Salman al-Farsi (The Good)

Salman al-Farisi was a seeker of Truth, he grew up in the town of Isfahan in Persia in the village of Jayyan. His father was the chief of the village and was the richest person there. Salman’s father loved him more than any other person so he kept me at home, in the same way that young girls were kept. Salman became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that he attained the position of custodian of the fire which they worshipped. His duty was to see that the flames of the fire remained burning day and night. Salman came across a group of Christians and was attracted to their religion. His father feared that he might leave the religion of their fore-fathers, he kept Salman in
chains. Salman managed to escape to Syria where he became a Christian and served many bishops. The last one he served told him about the appearance of a Prophet in the land of the Arabs who would have a reputation for strict honesty, one who would accept a gift but would never consume charity (sadaqah) for himself. A group of Arabs were passing through and Salman asked them to take him with them to the land of the Arabs in return for whatever money he had. When they reached a place between Madinah and Syria, they broke their agreement and sold me to a Jew. While in slavery, he was taken to Madina at a time that the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam. When the Prophet reached Madina from Makkah, Salman was in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master working. His master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up and said: "May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj. By God, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a man who has today come from Makkah and who claims he is a Prophet." Salman quickly got down from the tree and asked the man. "What did you say? Repeat the news to me." His master was very angry and gave him a terrible blow after which he rebuked Salman. That evening, Salman took some dates and went to the place where the Prophet had alighted. He went up to him and said: "I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have companions with you who are strangers and are in need. Here is something from me as sadaqah. I see that you are more deserving of it than others." The Prophet ordered his companions to eat but he himself did not eat of it. He gathered some more dates and when the Prophet left Quba for Madinah, Salman went to him again and said: "I noticed that you did not eat of the sadaqah I gave. This however is a gift for you." Of this gift of dates, both he and his companions ate. The strict honesty of the Prophet was one of the characteristics that led Salman to believe in him and accept Islam. Salman was liberated from slavery by the Prophet but Salman himself planted an agreed number of date palms to secure his manumission. After accepting Islam, Salman would say when asked whose son he was: "I am Salman, the son of Islam from the children of Adam." At the battle of Khandaq, he proved to be an innovator in military strategy. He suggested digging a ditch around Madinah to keep the Quraysh army at bay. Salman became known as "Salman the Good". He was a scholar who lived an ascetic life. He was also known by the kunya 'Abu Abudullah' and
had one cloak which he wore and on which he slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but stayed under a tree or against a wall. A man once said to him: "Shall I not build you a house in which to live?" "I have no need of a house," Salman replied. The man persisted and said, "I know the type of house that would suit you." "Describe it to me," said Salman. "I shall build you a house which if you stand up in it, its roof will hurt your head and if you stretch your legs the wall will hurt them." Salman said that was exactly what he wanted. Later, as a governor of al-Mada'in near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dirhams, he distributed it all as sadaqah to the poor. When some people came to Mada'in and saw him working in the palm groves, they said, "You are the amir here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this work!" Salman replied, "I like to eat from the work of my own hands”. Salman however was not extreme in his asceticism. He once visited Abu ad-Dardaa with whom the Prophet had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu ad-Dardaa's wife in a miserable state and he asked, "What is the matter with you." She replied, "Your brother has no need of anything in this world”. When Abu ad-Dardaa came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu ad-Dardaa said, "I am fasting." Salman told him, "I swear it that I shall not eat until you eat also." During the night, Abu ad-Dardaa got up to nawafils but Salman got hold of him and said: "O Abu ad-Dardaa, your Lord has a right over you. Your family has a right over you and your body has a right over you. Give to each its due." In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the Prophet (SAW) to discuss what had happened the previous day. The Prophet supported Salman in what he had said. Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom, Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Ka'b al-Ahbar said: "Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom, an ocean that does not dry up." Salman had knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Qur'an in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman translated parts of the Qur'an into Persian during the life-time of the Prophet. He was thus the first person to translate the Qur'an into a foreign language. Salman al-Farisi passed away in the year thirty five after the hijrah, during the caliphate of Uthman bin Affan at al-Mada’in.