Hadith 1089:34
Ya'qub narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah al-Ansari narrated to me, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, who said: Salman al-Farisi narrated his story to me from his own mouth. He said: I was a Persian man from the people of Isfahan, from a village among them called Jayy. My father was the *dehqan* (chief/landowner) of his village, and I was the most beloved of God's creation to him. His love for me did not cease until he confined me in his house just as a slave girl is confined. I strove in Magianism until I became the keeper of the fire which he kindled, not letting it go out for an hour. He said: My father had a vast estate. He said: He was occupied one day with some construction of his, so he said to me: "O my son, I have been occupied today with this construction of mine away from my estate, so go and look into it," and he commanded me regarding it with some of what he wanted. I went out, intending his estate, and I passed by a church of the Christians. I heard their voices inside while they were praying, and I did not know what the affair of the people was because of my father confining me in his house. When I passed by them and heard their voices, I entered upon them to see what they were doing. He said: When I saw them, their prayer impressed me, and I desired their affair. I said: "By Allah, this is better than the religion we are upon." By Allah, I did not leave them until the sun set, and I left my father's estate and did not go to it. I said to them: "Where is the origin of this religion?" They said: "In Ash-Sham (Syria)." He said: Then I returned to my father, and he had sent out in search of me, and I had distracted him from all his work. He said: When I came to him, he said: "O my son, where were you? Did I not make a covenant with you regarding what I made?" I said: "O my father, I passed by people praying in a church of theirs, and what I saw of their religion impressed me. By Allah, I remained with them until the sun set." He said: "O my son, there is no good in that religion; your religion and the religion of your fathers is better than it." I said: "No, by Allah, it is indeed better than our religion." He said: So he feared me, and he put shackles on my legs, then confined me in his house. He said: I sent to the Christians and said to them: "If a caravan of Christian merchants from Ash-Sham comes to you, inform me about them." He said: A caravan of Christian merchants from Ash-Sham came to them, and they informed me about them. I said to them: "When they have finished their needs and intend to return to their lands, notify me about them." He said: When they intended to return to their lands, they informed me about them. I cast off the iron from my legs, then I went out with them until I arrived in Ash-Sham. When I arrived there, I said: "Who is the best of the people of this religion?" They said: "The bishop in the church." He said: I came to him and said: "I have desired this religion, and I would love to be with you, serving you in your church, learning from you, and praying with you." He said: "Enter," so I entered with him. He said: He was an evil man; he would command them to give charity and encourage them in it, but when they gathered things for him from it, he would hoard it for himself and not give it to the poor, until he had gathered seven jars of gold and silver. He said: I hated him with an intense hatred when I saw what he was doing. Then he died. The Christians gathered to bury him, so I said to them: "This man was an evil man; he would command you to give charity and encourage you in it, but when you brought it to him, he would hoard it for himself and not give the poor anything from it." They said: "And what makes you know that?" I said: "I will show you his treasure." They said: "Show it to us." He said: I showed them its place. He said: They extracted from it seven jars filled with gold and silver. He said: When they saw them, they said: "By Allah, we will never bury him." So they crucified him, then stoned him with stones. Then they brought another man and put him in his place. Salman says: I have not seen a man who does not pray the five prayers—I consider him better than him—more ascetic in the world, nor more desirous of the Hereafter, nor more diligent night and day than him. He said: I loved him with a love I had not loved anyone before him. I stayed with him for a time, then death approached him. I said to him: "O so-and-so, I was with you and loved you with a love I had not loved anyone before you, and what you see of the command of God has approached you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?" He said: "O my son, by Allah, I do not know anyone today upon what I was upon. The people have perished and changed and left most of what they were upon, except for a man in Mosul, who is so-and-so. He is upon what I was upon, so join him." He said: When he died and was buried, I joined the man of Mosul and said to him: "O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me at his death to join you, and he informed me that you are upon his affair." He said: He said to me: "Stay with me." So I stayed with him, and I found him to be the best man upon the affair of his companion. It was not long before he died. When death approached him, I said to him: "O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me to you and commanded me to join you, and what you see of the command of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has approached you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?" He said: "O my son, by Allah, I do not know a man upon the like of what we were upon except in Nusaybin, and he is so-and-so, so join him." He said: When he died and was buried, I joined the man of Nusaybin. I came to him and informed him of my story and what my companion had commanded me. He said: "Stay with me." So I stayed with him, and I found him upon the affair of his two companions. I stayed with the best of men, but by Allah, it was not long before death descended upon him. When he approached, I said to him: "O so-and-so, so-and-so had entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?" He said: "O my son, by Allah, we do not know anyone remaining upon our affair whom I can command you to go to, except for a man in Ammuriya (Amorium). He is upon the like of what we are upon, so if you wish, go to him." He said: "He is upon our affair." He said: When he died and was buried, I joined the man of Ammuriya and informed him of my story. He said: "Stay with me." So I stayed with a man upon the guidance of his companions and their affair. He said: I earned until I had cows and a small flock of sheep. He said: Then the command of God descended upon him. When he approached, I said to him: "O so-and-so, I was with so-and-so, and so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, and so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me?" He said: "O my son, by Allah, I do not know anyone among the people who has woken up upon what we were upon whom I can command you to go to. But a time of a Prophet has overshadowed you; he is sent with the religion of Ibrahim. He will emerge in the land of the Arabs, migrating to a land between two lava fields, between which are palm trees. In him are signs that are not hidden: he eats the gift, but does not eat the charity. Between his shoulders is the Seal of Prophethood. If you are able to join that land, then do so." He said: Then he died and was buried. I remained in Ammuriya as long as Allah willed that I remain. Then some people from Kalb passed by me as merchants. I said to them: "Carry me to the land of the Arabs, and I will give you these cows of mine and this flock of mine." They said: "Yes." So I gave them to them, and they carried me until, when they brought me to Wadi al-Qura, they wronged me and sold me to a man from the Jews as a slave. I was with him, and I saw the palm trees, and I hoped that it would be the land that my companion had described to me, but it was not confirmed for me in my soul. While I was with him, a cousin of his came to him from Medina, from Banu Qurayza, and bought me from him. He carried me to Medina. By Allah, it was only that I saw it that I recognized it by the description of my companion. I stayed there, and Allah sent His Messenger. He stayed in Mecca as long as he stayed, and I did not hear any mention of him along with the preoccupation of slavery I was in. Then he migrated to Medina. By Allah, I was at the top of a date palm for my master, doing some work on it, and my master was sitting, when a cousin of his came and stood by him and said: "So-and-so, may Allah fight Banu Qayla! By Allah, they are now gathered at Quba around a man who came to them from Mecca today, claiming that he is a Prophet." He said: When I heard it, a shivering took me, until I thought I would fall upon my master. He said: I descended from the palm tree and began saying to his cousin: "What are you saying? What are you saying?" He said: My master became angry and struck me a severe blow, then said: "What is it to you? Return to your work." I said: "Nothing, I only wanted to verify what he said." I had something I had collected. When evening came, I took it, then went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was at Quba. I entered upon him and said to him: "It has reached me that you are a righteous man, and you have companions with you who are strangers and in need. This is something I had for charity, and I saw you more deserving of it than others." He said: I brought it near to him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his companions: "Eat," and he withheld his hand and did not eat. He said: I said to myself: "This is one." Then I turned away from him and collected something. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) moved to Medina, then I came to him with it and said: "I saw that you do not eat charity, and this is a gift I have honored you with." He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ate from it and commanded his companions, so they ate with him. He said: I said to myself: "These are two." He said: Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was at Baqi' al-Gharqad. He had followed a funeral of his companions, wearing two shawls of his, and he was sitting among his companions. I greeted him, then I circled around to look at his back, to see if I would see the Seal that my companion had described to me. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw me circling behind him, he knew that I was verifying something that had been described to me. He said: He cast his garment off his back, and I looked at the Seal and recognized it. I threw myself upon him, kissing him and weeping. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: "Turn around," so I turned around, and I narrated my story to him as I have narrated it to you, O Ibn 'Abbas. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was pleased that his companions should hear that. Then Salman was occupied by slavery until he missed Badr and Uhud with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: "Write a contract of manumission, O Salman." So I wrote a contract with my master for three hundred palm trees that I would cultivate for him in the *Faqir* (a place), and for forty *uqiyah* (of silver). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to his companions: "Help your brother." They helped me with the palm trees: a man with thirty saplings, a man with twenty, a man with fifteen, and a man with ten—meaning, a man according to what he had—until three hundred saplings were gathered for me. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: "Go, O Salman, and dig for them. When you have finished, come to me so that I may place them with my own hand." He said: I dug for them, and my companions helped me. When I finished them, I came to him and informed him. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out with me to them, and we began bringing the saplings to him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) placed them with his hand. By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Salman, not a single sapling died. I paid the palm trees, but the money remained upon me. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was brought something like a chicken's egg of gold from some of the military expeditions. He said: "What did the Persian who wrote the contract do?" He said: I was called to him, and he said: "Take this and pay what is upon you with it, O Salman." I said: "And where would this reach, O Messenger of Allah, compared to what is upon me?" He said: "Take it, for Allah will pay it on your behalf." He said: I took it and weighed for them from it—by Him in Whose hand is the soul of Salman—forty *uqiyah*. I fulfilled their right, and I was freed. I witnessed the Trench with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and then no battle with him missed me.
حدثنا يعقوب، حدثنا أبي، عن ابن إسحاق، حدثني عاصم بن عمر بن قتادة الأنصاري، عن محمود بن لبيد، عن عبد الله بن عباس، قال: حدثني سلمان الفارسي حديثه من فيه، قال: كنت رجلا فارسيا من أهل أصبهان من أهل قرية منها يقال لها جي، وكان أبي دهقان قريته، وكنت أحب خلق الله إليه، فلم يزل به حبه إياي حتى حبسني في بيته كما تحبس الجارية، واجتهدت في المجوسية حتى كنت قطن النار الذي يوقدها لا يتركها تخبو ساعة، قال: وكانت لأبي ضيعة عظيمة، قال: فشغل في بنيان له يوما، فقال لي: يا بني، إني قد شغلت في بنيان هذا اليوم عن ضيعتي، فاذهب فاطلعها، وأمرني فيها ببعض ما يريد، فخرجت أريد ضيعته، فمررت بكنيسة من كنائس النصارى، فسمعت أصواتهم فيها وهم يصلون، وكنت لا أدري ما أمر الناس لحبس أبي إياي في بيته، فلما مررت بهم، وسمعت أصواتهم، دخلت عليهم أنظر ما يصنعون، قال: فلما رأيتهم أعجبني صلاتهم، ورغبت في أمرهم، وقلت: هذا والله خير من الدين الذي نحن عليه، فوالله ما تركتهم حتى غربت الشمس، وتركت ضيعة أبي ولم آتها، فقلت لهم: أين أصل هذا الدين؟ قالوا: بالشام قال: ثم رجعت إلى أبي، وقد بعث في طلبي وشغلته عن عمله كله، قال: فلما جئته، قال: أي بني، أين كنت؟ ألم أكن عهدت إليك ما عهدت؟ قال: قلت: يا أبت، مررت بناس يصلون في كنيسة لهم فأعجبني ما رأيت من دينهم، فوالله مازلت عندهم حتى غربت الشمس، قال: أي بني، ليس في ذلك الدين خير، دينك ودين آبائك خير منه، قال: قلت: كلا والله إنه لخير من ديننا، قال: فخافني، فجعل في رجلي قيدا، ثم حبسني في بيته، قال: وبعثت إلى النصارى فقلت لهم: إذا قدم عليكم ركب من الشام تجار من النصارى فأخبروني بهم، قال: فقدم عليهم ركب من الشام تجار من النصارى، قال: فأخبروني بهم، قال: فقلت لهم: إذا قضوا حوائجهم وأرادوا الرجعة إلى بلادهم فآذنوني بهم، قال: فلما أرادوا الرجعة إلى بلادهم أخبروني بهم، فألقيت الحديد من رجلي، ثم خرجت معهم حتى قدمت الشام، فلما قدمتها، قلت: من أفضل أهل هذا الدين؟ قالوا: الأسقف في الكنيسة، قال: فجئته، فقلت: إني قد رغبت في هذا الدين، وأحببت أن أكون معك أخدمك في كنيستك، وأتعلم منك وأصلي معك، قال: فادخل فدخلت معه، قال: فكان رجل سوء يأمرهم بالصدقة ويرغبهم فيها، فإذا جمعوا إليه منها أشياء، اكتنزه لنفسه، ولم يعطه المساكين، حتى جمع سبع قلال من ذهب وورق، قال: وأبغضته بغضا شديدا لما رأيته يصنع، ثم مات، فاجتمعت إليه النصارى ليدفنوه، فقلت لهم: إن هذا كان رجل سوء يأمركم بالصدقة ويرغبكم فيها فإذا جئتموه بها اكتنزها لنفسه، ولم يعط المساكين منها شيئا، قالوا: وما علمك بذلك؟، قال: قلت أنا أدلكم على كنزه، قالوا: فدلنا عليه، قال: فأريتهم موضعه، قال: فاستخرجوا منه سبع قلال مملوءة ذهبا وورقا، قال: فلما رأوها قالوا: والله لا ندفنه أبدا فصلبوه، ثم رجموه بالحجارة، ثم جاءوا برجل آخر، فجعلوه بمكانه، قال: يقول سلمان: فما رأيت رجلا لا يصلي الخمس، أرى أنه أفضل منه، أزهد في الدنيا، ولا أرغب في الآخرة، ولا أدأب ليلا ونهارا منه، قال: فأحببته حبا لم أحبه من قبله، فأقمت معه زمانا، ثم حضرته الوفاة، فقلت له: يا فلان إني كنت معك وأحببتك حبا لم أحبه من قبلك وقد حضرك ما ترى من أمر الله، فإلى من توصي بي، وما تأمرني؟، قال: أي بني والله ما أعلم أحدا اليوم على ما كنت عليه، لقد هلك الناس وبدلوا وتركوا أكثر ما كانوا عليه، إلا رجلا بالموصل، وهو فلان، فهو على ما كنت عليه، فالحق به، قال: فلما مات وغيب، لحقت بصاحب الموصل فقلت له: يا فلان، إن فلانا أوصاني عند موته أن ألحق بك، وأخبرني أنك على أمره، قال: فقال لي: أقم عندي فأقمت عنده، فوجدته خير رجل على أمر صاحبه، فلم يلبث أن مات، فلما حضرته الوفاة، قلت له: يا فلان، إن فلانا أوصى بي إليك، وأمرني باللحوق بك، وقد حضرك من الله عز وجل ما ترى، فإلى من توصي بي، وما تأمرني؟ قال: أي بني، والله ما أعلم رجلا على مثل ما كنا عليه إلا بنصيبين، وهو فلان، فالحق به، قال: فلما مات وغيب لحقت بصاحب نصيبين، فجئته فأخبرته خبري ، وما أمرني به صاحبي، قال: فأقم عندي، فأقمت عنده، فوجدته على أمر صاحبيه، فأقمت مع خير رجل، فوالله ما لبث أن نزل به الموت، فلما حضر، قلت له: يا فلان، إن فلانا كان أوصى بي إلى فلان، ثم أوصى بي فلان إليك، فإلى من توصي بي، وما تأمرني؟ قال: أي بني، والله ما نعلم أحدا بقي على أمرنا آمرك أن تأتيه إلا رجلا بعمورية، فإنه على مثل ما نحن عليه، فإن أحببت فأته، قال: فإنه على أمرنا، قال: فلما مات وغيب لحقت بصاحب عمورية، وأخبرته خبري، فقال: أقم عندي، فأقمت مع رجل على هدي أصحابه وأمرهم، قال: واكتسبت حتى كان لي بقرات وغنيمة، قال: ثم نزل به أمر الله، فلما حضر قلت له: يا فلان، إني كنت مع فلان، فأوصى بي فلان إلى فلان، وأوصى بي فلان إلى فلان، ثم أوصى بي فلان إليك، فإلى من توصي بي، وما تأمرني؟ قال: أي بني، والله ما أعلمه أصبح على ما كنا عليه أحد من الناس آمرك أن تأتيه، ولكنه قد أظلك زمان نبي هو مبعوث بدين إبراهيم يخرج بأرض العرب، مهاجرا إلى أرض بين حرتين بينهما نخل، به علامات لا تخفى: يأكل الهدية، ولا يأكل الصدقة، بين كتفيه خاتم النبوة، فإن استطعت أن تلحق بتلك البلاد فافعل، قال: ثم مات وغيب، فمكثت بعمورية ما شاء الله أن أمكث، ثم مر بي نفر من كلب تجارا، فقلت لهم: تحملوني إلى أرض العرب، وأعطيكم بقراتي هذه وغنيمتي هذه؟ قالوا: نعم فأعطيتهموها وحملوني، حتى إذا قدموا بي وادي القرى ظلموني فباعوني من رجل من يهود عبدا، فكنت عنده، ورأيت النخل، ورجوت أن تكون البلد الذي وصف لي صاحبي، ولم يحق لي في نفسي، فبينما أنا عنده، قدم عليه ابن عم له من المدينة من بني قريظة فابتاعني منه، فاحتملني إلى المدينة، فوالله ما هو إلا أن رأيتها فعرفتها بصفة صاحبي، فأقمت بها وبعث الله رسوله، فأقام بمكة ما أقام لا أسمع له بذكر مع ما أنا فيه من شغل الرق، ثم هاجر إلى المدينة، فوالله إني لفي رأس عذق لسيدي أعمل فيه بعض العمل، وسيدي جالس، إذ أقبل ابن عم له حتى وقف عليه، فقال: فلان، قاتل الله بني قيلة، والله إنهم الآن لمجتمعون بقباء على رجل قدم عليهم من مكة اليوم، يزعمون أنه نبي، قال: فلما سمعتها أخذتني العرواء، حتى ظننت سأسقط على سيدي، قال: ونزلت عن النخلة، فجعلت أقول لابن عمه ذلك: ماذا تقول؟ ماذا تقول؟ قال: فغضب سيدي فلكمني لكمة شديدة، ثم قال: ما لك ولهذا أقبل على عملك، قال: قلت: لا شيء، إنما أردت أن أستثبته عما قال: وقد كان عندي شيء قد جمعته، فلما أمسيت أخذته ثم ذهبت إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو بقباء، فدخلت عليه، فقلت له: إنه قد بلغني أنك رجل صالح، ومعك أصحاب لك غرباء ذوو حاجة، وهذا شيء كان عندي للصدقة، فرأيتكم أحق به من غيركم قال: فقربته إليه، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأصحابه: " كلوا " وأمسك يده فلم يأكل، قال: فقلت في نفسي: هذه واحدة، ثم انصرفت عنه فجمعت شيئا، وتحول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى المدينة، ثم جئته به، فقلت: إني رأيتك لا تأكل الصدقة، وهذه هدية أكرمتك بها، قال: فأكل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم منها وأمر أصحابه فأكلوا معه، قال: فقلت في نفسي: هاتان اثنتان، قال: ثم جئت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو ببقيع الغرقد، قال: وقد تبع جنازة من أصحابه، عليه شملتان له، وهو جالس في أصحابه، فسلمت عليه، ثم استدرت أنظر إلى ظهره، هل أرى الخاتم الذي وصف لي صاحبي؟ فلما رآني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم استدبرته ، عرف أني أستثبت في شيء وصف لي، قال: فألقى رداءه عن ظهره، فنظرت إلى الخاتم فعرفته، فانكببت عليه أقبله وأبكي، فقال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " تحول " فتحولت، فقصصت عليه حديثي كما حدثتك يا ابن عباس، قال: فأعجب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يسمع ذلك أصحابه، ثم شغل سلمان الرق حتى فاته مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بدر، وأحد، قال: ثم قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " كاتب يا سلمان " فكاتبت صاحبي على ثلاث مائة نخلة أحييها له بالفقير، وبأربعين أوقية، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لأصحابه: " أعينوا أخاكم " فأعانوني بالنخل: الرجل بثلاثين ودية، والرجل بعشرين، والرجل بخمس عشرة، والرجل بعشر، يعني: الرجل بقدر ما عنده، حتى اجتمعت لي ثلاث مائة ودية، فقال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " اذهب يا سلمان ففقر لها، فإذا فرغت فأتني أكون أنا أضعها بيدي " قال: ففقرت لها، وأعانني أصحابي، حتى إذا فرغت منها جئته فأخبرته، فخرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم معي إليها فجعلنا نقرب له الودي ويضعه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده، فوالذي نفس سلمان بيده، ما ماتت منها ودية واحدة، فأديت النخل، وبقي علي المال، فأتي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بمثل بيضة الدجاجة من ذهب من بعض المغازي، فقال: " ما فعل الفارسي المكاتب؟ " قال: فدعيت له، فقال: " خذ هذه فأد بها ما عليك يا سلمان " فقلت: وأين تقع هذه يا رسول الله مما علي؟ قال: " خذها، فإن الله سيؤدي بها عنك " قال: فأخذتها فوزنت لهم منها، والذي نفس سلمان بيده، أربعين أوقية، فأوفيتهم حقهم، وعتقت، فشهدت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الخندق، ثم لم يفتني معه مشهد