The Checkered Life of Salman Al Farsi (RA) – The Sahabi who was a Truth Seeker

The Companions of the Prophet (the “Sahabah”) were the Muslim disciples of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who followed his Islamic precepts and interacted proactively with him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim society, through their momentous participation in battles, recording hadith narration, and governance of the Muslim community during and after the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. They were the most reliable transmitters of the Prophet’s ﷺ teachings. Later Islamic scholars accepted their testimony of the words and deeds of Muhammad ﷺ, their attestations of the revelation of  the Qur’an and other important matters in Islamic history and practice. The validation provided by the Companions, as it was passed down through trusted chains of narrators (asānīd), was the basis of the developing Islamic tradition. From the traditions (hadith) of the life of Muhammad and his Companions are drawn the Muslim way of life (sunnah), the code of conduct (sharia) it requires, and Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). Salman Al Farsi (RA) was one such Sahabi whose remarkable odyssey for truth carried him, through twists and turns of fate, from the exotic lands of Persia to the holy city of Madinah. He was initially a Zoroastrian, and a Persian convert, who later became a companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He left his noble and wealthy life to seek true religion, converting to Christianity at the outset and then traveling as a truth-seeker, before being captured and sold into slavery in Madinah. There, he met the Prophet, recognized the signs of prophethood in him, and embraced Islam, eventually earning the distinction of being the first Persian convert. Salman Al Farsi (RA) was born into a noble family in Isfahan, Persia and consequently followed the Zoroastrian faith. He dedicated much of his early life studying to become a magus or priest, after which he became the guardian of the fire temple. He traveled extensively to engage in constructive dialogue with non-Zoroastrian groups. However, he became disillusioned with his religion and embarked on a long journey to find the truth, eventually being drawn to Christianity. His family allegedly imprisoned him afterwards to prevent him from doing so, but he escaped. In his travels, he later converted to Christianity. He met various Christian priests, and in his quest for the true religion spoke to many scholars, theologians and priests. Subsequently, one directed him to the Arabian Peninsula to find a new prophet – an expedition that would lead him to the eventual truth. But, before he could do so, he was captured and sold into slavery in Madinah. Salman’s Al Farsi’s Christian mentor had described the Prophet (PBUH) with specific signs: he would not accept any charity but would accept gifts, and he would have a seal of prophethood between his shoulders. With this single-minded mission, he zealously carried this information which served as a beacon in his search for the Prophet ﷺ. Whilst he was a slave in Madinah, he encountered Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and recognized these signs, confirming the Prophet’s identity. Salman Al Farsi (RA) embraced Islam and was freed from his slavery. He was a notable non-Arab companion and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarded Salman Al Farsi as a part of his family, apparently having  said, “Salman is from my household (Ahl Al Bayt),” due to his deep faith and devotion. In meetings with the other Companions, he was often referred to as “Abu Abdullah”. Salman Al Farsi (RA) was to play an important role in the struggles of the growing Muslim state. He was a prominent companion and proved to be an forerunner in military strategy, citing a technique commonly used by the Sasanian army in order to help the Muslims combat the Quraysh. Thus, he was particularly famous for suggesting the construction of a defensive trench around Madinah, (when it was attacked by the disbelievers of Makkah) in the “Battle of the Khandaq” or “Battle of the Trench”. As advocated by him, the Muslim army dug a ditch or khandaq around Madinah to keep the Quraish army at bay. This proved to be a significant contribution and a key towards Islamic victory in this battle. When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Makkan disbelievers, saw the ditch, he said, “This strategy has not been employed by the Arabs before.” Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions accepted Salman Al Farsi’s (RA) plan because it was safer, and there would be a better chance that the non-Muslim army would have a larger number of casualties. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself participated in the excavation of the trench, working alongside his Companions and enduring the same hardships as them, coupling strenuous physical labor with acute hunger. While they were digging, the Prophet ﷺ and Salman (RA) encountered a large rock that proved to be unbreakable. The Prophet struck the rock, (and with the help of Allah Almighty) each strike revealed a light and a vision of Islam spreading to different lands. This vision was partially visible to Salman Al Farsi (RA), which proves the venerated status Salman (RA) had, as very often, some of the Companions were unable to see these visions while the Prophet ﷺ could see them clearly. The trench was successfully completed, and the attacking army, unfamiliar with this ingenious tactic, was unable to cross it, leading to their eventual withdrawal. Hence Salman’s (RA) contribution and the battle’s eventual outcome, proved vital for the victory of the Muslims against a much more formidable enemy force. Salman Al Farsi (RA) is the first Iranian who converted to Islam. According to sources, he converted to Islam before the Battle of Badr, but because he was a slave before the Battle of Khandaq, he did not participate in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. Abu Hurayrah is said to have referred to Salman Al Farsi (AS) as “Abu al-Kitabayn” (the father of the two books), that is, the Bible and the Qur’an; and Ali is said to have referred to him as “Luqman al-Hakeem” (Luqman the Wise) a reference to a wise man mentioned in the Qur’an. Known for his wisdom, spiritual prowess and his strong will, Salman Al Farsi (RA) was also intellectually gifted and deeply devout. He was even referred to as “Salman the Wise”. He translated the Qur’an into Persian, thus becoming the first person to interpret and translate the Qur’an into a foreign language. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ granted him a noble status and considered Salman Al Farisi a valued Companion, highlighting his esteemed position despite his non-Arab origins. After Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ death in 632, Salman Al Farsi (RA) became closely associated with the Prophet’s ﷺ  cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib and participated in the Muslim conquest of Persia, aiding in the territorial expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate outside of the Arabian Peninsula. When Ali became the Caliph, he appointed Salman Al Farsias the governor of Al-Mada’in at the age of 88. According to the most reliable account, he died in 35 AH, during the caliphate of Uthman bin Affan (RA) at Ctesiphon (modern day Iraq). His tomb is located in Salman Al-Farsi Mosque in Al-Mada’in, though according to some others, his burial site is in Isfahan or Jerusalem. The story of how Salman Al Farsi (RA) came to Islam is an intriguing story, full of lessons and exhortations. This is the story of the trials and tribulations of Salman the Persian, gleaned, from his life in his own words. It was narrated that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: Salmaan al-Farsi told me his story from his own lips: His early life: “I grew up in the town of Isfahan in Persia in the village of Jayyan. My father was the Dihqan or chief of the village. He was the richest person there and had the biggest house. Since I was a child, my father loved me, more than he loved any other. As time went by his love for me became so strong and overpowering that he feared to lose me or have anything happen to me. So, he kept me at home, a veritable prisoner, in the same way that young girls were kept. “I became devoted to the Magian religion so much so that I attained the position of ‘custodian of the fire’ which we worshipped. My duty was to see that the flames of the fire remained burning and that it did not go out for a single hour, day or night. My father had a vast estate which yielded an abundant supply of crops. He himself looked after the estate and the harvest. One day he was very busy with his duties as the dihqan of the village and he said to me, ‘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.’” Embracing Christianity: “On my way to the estate, I passed a Christian church and the voices at prayer attracted my attention. I did not know anything about Christianity or about the followers of any other religion. When I heard the voices of the Christians, I entered the church to see what they were doing. I was impressed by their manner of praying and felt drawn to their religion. ‘By God,’ I said, ‘this is better than ours. I shall not leave them until the sun sets.’ “I asked and was told that the Christian religion originated in Al-Sham (Greater Syria). I did not go to my father’s estate that day, and at night I returned home. My father met me and asked what I had done. I told him about my meeting with the Christians and how I was impressed by their religion. He was dismayed and said, ‘My son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better.’ ‘No, their religion is better than ours,’ I insisted. “My father became upset and was afraid that I would leave our religion. So, he kept me locked up in the house and put a chain on my feet. I managed, however, to send a message to the Christians asking them to inform me of any caravan going to Syria. Before long they got in touch with me and told me that a caravan was headed for Syria. I managed to unfetter myself and in disguise accompanied the caravan to Syria. There, I asked who was the leading person in the Christian religion and was directed to the bishop of the church. I 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 I entered the church in his service. I soon found out, however, that the bishop was corrupt. He would order his followers to give money in charity while holding out the promise of blessings to them. When they gave anything to spend in the way of God, however, he would hoard it for himself and not give anything to the poor or needy. In this way he amassed a vast quantity of gold. When the bishop died and the Christians gathered to bury him, I told them of his corrupt practices and, at their request, showed them where he kept their donations. When they saw the large jars filled with gold and silver they said, ‘By God, we shall not bury him.’ They nailed him on a cross and threw stones at him. “I continued in the service of the person who replaced him. The new bishop was an ascetic who shunned the world and longed for the Hereafter. He engaged in worship day and night. I was greatly devoted to him and spent a long time in his company.” After his death, Salman attached himself to various Christian religious figures, in Mosul, Nisibis and elsewhere. The last one had told him about the appearance of a Prophet in the land of the Arabs who would have a reputation for strict honesty, one who would accept a gift but would never consume charity (sadaqah) for himself. Salman continued with his story by stating: “One of the Christian monks at Ammuriyah advised me and said, ‘O my child! By Allah, I do not know of anyone who is upon what we used to practice that I could advise you to go to. But the time has dawned upon us. The advent of the (promised) Prophet is near, the one who will be upon the religion of Ibrahim. He will come from the lands of the Arabs and will emigrate to the land between the two Harrah (lava fields; land with black rocks, between two mountains) in which there are palm groves. He will have characteristics that will not be hidden. He (the awaited Prophet) will accept a gift but will not eat from charity. Between his shoulders there is the seal of the Prophets. So, if you are able to go to that land, then you should do so.” His Life as a Slave: “A group of Arab leaders from the Kalb tribe passed through Ammuriyah and I asked them to take me with them to the land of the Arabs in return for whatever money I had. They agreed and I paid them. When we reached Wadi Al-Qura (a place between Madinah and Syria), they broke their agreement and sold me to a Jew. I worked as a servant for him but eventually he sold me to a nephew of his belonging to the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. This nephew took me with him to Yathrib, the city of palm groves, which is how the Christian at Ammuriyah had described it.” Reaching Madinah: “At that time, the Prophet was inviting his people in Makkah to Islam but I did not hear anything about him then because of the harsh duties which slavery imposed upon me. When the Prophet reached Yathrib (Madinah) after his migration from Makkah, I was in fact at the top of a palm tree doing some work for my master. My master was sitting under the tree. A nephew of his came up and said, ‘May God declare war on the Aws and the Khazraj (the two main Arab tribes of Yathrib). By Allah, they are now gathering at Quba to meet a man who has today come from Makkah and who claims he is a Prophet.’ I felt hot flushes as soon as I heard these words and I began to shiver so violently that I was afraid that I might fall on my master. I quickly got down from the tree and spoke to my master’s nephew. ‘What did you say? Repeat the news for me.’ My master was very angry and gave me a terrible blow. ‘What does this matter does this concern you? Go back to what you were doing,’ he shouted.” Meeting Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: “That evening, I took some dates that I had gathered and went to the place where the Prophet ﷺ had alighted. I went up to him and said, ‘I have heard that you are a righteous man and that you have Companions with you who are strangers and are in need. Here is something from me as sadaqah (charity). I see that you are more deserving of it than others.’ The Prophet ﷺ ordered his Companions to eat but he himself did not eat of it. I said to myself, ‘This is the first (sign).’ “I gathered some more dates and when the Prophet ﷺ left Quba for Madinah, I went to him and said, ‘I noticed that you did not eat of the sadaqah I gave. This, however, is a gift for you with which I wish to honor you.’ Of this gift of dates, both he and his Companions ate. This was the second sign. I greeted him with salam then I moved behind him, trying to look at his back to see the Seal that my companion had described to me. The Prophet ﷺ realized that I was trying to find confirmation of something that had been described to me, so he let his rida’ drop from his back, and I saw the Seal and recognized it. Realizing that indeed he was the Prophet, I embraced him, kissed him and started to cry.  The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, ‘Turn around.’ So, I turned around and I told him my story as I have told it to you, O Ibn Abbas.” The strict honesty of the Prophet ﷺ was one of the characteristics that led Salman to believe in him and accept Islam. Salman (RA) was released from slavery by the Prophet ﷺ, who, aided by the efforts of the other Companions, left no stone unturned, in paying his Jewish slave-owner a hugely inflated stipulated price quoted by the latter (in gold and date palm produce) in order to free him from the bond of slavery. The Prophet ﷺ himself planted an agreed number of date palms to secure Salman Al Farsi’s (RA) manumission. Salman Al Farsi (RA) said he was present with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Al-Khandaq, and after that he did not miss any major event with him. After accepting Islam, (when he was asked about his ancestry) Salman (RA) would sagely reply with the momentous statement, “I am Salman, the son of Islam from the progeny of Adam.” Salman (RA) 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 on which he slept. He would not seek the shelter of a roofed home but stayed under a tree or against a wall. A man once said to him, “Shall I not build you a house in which to live?” He replied, “I have no need of a house.” Later, as a governor of Al-Mada’in (Ctesiphon) near Baghdad, Salman (RA) received a stipend of five thousand dirhams, which he would magnanimously distribute as sadaqah (charity). He lived from the work of his own hands. When some people came to Mada’in and saw him working in the palm groves, they said, “You are the amir here and your sustenance is guaranteed and you do this work!” He would reply, “I like to eat from the work of my own hands.” The incident with Abu Darda: Salman, however, was not extreme in his asceticism, and he did not hesitate to convey this message to his fellow Companions. It is related that he was visiting Abu Al-Darda (RA) another Companion, with whom the Prophet (RA) had joined him in brotherhood. He found Abu Al-Darda’s wife in a miserable state and he asked, “What is the matter with you?” She replied, “Your brother has no need of anything in this world.” When Abu Al-Darda came, he welcomed Salman and gave him food. Salman told him to eat but Abu Al-Darda said, “I am fasting.” Salman said, “I swear to you that I shall not eat until you eat also.” Salman (R.A.) spent the night there as well. During the night, Abu Al-Darda got up but Salman got hold of him and said, “O Abu Ad-Darda, your Lord has a right over you. Your family have a right over you, and your body has a right over you. Give to each its due.” In the morning, they prayed together and then went out to meet the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ supported Salman in what he had said. As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge. Ka’b Al-Ahbar said, “Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom – an ocean that does not dry up.” Salman had a knowledge of both the Christian scriptures and the Qur’an, in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Had Salman (RA) wished, (because of the influential household in which he grew up), he might easily have become a major figure in the sprawling Persian Empire of his time. His search for truth however led him to renounce a comfortable and affluent life, and even to suffer the indignities of slavery. Undergoing myriad experiences, traversing trysts and travails in his unwavering crusade and trekking through many new countries and meeting multifarious people did not dim Salman Al Farsi’s enthusiasm and perpetual quest for the truth of Islam. He always cherished his humble, ascetic lifestyle which was a testament to his revered status as one of the noble Companions. The Companions are held in great esteem for their piety, devotion, and immense sacrifices they made towards Islam, serving as inspirational role models for Muslims to follow in their own lives, actions, and modes of worship. Their unconditional devotion to the cause of Islam and their solidarity in their relationship to Prophet Mohammad ﷺ serve as incentives to future generations of Muslims. Many verses in the Qur’an allude to the virtues of the Companions and their commitment to Allah’s will, further consolidating their honored status. Salman Al Farsi (RA) is one such Sahabi who relentlessly pursued the truth, was tenacious in the face of innumerable ordeals and challenges and left the record of his life as a benchmark for Muslims to always follow the true and correct path of tawhid. If we choose to, we can learn valuable lessons from his life and inculcate and emulate them to gain maximum benefit in order to make Islam the cornerstone of our life’s existence.