Draft:Salman al-Farsi
Salman al-Farsi was born in a Zoroastrian and influential family in "Jay Village" from the vicinity of Isfahan. His father named him "Ruzbeh". The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny) considered him as one of his own (Ahl al-Bayt) and he became known as Salman al-Mohammadi. His father was a Zoroastrian cleric, the headman of Jay Village, and one of the wealthy men of that region. He was a fanatical and stubborn fire worshipper, and since he had a fire temple, people of that region would come to him to worship fire; therefore, he enjoyed a distinct socio-political and religious status among the people.
Selection of Salman's Name
About two hundred and sixteen or three hundred and sixteen years before the Hijrah, a child was born in Jay Village (one of the villages of Isfahan), whom they named "Ruzbeh", and later the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) named him "Salman".[1] Salman's name in various stages of his life before accepting Islam is unclear. In early sources, there is absolutely no reference to his former name, but from the sixth century, sources such as Mujmal al-Tawarikh wa al-Qisas have recorded his pre-Islamic name as "Mahbeh son of Badakhshan son of Azarhabass son of Mardeh Salar"[2] and in other sources from this time onward, names similar to this have been recorded, which are probably all corruptions of the name "Mahbeh" in the series of "Ruzbeh" and "Salbeh" from common pre-Islamic Iranian names, and also the word "Azarjass" is a corrupted form of "Adhur Gushnasp".[3] Salman, known by the kunya of Abu Abdullah after Islam, was from the people of Jay Village from the vicinity of Isfahan; his father was a dehqan and among the Zoroastrian religious, and Salman was also a follower of this religion in childhood.
Salman's Conversion to Christianity
When Salman reached Syria, he asked for the most knowledgeable and religious Christian man; people guided him to their religious leader in the Church. He went to the church and said to the religious leader of that people: I would like to turn to your religion and be in your service so that I may learn the principles and ordinances of this religion from you. He accepted Salman's request and thus he became one of the servants and students of that religious leader.
Gradually, Salman realized that that priest was a treacherous and immoral man, because he encouraged people to give charity but saved the charity that he collected from people for the poor and did not deliver it to the needy; in fact, what he told people was nothing more than a mere slogan.
For this reason, Salman was very angry with him; after a while when the hypocritical priest passed away and Salman informed the people of his vile deed, people chose another scholar in his place who was ascetic and devout and always hastened to help the needy and the weak.
Salman loved him very much and remained in his service with complete devotion, until the time of his death arrived. Before he died, Salman went to his deathbed and asked him to guide him to a worthy scholar like himself. He also guided Salman to a devout scholar and told him: that person has a correct and unadulterated Gospel in his possession and can guide you to the truth.
Salman's Conversion to Islam
During those days, Salman was working atop a date palm tree while his master sat beneath the tree. His master's cousin arrived and said to him, "May God destroy the tribes of Aws and Khazraj." He asked, "Why?" He replied, "A man named 'Muhammad' has appeared claiming prophethood; he has come from Mecca to Quba and has gathered all the people around him."
Salman trembled with joy upon hearing this and nearly fell from the top of the tree. He hurriedly climbed down and asked them, "What is the matter? Who is Muhammad? Where is he now?"
His master became angry and slapped him hard, saying, "Get back to work!" Salman remembered the signs of the Final Prophet that he had heard from the monk of Amorium. At night, he gathered some dates and secretly went to Quba. He appeared before the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and said to him, "I have heard that you are a righteous and worthy man, and a group of strangers and needy people are with you."
"I have brought some dates for you as charity (sadaqah) for you to eat." The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) gestured to his companions to take and eat the dates, but he did not eat any of them himself.
Salman was overjoyed that he had found another sign of his beloved and sought one, but since he did not have the opportunity to discuss further with the Prophet, he returned to his master and postponed the continuation of his investigation to another time. A few days later, he learned that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had moved from Quba to Medina; therefore, at the first opportunity, he took some dates he had collected for himself and secretly went to Medina. He appeared in the assembly of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), presented the dates to him, and said, "Accept these dates as a gift."
He (peace be upon him) accepted it, ate some of it, and then distributed it among his companions. In this way, two signs of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) were confirmed for Salman, and only one other remained about which Salman needed to ascertain certainty, and that was the Seal of Prophethood; Salman waited until he could observe that as well.[4]
Salman's Emancipation
Many narrations have been transmitted regarding Salman's emancipation from slavery, but the narration that is most trusted is as follows: Salman, by the order of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), made an agreement with his master that he would be freed in exchange for planting and bringing to fruition three to four hundred yellow and red date palm trees. However, this task would take several years, and it was through the miracle of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) that the date palm trees quickly bore fruit and produced fresh dates, and Salman was freed.
Therefore, for this reason, Salman did not participate in the early battles of Islam, and the first battle he succeeded in participating in after his emancipation was the Battle of the Trench.[5]
After Islam
In the early days of Islam, due to the equality of Muslims, a bond of brotherhood was established between them by the order of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), and Salman also established a bond of brotherhood with Abu al-Darda'.[6]
However, the endurance of Salman's name in history was due to his presence in the Battle of the Trench. When the Khaza'i horsemen were four days' distance from Mecca to Medina and informed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) of the movement of the Quraysh and the great Arab army, and also when the Muslims became aware of the Jews' breach of treaty, a cloud of fear spread over the atmosphere of Medina.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) immediately called his companions for consultation. A group intended to leave Medina and engage the enemy with swords wherever they encountered them. Suddenly, Salman al-Farsi stepped forward and presented his historic proposal that, according to the Persian custom in times of war, a trench should be dug around the city, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) accepted his proposal.[7]
In the midst of the Battle of the Trench, a verbal dispute arose between the Muhajirun and the Ansar, each claiming Salman for themselves. Meanwhile, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) spoke words that ended this dispute: "Salman minna Ahl al-Bayt" (Salman is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt), and thus he is also considered "Salman Muhammadi".[8]
Salman was the first person who translated the Quran into Persian and also performed translation work from Persian to Arabic and vice versa for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny).[9]
Salman after the Demise of the Prophet (PBUH)
He was among the few individuals who participated in the burial of the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) and prayed over his body, and he was among the Companions who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr initially until they forced him.
He is among the special Shias and companions of Ali (AS).[10]
Salman had a continuous presence during the caliphate of Umar in the Muslim conquests and the wars of the conquest of Iran, and during the conquest of Madain he negotiated with the people of the city and they agreed to pay the jizya.[11]
Hadiths Regarding Salman
The most famous narration transmitted from the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) regarding Salman is the narration "Salman minna Ahl al-Bayt" (Salman is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt). Shaykh Mufid (d. 413 AH) wrote that one day Salman entered the mosque and the attendees seated him at the head of the gathering out of respect, but Umar ibn Khattab criticized the attendees for this action under the pretext of his non-Arab origin (being non-Arab).
Upon seeing this scene, the Prophet (PBUH) went to the pulpit and delivered a sermon, and while indicating that humans have no superiority over one another in terms of race and skin color, he said: "Salman is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt".[12]
This saying of the Prophet (PBUH) is also narrated in another report. According to this narration, during the days when the people of Medina were digging the trench to confront the Army of the Confederates, Salman al-Farsi, who was a sturdy man, played a significant role in advancing the work, and each of the groups of Muhajirun and Ansar claimed him as one of their own, and the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Salman is from us, the Ahl al-Bayt".[13]
Other sayings from the Prophet of Islam regarding the virtues of Salman have been narrated.[14]
Among these sayings are those in which the Prophet considered Paradise eager for Ali, Ammar, and Salman, or a hadith according to which God obligated the Prophet (PBUH) to love Ali, Salman, Miqdad, and Abu Dharr.[15]
In Shia sources, narrations praising Salman have also been transmitted from the Shia Imams. In the words of the Imams (AS), he is usually recognized among the first Shias and those steadfast in religion.
Among these narrations is a saying from Imam Ali (AS) who considered Salman al-Farsi and some of the companions, including Abu Dharr, Ammar Yasir, and Miqdad, as individuals through whose existence God provides sustenance to the people.[16]
His Holiness also considered Salman to possess the knowledge of the first and the last.[17]
In a narration from Muhammad ibn Ali (Baqir al-Ulum) and Ja'far ibn Muhammad (Sadiq), it is transmitted that once in a gathering in the presence of the Imam (AS), Salman al-Farsi was mentioned and the Imam said: "Do not say Salman al-Farsi, say Salman al-Muhammadi, because he is one of the family of our Ahl al-Bayt".[18]
Death
One of the characteristics of perfect humans and the close saints of God's court is that sometimes they become aware of the unseen; Salman was also like this and was aware of his appointed time, even knowing the day and hour of his death. He fell ill in Madain and his illness intensified day by day; when he became certain that he was spending the last moments of his life, he acted upon the will of his master and beloved, the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP), and ordered that he be taken to the cemetery to speak and converse with the dead, and this speaking with the deceased was a sign that Salman was departing and his appointed time had arrived. At dawn on Tuesday, in the year 34 or 36 AH, at the end of Uthman's caliphate, he requested some musk from his wife and perfumed his body with it, and then waited until his appointed time arrived. According to his will, for his burial ceremony, Imam Ali (AS) and Qanbar came and performed the ritual washing and shrouding of Salman, and His Holiness wrote this poem on his shroud: و فدت علی الکریم بغیر زاد•• من الحسنات و القلب السلیم و حمل الزاد اقبح کل شیء•• اذا کان الوفود علی الکریم
I entered the court of the Generous God without a provision of good deeds and a sound heart, and if one is to enter the presence of a noble person, having a provision for the journey is the ugliest of things.[19]
Then he was buried, and his age at that time was between two hundred and fifty years to three hundred and fifty years.[20]
Today, his grave is a pilgrimage site for many Muslims, and a magnificent and splendid dome casts its shadow over his grave; it has a courtyard and shrine, and many visitors visit him daily.
Views on Salman's Burial
The story of Salman's burial by Imam Ali (AS) has been narrated from two perspectives; from one aspect, those who were present in Medina and the place of Ali's (AS) residence have narrated this event, and from another aspect, those who were in Mada'in and the place of Salman's residence in the final years of his life and the place of his death and burial have described this incident.
Narrations from Medina:
Those who were present in Medina and the place of Ali's (AS) residence have narrated this event:
Imam Ali's Dream
It is narrated from the city of Medina as follows: One day, Hazrat Ali entered the mosque and said: "Last night I saw the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) in a dream, and he said to me: Salman has passed away. He willed to me that I should take charge of his ritual washing, shrouding, prayer, and burial. I will now go to Mada'in".
At this moment, Umar ibn Khattab said to him: Take his shroud from the public treasury. Hazrat Ali (AS) said: "His shroud has already been prepared". Then Ali (AS) headed towards the outside of the city, and the people accompanied him. When he left the city, the people returned.
It was before noon when Hazrat returned to the city and said: "I have buried Salman". Most people did not believe it, until after a while a letter arrived from Mada'in in which it was written: Salman passed away on such-and-such night. A Bedouin Arab entered upon us and performed his ritual washing, shrouded him, prayed over him, and then left that place. Upon seeing this letter, all the people were astonished.[21]
Jabir's Narration
In another narration, Jabir adds that Hazrat Ali (AS), when departing for Mada'in, wore the Prophet's turban and armor, took his staff and sword, and rode the Prophet's camel named Adhba.[22]
Narration of the City of Mada'in
Those who were in Mada'in and the place of Salman's residence in the final years of his life and the place of his death and burial have described this event:
Ibn Nubatah's Narration
Asbagh ibn Nubatah has also reported from Mada'in as follows:
Suddenly we saw a man riding a white mule with his face covered came to us. He greeted us and we responded. Then he said: "O Asbagh! Hasten in attending to Salman's affairs". We began attending to Salman's affairs. We brought embalming material and a shroud for him. He said: "I have prepared the embalming material and shroud for him". Then we prepared water and a place for ritual washing. That man washed Salman with his own hands, and after we prayed over him, he buried him and placed his niche (lahd). When the burial was completed, he set off on his way.
I went towards him and grabbed his clothing and said: O Commander of the Faithful! How did you come here and how did you become aware of Salman's death? Hazrat turned to me and said: "I take a pledge from you before God that as long as I am alive, you will not speak to anyone about this". I said to him: Will I die before you? Hazrat said: "No! Your life will be longer".
After Asbagh promised not to speak to anyone about this, Hazrat Ali (AS) said to him: "This is a pledge that the Messenger of God (PBUH&HP) took from me. After I performed my prayer in Kufa, I went home and slept. A person came to me in a dream and said: O Ali! Salman has passed away. I mounted my mule, took whatever the deceased needs with me, and set off. God folded the distance for me, and just as you see, I came here".[23]
Zadhan's Narration
It is narrated from a person named Zadhan as follows: When Salman was about to pass away, I said to him: Who will perform your ritual washing? He said: The one who washed the Messenger of God. I said: You are in Mada'in and he is in Medina? He said: When you tie my beard, you will hear a voice. When Salman passed away and I tied his beard, I heard a voice. I went towards the door of the house. I saw that Commander of the Faithful Ali (AS) was present. He said to me: "O Zadhan! Has Salman passed away?" I said yes. Hazrat entered the house and removed the cover from his face. Salman smiled at the Imam's face. The Imam said: "Blessed be your state! When you meet the Messenger of God, tell him what befell your brother at the hands of his people". Then he began attending to his preparations. When he was praying over him, I heard a loud takbir from the Imam.[24]
Footnotes
- ↑ Taken from the article Biography of Salman al-Farsi
- ↑ Unknown, Mujmal al-Tawarikh wa al-Qisas, edited by Malek o-Shoara Bahar, p. 242.
- ↑ Torki, Mohammad Reza, Parsay-e Parsi, p. 18.
- ↑ Ibn Hisham, Abd al-Malik, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (Life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Prophet of Islam), Vol. 1, p. 144.
- ↑ Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi, Muhammad, Tabaqat al-Kubra, translated by Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani, Vol. 4, p. 63.
- ↑ Ibn Athir, Izz al-Din, Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma'rifat al-Sahabah, Vol. 5, p. 97
- ↑ Ibn Hisham, Abd al-Malik, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (Life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) the Prophet of Islam), Vol. 3, p. 708.
- ↑ Bayhaqi, Abu Bakr, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, translated by Mahmoud Mahdavi Damghani, Vol. 3, p. 418.
- ↑ Turki, Muhammad Reza, Parsa-yi Parsi, p. 96.
- ↑ Thaqafi Kufi, Ibrahim, al-Gharat, translated by Azizullah A'tardi, p. 428.
- ↑ Ibn Sa'd Baghdadi, Muhammad, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 4, p. 65.
- ↑ Mufid, al-Ikhtisas, 1413 AH, p. 341.
- ↑ Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Beirut, Vol. 4, p. 62.
- ↑ Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Madinat Dimashq, 1415 AH, Vol. 21, pp. 408-424.
- ↑ Baladhuri, Ansab al-Ashraf, Beirut, p. 123.
- ↑ Shaykh Saduq, al-Khisal, 1362 SH, p. 361.
- ↑ Ibn Asakir, Tarikh Madinat Dimashq, 1415 AH, Vol. 21, p. 421.
- ↑ Kashi, Ikhtiyar Ma'rifat al-Rijal, 1404 AH, Vol. 1, p. 54.
- ↑ Muhaddithi, Javad, Salman al-Farsi, pp. 53-60.
- ↑ Murtada Amili, Sayyid Ja'far, Salman al-Farsi, p. 14.
- ↑ Rawandi, Qutb al-Din, Sa'id ibn Hibat Allah, al-Kharaij wa al-Jaraaih, Vol 2, p. 562, Qom, Imam al-Mahdi Foundation (AJ), 1st ed, 1409 AH.
- ↑ Ibn Shahr Ashub Mazandarani, Muhammad ibn Ali, Manaqib Al Abi Talib (AS), Vol 2, p. 131, Qom, Allameh Publishing, 1st ed, 1379 AH.
- ↑ Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim ibn Sulayman, Madinat Ma'ajiz al-A'imma al-Ithna Ashar, Vol 2, p. 12-13, Qom, Islamic Knowledge Foundation, 1st ed, 1413 AH.
- ↑ Ibn Shahr Ashub Mazandarani, Muhammad ibn Ali, Manaqib Al Abi Talib (AS), Vol 2, p. 131, Qom, Allameh Publishing, 1st ed, 1379 AH.