Salman al-Farsi: Difference between revisions

Salman was [[monotheist]] who converted to [[Christianity]] in his childhood. When he had changed his religion, Salman was forced to leave his hometown. In order to find the truth about Christianity, he started his travels and met a number of priests and bishops in different [[church]]es. When he arrived in [[Syria]], he settled in [[Syria]], [[Mosul]], and [[Nusaybin]]. Then he was captured as a slave by [[Banu Kalb]] tribe. After some time he was sold to a person from [[Banu Qurayza]] tribe and was taken to [[Medina]]. When he saw [[Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah (s)]], Salman figured out that he was the Prophet that his mentor had described to him. After meeting the Prophet Muhammad (s), Salman converted to [[Islam]]. The Prophet Muhammad (s) bought him and then freed him from slavery. After that Prophet (s) named him Salman. He was such a true Muslim that Prophet (s) once said: "Salman is a member of my [[Ahl al-Bayt]]."

 

Salman's Persian name was Ruzbeh.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 171.</ref> His father, Khushfudan, was a landlord in [[Isfahan]] and he believed in [[Zoroastrianism]]. He was born either in Jay district of Isfahan<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā'', vol. 4, p. 56; Balāthurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 1, p. 485.</ref> or Ramhormoz<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 171; Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā'', vol. 4, p. 56.</ref>. Salman was loved by his father more than his other siblings. As Salman said,

 

::"My father was a farmer, and I was living in a village, Jay in Isfahan. My father loved me so much, that he locked me inside the house like a servant. I was not allowed to leave the house. Then I became responsible for keeping the fire burning all the time in a Zoroastrian temple.

::One day I was sent by my father to look after the farm. On my way to the farm, I noticed a [[Christianity|Christian]] [[church]], and I entered. Their prayer attracted my attention. I thought this religion is better than ours. I asked about the origins of this religion, and they answered: [[Syria]]. Therefore, I ran away and traveled to Syria where I served the bishops and learned about Christianity. Upon his death, the bishop  introduced a monk to me in [[Mosul]] to learn from him. After serving him, the monk of Mosul introduced another monk in [[Nusaybin]] who in turn introduced a monk in 'Amuriyya to me. Eventually the monk in 'Amuriyya told me about the new [[prophet]], as he said: it's the time for a new prophet to emerge who will continue the religion of [[Ibrahim (a)]]. His sign is that he shall never accept charity ([[Sadaqa]]), but he accepts gifts; he also has [[seal of prophethood|the Seal]] between his shoulders.

::In order to find the Prophet, I traveled with a caravan from the tribe of Banu Kalb to [[Hijaz]], then in [[Wadi l-Qura]], I found out that I had been sold to a Jew as a slave. He sold me to his cousin, who brought me to [[Medina]]."<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharh nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 18, p. 37-38.</ref>

==A Member of Ahl al-Bayt (a)==

'''"If they had pledged allegiance with Ali (a), they would have been granted with bounties from every direction ."'''