw anyone [from them] who prayed better
than him [the new bishop]; nor a man more detached from this worldly life and
attached to the Hereafter, nor a person more committed to working day and
night. I loved him more than anyone else I loved before.
I stayed
with him for sometime before his death. When his death approached I told
him, “O [so and so], I stayed with you and loved you more than anything else I
loved before. Now the Decree of God [i.e., death] has come, so who do you
recommend for me [to keep to], and with what do you order me?”
The
bishop said “By God! People are in total loss; they have altered and
changed [the religion] they were upon. I do not know of anyone who is
still holding to the religion I am upon except a man in al-Musil,[6]
so join him [and he gave me his name].”
When the man died, Salman moved to al-Musil
and met the person he recommended…
I said
to him, “[Such & such person] at the time of his death recommended me
to join you. He told me that you are holding to the same [religion] as
him.” I stayed with him and found him to be the best man holding on to
the matter [religion]of his companion.
Soon he died. When death approached
him, Salman requested of him [as he did earlier with his first companion] to
recommend another person who was upon the same religion.
The man
said, “By God! I don’t know of anyone on the same matter [religion] as
ours except a man in Naseebeen[7] and his name is [such and such],
so go and join him.”
Following
his death, I traveled to the man of Naseebeen.” Salman found the man and
stayed with him for a while. The same incidents occurred. Death
approached and before he died, Salman came to the man and asked for his advice
as to whom and where to go. The man recommended that Salman join another
man in Amuria[8] who was also upon the same
religion.
Salman
moved to Amuria after his companion died. He found his new reference and
joined him on his religion. Salman [at that time] worked and, “earned some
cows and one sheep.”
Death approached the man of Amuria.
Salman repeated his requests, but [this time] the answer was different.
The man
said, “O son! I don’t know of anyone who is upon the same [religion] as
we are. However, a Prophet will emerge in your lifetime, and this Prophet
is on the same religion as Abraham.”
The man
described this Prophet, saying, “He will be sent with the same religion as
Abraham. He will come from the land of Arabia and will migrate to a place
located in between two lands filled with black stones [as if burned by
fire]. There are palm trees spread in the midst of these two lands.
He can be recognized by certain signs. He [will accept] and eat [from]
the [food] which has been given as a gift, but will not eat from charity.
The seal of Prophethood will be between his shoulders. If you can move to
that land, then do so.”
The man died, and Salman stayed in
Amuria. One day, “Some merchants from the tribe of Kalb[1]
passed by me,” Salman said, “I told them, ‘Take me to Arabia and I will
give you my cows and the only sheep I have.’” They said, “Yes.”
Salman gave them what he offered, and they took him with them. When
they reached Waadi al-Quraa [close to Medinah], they sold him as a slave to a
Jewish man. Salman stayed with the Jew, and he saw the Palm trees [his
previous companion had described].
“I hoped
that this would be the same place described by my companion.”
One day, a man who was a first cousin to
Salman’s master from the Jewish tribe of Bani Quraidha in Medinah came
visiting. He bought Salman from his Jewish master.
“He took
me with him to Medina. By God! When I saw it, I knew it was the
place my companion described.
Then God
sent[2] His Messenger [i.e., Muhammad,
may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him]. He stayed in Mecca as
long as he did.[3] I did not hear anything about
him because I was very busy with the work of slavery, and then he migrated to Medina.
[One
day,] I was on a palm-tree on top of one of its date-clusters doing some work
for my master. A first cousin of his came and stood in front of him [his
master was sitting] and said, “Woe to Bani Qeelah [people of the tribe Qeelah],
they are gathered in Qibaa”[4]
around a man who came today from Mecca claiming to be a Prophet!”
I
trembled so fiercely when I heard him that I feared that I would fall on my
master. I descended and said, ‘What are you saying!? What are you
saying!?’
My
master became angry and punched me hard saying, “What business do you have in
this [matter]? Go and mind your business.”
I said,
“Nothing! I just wanted to be sure of what he was saying.”
On that
evening, I went to see the Messenger of God while he was in Qibaa. I took
something with me which I had saved. I went in and said, “I was told that
you are a righteous man and that your company [who] are strangers [here] are in
need. I want to offer you something I saved as charity. I found
that you deserve it more than anyone else.”
I
offered it to him; he said to his companions, “Eat,” but he himself kept his
hand away [i.e., did not eat]. I said to myself, “This is one [i.e., one
of the signs of his Prophethood].”
Following this encounter with the Prophet,
may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, Salman left to prepare for
another test! This time he brought a gift to the Prophet in Medina.
“I saw
that you do not eat from that given as charity, so here is a gift with which I
wish to honor you.” The Prophet ate from it and ordered his companions to
do the same, which they did. I said to myself, “Now there are two [i.e.,
two of the signs of Prophethood].”
On the third encounter, Salman came to
Baqee-ul-Gharqad [a grave yard in Medina] where the Prophet, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, was attending the funeral of one of his
companions. Salman said:
“I
greeted him [with the greeting of Islam: ‘Peace be upon you’], and then moved
towards his back attempting to see the seal [of Prophethood] which was
described to me by my companion. When he saw me [doing so], he knew that
I was trying to confirm something described to me. He took the garment
off his back and I looked at the seal. I recognized it. I fell down
upon it, kissing it and crying. The Messenger of God, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, told me to move around [i.e., to talk to
him]. I told him my story as I did with you, Ibn ‘Abbaas [remember that
Salman is telling his story to Ibn ‘Abbaas]. He [the Prophet] liked it so
much he wanted me to tell my story to his companions.
He was still a slave owned by his
master. The Prophet said to him, “Make a contract [with your master] for
your freedom, O Salman.” Salman obeyed and made a contract [with his
master] for his freedom. He reached an agreement with his master in which
he would pay him forty ounces of gold and would plant and successfully raise
three hundred new palm trees. The Prophet then said to his companions,
“Help your brother.”
They helped him with the trees and gathered
for him the specified quantity. The Prophet ordered Salman to dig the
proper holes to plant the saplings, and then he planted each one with his own
hands. Salman said, “By Him in Whose hands is my soul [i.e., God], not a
single tree died.”
Salman gave the trees to his master.
The Prophet gave Salman a piece of gold that was the size of a chicken egg and
said, “Take this, O Salman, and pay [i.e., your master] what you owe.”
Salman said, “How much is this in regards to
how much I owe!”
The Prophet said, “Take it! God will
[make it] equal to what you owe.”[5]
I took it and I weighed a part of it and it
was forty ounces. Salman gave the gold to his master. He fulfilled
the agreement and he was released.
From then on, Salman became one of the
closest of companions to the Prophet.
The Search for the Truth
One of the great companions of the Prophet by
the name of Abu Hurairah reported:
“We were sitting in the company of
God’s Messenger when Surah al-Jumuah (Surah 62) was revealed. He recited
these words:
“And [God has sent Muhammad also to] others
who have not yet joined them (but they will come)…” (Quran 62:3)
A person amongst them said, ‘O God’s
Messenger! Who are those who have not joined us?’
God’s Messenger made no reply.
Salman the Persian was amongst us. The Messenger of God placed his hand
on Salman and then said, ‘By the One in Whose Hands is my soul, even if faith
were near Pleiades (the seven stars), men from amongst these [i.e. Salman’s
folk] would surely attain it.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Many in this world are like Salman, searching
for the truth about the True and Only One God. This story of Salman is
similar to stories of people in our own time. The search of some people
took them from one church to another, from church to Buddhism or Passiveness,
from Judaism to ‘Neutrality’, from religion to meditations to mental
abuse. There are those who shifted from one idea to another, but don’t
even think of wanting to know something about Islam! When they met some
Muslims, however, they opened their minds.
The story of Salman is that of
a long search. You could make your search for truth shorter by benefiting
from his.
.
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