Salman the Persian

Infobox_Salaf | generation = Sahaba| color = #cef2e0 |

| image_caption = |
| name = Salman the Persian
("Salman e Farsi")| birth = | death = | Acceptance of Islam= 1 AH| Maddhab = | Authenticity = Authentic among Shia and Sunni
Region = | Narrated from = Ali ibn Abi Talib| From him/her narrated= Sulaym ibn Qays
Salman the Persian or Salman al Farisi ( _fa. سلمان فارسی "Salman e Farsi", _ar. سلمان الفارسي "Salman al-Farsi") was one of The Prophet Muhammad's companions.

During some of his later meetings with the other Sahaba, he was referred to as Abu Abdullah ("Father of Abdullah").

Biography

Iran

Salman the Persian was born with the Persian name Rouzbeh on the city of Kazerun in Fars,Iran.

Travels

This is a story of a seeker of Truth, the story of Moid Salman the Persian, gleaned, to begin with, from his own words:

I grew up in the town of Isfahan in Persia in the village of Jayyan. My father was the Dihqan or chief of the village. He was the richest person there and had the biggest house.

Since I was a child my father loved me, more than he loved any other. As time went by his love for me became so strong and overpowering that he feared to lose me or have anything happen to me. So he kept me at home, a veritable prisoner, in the same way that young girls were kept.

I became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that I attained the position of custodian of the fire which we considered sacred. My duty was to see that the flames of the fire remained burning and that it did not go out for a single hour, day or night.

My father had a vast estate which yielded an abundant supply of crops. He himself looked after the estate and the harvest. One day he was very busy with his duties as dihqan in the village and he said to me:

"My son, as you see, I am too busy to go out to the estate now. Go and look after matters there for me today."

On my way to the estate, I passed a Christian church and the voices at prayer attracted my attention. I did not know anything about Christianity or about the followers of any other religion throughout the time my father kept me in the house away from people. When I heard the voices of the Christians I entered the church to see what they were doing.

I was impressed by their manner of praying and felt drawn to their religion. "By God," I said, "this is better than ours. I shall not leave them until the sun sets."

I asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in AshSham (Greater Syria). I did not go to my father's estate that day and at night, I returned home. My father met me and asked what I had done. I told him about my meeting with the Christians and how I was impressed by their religion. He was dismayed and said:

"My son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better."

"No, their religion is better than ours," I insisted.

My father became upset and afraid that I would leave our religion. So he kept me locked up in the house and put a chain on my feet. I managed however to send a message to the Christians asking them to inform me of any caravan going to Syria. Before long they got in touch with me and told me that a caravan was headed for Syria. I managed to unfetter myself and in disguise accompanied the caravan to Syria. There, I asked who was the leading person in the Christian religion and was directed to the bishop of the church. I went up to him and said:

"I want to become a Christian and would like to attach myself to your service, learn from you and pray with you."

The bishop agreed and I entered the church in his service. I soon found out, however, that the man was corrupt. He would order his followers to give money in chanty while holding out the promise of blessings to them. When they gave anything to spend in the way of God however, he would hoard it for himself and not give anything to the poor or needy. In this way he amassed a vast quantity of gold. When the bishop died and the Christians gathered to bury him, I told them of his corrupt practices and, at their request, showed them where he kept their donations. When they saw the large jars filled with gold and silver they said.

"By God, we shall not bury him." They nailed him on a cross and threw stones at him.

I continued in the service of the person who replaced him. The new bishop was an ascetic who longed for the Hereafter and engaged in worship day and night. I was greatly devoted to him and spent a long time in his company.

(After his death, Salman attached himself to various Christian religious figures, in Mosul, Nisibis and elsewhere. The last one had 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. Salman continues his story.)

A group of Arab leaders from the Kalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah and I asked them to take me with them to the land of the Arabs in return for whatever money I had. They agreed and I paid them. When we reached Wadi al-Qura (a place between Madinah and Syria), they broke their agreement and sold me to a Jew. I worked as a servant for him but eventually he sold me to a nephew of his belonging to the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took me with him to Yathrib, the city of palm groves, which is how the Christian at Ammuriyah had described it.

At that time the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties which slavery imposed upon me.

When the Prophet reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Makkah, I was in fact at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master doing some work. My master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up and said:

"May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (the two main Arab tribes of Yathrib). 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." I felt hot flushes as soon as I heard these words and I began to shiver so violently that I was afraid that I might fall on my master. I quickly got down from the tree and spoke to my master's nephew. "What did you say? Repeat the news for me."

My master was very angry and gave me a terrible blow. "What does this matter to you? Go back to what you were doing," he shouted.

That evening, I took some dates that I had gathered and went to the place where the Prophet had alighted. I 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.

I gathered some more dates and when the Prophet left Quba for Madinah I went to him 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 released from slavery by the Prophet who paid his Jewish slave-owner a stipulated price and who 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."

Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim state. At the battle of Khandaq, he proved to be an innovator in military strategy. He suggested digging a ditch or khandaq around Madinah to keep the Quraysh army at bay. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkans, saw the ditch, he said, "This strategem has not been employed by the Arabs before."

Salman became known as "Salman the Good". He was a scholar who lived a rough and ascetic life. He 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," he 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."

Later, as a governor of al-Mada'in (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dirhams. This he would distribute as sadaqah. He lived from the work of his own hands. 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!" As governor, he also used to carry the bags of immigrants and tourists as they arrived in al-Mada'in, such was his humility and excellent character.

"I like to eat from the work of my own hands," he replied. Salman however was not extreme in his asceticism. It is related that he once visited Abu ad-Dardaa with whom the Prophet had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu adDardaa's wife in a miserable state and he asked, "What is the matter with you."

"Your brother has no need of anything in this world*" she replied.

When Abu ad-Dardaa came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu adDardaa said, "I am fasting."

"I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also."

Salman spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu ad-Dardaa got up but Salman got hold of him and said:

"O Abu ad-Dardaa, your Lord has a right over you. Your family have 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, peace be upon him. The Prophet supported Salman in what he had said.

As a scholar, 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 wisdomÑan ocean that does not dry up." Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Qur'an in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman in fact 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, because of the influential household in which he grew up, might easily have been a major figure in the sprawling Persian Empire of his time. His search for truth however led him, even before the Prophet had appeared, to renounce a comfortable and affluent life and even to suffer the indignities of slavery. According to the most reliable account, he died in the year thirty five after the hijrah, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.

Battle of the trench

Salman was the one that came with the idea to dig the moat in the Battle of the Trench

While some sources gather him with the Muhajirun, [ [http://www.al-islam.org/peshawar/7.2.html Seventh Session, Part 2 ] ] other sources narrate that during the battle of the trench, one of Immigrant from Makkah istr|Muhajirun stated "Salman is one of us, Muhajireen", but was challenged by the Muslims of Medina istr|Ansar. A lively argument began between the two groups, each of them claiming that Salman belonged to their group, and not to the other group. Muhammad arrived on the scene, and heard the argument. He was amused by the claims but he soon put an end to their argument by saying: "Salman is neither Muhajir nor Ansar. He is one of us. He is one of the People of the House.istr|ahl al-Bayt." [ [http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/salman.asp Salman the Persian, Salman al-Farsi, Companions of the Prophet(Sahaba), May Allah Be Well Pleased With Him ] ]

Abu Bakr's era

According to Sunni Muslims, Salman gave allegiance to Abu Bakr along with Ali (Muhammed's cousin and son-in-law), who gave allegiance after a period of six months after Muhammed's death. [Sahih Bukhari Vol.III,Chapter of Ghazawa Khaibar,pg. 37] According to Shi'ite Muslims, Salman gave his allegiance only to Ali and became one of the Shi'ites of Ali.

Uthman's era

Salman the Persian died during the reign of the third Caliph, Uthman. There is some debate on his age at the time of death. He is buried in Ctesiphon, in present-day Iraq. Though that city fell into abandon, there is still a town there named after him, Salman Pak.

A hadith

A measure of and scriptual attainment can be gleaned by the following narrations. (Note that the second narration seems to indicate that he could read Hebrew.)

QuoteHadith|Abu Juhaifa|matn=The Prophet made a bond of brotherhood between Salmaan and Abu Ad-Darda'.

Salmaan paid a visit to Abu Ad-Darda' and found Umm Ad-Darda' [meaning his wife] dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied, "Your brother Abu Ad-Darda' is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world."

In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda' came and prepared a meal for Salman. Salman requested Abu Ad-Darda' to eat (with him), but Abu Ad-Darda' said, "I am fasting." Salman said, "I am not going to eat unless you eat." So, Abu Ad-Darda' ate(with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abu Ad-Darda' got up (to offer the night prayer), but Salman told him to sleep and Abu Ad-Darda' slept. After sometime Abu Ad-Darda' again got up but Salman told him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman told him to get up then, and both of them offered the prayer.

Salman told Abu Ad-Darda', "Your Lord has a right on you, your soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who has a right on you."

Abu Ad-Darda' came to Muhammad and told the story. Muhammad said, "Salman has spoken the truth. [Bukhari|3|31|189]

Legacy

This shrine was attacked on February 26, 2006 and seems to have been destroyed in the violence following the destruction of the Al Askari Mosque [http://www.juancole.com/2006/02/more-shrines-destroyed-60-killed.html] .His grave is shown also in Lydda, Palestine/Israel, now inside the modern querter called Ramat Eshkol.

Works

He translated part of the Qur'an into Persian, thus becoming the first person to interpret the Muslim holy scripture into a foreign language. [An-Nawawi, Al-Majmu', (Cairo, Matbacat at-'Tadamun n.d.), 380. ]

Quotation

"I am Salman, the son of Islam from the children of Adam." -- Salman (From "Companions of The Prophet", Vol.1, By: Abdul Wahid Hamid")

hi'a view

Shia have a very favorable view of him. He is mentioned in one hadith regarding the perfect Shia.

PresentScholar|Ali Asgher Razwy|20th|Shi'a|Twelver states:

ufi view

Sufis also have a very favourable view of him; in the Oveyssi-Shahmaghsoudi order and Naqshbandi order, Salman is the third person in the spiritual chain connecting devotees with Muhammad.

ee also

*Alawite
*Sulaym ibn Qays

References

External links

* [http://www.naqshbandi.org/chain/3.htm Biography of Salman al-Farisi] (according to a Naqshbandi Sufi order)