Abu Dharr said, "We left our people, the tribe of Ghifar, who used to violate the sacred month. I, my brother Unays, and our mother set out together. We traveled until we arrived at the home of a maternal uncle of ours, a man of wealth and standing. Our uncle treated us generously and was kind to us, but his people grew envious and said to him, 'Whenever you leave your family, Unays takes your place with them.'Our uncle came to us and repeated to us what had been said. I said, 'As for the kindness you have shown us in the past, you have now ruined it. We can no longer stay with you.'So we brought our small herd of camels close, loaded our belongings on them, while our uncle covered himself with his garment and began to weep. We set off until we camped in the vicinity of Mecca.There Unays competed with another man over our herd and a similar one belonging to that man. They went to a soothsayer, who judged in favor of Unays, so he came back to us with both our herd and the other man's.Nephew, I had been praying for three years before I met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."I asked, "To whom did you pray?"He replied, "To Allah."I asked, "In what direction did you face?"He said, "I faced wherever Allah directed me. I would pray the night prayer, then in the last part of the night I would collapse as if I were a worn-out garment until the sun rose over me."Unays said to me, "I have some business in Mecca. Look after things until I return to you."He went off and was gone a long time, then came back. I asked, "What kept you?"He said, "I met a man in Mecca who claims that Allah has sent him with the same religion you follow."I asked, "What do people say about him?"He said, "They say he is a poet, a magician, and a soothsayer." Now Unays himself was a poet. He said, "I have heard the speech of soothsayers, and what he says is nothing like theirs. I have measured his words against every meter of poetry, and by Allah, no tongue can declare it poetry. By Allah, he is truthful, and they are the liars."I said to him, "Will you take care of things while I go and have a look?"He said, "Yes, but be on your guard against the people of Mecca, for they detest him and treat him harshly."So I set out and arrived in Mecca. I picked out a frail-looking man from among them and asked, "Where is this man you call the Sabian?"He pointed at me and shouted, "The Sabian!" The people of the valley fell upon me with every clod of earth and bone they could find until I collapsed unconscious. When I came to, I rose like a red statue. I went to Zamzam, drank from its water, and washed the blood off myself. Then I entered the area between the Kaabah and its coverings.Nephew, I stayed there for thirty days and nights with no food except the water of Zamzam. Yet I grew so plump that the folds of fat on my belly began to crease, and I felt no pang of hunger in my stomach.One night, while the people of Mecca were enjoying a bright moonlit night, Allah cast sleep upon the ears of the people of Mecca, so that no one was circling the House except two women. They came near me, calling upon Isaf and Naila. I said, 'Marry one to the other.' But that did not stop them. They came past me again, and I said something coarse to them outright. They went off wailing and saying, 'If only one of our men were here!'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr met them as the two were coming down from the mountain. He asked, 'What is the matter with you?'They said, 'The Sabian is between the Kaabah and its coverings.'They asked, 'What did he say to you?'They replied, 'He said something to us that fills the mouth.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came with his companion, touched the Black Stone, circled the House, and prayed. Then I approached him and was the first person to greet him with the greeting of Islam.He replied, 'And upon you, and the mercy of Allah. From which tribe are you?'I said, 'From Ghifar.'He lowered his hand and placed it on his forehead. I said to myself, 'He dislikes that I traced my lineage to Ghifar.' I wanted to take his hand, but his companion, who knew him better than I did, restrained me.The Prophet ﷺ then asked, 'How long have you been here?'I said, 'I have been here for thirty nights and days.'He asked, 'And who has been feeding you?'I said, 'I have had no food except the water of Zamzam, yet I have grown so plump that the folds of my belly are creased, and I feel no pang of hunger in my stomach.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'It is blessed. It is indeed nourishing food.'Abu Bakr said, 'Messenger of Allah, allow me to feed him tonight.'He agreed. So the Prophet ﷺ went on his way, and Abu Bakr went off, and I went with him. Abu Bakr opened a door and began handing us raisins from Taif. That was the first food I ate there.I stayed as long as I stayed, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, 'I have been directed toward a land of date palms, which I think can only be Yathrib. Will you carry my message to your people? Perhaps Allah may benefit them through you and reward you on their account.'So I set off until I came to Unays. He asked, 'What have you done?'I said, 'What I have done is that I have embraced Islam and accepted the truth.'He said, 'I have no objection to your religion. I too have embraced Islam and accepted the truth.'Then we went to our mother, and she said, 'I have no objection to your religion. I too have embraced Islam and accepted the truth.'We mounted our camels and traveled until we reached our people, Ghifar. Some of them embraced Islam before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, while others said, 'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrives, we will embrace Islam.' Their leader at that time was Khafaf bin Ima bin Rahda al-Ghifari, and he led them in prayer. The rest of them said, 'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrives, we will embrace Islam.' So when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, the rest of them embraced Islam.The tribe of Aslam came and said, 'Messenger of Allah, our brothers have embraced Islam, and we will embrace Islam on the same terms.' So they accepted Islam.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Ghifar, may Allah forgive them. Aslam, may Allah keep them safe.'"
حدثنا يزيد بن هارون أخبرنا سليمان بن المغيرة حدثنا حميد بن هلال
قال أبو ذر خرجنا من قومنا غفار وكانوا يحلون الشهر الحرام أنا وأخي أنيس وأمنا فانطلقنا حتى نزلنا على خال لنا ذي مال وذي هيئة فأكرمنا خالنا فأحسن إلينا فحسدنا قومه فقالوا إنك إذا خرجت عن أهلك خلفك إليهم أنيس فجاءنا خالنا فنثا عليه ما قيل له فقلت أما ما مضى من معروفك فقد كدرته ولا جماع لنا فيما بعد قال فقربنا صرمتنا فاحتملنا عليها وتغطى خالنا ثوبه وجعل يبكي قال فانطلقنا حتى نزلنا بحضرة مكة قال فنافر أنيس رجلا عن صرمتنا وعن مثلها فأتيا الكاهن فخير أنيسا فأتانا بصرمتنا ومثلها وقد صليت يا ابن أخي قبل أن ألقى رسول الله ﷺ ثلاث سنين قال فقلت لمن قال لله قال قلت فأين توجه قال حيث وجهني الله عز وجل قال وأصلي عشاء حتى إذا كان من آخر الليل ألقيت كأني خفاء قال أبي قال أبو النضر قال سليمان كأني خفاء حتى تعلوني الشمس قال فقال أنيس إن لي حاجة بمكة فاكفني حتى آتيك قال فانطلق فراث علي ثم أتاني فقلت ما حبسك قال لقيت رجلا يزعم أن الله عز وجل أرسله على دينك قال فقلت ما يقول الناس له قال يقولون إنه شاعر وساحر وكاهن قال وكان أنيس شاعرا قال فقال قد سمعت قول الكهان فما يقول بقولهم وقد وضعت قوله على أقراء الشعر فوالله ما يلتام لسان أحد أنه شعر والله إنه لصادق وإنهم لكاذبون قال فقلت له هل أنت كافي حتى أنطلق فأنظر قال نعم فكن من أهل مكة على حذر فإنهم قد شنفوا له وتجهموا له وقال عفان شيفوا له وقال بهز سبقوا له وقال أبو النضر شفوا له قال فانطلقت حتى قدمت مكة فتضعفت رجلا منهم فقلت أين هذا الرجل الذي تدعونه الصابئ قال فأشار إلي قال الصابئ قال فمال أهل الوادي علي بكل مدرة وعظم حتى خررت مغشيا علي فارتفعت حين ارتفعت كأني نصب أحمر فأتيت زمزم فشربت من مائها وغسلت عني الدم فدخلت بين الكعبة وأستارها فلبثت به ابن أخي ثلاثين من بين يوم وليلة وما لي طعام إلا ماء زمزم فسمنت حتى تكسرت عكن بطني وما وجدت على كبدي سخفة جوع قال فبينا أهل مكة في ليلة قمراء أضحيان وقال عفان أصخيان وقال بهز أصخيان وكذلك قال أبو النضر فضرب الله على أصمخة أهل مكة فما يطوف بالبيت غير امرأتين فأتتا علي وهما تدعوان إساف ونائل قال فقلت أنكحوا أحدهما الآخر فما ثناهما ذلك قال فأتتا علي فقلت وهن مثل الخشبة غير أني لم أكن قال فانطلقتا تولولان وتقولان لو كان هاهنا أحد من أنفارنا قال فاستقبلهما رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر وهما هابطان من الجبل فقال ما لكما فقالتا الصابئ بين الكعبة وأستارها قالا ما قال لكما قالتا قال لنا كلمة تملأ الفم قال فجاء رسول الله ﷺ هو وصاحبه حتى استلم الحجر فطاف بالبيت ثم صلى قال فأتيته فكنت أول من حياه بتحية أهل الإسلام فقال عليك ورحمة الله ممن أنت قال قلت من غفار قال فأهوى بيده فوضعها على جبهته قال فقلت في نفسي كره أني انتميت إلى غفار قال فأردت أن آخذ بيده فقذعني صاحبه وكان أعلم به مني قال متى كنت هاهنا قال كنت هاهنا منذ ثلاثين من بين ليلة ويوم قال فمن كان يطعمك قلت ما كان لي طعام إلا ماء زمزم قال فسمنت حتى تكسر عكن بطني وما وجدت على كبدي سخفة جوع قال قال رسول الله ﷺ إنها مباركة وإنها طعام طعم قال أبو بكر ائذن لي يا رسول الله في طعامه الليلة قال ففعل قال فانطلق النبي ﷺ وانطلق أبو بكر وانطلقت معهما حتى فتح أبو بكر بابا فجعل يقبض لنا من زبيب الطائف قال فكان ذلك أول طعام أكلته بها فلبثت ما لبثت ثم قال رسول الله ﷺ إني قد وجهت إلي أرض ذات نخل ولا أحسبها إلا يثرب فهل أنت مبلغ عني قومك لعل الله عز وجل أن ينفعهم بك ويأجرك فيهم قال فانطلقت حتى أتيت أنيسا قال فقال لي ما صنعت قال قلت إني صنعت أني أسلمت وصدقت قال قال فما لي رغبة عن دينك إني قد أسلمت وصدقت ثم أتينا أمنا فقالت فما بي رغبة عن دينكما فإني قد أسلمت وصدقت فتحملنا حتى أتينا قومنا غفارا فأسلم بعضهم قبل أن يقدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة وقال يعني يزيد ببغداد وقال بعضهم إذا قدم فقال بهز إخواننا نسلم وكذا قال أبو النضر وكان يؤمهم خفاف بن إيماء بن رحضة الغفاري وكان سيدهم يومئذ وقال بقيتهم إذا قدم رسول الله ﷺ أسلمنا فقدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة فأسلم بقيتهم قال وجاءت أسلم فقالوا يا رسول الله إخواننا نسلم على الذي أسلموا عليه فأسلموا فقال رسول الله ﷺ غفار غفر الله لها وأسلم سالمها الله وقال بهز وكان يؤمهم إيماء بن رحضة فقال أبو النضر إيماء