Salman al-Farsi: Difference between revisions

  |Death/Martyrdom = [[36]]/656-7

  |Cause of death/martyrdom =

His father was an Iranian elite landholder. Reports about his pre-Islamic life is mixed with tale-telling. What has been emphasized in these traditions is his inquisitive mindset that inspired him to embark on a long journey in search of a better religion. According to these reports, Salman was a Zoroastrian in childhood until he became familiar with and converted to Christianity. He moved to Syria to study under leading Christian scholars. Based on reports, Salman's father loved him so much that he would confine him in the house. Therefore, his journey to Syria was deemed as a kind of escape. In Syria, he served in the churches and traveled to Mosul, Nusaybin and Amuriyya.<ref>Ibn Ḥishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 214-218; Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā'', vol. 4, p. 57-58.</ref>

From Amuriyya, Salman headed toward [[Hijaz]]. This trip was inspired by the news of a prophet emerging in that land about which Salman was informed by his Christian masters. He accompanied a caravan from the Banu Kalb tribe in which he was captured and sold as a slave to a Jew from [[Banu Qurayda]] and was taken to [[Medina]].<ref>Ibn Ḥishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 218; Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā'', vol. 4, p. 58-59.</ref>

Salman converted to [[Islam]] in the first year after [[Hijra]]/622, in [[Jumada I]]. Salman had heard of a prophet who won't accept any charity ([[sadaqa]]) food, but he accepts gifts, and he has the seal of prophethood between his shoulders. Thus, when he met [[Muhammad (s)]] in [[Quba]], he gave some food he had collected as charity to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet (s) gave all of it to his companions, and he did not eat any from it. Another time, Salman gave some food to the Prophet (s) as a gift, and then he noticed the Prophet Muhammad (s) ate some of it. And at the third time, he saw the Prophet Muhammad (s) in a funeral of his friend, where he finally saw the seal between the Prophet's shoulders. After that Salman went down on his knees in front of the Prophet (s) and praised him, and then he converted to Islam.<ref>Ibn Ḥishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 219.</ref>

[[The Prophet Muhammad (s)]] bought Salman (who was a slave) for three hundred date trees and six hundred silver coins,<ref>Ibn Ḥishām, ''al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 189.</ref> and then he freed him from slavery.<ref>ʿĀmilī, ''Salmān Fārsī'', p. 40.</ref> As Salman said, the Prophet Muhammad (s) had bought him and then named him Salman.<ref>See: Nūrī, ''Nafas al-raḥmān fī faḍāʾil Salmān'', p. 6.</ref> The document of freedom of Salman was dictated by the Prophet and it was written by [[Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]]:

According to some sources, the [[bond of brotherhood]] was made between Salman and [[Abu l-Darda']]. While some other reports mentioned [[Hudhayfa b. al-Yaman]], and some others mentioned [[Miqdad b. Amr]].<ref>To view the references see ʿĀmilī, ''Salmān Fārsī'', p. 86-87.</ref> However, Shi'a narrations mostly have accepted the bond was made between Salman and [[Abu Dharr]].<ref>See: Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 2, p. 84.</ref> In addition, some sources stated the condition that Abu Dharr was supposed to follow Salman.<ref>See: Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 22, p. 345.</ref>

  |quote = '''[[The Prophet Muhammad (s)]]: "Allah commanded me to love four men, for He loves them, too. They are [[Ali (a)]], [[Miqdad]], [[Abu Dharr]], and Salman."

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According to most of Shi'i sources, the first day that Salman entered the mosque, where people respected and praised him, while some other people disapprove of it; because he was an [['Ajam]] (non-Arab). After this event, Prophet Muhammad (s) gave a speech to people:

 

When Arabs were praising themselves and introducing their lineage (intentionally or unintentionally) then they asked about the ancestors of Salman, he would reply: "I am Salman b. Abd Allah, an ignorant one who was guided by Muhammad (s); a poor who was gifted by Prophet Muhammad (s); and a servant of God who was freed by Muhammad b. Abd Allah. this is my lineage."<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Ikhtiṣāṣ'', p. 341.</ref>

Umar b. al-Khattab assigned Salman and [[Hudhayfa]] as the leaders of the Muslim army in the [[Conquest of Iran]].<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 4, p. 41.</ref> In the conquest of al-Madain, he was the negotiator of the Muslims with the commanders of the Iranian forces.

  |quote = In the Event of Saqifa, Salman said:  

  |width = 27%

Salman disagreed with the [[Event of Saqifa]]. [[Miqdad]], Salman, [[Aba Dharr]], [[Ubada b. Samit]], [[Abu l-Haytham b. al-Tayhan]], [[Hudhayfa]], and [[Ammar b. Yasir]] gathered around at the night after the Event of Saqifa to decide on [[Caliphate]] in the community of [[Muhajirun]].<ref>See: Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 1, p. 219-220.</ref> Salman and [[Ubayy b. Ka'b]] had numerous reasons to disagree with the Event of Saqifa.<ref>ʿĀmilī, ''Salmān Fārsī'', p. 35.</ref> The famous sentence of Salman on those [[sahaba]] of Prophet (s) who took an oath of [[allegiance]] to [[Abu Bakr]] was: "You did and you did not"<ref>See: Nūrī, ''Nafas al-raḥmān fī faḍāʾil Salmān'', p. 148.</ref> Which means you chose a Caliph, but refused to accept the Prophet Muhammad's order. He said in the day, you chose an elder man, but you left the family of Prophet Muhammad (s) alone; if you had chosen a member of [[Ahl al-Bayt]], there would not be any conflict. And also you would have enjoyed its blessings.<ref>ʿAskarī, ''ʿAbd Allāh b. Sabaʾ'', vol. 1, p. 145.</ref>

Salman al-Farsi became the governor of [[al-Madain]] in the time of [[Umar b. al-Khattab]]. Salman had asked for permission of [[Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] and then he accepted it. He was the governor of al-Madain until he passed away.<ref>Madanī, ''al-Darajāt al-rafīʿa fī ṭabaqāt al-Shīʿa'', p. 215.</ref> Salman dedicated the money he received as the governor to charity.<ref>Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ''Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 1, p. 219-220.</ref> Thus he covered his expenses by means of knitting baskets.

Salman had two unsuccessful attempts to get married. The first one was asking the daughter of Umar, the sister of [[Hafsa bt. 'Umar b. al-Khattab|Hafsa]] (Prophet Muhammad's wife). At first Umar disagreed but after Prophet Muhammad (s) mentioned the status and position of Salman among Muslims, he accepted his request. However, Salman retracted his request afterward. In the second attempt, Salman sent [[Abu l-Darda']] to ask the hand of a girl for marriage, whose family did not accept the request of Salman; however, they claimed they would accept Abu l-Darda' as their son-in-law. Accordingly, Abu l-Darda' married her later.

Salman eventually married Buqayra from the tribe of Banu Kinda. Abd Allah and Muhammad were the names of their sons. Abd Allah had narrated the [[hadith of the Heavenly Gift]] for [[the Lady Fatima (s)]]. Salman also had a daughter in Isfahan and two other daughters in Egypt.

According to [[Muhaddith Nuri]], the descendants of Salman were living in [[Rey]] for about five hundred years. Badr al-Din al-Hasan b. Ali b. Salman was a prominent figure in the narration of hadith and his lineage goes back to Salman al-Farsi through nine generations. Dia' al-Din al-Farsi (d. 622/1225), a descendant of Salman, was a grand scholar and a poet in Khujand. He was a religious leader in [[Bukhara]]. He also penned a commentary on al-Mahsul by al-Razi. Muhaddith Nuri also mentioned Shams al-Din Suzani (d. 562/1166-1167 or 569/1173-1174) as a descendant of Salman, he was titled as Taj al-Shu'ara (the Crown of Poets). The other mentioned descendants of Salman are Abd al-Fattah, custodian of the mausoleum of Salman for some time; Abu Kathir b. Abd al-Rahman, grandchild of Salman who narrated the letter of Prophet Muhammad (s) to Abd al-Ashhal, a Jewish member of [[Banu Qurayza]], on freedom of Salman; Ibrahim b. Shahriyar (d. 624.1227), known as Abu Ishaq Kaziruni, who was a religious figure in the fifth/eleventh century and al-Hasan b. al-Hasan whose lineage goes back to Muhammad b. Salman.<ref>About his wife and children see: Ṣādiqī Ardistānī, ''Salmān Farsī ustāndār-i Madāʾin'', p. 377-390.</ref>

  | good article = 27 November 2017

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