Rabu, 29 April 2009

Abu Dharr al-Ghifari: Part II

"Belief"

When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) explained Isalm to Abu Dharr, he immediately said:

"I confess that there's no god but Allah and that you're Allah's Apostle. I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord and with you as my Prophet."

Then he stood up and said with enthusiasm:

"By Allah, I'll spread Islam."

At that moment, another great personality was born. It was the personality of the great companion Abu Dharr al-Ghifari whose full name was Jundub bin Junadah.

Abu Dharr was among the first persons to accept Islam.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, welcomed Abu Dharr to Islam, and he taught him everything about Islam, but he advised him not to tell anyone in Makkah that he embraced Islam

"I fear that they will kill you", Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said.

"By Him in whose hands is my soul, I shall not leave Makkah until I go to the Sacred Mosque and proclaim the call of Truth in the midst of the Quraysh," vowed Abu Dharr.

Then Abu Dharr headed to the Holy Mosque, where the Quraysh people were sitting and talking. He stood in the centre and called out at the top of his voice, "O people of Quraysh, I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

His words had an immediate effect on them. They jumped up and said, 'Get this one who has left his religion."

They attacked him, and beat him mercilessly. They wanted to kill him, but Abbas ibn Abdulmuttalib, the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), recognized him and protected him from them, telling them:

"Woe to you! Would you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your caravans must pass through their territory?" They then released Abu Dharr.

"Calling people to Islam"

After this incidence, he went back Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who told him:

"Didn't I tell you not to announce your acceptance of Islam?"

Abu Dharr said: "O Messenger of God, It was a need I felt in my soul and I fulfilled it."

"Go to your people," Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) commanded, "and tell them what you have seen and heard. Invite them to God. Maybe God will bring them good through you and reward you through them. And when you hear that I have come out in the open, come to me."

Abu Dahrr left and returned to his people. His brother, Anis, asked about what he has done in Mekkah, Abu Dharr told him that he had become a Muslim and that he believed in the truth of Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) teachings.

"I am not averse to your religion. In fact, I am also now a Muslim and a believer," he said.

His brother, Anis, accpeted Islam and they both went to their mother to invite her to Islam.

"I do not have any dislike from your religion. I accept Islam also," she said.

From that day, Abu Dharr's family of believers started inviting the Ghifar tribe to Islam and they had never flinched from their purpose.

Eventually a large number of the tribe accepted Islam and the congregational Prayers were instituted among them.

"Prophet Muhammad's Companionship"

Abu Dharr remained in the Waddan valley, until after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had gone to Madinah after the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq.

At last, in the Madinah he asked Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to be in his personal service. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) agreed and was pleased with his companionship and service. He sometimes showed preference to Abu Dharr over others and whenever he met him he would pat him and smile and show his happiness.

"After Prophet Muhammad died"

After the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Dharr could not bear to stay in Madinah because of his grief and sadness for the great loss. So he left for the Syrian desert and stayed there during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar, God bless them.

During the caliphate of Uthman, he stayed in Damascus and witnessed Muslims deviating from Islam, going after worldly pleasures and desires.

He was saddened and repelled by this. So Uthman invited him to come to Madinah. where he was also hurt by people's pursuit of worldly goods and pleasures.

"Al-Rabathah"

Uthman therefore ordered that he should go to Al-Rabathah, a small village near Madinah. Abu Dharr stayed there away from people, holding on to the traditions (sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions.

A man visited him once and when he found his house almost bare, he asked Abu Dharr: "Where are your possessions?"

Abu Dharr said: "We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter), to which we send the best of our possessions."

The man understood what Abu Dharr meant and said: "But you must have some possessions so long as you are in this abode."

"The owner of this abode will not leave us in it," replied Abu Dharr.

Also, when the Prince (Amir) of Syria sent Abu Dharr three hundred diners to meet his needs, he returned the money saying, "Does not the Amir find a servant more deserving of it than I?"

Abu Dharr continued in his simple life, and dedicated himself to Allah only until he died, in 32 A.H.

Source: www.witness-pioneer.org
islamonline

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