Salman Al-Farisi: A Long Winded Journey to Islam
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Salman Al-Farisi follows the story of many of the early believers in Islam. He was a wealthy and well-respected Persian man whose search for purpose led him through a long journey of many years until he met the Prophet ﷺ in Medina and accepted Islam.
Background
Salman Al-Farisi came from a religious and wealthy family in Asbahan, Persia. His father was a minister in the religion of the Persians at the time, Zoroastrianism. Salman was a hard worker and often did well to please his father and follow in the steps of their religion. One day, while on a trip to a nearby village, Salman passed by a Christian Church and heard praying from inside. Curiosity getting the best of him, Salman made his way into the Church to hear what was being shared. Upon hearing the message and words of the Christians in that space, Salman declared Christianity as a better religion than his own and spent an extensive time in that Church to learn more. Upon not hearing from him for a while, his father sent after him and Salman returned home.
Leaving His Home
Back in his home, Salman shared his awe of the Christian faith to his father, which led to an argument between the two. Not wanting his son to return to the Church or to learn more about the faith, Salman’s father imprisoned him with iron chains. Not letting this stop him, Salman sent word to the Christians that he would like to learn more and expressed interest in accepting the religion. Knowing that the group of Christians originated from Sham, current Levant areas, he requested to be notified if a caravan from Sham came through their city.
Having been told of a caravan headed towards Sham, Salman broke through the iron chains and joined the caravan. He asked for the most learned man in the group about matters of religion and spent his time with him. Salman learned many things about the Christian faith and spent his time learning, praying, and serving the group. However, the man from which he learned the faith was not a pious man and would hoard and take charity offerings for himself. He was a selfish man and Salman saw his ill intentions clearly. However, Salman had no family, no home, and no wealth, so he spent his time with the man until he died.
Teachers and Leaders of Christianity
When that man died, a new abbott, or priest, was appointed in his position. Salman spent much time with this man and found him to be an exemplary example of a person of faith. With him as a mentor, Salman grew to be a person who was abstinent from the hold of this world and regular in worship. When the priest grew old and his time came to an end, Salman inquired as to what he will do next without a religious leader. Having been exposed to two different types of religious leaders in the Christian faith, Salman wanted to make sure to stay and follow someone much like the man who was on his deathbed. Salman Al-Farisi was then guided to reach out to a man in Mawsil, who followed a life much like him.
In Mawsil, Salman looked for the religious man and continued to grow as a person of faith under his guidance. Upon his deathbed, Salman once more inquired to whom he should go to continue his authentic journey of faith. The old man referred him to a devout worshiper in Nasibin. Salman spent some time with him, until he was also close to his death. Salman once more asked where he should continue his growth to follow this path of Christianity. The old man told him to follow a man in Amuriyah, a town in a Roman country.
Learning of the Prophet ﷺ
When in Amuriyah, Salman worked as a shepherd and took care of cattle and sheep for an income. At this time, he was still a Christian and followed the teachings of the man he was with. Upon the man’s near death, Salman once again asked the question he had been asking all his teachers. Where should he go and who should he follow next?
The man told Salman that he did not know of a religious Christian whom he can recommend following, but that the time for a man to come to earth bringing the same religion of Abraham (Ibraheem AS) has come. This man would emigrate to a land with palm trees, surrounded by two mountains, and has some clear signs:
- the man would not eat a bite of or accept charity for himself
- the man would accept presents
- the man had a mark between his shoulder blades.
This is the mark of Prophethood that Salman was bound to recognize.
One day, a caravan from the Arabian peninsula was passing through town and Salman asked to join them. In return for their help in transportation, he would give them all his cattle and sheep. They agreed to this deal and allowed Salman to join them until they reached the town of Wadi Al Qura, the Valley of Villages. There, Salman noticed that it was a land covered in palm trees and, being a valley, was surrounded by mountains. He thought that this might be the place he meets a Prophet ﷺ. Unfortunately, the men in the caravan did not treat Salman well and sold him off to a Jewish man in the town.
Life as a Slave
Salman Al-Farisi lived his life as a slave in Wadi Al Qura with nothing to his name. One day, a Jewish man came from Banu Qurayza, a Jewish tribe on the outskirts of Medina, and bought Salman from his previous owner. After leaving with his new owner, Salman immediately recognized Medina as the town mentioned by his former teacher. It was a town between two mountains and was covered in palm trees. He just needed an opportunity to meet a man who fits the description of a new Prophet. Seeing as he was a slave, Salman did not have much opportunity to meet many new people or learn of a man named Muhammad ﷺ.
Salman’s position as a slave in Medina was to tend and care for the palm trees of his owner. One day, while working in the fields, he overheard his owner’s cousin make mention of a man coming from Makkah, who was rumored to be a Prophet! Upon hearing this, Salman immediately rushed to where the two men were talking and asked to hear more. His owner did not like his interruption and reminded him of his position as a slave and sent him to work.
Meeting the Prophet ﷺ
That evening, after completing his work, Salman gathered what food items he had and made his way to meet this newly emigrated man. He knew that the alleged Prophet was staying in Quba with Banu Amr ibn Awf, an Arabian tribe also at the outskirts of Medina. Upon approaching the Prophet ﷺ, Salman found him sitting with a group of companions. He offered the food he brought and said this was a charity from himself to the new travelers. The Prophet ﷺ thanked him and told his companions to eat in the name of Allah SWT. Salman observed as the men around him ate, but the Prophet ﷺ did not reach a hand towards the food. He made note of this being one of the signs of Prophethood he was told about: the man does not accept or eat from charity for himself.
The next morning, Salman returned to the Prophet ﷺ with some more food. This time, he offered it to the Prophet saying that he noticed he did not eat from charity, and that this food was a generous gift to him. The Prophet ﷺ thanked him, told his companions to eat in the name of Allah SWT, and began to eat with his companions.
This concluded the second sign of Prophethood that Salman was looking for: he accepts from and eats from gifts that were given to him.
Confirmation of Prophethood
Some time had passed as Salman continued to live with Banu Qurayza as a slave. One day, he returned to visit the Prophet ﷺ and saw him in a funeral procession. Much like the garments worn to Hajj, the Prophet ﷺ was wearing two pieces of cloth, with one wrapped around his shoulders. Salman approached the Prophet ﷺ to greet him and attempted to see his back from around the cloth. Knowing what he was looking for, the Prophet ﷺ adjusted the garment such that the mark between his shoulder blades was visible. This confirmed the third sign of Prophethood that Salman was looking for: a mark between the shoulders. Knowing for certain that this was a true Prophet of Allah, Salman wept and kissed the Prophet ﷺ.
After the procession, the Prophet ﷺ called to Salman and asked him to join his gathering. Salman told the Prophet ﷺ of his story and his search for true faith, and of his current life as a slave with Banu Qurayza. Immediately, Salman said the Shahadah and embraced Islam as his new and true religion. Although he was a Muslim at the time, his position as a slave made him unable to defend and fight for Islam in the Battles of Badr and Uhud.
A Free Man
One day, the Prophet ﷺ called for Salman Al-Farisi and asked him to write up a contract to be let free by the man who owns him. With the help of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, the Sahabah, Salman was freed from ownership by the Jewish man. Being a free Muslim, Salman continued to practice Islam freely and defend Islam with the rest of the Sahabah.
The Battle of Khandaq (Trench)
Salman’s first jihad in battle was at the Battle of Khandaq, or Battle of the Trench. A trench is a long, narrow ditch that is usually man-made. At a time where the Jewish tribes and other Arabian tribes were becoming restless against the growing power and number of Muslims, an attack on the Muslims in Medina was planned. Quraysh and the tribe of Ghatafan planned to attack the Muslims by coming at them from outside Medina, while the Jews from Banu Qurayza would attack them from behind within the city.
On the agreed upon day, the Muslims noticed a large and well-equipped army headed towards them in Medina. Confused and unsure what to do, they gathered with the Prophet ﷺ to find a solution. Many of the Muslims wanted to stand their ground and fight for the sake of Allah, even knowing they were heavily outnumbered. Having had a lot of experience with war back in Peria, this is where Salman’s role becomes crucial. Salman Al-Farisi suggested they dig a trench to protect themselves from the onslaught of this massive army. Medina was protected by two mountains on either side, but there was an exposed stretch of land in which the army could easily enter. The Prophet ﷺ agreed to this idea and the Muslims began to dig.
While digging, Salman came upon a very large rock that would not break and could not be moved. Many of the Sahabah attempted to help him break or chip at the rock, but none could do so. He called to the Prophet ﷺ and suggested they continue their path around the boulder. The Prophet ﷺ took his pickaxe, said Bismillah, and struck the rock. There was a loud cracking sound, the rock was partially split, and a bright light was said to have emanated between the mountains of Medina. When he saw it had cracked, he said “Allahu Akbar, Indeed Allah has given me the keys of Sham, and I can see its palaces in this moment.” For the second time, the Prophet ﷺ raised his pickaxe to strike the rock. This time, he began with the name of Allah SWT and said, “Allahu Akbar, Indeed I have been given the keys of Persia, and I see the white palaces of Madayin (the capital of Persia) now.” Once more, there was a very loud sound and a bright light illuminating all of Medina. For the third time, the Prophet ﷺ raised his axe, said Bismillah, and struck the rock. As he struck it a third time, he said, “Allahu Akbar, Indeed I have been given the keys of Yemen, and I see the gates of Sana’a now from my place.” As with the first two times, there was a loud sound and a bright light encompassing all of Medina. This was a miracle of the Prophet ﷺ and was a prophecy that Salman Al-Farisi lived to witness.
Upon digging a deep and wide trench around the exposed part of the city, the Muslims had some safely in Medina. When the Quraysh approached Medina, they were confused how to continue towards the city with a massive trench in the way! They camped outside the city to look for a solution, but eventually fled when their tents and camp were destroyed by strong winds and storms sent by Allah SWT.
The Moderation of his Faith
There came a point when Salman Al-Farisi stayed with Abud-Darda, a man with lots of ‘Ibadah, acts of worship. Abud-Darda used to fast for many consecutive days and pray for long hours into the night. Salman criticized him for his excessive worship and reminded him that a person’s life has many areas, and all areas deserve their rights. One must mind their home, their work, their wives and families, as all can be righteous in the eyes of Allah SWT. Fasting and praying are not the only ways to please Allah SWT and worship him. Salman Al-Farisi told Abud-Darda to fast for some days and leave fasting for others, and to pray for portions of the night and sleep for portions of it. This did not originally make Abud-Darda happy, but upon hearing these words, the Prophet ﷺ said that, “indeed Salman has been full of righteous knowledge.” The Prophet ﷺ thought highly of Salman and amongst a large congregation once commented that he was “from us, the family of The House [of Muhammad].”
His Life After the Death of the Prophet ﷺ
For most of his life after accepting Islam, Salman Al-Farisi lived with the Prophet ﷺ and stood strongly by his side. After his ﷺ’s death, Salman also lived with the Khalifah, Abu Bakr (RA), Omar (RA), and Uthman (RA). His continuous presence amongst the leaders of the Muslims gave him much prestige, wealth, and wisdom.
Yet, Salman Al-Farsi remained humble and worked with his hands through his governance and old age. It was said that his yearly salary as governor and leader of Mada’in was around 5,000 dirhams, which was considered an abundance of wealth at the time! However, he did not keep a single dirham from this salary. He gave away every single dirham and used to buy palm leaves with one dirham, weave them into a basket, and sell the basket for 3 dirham. Of the 3 dirhams of profit, he would keep one for his family, give one to charity, and use the last one to purchase more leaves. What a simple and humble life he lived, subhanAllah!
Keep in mind that this man was of noble Persian descent and came from a family and life of luxuries and riches. Yet, a promise he made to the Prophet ﷺ earlier in life surpassed any lifestyle he had known before. His home in which was his final resting place, was one in which he would stand and his head would touch the ceiling. When he would lay down, his feet would touch the wall. It was said that he only wore one garment and was more often than not working with his hands. The promise that many of the close companions made to the Prophet ﷺ before his death was to not let the world possess them and for all their belongings to be like a rider’s provisions. This means that they would only keep and use what they need for their journey of life.
The Death of Salman Al-Farisi
It was said that Salman Al-Farisi died in his home, with nothing but a basin of water and a bowl for food in his possession. His fear of letting the world and its riches possess him allowed him to live a very simple life solely for Allah SWT. What strong Iman he had! Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas, a very important Sahabah, came to visit Salman on his deathbed and found him crying. When asking why he was crying, though the Prophet ﷺ was pleased with him, Salman claimed that he was concerned about being surrounded by provisions and belongings.
When he died, Salman was alone in his room. He had asked his wife to bring one belonging that he had saved for many years of his life. It was a container of musk that he asked his wife to wipe on him, so that he was ready to meet Allah SWT with a pleasant smell. He said that in that moment, he was surrounded by a creation of Allah SWT that does not eat any food but loves perfume. Do you know what they could be? They were the Angels! SubhanAllah, how Salman knew his time had come. He told his wife to leave him and come back in a while. When she returned, his soul had departed back to Allah SWT and another great Sahabah had left the world during Uthman’s Caliphate rule.