Volume 4, Book 56, Number 725:
Narrated Abu Jamra:
Ibn ‘Abbas said to us, “Shall I tell you the story of Abu Dhar’s conversion to Islam?” We said, “Yes.”
He said, “Abu Dhar said: I was a man from the tribe of Ghifar. We heard that a man had appeared in
Mecca, claiming to be a Prophet. ! said to my brother, ‘Go to that man and talk to him and bring me
his news.’ He set out, met him and returned. I asked him, ‘What is the news with you?’ He said, ‘By
Allah, I saw a man enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.’ I said to him, ‘You have not
satisfied me with this little information.’ So, I took a waterskin and a stick and proceeded towards
Mecca. Neither did I know him (i.e. the Prophet ), nor did I like to ask anyone about him. I Kept on
drinking Zam zam water and staying in the Mosque. Then ‘Ali passed by me and said, ‘It seems you
are a stranger?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He proceeded to his house and I accompanied him. Neither did he ask me
anything, nor did I tell him anything. Next morning I went to the Mosque to ask about the Prophet
but no-one told me anything about him. Ali passed by me again and asked, ‘Hasn’t the man recog –
nized his dwelling place yet’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Come along with me.’ He asked me, ‘What is your
business? What has brought you to this town?’ I said to him, ‘If you keep my secret, I will tell you.’ He
said, ‘I will do,’ I said to him, ‘We have heard that a person has appeared here, claiming to be a
Prophet. I sent my brother to speak to him and when he returned, he did not bring a satisfactory re –
port; so I thought of meeting him personally.’ ‘Ali said (to Abu Dhar), ‘You have reached your goal; I
am going to him just now, so follow me, and wherever I enter, enter after me. If I should see someone
who may cause you trouble, I will stand near a wall pretending to mend my shoes (as a warning),
and you should go away then.’ ‘Ali proceeded and I accompanied him till he entered a place, and I
entered with him to the Prophet to whom I said, ‘Present (the principles of) Islam to me.’ When he
did, I embraced Islam ‘immediately. He said to me, ‘O Abu Dhar! Keep your conversion as a secret
and return to your town; and when you hear of our victory, return to us. ‘ I said, ‘By H him Who has
sent you with the Truth, I will announce my conversion to Islam publicly amongst them (i.e. the infi –
dels),’ Abu Dhar went to the Mosque, where some people from Quraish were present, and said, ‘O
folk of Quraish ! I testify that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I (also) testify
that Muhammad is Allah’s Slave and His Apostle.’ (Hearing that) the Quraishi men said, ‘Get at this
Sabi (i.e. Muslim) !’ They got up and beat me nearly to death. Al ‘Abbas saw me and threw himself
over me to protect me. He then faced them and said, ‘Woe to you! You want to kill a man from the
tribe of Ghifar, although your trade and your communications are through the territory of Ghifar?’
They therefore left me. The next morning I returned (to the Mosque) and said the same as I have said
on the previous day. They again said, ‘Get at this Sabi!’ I was treated in the same way as on the previ –
Volume 4 – 821 / 1700
SAHIH BUKHARI VOLUME 4 > BOOK 56: VIRTUES AND MERITS OF THE PROPHET (PBUH) AND HIS COMPANIONS
ous day, and again Al-Abbas found me and threw himself over me to protect me and told them the
same as he had said the day before.’ So, that was the conversion of Abu Dhar (may Allah be Merciful
to him) to Islam.”