Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari

                            Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari

In the Waddan valley which connects Makkah with the outside world, lived the tribe of Ghifar. The Ghifar existed on the meagre offerings of the trade caravans of the Quraysh which plied between Syria and Makkah. It is likely that they also lived by raiding these caravans when they were not given enough to satisfy their needs.

Jundub Ibn Junadah, nicknamed Abu Dharr, was a member of this tribe.

He was known for his courage, his calmness and his far sightedness and also for the repugnance he felt against the idols which his people worshipped. He rejected the silly religious beliefs and the religious corruption in which the Arabs were engaged.

While he was in the Waddan desert, news reached Abu Dharr that a new Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) had appeared in Makkah. He really hoped that his appearance would help to change the hearts and minds of people and lead them away from the darkness of superstition. Without wasting much time, he called his brother, Anis, and said to him: "Go to Makkah and get whatever news you can of this man who claims that he is a Prophet and that revelation comes to him from the heavens. Listen to some of his sayings and come back and recite them to me."

Anis went to Makkah and met the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). He listened to what he had to say and returned to the Waddan desert. Abu Dharr met him and anxiously asked for news of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam).

"I have seen a man," reported Anis, "who calls people to noble qualities and there is no mere poetry in what he says."

"What do people say about him?" asked Abu Dharr.

"They say he is a magician, a soothsayer and a poet."

"My curiosity is not satisfied. I am not finished with this matter. Will you look after my family while I go out and examine this prophet's mission myself?"

"Yes. But beware of the Makkans."

On his arrival at Makkah, Abu Dharr immediately felt very apprehensive and he decided to exercise great caution. The Quraysh were noticeably angry over the denunciation of their gods. Abu Dharr heard of the terrible violence they were meeting out to the followers of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) but this was what he expected. He therefore refrained from asking anyone about Muhammad not knowing whether that person might be a follower or an enemy.

At nightfall, he lay down in the Sacred Mosque. Ali Ibn abi Talib passed by him and, realizing that he was a stranger, asked him to come to his house. Abu Dharr spent the night with him and in the morning took his water pouch and his bag containing provisions and returned to the Mosque. He had asked no questions and no questions were asked of him.

Abu Dharr spent the following day without getting to know the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). At evening he went to the Mosque to sleep and Ali again passed by him and said: "Isn't it time that a man knows his house?"

Abu Dharr accompanied him and stayed at his house a second night. Again no one asked the other about anything.

On the third night, however, Ali asked him, "Aren't you going to tell me why you came to Makkah?"

"Only if you will give me an undertaking that you will guide me to what I seek."

Ali agreed and Abu Dharr said: "I came to Makkah from a distant place seeking a meeting with the new Prophet and to listen to some of what he has to say."

Ali's face lit up with happiness as he said, "By God, he is really the Messenger of Allah," and he went on telling Abu Dharr more about the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and his teaching. Finally, he said: "When we get up in the morning, follow me wherever I go. If I see anything which I am afraid of for your sake, I would stop as if to pass water. If I continue, follow me until you enter where I enter."

Abu Dharr did not sleep a wink the rest of that night because of his intense longing to see the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and listen to the words of revelation. In the morning, he followed closely in Ali's footsteps until they were in the presence of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam).

"As-salaamu alayka yaa Rasulullah, (Peace be on you, O Messenger of Allah)," greeted Abu Dharr.

"Wa alayka salaamullahi wa rahmatuhu wa barakaatuhu (And on you be the peace of Allah, His mercy and His blessings)," replied the Prophet.

Abu Dharr was thus the first person to greet the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) with the greeting of Islam. After that, the greeting spread and came into general use.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), welcomed Abu Dharr and invited him to Islam. He recited some of the Qur'aan for him. Before long, Abu Dharr pronounced the Shahadah, thus entering the new religion (without even leaving his place). He was among the first persons to accept Islam.

Let us leave Abu Dharr to continue his own story . . .

After that I stayed with the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) in Makkah and he taught me Islam and taught me to read the Qur'aan. Then he said to me, "Don't tell anyone in Makkah about your acceptance of Islam. I fear that they will kill you."

"By Him in whose hands is my soul, I shall not leave Makkah until I go to the Sacred Mosque and proclaim the call of Truth in the midst of the Quraysh," vowed Abu Dharr.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) remained silent. I went to the Mosque. The Quraysh were sitting and talking. I went in their midst and called out at the top of my voice, "O people of Quraysh, I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

My words had an immediate effect on them. They jumped up and said, "Get this one who has left his religion." They pounced on me and began to beat me mercilessly. They clearly meant to kill me. But Abbas Ibn Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), recognised me. He bent over and protected me from them. He told them: "Woe to you! Would you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your caravans must pass through their territory?"

They then released me. I went back to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), and when he saw my condition, he said, "Didn't I tell you not to announce your acceptance of Islam?"

"O Messenger of Allah," I said, "It was a need I felt in my soul and I fulfilled it."

"Go to your people," he commanded, "and tell them what you have seen and heard. Invite them to Allah. Maybe Allah will bring them good through you and reward you through them. And when you hear that I have come out in the open, then come to me."

I left and went back to my people. My brother came up to me and asked, "What have you done?" I told him that I had become a Muslim and that I believed in the truth of Muhammad's teachings.

"I am not averse to your religion. In fact, I am also now a Muslim and a believer," he said.

We both went to our mother then and invited her to Islam.

"I do not have any dislike for your religion. I accept Islam also," she said.

From that day this family of believers went out tirelessly inviting the Ghifar to Allah and did not flinch from their purpose. Eventually a large number became Muslims and the congregational Prayer was instituted among them.

Abu Dharr remained in his desert abode until after the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) had gone to Madinah and the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq had been fought. At Madinah at last, he asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) to be in his personal service. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) agreed and was pleased with his companionship and service. He sometimes showed preference to Abu Dharr above others and whenever he met him he would pat him and smile and show his happiness.

After the death of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), Abu Dharr could not bear to stay in Madinah because of grief and the knowledge that there was to be no more of his guiding company. So he left for the Syrian desert and stayed there during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar.

During the caliphate of Uthman, he stayed in Damascus and saw the Muslim's concern for the world and their consuming desire for luxury. He was saddened and repelled by this. So Uthman asked him to come to Madinah. At Madinah he was also critical of the people's pursuit of worldly goods and pleasures and they were critical in turn of his reviling them. Uthman therefore ordered that he should go to Rubdhah, a small village near Madinah. There he stayed far away from people, renouncing their preoccupation with worldly goods and holding on to the legacy of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and his companions in seeking the everlasting abode of the Hereafter in preference to this transitory world.

Once a man visited him and began looking at the contents of his house but found it quite bare. He asked Abu Dharr: "Where are your possessions?"

"We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter)," said Abu Dharr, "to which we send the best of our possessions."

The man understood what he meant and said: "But you must have some possessions so long as you are in this abode."

"The owner of this abode will not leave us in it," replied Abu Dharr.

Abu Dharr persisted in his simple and frugal life to the end. Once the amir of Syria sent three hundred dinars to Abu Dharr to meet his needs. He returned the money saying, "Does not the amir of Syria find a servant more deserving of it than I?"

In the year 32 AH, the self-denying Abu Dharr passed away. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), had said of him: "The earth does not carry nor the heavens cover a man more true and faithful than Abu Dharr."

If you find yourself lazy upon obedience to Allah then be afraid that Allah is averse to your obedience

The following is a summary translation taken from sahab.net
http://www.sahab.net/forums/showthread.php?t=351059

Sheik Muhammad ibn Salih ibn Uthamin may Allah have mercy upon him said in his explanation of the book, Aqeedah of Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamaat in tape number seven…

وَلَكِن كَرِهَ اللهُ انبِعاثَهُمْ فَثَبَّطَهُمْ وَقيلَ اقْعُدوا مَعَ القاعِدينَ

…but Allah was averse to their being sent forth, so He made them lag behind, and it was said (to them), "Sit you among those who sit (at home)." (Chapter 9 verse 46)

Oh Allah save us…this verse is extremely dangerous and the scale is in His saying, ‘but Allah was averse to their being sent forth’ meaning in battle.

{…and it was said (to them), "Sit you among those who sit (at home)}

So beware and examine yourself, and if you see yourself being lazy upon doing good deeds then be afraid that Allah is averse to you putting forth good deeds.

Then look at yourself a second time, and make yourself patient and compel yourself upon obedience. So today you do acts of obedience and you are averse to it but tomorrow you do it willingly and effortlessly.

The important point is that this is a severe warning for the one who finds himself hindered from doing good deeds, so perhaps Allah the Exalted is averse to this man being from His obedient slaves therefore He hindered him from obedience.

We ask Allah to assist us upon His remembrance and upon thanking Him, and upon good worship.

Another point in this verse, {…but Allah was averse to their being sent forth, so He made them lag behind, and it was said (to them), "Sit you among those who sit (at home).}

It was not said … (وقال) and He said (to them), "Sit you among those who sit (at home)}
Because Allah does not order with evil, rather (قيل) it was said to them sit at home.
Who said stay at home? The soul (says this), no, it wasn’t Allah that said it, but rather it was the soul.
The person’s soul speaks to him saying, ‘Sit at home, don’t go this time go another time.
And shaitan hinders from good
And evil companions hinder from good

So for this reason the doer of the action was removed from this sentence, meaning the one who said the statement so that it would be more comprehensive.
Therefore those who say, ‘Sit you among those who sit (at home) are numerous and we mentioned three of them; the soul, shaitan, and evil companions.

(Explanation of the book, Aqeedah of Ahlus Sunnah wa Jamaat, in tape number seven, second side of the tape from minute 3:16 to 5:22)

وَكَانَ الْفُضَيْل بْن عِيَاض يَقُول : يَا كَذَّاب يَا مُفْتَرٍ , اِتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تَسُبَّ الشَّيْطَان فِي الْعَلَانِيَة وَأَنْتَ صَدِيقُهُ فِي السِّرّ

This Du`a includes protection from laziness...
Page 110-111 in my version of Hisnul-Muslim (Dar-us-Salaam's 'Fortress of a Muslim')

Allahumma 'innee 'a'oothu bika minal hammi walhazani, wal'ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, wa dhala'id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal.

O Allah, I seek refuge in you from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men (i.ei. others).

اللهَمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَـلِ، وَالْبُخْـلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّينِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Al-Bukhari 7/158. See also Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 11/173.

Source : http://salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?forum=11&topic=6204

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTu9d28Qlsk

Mustafa George's Page

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Regarding Mustafa George's Autobiography, Mustafa George < > wrote:

Walhamdullahi, Allah gave me the chance to study in the Islamic university of madina. i graduated from the college of hadeeth. that means i studied matters of jarh wa ta'deel because i graduated, and a person that doesn't understand the subjects he is studying will not graduate!!

as for the scholars i studied with, they are many, by the grace of Allah. from them:

1. Sheikh Abdul Muhsin al Abaad

I studied with him for over 7 years completing many books. from them

-the end of sunan an nisa'ee
-sunan abi dawud (completed)
-Ja'ee at tirmidhee (beginning)
-the etiq. of walking to prayer
-40 hadeeths of imam an nawawee
-the book of rulership from sahih muslim
-yearly hajj class

and more. all my books for the above subjects are present with several notes in them. because the sheikh has so many students, i don't believe i am known to him. but to verify my sitting with him you should know that i was in charge of distributing the sadaqah given by people to the sheikh yearly. the sheikh has one person in charge of that his name is abdul hakeem, a saudi student studying with the sheikh for over 15 years. abdul hakeem placed me in charge of the western students. the money for them was given to me in check form and i would have to cash the check and distribute the money to the western students! you can varify this with:

-tahir wyatt
-abdur rahman umaysan
-adil al pakistani (married to sheikh ubaid's daughter)

and others!

The sheikh also gave me permission several years ago to translate some of his works with the condition that the translation is accurate.

i don't hold a tazkiyyah by the sheikh because he doesn't give tazkiyyahs like many scholars don't!

2. Sheikh Rabee bin Hadee Al Mukhali

I studied with the sheikh for one and a half years in madina, and then on the weekends for a year upon him moving to mecca.

i studied the following works:

-al wabilus saeeb
-muktasir zadul ma'ad (portion)

once again, sheikh rabee has several students, so me sitting with him in madina and then in mecca can be varified by his closest student Sultan al Juhani.

3. Sheikh Ubaid al Jabiree

I studied the following with him:

-kitab at tawheed (more than once_
-kitab as sunnah by barabaharee
-hajj and umrah (tahkeek wal idaah) by sheikh bin bazz
-chapters from sahih muslim
-wal wajibat by Qar'awee (aqeedah)
-minhaj as salikeen (fiqh)
and more

I have also been ordered by the Sheikh to translate his seminar in Jeddah the year 1426h. I translated for him, sheikh muhammed bin hadee, sheikh Ali at tawajiree, and sh. muhammed al aqeel.

i hold a tazkiyyah from sheikh ubaid, and he knows me very well.

4. Sheikh Abdur Razzaq al Abaad

I studied the following with him:

-kitab at tawheed
-adab al mufrad
-aqeedah of ibn abee zaid al qirawanee
-usool al 'itikad by sheikh Abdur Rahman As Sa'dee

and others. My face is well known to the Sheikh and he has given me permission to translate some of his works.

these are the scholars that i sat with the most. i also sat from time to time with:

-Sheikh Muhammed bin Saleh al Uthaymeen (yearly in mecca during ramadan twice a day)
-Sheikh Muhammed bin Hadee (several books)
-Sheikh Saleh as Suhamee (several books)
-Sheikh Ibraheem ar Rihaylee (several books)
-Sheikh Sulayman ar Rihaylee (several books)
-Sheikh Khalid Radadee (i hold a tazkiyyah by him)
-Sheikh Asim al Qurutee (teacher in Riyadh and student of Sheikh Al Albani, i hold a tazkiyyah by him)
-Sheikh Abdullah Al Bukharee (several books, and he knows me very well)

I also keep in close contact with:

-Shiekh Saleh al Fowzan (I have over 30 audio recorded questions with him)
-Sheikh Abdulllah al Gudayan (He knows my name and i have several audio recordings with him)
-Sheikh Abdullah Al Aqeel (i have audio recordings with him)
-Sheikh Ahmed an Najmee (I have several audio recordings with him)


This is a few of what i can mention about my scholars. as for the individual you mentioned Abdur Raheem McCarthy, you should know that many of the salafi scholars in madina hold him to be a person who has deviated away from the correct path!

from them:

Sheikh Muhammed bin Hadee called Abdur Raheem a DAJAAL!! This was said in the presence of Sheikh Saleh as Suhaymee, Sheikh Rabee bin Hadee, and many students!

This is sufficient enough to not accept a narration from him.

in any rate, i don't like to mention what i have done, nor who i have studied with except out of need. insha Allah, this was a time of need and i pray Allah grants me tawfeeq in continuing to study.

as for my present scholars, alhamdullah, a few months ago Sheikh Saleh as Suhaymee visited the UAE and we completed a work in Aqeedah (the aqeedah of the salaf by Sabunee)

sheikh abdur razzaq visited here twice and i attended both times.

i just returned from a trip to yemen and saudi. by the tawfeeq of Allah I sat in dammaj and San'a with sheikh yahya al hajoree, Sheikh Ahmed al Wasabee, and others for several days and i recorded over 20 questions and answers between me and sh. yahya.

i also visited madina and sat completed books with:

-sheikh Abdulr Razzaq
-sheikh ali al tuwayjiree
-sheikh muhammed ramzan al hajiree
-sheikh sulayman ar rihaylee

i also visit sheikh ubaid and informed him of my trip to yemen.

you asked for scholars to vouch for me, either the above will do so, or their trustworthy students, and my books with notes will!!

as for their numbers, If you consider yourself a student of knowledge, you should already have their phone numbers. in any rate, just to make things easy for you, here are some numbers

Sheikh Abdul Muhsin: 04 847 5207
Sheikh Ubaid al Jabiree: 04 848 0637
Sheikh Abdullah Al Bukharee: 050 532 6997



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