Demise anniversary of Salman-e Farsi PBUH

Thursday, January 13 was the demise anniversary of Salman Farsi or Salman the Persian (Radhiallah Anhu), the Iranian devout intellectual and ascetic who accepted Islam and played a prominent role in the advance of the Divine aspirations of the noblest messenger of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.).

Salman grew up in the town of Isfahan central Iran, in the village of Jayyan. His father was the Dihqan (chief) of the village. He was the richest person there and had the biggest house. His father loved him, more than he loved any other.

Salman early in his life was 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 fire remained aflame.

Salman’s father had a vast estate, which yielded an abundant supply of crops. He himself looked after the estate and gathered harvest. One day as he went about his duties as Dihqan of the village, he said to Salman “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 the way to the estate, Salman passed a Christian church and heard voices rising in prayer. He was attracted. He did not know anything about Christianity or, for that matter, about the followers of any other religion.

When he heard the voices of the Christians, he entered the church to see what they were doing. He was impressed by their manner of praying and felt drawn to their religion. He thought “This religion is better than ours. I shall not leave them until the sunsets.”

Salman asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in Syria. Salman managed to send a message to the Christians, asking them to inform him of any caravans going to Syria. Before long they contacted him with the information he wanted. When he reached Syria, he asked regarding the leading person in the Christian religion and was directed to the bishop of the church.

He 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 Salman entered the church in his service. After the death of the bishop, the local people appointed another man in place of the first.

Salman stayed on, in the service of this person who replaced him. The new bishop was an ascetic who longed for the Hereafter and engaged in worship day and night. Salman was devoted to him and spent much of the time in his company.

Before he passed away, Salman said to him, “O so and so Priest! The time has come for you to witness Allah Ta’ala’s decision (meaning death). I swear by Allah, I have never adored anyone as much as I have adored you! So what would you instruct me to do? And who can you recommend for me to see?”

He replied, “O son! I do not know of anyone except for a certain man living in the city of Mosul. Go to him, for you will find that he is similar to me.”

A short while after he passed away, Salman arrived at Mosul and found the priest he had been sent to, and indeed, he was very much like the one before him in terms of simplicity and striving. After he passed away, Salman was referred to another priest who in turn sent him to a priest in Ammuriyah (Ameria, near Rome), before his demise.

Salman stayed by this Roman priest and decided to make a living. Eventually he managed to acquire some sheep and cows.

When the priest’s death was near, Salman told him of his story and asked him for his advice just as he had asked those before him.

He said: “There is nobody following our ways of life I can send you to. Nevertheless, your life seems to coincide with the era of a messenger who will arise from the Haram. His migration will be to a city full of date trees. He will eat food provided it is a gift and not a donation. If you can reach that city, then do so, because you are very close to his era.”

…

Months later, a group of Arab leaders from the Kalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah. Salman asked them to take him with them to the land of the Arabs, in return for whatever money he had. They agreed to take him along. When they reached Wadi al-Qura (a place between Syria and Madinah), the Arabs broke their agreement and made him a slave and sold him.

Salman worked as a servant for the man to whom he was sold and asked God to guide him through the ordeal.

Salman was again sold this time to a nephew of the former ‘master’, belonging to the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took Salman with him to Yathrib, the city of palm groves, which is how the Christian at Ammuriyah had described it.

At that time the Noblest Messenger of Allah Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH) was inviting people in Makkah to Islam but Salman did not know of this because of the harsh duties slavery imposed upon him.

When the messenger reached Yathrib after his hijrah from Makkah, Salman was on top of a palm tree doing some work. Salman’s new ‘master’ was sitting under the tree. A nephew of Salman’s ‘master’ came up and said, ‘May Allah declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (two main Arab tribes of Yathrib). By Allah, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a man, who has just today, arrived from Makkah and who claims to be messenger.’

Salman felt light-headed upon hearing these words and began to shiver so violently that he had to climb down, in fear that he may fall. He quickly swung down from the tree.

Salman himself narrates:

I left the house for a while, making inquiries. I asked a woman I met from the city whose entire family had become Muslim. She showed me the way to the messenger.

When it was evening, I took some food with me and went to the messenger. The messenger was in Quba at the time.

I said “Word has reached me that you are a very pious man, and that you have some travelers in your company. I had some charity and thought that you would be most deserving of it. This is it; you may have some to eat.”

The messenger withdrew his hand, not eating from it, but told his Companions to eat. At the time, I thought “This is one of the characteristics my Mentor told me of”.

On my way back, I saw that the messenger was heading to Madinah. Thus, I took the food to him, saying “I saw that you were not eating from this charity. As a matter of fact, I presented it as a gift and not charity.”

This time, the messenger also ate with his Companions.

The honesty of the messenger Prophet was one of the characteristics that led Salman to believe in him and accept Islam.

Salman was released from slavery by the messenger who paid his ‘master’ a stipulated price, and who himself planted an agreed number of date palms to secure Salman’s 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’s role in Islam

Salman was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Islamic movement. At the battle of Khandaq, he proved to be an innovator in military strategy. It was he who suggested digging a ditch or khandaq around Madinah to keep the invading army at bay. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkans, saw the ditch, he said, ‘This stratagem has not been employed by the Arabs before.’

Salman participated in all of the other campaigns of the messenger thereafter.

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 slept on. He would not seek the shelter of a roof but stayed under a tree or against a wall.

Later, as a governor of Al-Madain (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman received a stipend of five thousand dhirhams. This he would distribute as sadaqah (charity donation).

He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people came to Madina and saw him working the palm groves, they said “You are the leader here and your sustenance is guaranteed and yet you do this work?”

“I like to eat from the work of my own hands,” he replied.

As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. Imam Ali (PBUH) said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise.

Salman had knowledge of both the Christian scripture and the Quran in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman in fact translated parts of the Quraan into Persian during the lifetime of the messenger. He was thus the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language.

According to the most reliable account, he died in either 31 or 34 A.H, at the age of about 250 years, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Mada’aen (Ctesiphon).