The Islam of Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)

Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was one of the great Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He was known as Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), as he was from the clan of Ghifaar. Allah Ta‘ala blessed him to meet Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and bring imaan in the early days of Islam, while Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was still in Makkah Mukarramah. This is the story of Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) accepting Islam:

One day, Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) heard that there was a man in Makkah Mukarramah who said that he was the Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala, and he was inviting people to accept Islam. When Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) heard this, he asked his brother, Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), to go to Makkah Mukarramah to find out if this man really was the true Nabi of Allah Ta‘ala. He said to his brother, “Go to Makkah Mukarramah and find out about this man who says that he is the messenger of Allah and that divine revelation and messages come to him from the heavens. Also, listen to his message and tell me what he says.”

Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then came to Makkah Mukarramah, met Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), listened to his message, and thereafter returned home.

After he had returned home, Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) asked him, “What information have you brought?” Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “When I arrived in Makkah Mukarramah, I found some people saying that this man is a liar or a magician, while others said that he is a fortune-teller or poet. However, by Allah, I know that he is not a poet nor a fortune-teller!”

Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) further said, “I have heard fortune-tellers speaking, but the message of this man is not like the message of a fortune-teller.” Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was also an expert poet, so he said, “I have also compared his words to poetry, and I saw that his words are not poetry. By Allah! This man is most truthful and honest.”

Then, Hazrat Unais (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “The entire time that I was there, I saw him telling people to do good things and stay away from sins and bad things. He was telling the people to have good character and good behaviour.”

When Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) heard what his brother said, he wanted to learn more about Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the deen of Islam, so he took some food and water, and set out for the city of Makkah Mukarramah.

After Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) arrived in Makkah Mukarramah, he met Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) who took him to see Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). After he met and listened to the message of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately embraced Islam.

Thereafter, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) that he should return home and invite his people, the clan of Ghifaar, to the deen of Islam. Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then returned home where he and his brother, who was also a Muslim, invited their mother to accept Islam. Their mother happily accepted Islam, and when he invited his people, the Ghifaar clan, to accept Islam, then half of the clan immediately accepted Islam.