\u201cO Abu Dharr! You became angry (on them) for the sake of Allah (SWT); so\nhave hope in the One for whom you became angry. Those people feared you because\nof their world, and you feared them because of your religion. Therefore, leave\nthem with what they fear to lose, and run away from them for what you fear to\nlose (1)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abu Dharr was from the tribe of \u201cBani\nGhifar\u201d, a well known tribe in Arabia. He used to have animal husbandry near\nMecca. When he heard about the appointment of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and\nfound signs of glory in him, he passionately moved to Mecca. Abu Dharr is a\ncompanion of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) who joined him after the\nbattles of Badr, Uhud, and Ahzab, and he gave away whatever he had for the sake\nof Allah (SWT). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) referred to him as \u201cthe truthful\none of the nation\u201d and similar to \u201cProphet Jesus (PBUH)\u201d in asceticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abu Dharr used to be with Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) and at his service in Medina at all times. After the\ndemise of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP), he had absolutely no doubt or\nhesitation in defending the usurped right of Imam Ali (PBUH), and he remained a\nsteadfast follower of the true successor of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Uthman became the caliph and he\nmade Marwan, his son in law and a deviated and worldly-minded man, the\ntreasurer, Abu Dharr became vocal in opposition; he used to loudly recite the\nverse on the streets: \u201cthose who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it\nin Allah’s way, announce to them a painful chastisement\u201d, He intended to taunt\ntowards Uthman and his companions who had plundered the treasures. Uthman sent\na person to Abu Dharr to urge him not to do so. But Abu Dharr responded by\nsaying,\u201d Is Uthman forbidding me from reciting the Holy Quran? I swear to Allah\n(SWT) that I choose His satisfaction over the anger of Uthman\u201d. Hence, due to\nhis opposition, Uthman dismissed him from Medina and exiled him to Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Abu Dharr did not give up in\nSyria either; when he noticed the luxurious palace of Mu\u2019awyiah and the\nprodigality of his government while the deprived people were living in humble\nhouses, he expressed his objection, and yelled at Mu\u2019awyiah,saying, \u201d If you\nhave built this palace from the treasures of the Muslims, this is a betrayal,\nand if it is from your own money, then it is extravagance. I swear to Allah\n(SWT) what I see in Syria is neither in the book of Allah (SWT) nor in the\ntradition of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). I see truth to be vanishing, and\nfalsehood to be reviving; the truthful ones are being denied and the government\nis becoming empty of piety\u201d. Mu\u2019awyiah could not tolerate these statements, so\nhe wrote to Uthman:\u201d If Abu Dharr stays in Syrua, he will corrupt it\u201d. So\nUthman ordered Abu Dharr to be brought to Medina in a humiliating manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once again, Abu Dharr did not remain\nsilent in Medina, and eventually Uthman became restless over Abu Dharr\u2019s\ncriticism of his wrongdoings. So he consulted his agents, and they advised him\nto send Abu Dharr out of Medina. Finally, he exiled Abu Dharr to a land with a\nbad climate near Medina called \u201cRabadhah (3)\u201d. Abu Dharr died in that deserted\nland while he did not even have a shroud to be buried with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed, he was the person about whom\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) said, \u201dThe sky has never shadowed any person and\nthe earth has not carried anyone who is more truthful than Abu Dharr. He will\nlive alone, die alone, be resurrected alone, and enter the Paradise alone (4)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The life of Abu Dharr is one of the\nmost eventful ones among the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP),\nwhich can be a model for all the seekers of truth throughout the history. His\nlife is based on that of his masters, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), and Amir\nal-Mu\u2019minin (PBUH); he faced a very severe situation; however, he never gave up\non \u201cenjoining good\u201d, \u201cforbidding evil\u201d, and \u201cfighting against corruption\u201d of\nthe oppressors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a\nselection taken from \u201cThe Message of Imam\u201d, by Ayatullah Makaarem Shirazi)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website commemorates the\nlast days of Dhil Hijjah, the anniversary of the demise of the truthful\ncompanion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), Abu Dharr Ghifari (May Allah be\npleased with him).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. The opening statements\nof the sermon of Amir al-Mu\u2019minin (PBUH) when bedding farewell to Abu Dharr\nbefore his eventual journey to Rabadhah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The Holy\nQuran, (9:34)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. It is\nmentioned in \u201cMu\u2019jam al-Buldan\u201d (encyclopedia of cities) that \u201cRabadhah\u201d is a\nvillage three days (about 150 km) far from Medina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Bihar\nal-Anwar, vol. 22, p. 389<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cO Abu Dharr! You became angry (on them) for the sake of Allah (SWT); so have hope in the One for whom you became angry. Those people feared you because of their world, and you feared them because of your religion. Therefore, leave them with what they fear to lose, and run away from them […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248,28441],"tags":[25862,17778,19873,23658,25861,18762,18855,17990,18418,25767,17955,18536],"class_list":["post-5015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","category-other-occasions","tag-2010-12-04","tag-allah","tag-angry","tag-away","tag-demise-of-abu-dharr-ra-uprising-against-injustice","tag-hope","tag-medina","tag-muhammad","tag-occasion-letters","tag-other-occasions","tag-people","tag-prophet"],"yoast_head":"\n