The Way Out
He said, “I sent a message to the Christians
requesting them to inform me of the arrival of any Christian trade caravan
coming from ash-Shaam. A trade caravan arrived and they informed me, so I then
told [the Christians] to let me know once the people of the caravan finish
their business and set off to return to their country. I [indeed] was informed
[by them] when the people of ash-Shaam finished their business and were about
to set off to their country, so I then let loose the chains from my feet and
accompanied [the caravan] until we reached ash-Shaam.”
He
did not surrender to the unjust orders of his father. He was striving in the cause of the truth, which
ultimately led him to realize the truth about the Creator, Allah.
“As for those who strive hard in Our[1] Cause, We will surely guide
them to Our Paths (i.e., Allah’s religion, Islamic Monotheism).”
[Surah
al-'Ankaboot (29):69]
Salman
made up his mind and set out in search of the truth, regardless of the fact that it was a distant
and strange land to him. Allah, Most Glorified and Exalted, knowing his
honesty, assisted him by making it easy for him to find a means to travel to
the land of ash-Shaam.
This is it, But..!
“Upon my arrival I asked, ‘Who is the best amongst
the people of this religion [of yours]?’ ”
Salman
was in search of the clear truth, and so he sought the best in faith amongst the people of ash-Shaam.
Why not? People like to choose the best food, the best spouse, and the best
clothes. Salman was searching for the best in faith.
“They said, ‘The bishop. [He is] in the church.’ I
went to him and said, ‘I like this religion, and I would love to be with you and
serve you in your church, in order that I may learn from you and pray with
you.’ ”
Salman
realized from the start that knowledge can only be gained by associating with
its people. In return, he was ready to offer himself as a servant to the bishop. The humbleness of those searching for the truth draws them nearer and
nearer to it. In the absence of humbleness, arrogance prevails;
people see the signs of the truth, but their arrogance drives them away to
their destruction.
“And they belied them (Our Signs: proofs, evidences, verses,
lessons, revelations, etc.) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their own selves
were convinced thereof (that those Signs are from Allah).”
[Surah
an-Naml (27):14]
Wealth,
social status, and other material factors must not prohibit a person from
seeking the truth, which will ultimately affect his future. All of these things will vanish,
and the person will proceed to his grave with nothing except his deeds. These
deeds are those of the heart (belief), and those of the tongue and limbs which
are the manifestations of the deeds of the heart. Did I submit to my Creator?
Did I live according to His Commands as explained in the Qur'aan and by the teachings
of the Last Messenger, Muhammad e? This is the only thing which will be of use on the Day of
Recompense.
“The Day
whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, * except him who brings to
Allah a clean heart (clean from disbelief, polytheism
and hypocrisy).”
[Surah
ash-Shu'araa'(26):88-89]
“He said, ‘You may enter and stay with me,’ so I
joined him.” After some time, Salman discovered something of the bishop. He was
a bad man who ordered and motivated his people to pay charity, only to keep it
for himself. He did not give it to the poor. He had heaped up seven jars of
gold and silver!
This
is an example of the corrupt and evil people found in every time and place: the
hypocrites and abusive people. Did Salman stop there with that corrupt man? No!
He moved to the next stage in his search. He did not turn away from seeking the
truth.
“I despised him because of his
deeds.”
It
is clear that his hate of the bishop did not stop him from seeking the truth.
Allah, the Most Exalted, guided him, knowing his sincere desire in finding the
truth.
“He [the bishop] died. The Christians gathered to
bury him. I informed them that he was a bad man who ordered and motivated
people to give him their charity only to keep it for himself, and that he did
not give any of it to the poor. They said, ‘How do you know this?’ I replied,
‘I can show you his treasure.’ They said, ‘Show us!’ I showed them the place
[where he kept it] and they recovered from it seven jars heaped up with gold
and silver. When they saw it they said, ‘By Allah we will never bury him.’ So
they crucified him and stoned him.”[2]
The Urge is Strong
Salman said, “They replaced their bishop. I never
saw anyone [from them] who prayed the five prescribed prayers better than him
[the new bishop]; nor a man more detached from this worldly life and attached
to the Hereafter; nor a person more committed to working day and night. I loved
him more than anyone else I loved before.”
There
are five daily prescribed prayers in Islam. Allah taught Prophet Muhammad e the manner in which to perform these
prayers as well as their timings. They are not the kind of ‘prayers’ which have
been developed and are practiced by some people. Prayers are the foundation of
Islam. If done according to the Prophet’s e way, they purify a person from the sins and wrong-doings that he may
commit during the day.
“I stayed with him for sometime before his death.
When his death approached I told him, ‘O [so and so], I stayed with you and
loved you more than anything else I loved before. Now the Decree of Allah
[i.e., death] has come, so who do you recommend for me [to keep to], and with
what do you order me?’ ”
Salman
started to think about who he would accompany after the bishop’s death. He
again thought of searching for righteous people with sound knowledge. His
desire and readiness to go after the
truth was firm.
“The bishop said ‘By Allah! People are in total
loss; they have altered and changed [the religion] they were upon. I do not
know of anyone who is still holding to the religion I am upon except a man in al-Musil,[3] so join him.’ [and he gave him his name]”
Another Move
When the man died, Salman moved to al-Musil and met
the person he recommended. “I said to him, ‘[Such & such person] at the
time of his death recommended me to join
you. He told me that you are holding to the same [religion] as him.’ The man of
al-Musil told Salman to stay with him. ‘I
stayed with him and found him to be the best man holding on to the matter
[religion]of his companion.’ ”
“Soon he died,” Salman said. When death approached
him, Salman requested of him [as he did earlier with his first companion] to
recommend another person who was upon the same religion. The man said, “By
Allah! I don’t know of anyone on the same matter [religion] as ours except a
man in Naseebeen[4] and his name is [such and such], so go and join him.”
[1]
A plural “pronoun” is employed to stress Power, Might, and Greatness. It is common in Semitic languages for any
Monarch to use the plural pronoun. It is
used by the English Dynasty as well. To Allah, however, belongs the best example.
‘We’ does not denote the Trinity or any other false concept.
[2]
Editor’s note: An important point
to note here is that Salman did not turn away from what he thought was the
truth at that time because of the actions of one person. He did not say,
“Look at these Christians! The best of them is so evil!” Rather, he understood
that he had to judge the religion by its beliefs, and not by its adherents.
[3]
Al-Musil: A major city in northwest Iraq.
[4]
Naseebeen: A city on the road between al-Musil and ash-Shaam.
