The Conversion of Salman al-Farisi

When the Prophet came and besieged Banu Qurayzah, some young men among them said, “By Allah, this is the Prophet about whom Ibn al-Hayban made a covenant with you.” They replied, “It is not him.” The young men said, “Indeed, by Allah, he is the one, matching his description.” They came down, accepted Islam, and safeguarded their lives, property, and families. Ibn Ishaq said: This is what has reached us of the reports concerning the Jews.

Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qatadah al-Ansari narrated to me from Mahmud ibn Labid, from Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, who said: Salman al-Farisi told me—and I heard it directly from him—“I was a Persian from the people of Isfahan, from a village called Jayy. My father was its dihqan, its chief, and I was the dearest of Allah’s creation to him. His love for me grew until he kept me in the house as a girl might be kept. I devoted myself to the Magian religion until I became the keeper of the fire…” The report continues on printed page 215.

“…which I tended so that it never went out for even an hour. My father owned a large estate. One day he was busy with a building project and said, ‘My son, I am occupied today with this building. Go to my estate, inspect it, and do some tasks I need. Do not stay away long, for if you do, you will concern me more than the estate and distract me from everything.’ I went to the estate. On the way I passed a Christian church and heard its people praying. Because my father had kept me at home, I knew little of other people’s affairs. I entered to see what they were doing. Their prayer impressed me, and I became interested in their religion. I said, ‘By Allah, this is better than our religion.’ I stayed with them until sunset, neglecting my father’s estate. I asked where this religion began. They said, ‘In Syria.’ I returned to my father, who had sent people to look for me and had been distracted from all his work. He asked, ‘My son, where were you? Did I not tell you what I told you?’ I said, ‘Father, I passed some people praying in their church. What I saw of their religion impressed me. By Allah, I stayed with them until sunset.’ He said, ‘My son, there is no good in that religion. Your religion and your fathers’ religion are better.’ I replied, ‘No, by Allah, theirs is better.’ He became afraid for me, put a chain on my legs, and confined me in the house.”

“I sent word to the Christians: ‘If a caravan of merchants from Syria comes to you, tell me.’ A Syrian Christian caravan arrived, and they informed me. I said, ‘When they have finished their business and are ready to return to their country, tell me.’ When they were ready, I broke the chain from my feet and went with them to Syria. When we arrived, I asked, ‘Who is the best person in this religion?’ They said, ‘The bishop in the church.’ I went to him…” Salman’s account continues on printed page 216.

“I told the bishop, ‘I am interested in this religion. I would like to stay with you, serve you in your church, learn from you, and pray with you.’ He said, ‘Come in,’ and I entered. He was a wicked man: he urged them to give charity and encouraged them to do so, but when they brought it to him, he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing to the poor, until he had amassed seven jars of gold and silver. I hated him intensely for what I saw him do. When he died, the Christians gathered to bury him. I said, ‘This was an evil man. He urged you to give charity, but when you brought it to him, he kept it for himself and gave nothing to the poor.’ They asked, ‘How do you know?’ I said, ‘I will show you his treasure.’ They said, ‘Show us.’ I showed them its place, and they brought out seven jars filled with gold and silver. When they saw them, they said, ‘By Allah, we will never bury him.’ They crucified him, stoned him, and brought another man to take his place.”

Salman said: “I never saw a man who did not neglect the five prayers more excellent than him, more detached from worldly life, more desirous of the Hereafter, or more diligent night and day. I loved him as I had loved no one before. I stayed with him a long time. When he was near death, I said, ‘So-and-so, I have stayed with you and loved you as I have loved no one before. Allah’s decree that you see is upon you; to whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?’ He said, ‘My son, by Allah, I know no one today who follows what we followed. People have perished, changed, and abandoned most of it. Except a man in Mosul, so-and-so; he follows our way. Go to him.’”

When the bishop died and was buried, I went to his companion in Mosul and said, ‘So-and-so, when he died, entrusted me to you and told me you follow his way.’ He said, ‘Stay with me.’ I stayed and found him the best man upon his companion’s way, but soon he too was near death. I said, ‘So-and-so, the man who entrusted me to you has died, and you now see Allah’s decree upon you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?’ He said, ‘My son, by Allah, I know no man who follows what we followed except a man in Nisibis. Go to him.’

When that man died and was buried, I went to his companion in Nisibis and told him my story and what the previous man had commanded. He said, ‘Stay with me.’ I stayed and found him following the way of his two companions. I remained with the best of men, but soon death came to him. I said, ‘So-and-so, one man entrusted me to another, and he entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command?’ He said, ‘My son, by Allah, I know no one remaining upon our way whom I can tell you to visit, except a man in Amorium in the land of the Romans. He follows what we follow. If you wish, go to him.’

When that man died and was buried, I went to his companion in Amorium and told him my story. He said, ‘Stay with me.’ I stayed with the best of men, following the guidance and way of his companions. I acquired some cows and a small flock. Then Allah’s decree came upon him. As he lay dying, I said, ‘So-and-so, I was with one man, who entrusted me to another, who then entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?’ He replied, ‘My son, by Allah, I know no one today among the people who follows our way whom I can direct you to. But the time of a Prophet has drawn near. He will be sent with the religion of Abraham. He will emerge in the land of the Arabs and migrate to a land between two lava fields, with palm trees between them. He has unmistakable signs: he accepts a gift but does not eat charity, and between his shoulders is the Seal of Prophethood. If you can reach that land, do so.’

When my companion died and was buried, I stayed in Amorium as long as Allah wished. Then a group of merchants from Kalb passed by. I said, ‘Take me to the land of the Arabs, and I will give you these cows and this little flock.’ They agreed. I gave them the animals and they carried me with them. When they reached Wadi al-Qura, they wronged me and sold me as a slave to a Jewish man. I stayed with him and saw palm trees, hoping this might be the land my companion described, though I was not yet certain. While I was with him, a cousin of his from Banu Qurayzah in Medina arrived and bought me, then took me to Medina. By Allah, as soon as I saw it, I recognized it from my companion’s description and stayed there. The Messenger of Allah was sent and remained in Makkah for a time, but I heard nothing of him because I was occupied with slavery. Then he migrated to Medina. By Allah, I was at the top of a palm tree belonging to my master, doing some work for him, while my master sat below me. A cousin of his came and said, ‘May Allah fight Banu Qaylah! By Allah, they are gathered at Quba around a man who arrived there from Makkah today; they claim he is a prophet.’

Ibn Hisham said: Qaylah was the daughter of Kahil ibn ‘Udhrah ibn Sa‘d ibn Zayd ibn Layth ibn Sud ibn Aslam ibn al-Haf ibn Quda‘ah. She was the mother of the Aws and Khazraj.

[1] Harrah is land covered with black volcanic stones. [2] One recension reads “I recognized it”; another has a different form. [3] ‘Idhq, with a fathah, means a palm tree; with a kasrah it means a cluster of dates. [4] Quba was originally the name of a well, after which the village was named. It was the dwelling place of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf, about two miles from Medina on the road to Makkah. See Mu‘jam al-Buldan.

…At those words I was seized by a shudder, and I feared I would fall on my master. I climbed down and began asking the man, ‘What did you say? What did you say?’ My master became angry and struck me hard, saying, ‘What business is this of yours? Return to your work.’ I said, ‘Nothing; I only wanted to be sure of what you said.’

A little food I had gathered was with me. In the evening I took it to the Messenger of Allah at Quba and said, ‘I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have companions who are strangers in need. This was intended as charity, and I thought you were more entitled to it than others.’ I brought it near him. He said to his Companions, ‘Eat,’ but he kept his hand away and did not eat. I said to myself, ‘This is one sign.’ I left, gathered something else, and the Messenger had moved to Medina. I brought it to him and said, ‘I saw that you do not eat charity. This is a gift with which I wish to honor you.’ He ate some of it and told his Companions to eat. I said to myself, ‘This is the second sign.’ Then I came to him at al-Baqi‘ al-Gharqad, where he had followed the funeral of one of his Companions… The report continues on page 220.

Al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir al-Ansari praised the Aws and Khazraj in two verses quoted here; the poem is longer. Al-‘urwa is a shiver from cold; if accompanied by sweat it is called al-ruhda’—both words are extended in pronunciation.

…I wore two simple wraps, and the Messenger sat among his Companions. I greeted him, then walked behind him to see whether I could find the Seal my companion had described. When the Messenger saw me circling behind him, he understood that I was checking for something described to me. He let his cloak fall from his back. I looked and recognized the Seal. I bent over him, kissing it and weeping. He said, ‘Turn around,’ so I sat before him and told him my story just as I have told you, Ibn ‘Abbas. The Messenger was pleased to let his Companions hear it. Slavery then kept Salman from joining the Messenger at Badr and Uhud.

Salman said: The Messenger of Allah then told me, ‘Make a manumission contract, Salman.’ I made an agreement with my master to plant three hundred palm trees for him in specified plots and pay forty uqiyyahs. The Messenger said to his Companions, ‘Help your brother.’ They helped me with the young palms: one gave thirty, another twenty, another fifteen, and another ten, each giving according to what he had, until I had gathered three hundred saplings. The Messenger said, ‘Go, Salman, dig the planting holes. When you have finished, come to me, and I will place them with my own hands.’ I dug the holes with my Companions’ help. When I finished, I told him. The Messenger went out with me, and we brought him the saplings; he planted each one with his own hand. By the One who holds Salman’s soul, not one sapling died. I had paid the palms, but still owed the money… The report continues on page 221.

[1] Al-Baqi‘ al-Gharqad is the cemetery of the people of Medina, within the city. [2] The deceased is identified as Kulthum ibn al-Hadm, the first Muslim to die after the Messenger’s arrival in Medina. [3] The particle is an addition from recension A. [4] Shamlah is a simple wrap or mantle. [5] The word means he saw me turn my back to him. [6] Al-Faqir here means a planting hole. [7] Wadiyyah is a young palm shoot. [8] Faqqir means dig holes for planting.

The Messenger said, ‘Come to me when you finish, and I will place them with my own hands.’ I dug the holes, and my Companions helped. When I finished, I came to him and told him. The Messenger went out with me, and we brought him the young palms; he planted them with his own hands until we had finished. By the One who holds Salman’s soul, not one shoot died. I paid for the palms, but still owed the money. The Messenger was brought a piece of gold about the size of a hen’s egg from a mine. He said, ‘What happened to the Persian who made a manumission contract?’ I was called to him. He said, ‘Take this and pay what you owe, Salman.’ I asked, ‘How will this cover what I owe, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Take it; Allah will settle your debt through it.’ I took it and weighed out forty uqiyyahs for them. I had paid them their full due, and Salman was freed. I then witnessed the Battle of the Trench with the Messenger as a free man, and I missed no further campaign with him.

Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated from a man of ‘Abd al-Qays, from Salman, that when he asked, ‘How will this cover what I owe, Messenger of Allah?’ the Messenger took the gold, turned it over on his tongue, and said, ‘Take it and pay them in full.’ Salman said: I took it and paid them all forty uqiyyahs.

Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qatadah related to me, from a trustworthy person, from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Marwan, from Salman al-Farisi, who said…’ The account continues at the top of printed page 222.

The man told Salman, ‘The religion you seek will be explained to you by him.’ Salman went to the place described and found people gathered around the man. That night he came out, moving from one grove to another; people crowded around him seeking blessings, and he prayed for no sick person but that the person was healed. They overwhelmed Salman, and he could not reach him until the man entered the grove he intended, with only his shoulder visible. Salman grasped him. The man turned and asked, ‘Who is this?’ Salman said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you; tell me about the upright religion, the religion of Abraham.’ He replied, ‘You ask about something people no longer ask. The time of a Prophet sent with this religion from the people of the Sanctuary has drawn near. Go to him; he will guide you to it.’ Then he entered the grove. The Messenger of Allah later said to Salman, ‘If you have spoken truthfully, Salman, then you met Jesus son of Mary.’ Al-Suhayli notes that this report has a disconnected chain and an unknown transmitter, and that the named transmitter may be weak, though its meaning is not objectionable if authentic.