Abu Dharr said, "We left our people, the tribe of Ghifar, who used to permit fighting during the sacred month. So I, my brother Unays, and our mother set out and stayed with a maternal uncle of ours. He treated us generously and was good to us, but his people grew envious. They said to him, 'When you leave your family, Unays goes to them in your absence.'Our uncle came to us and repeated to us what had been said. I told him, 'As for the kindness you showed us in the past, you have spoiled it, and there will be no further association between us.' So we brought our small herd of camels close, loaded our belongings on them, and our uncle covered himself with his garment and began to weep.We traveled until we camped near Mecca. Unays cast lots on a wager involving our herd of camels and another like it. They went to a soothsayer, who chose Unays, so Unays brought us our herd of camels along with another like it.Now, my nephew, I had been praying three years before I met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."I asked, "To whom?"He said, "To Allah."I asked, "In which direction did you face?"He said, "I would face wherever my Lord turned me. I would pray the night prayer, and toward the end of the night I would lie down as though I were a discarded garment until the sun rose over me.Unays said, 'I have business in Mecca, so look after things for me.' Unays went off to Mecca and was delayed in returning. When he came back I asked, 'What did you do?' He said, 'I met a man in Mecca who follows your religion. He claims that Allah has sent him.' I asked, 'What do people say about him?' He said, 'They say he is a poet, a soothsayer, a magician.' Unays himself was one of the poets. Unays said, 'I have heard the words of soothsayers, and his speech is not theirs. I have measured his words against the meters of poetry, but no one after me will be able to make them fit poetic meter. By Allah, he is truthful, and they are the liars.'I said, 'Look after things for me until I go and see for myself.'So I went to Mecca and approached one of the weakest looking men among them and asked, 'Where is this man you call the Sabian?' He pointed at me and shouted, 'The Sabian!' Then the people of the valley fell upon me with every clod of earth and every bone they could find, until I collapsed unconscious.When I rose, I rose looking like a red idol stained with blood. I went to Zamzam, washed the blood off myself, and drank from its water. My nephew, I stayed there for thirty nights and days with no food except the water of Zamzam, yet I grew fat to the point that the rolls of fat appeared on my belly, and I felt no pang of hunger in my stomach.While the people of Mecca were on a clear, moonlit night, sleep was cast over their ears so that no one was making circuits around the House except two of their women, who were calling upon Isaf and Naila. They came past me during their circuit and I said, 'Marry one off to the other!' But they did not stop their calling. They came past me again, and I said something more crude, though I will not say it explicitly. They went off howling and saying, 'If only one of our menfolk were here!'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr met them as they were coming down. He asked, 'What is the matter with you?' They said, 'The Sabian is between the Kaabah and its coverings.' He asked, 'What did he say to you?' They said, 'He said something to us that fills the mouth.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came forward, touched the Black Stone, and made the circuit of the House along with his companion, then he prayed. When he had finished his prayer, I was the first to greet him with the greeting of Islam.I said, 'Peace be upon you, Messenger of Allah.'He replied, 'And upon you, and the mercy of Allah.' Then he asked, 'Who are you?'I said, 'From Ghifar.'He lowered his hand and placed his fingers on his forehead. I said to myself, 'He has disliked that I traced my lineage to Ghifar.' I went to take hold of his hand, but his companion, who knew him better than I did, prevented me. Then he raised his head and asked, 'How long have you been here?'I said, 'I have been here for thirty nights and days.'He asked, 'Who has been feeding you?'I said, 'I have had no food except the water of Zamzam, yet I grew fat to the point that the rolls of fat appeared on my belly, and I felt no pang of hunger in my stomach.'He said, 'It is blessed. It is nourishing food.'Abu Bakr said, 'Messenger of Allah, allow me to provide his food tonight.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went off with Abu Bakr, and I went with them. Abu Bakr opened a door and began taking out for us handfuls of raisins from Taif. That was the first food I ate there.Then I remained as long as I remained, after which I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said, 'A land of date palms has been shown to me, and I do not think it is anything other than Yathrib. Will you convey my message to your people on my behalf? Perhaps Allah will benefit them through you and reward you for them.'So I went to Unays and he asked, 'What have you done?' I said, 'I have become a Muslim and accepted the truth.' He said, 'I have no aversion to your religion. I too have become a Muslim and accepted the truth.' We then went to our mother, and she said, 'I have no aversion to the religion of you both. I too have become a Muslim and accepted the truth.'We packed up and went to our people, Ghifar, and half of them accepted Islam. Their leader, Aymaa bin Rahda al-Ghifari, used to lead them in prayer. The other half said, 'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrives in Medina, we will accept Islam.' When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Medina, the remaining half embraced Islam. Then the tribe of Aslam came and said, 'Messenger of Allah, our brothers have accepted Islam upon a certain basis, and we accept Islam upon the same basis.' So they accepted Islam.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Ghifar, may Allah forgive them. Aslam, may Allah grant them peace.'"
حدثنا هداب بن خالد الأزدي حدثنا سليمان بن المغيرة أخبرنا حميد بن هلال
قال أبو ذر خرجنا من قومنا غفار وكانوا يحلون الشهر الحرام فخرجت أنا وأخي أنيس وأمنا فنزلنا على خال لنا فأكرمنا خالنا وأحسن إلينا فحسدنا قومه فقالوا إنك إذا خرجت عن أهلك خالف إليهم أنيس فجاء خالنا فنثا علينا الذي قيل له فقلت أما ما مضى من معروفك فقد كدرته ولا جماع لك فيما بعد فقربنا صرمتنا فاحتملنا عليها وتغطى خالنا ثوبه فجعل يبكي فانطلقنا حتى نزلنا بحضرة مكة فنافر أنيس عن صرمتنا وعن مثلها فأتيا الكاهن فخير أنيسا فأتانا أنيس بصرمتنا ومثلها معها قال وقد صليت يا ابن أخي قبل أن ألقى رسول الله ﷺ بثلاث سنين قلت لمن قال لله قلت فأين توجه قال أتوجه حيث يوجهني ربي أصلي عشاء حتى إذا كان من آخر الليل ألقيت كأني خفاء حتى تعلوني الشمس فقال أنيس إن لي حاجة بمكة فاكفني فانطلق أنيس حتى أتى مكة فراث علي ثم جاء فقلت ما صنعت قال لقيت رجلا بمكة على دينك يزعم أن الله أرسله قلت فما يقول الناس قال يقولون شاعر كاهن ساحر وكان أنيس أحد الشعراء قال أنيس لقد سمعت قول الكهنة فما هو بقولهم ولقد وضعت قوله على أقراء الشعر فما يلتئم على لسان أحد بعدي أنه شعر والله إنه لصادق وإنهم لكاذبون قال قلت فاكفني حتى أذهب فأنظر قال فأتيت مكة فتضعفت رجلا منهم فقلت أين هذا الذي تدعونه الصابئ فأشار إلي فقال الصابئ فمال علي أهل الوادي بكل مدرة وعظم حتى خررت مغشيا علي قال فارتفعت حين ارتفعت كأني نصب أحمر قال فأتيت زمزم فغسلت عني الدماء وشربت من مائها ولقد لبثت يا ابن أخي ثلاثين بين ليلة ويوم ما كان لي طعام إلا ماء زمزم فسمنت حتى تكسرت عكن بطني وما وجدت على كبدي سخفة جوع قال فبينا أهل مكة في ليلة قمراء إضحيان إذ ضرب على أسمختهم فما يطوف بالبيت أحد وامرأتين منهم تدعوان إسافا ونائلة قال فأتتا علي في طوافهما فقلت أنكحا أحدهما الأخرى قال فما تناهتا عن قولهما قال فأتتا علي فقلت هن مثل الخشبة غير أني لا أكني فانطلقتا تولولان وتقولان لو كان هاهنا أحد من أنفارنا قال فاستقبلهما رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر وهما هابطان قال ما لكما قالتا الصابئ بين الكعبة وأستارها قال ما قال لكما قالتا إنه قال لنا كلمة تملأ الفم وجاء رسول الله ﷺ حتى استلم الحجر وطاف بالبيت هو وصاحبه ثم صلى فلما قضى صلاته قال أبو ذر فكنت أنا أول من حياه بتحية الإسلام قال فقلت السلام عليك يا رسول الله فقال وعليك ورحمة الله ثم قال من أنت قال قلت من غفار قال فأهوى بيده فوضع أصابعه على جبهته فقلت في نفسي كره أن انتميت إلى غفار فذهبت آخذ بيده فقدعني صاحبه وكان أعلم به مني ثم رفع رأسه ثم قال متى كنت هاهنا قال قلت قد كنت هاهنا منذ ثلاثين بين ليلة ويوم قال فمن كان يطعمك قال قلت ما كان لي طعام إلا ماء زمزم فسمنت حتى تكسرت عكن بطني وما أجد على كبدي سخفة جوع قال إنها مباركة إنها طعام طعم فقال أبو بكر يا رسول الله ائذن لي في طعامه الليلة فانطلق رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر وانطلقت معهما ففتح أبو بكر بابا فجعل يقبض لنا من زبيب الطائف وكان ذلك أول طعام أكلته بها ثم غبرت ما غبرت ثم أتيت رسول الله ﷺ فقال إنه قد وجهت لي أرض ذات نخل لا أراها إلا يثرب فهل أنت مبلغ عني قومك عسى الله أن ينفعهم بك ويأجرك فيهم فأتيت أنيسا فقال ما صنعت قلت صنعت أني قد أسلمت وصدقت قال ما بي رغبة عن دينك فإني قد أسلمت وصدقت فأتينا أمنا فقالت ما بي رغبة عن دينكما فإني قد أسلمت وصدقت فاحتملنا حتى أتينا قومنا غفارا فأسلم نصفهم وكان يؤمهم أيماء بن رحضة الغفاري وكان سيدهم وقال نصفهم إذا قدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة أسلمنا فقدم رسول الله ﷺ المدينة فأسلم نصفهم الباقي وجاءت أسلم فقالوا يا رسول الله إخوتنا نسلم على الذي أسلموا عليه فأسلموا فقال رسول الله ﷺ غفار غفر الله لها وأسلم سالمها الله