Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari ((a.s.)), Companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sahabi E Rasool)
As Hazrat Abu Zar a.s was openly criticizing Muawiyah by name in the mosque, one person bent over and whispered in his ear: "What are you saying against the ruler? Be afraid of his wrath." Abu Zar a.s turned to him and said:" My friend (meaning the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)) had advised me to speak the truth at all times even if it is bitter, and not to be afraid of any critic in truth's path. I pray to Allah: O Allah, I ask your protection against cowardice, save me from being miserly, I do not wish for long life, I ask Allah's forgiveness from this world and the Hellfire in the other world." Then he said: "People are preparing various kinds of food, then they take medicine to digest that food (so that they can eat even more). The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) passed on and he never took his fill with two meals in any one day. When he ate dates he would not take bread that day. The people of the House of the Prophet never ate barley bread for three contiguous days, until the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) met up with his Lord. Many times months would change and no fire would burn in his kitchen." Someone asked: "How did he then survive?" Abu Zar a.s replied, 'he would eat dates and then take a drink of water. Man needs only enough food so that he keeps his strength. Never eat to your fill, because that creates laziness and lethargy. It destroys your body and brings illness and disease. Live a moderate life.' Abu Zar a.s continued with his preaching to the wealthy. Finally, one day, Muawiyah called him. He came. Muawiyah sat him down next to himself. Food was served. The place was filled with all kinds of delicious dishes. Muawiyah invited him to eat. Abu Zar a.s refused. He said: "I only eat a handful of wheat (flour) in a week. This is what I used to do during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and I will continue with that practice until I will pass on and meet up with my friend." Addressing Muawiyah he said: 'You have changed your life style. It wasn't like this. You eat bread made of strained flour. You have many different dishes at a time; you eat all kinds of colourful foods. You change into a new dress twice-a-day. You were not like that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). During that period you lived like a beggar.' Muawiyah tried all kinds of tricks against Abu Zar a.s but Abu Zar a.s defeated every one of them. Finally, he banished Abu Zar a.s to the area of JABAL AAMIL (this is located in present day Lebanon, in that time the larger country of Shaam (Syria) contained all of today's Syria, Lebanon, parts of Jordan and all of the country of Israel.) The people of that area were not very rich but they were nice people and very hospitable. That time Abu Zar a.s lived in that area, he introduced those people to the glory of Ahlul Bayt a.s. This too was totally against Muawiyah's policies. Muawiyah's propaganda in that area was that actually Banu Umayya were the Ahlul Bayt and their love had been made wajib (compulsory) on Muslims. When he saw that Abu Zar a.s countered his trick by glorifying the family of the Prophet s.a.w, he called him back and then wrote a letter to Caliph Usman ibn Affan complaining about Abu Zar's activities. Caliph Usman ibn Affan replied as follows: "We have received your letter about Abu Zar. As soon as you receive this letter, arrange a fast camel, put Abu Zar on it, arrange a very harsh camel-driver and send him to Madina post haste." On Muawiyah's orders, Abu Zar a.s was dispatched quickly without even letting him take his family with him. By the time Abu Zar arrived in Madina (riding that camel) the flesh of both his thighs had been torn. Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari ((a.s.)) was presented to Caliph Usman ibn Affan in an open assembly. Caliph Uthman ibn Affan said to him: *"I have been told that you narrate a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) that when the number of the men of Banu Umayya (in power) would come upto thirty, they would use Allah's Kingdom as their personal property, they would treat the worshippers of Allah as their personal servants and would corrupt and misuse Allah's Law (for their own advantage)." * Abu Zar a.s replied that, yes, he had heard the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) saying all that. Caliph Usman ibn Affan asked the assembly whether or not they all had heard that hadith. He then called Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s and asked him the same question. Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s confirmed what Abu Zar a.s had said. Caliph Usman ibn Affan then asked for the evidence to that. Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s said that the clearest evidence to that was another statement of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) in which he had said, *"The skies have not given shade to, and the earth has not carried any speaker more truthful and honest than Abu Zar." * Only a few days had gone by after that event that Caliph Usman ibn Affan sent him a message that by Allah he would be banished from Madina. Abu Zar (confronted Usman) and said to him: "Are you going to banish me away from the City of the Prophet?" He replied, "Yes." Abu Zar asked, "Are you going to send me off to Makkah?" He said, "No." Abu Zar then asked, "To Basra?" He said, "No." Abu Zar then asked, "To Kufa, then?" He said, "No, I am going to throw you out to Rabza, where you came from and, I wish you would die there." Caliph Usman ibn Affan then turned to Marwan and ordered him to escort Abu Zar a.s out of Madina and not to let anyone else see him off or speak to him. So, Marwan put Abu Zar a.s and his daughter on a camel and escorted them out of Madina. As Abu Zar a.s was being escorted out of Madina, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s came to see him off with his sons, his brother Aqeel a.s , Abd Allah bin Jafar a.s, and Ammar Yasir a.s. Marwan tried to stop them saying, "Let me tell you, if you do not already know, that Amir al-Momineen Usman ibn Affan has prohibited everyone to come and see Abu Zar a.s off.*" Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s hit the camel Marwan was riding and said, "Get out of my place, may Allah throw you in Hell fire." * Imam Ali bin Abi Talib a.s walked with Abu Zar a.s. He cried and wept saying, "O Ahlul Bayt a.s, may Allah have Mercy upon you. O Abul Hasan a.s , when I see you and your children, I am reminded of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w)." Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari ((a.s.)) stayed in Rabza until the time of his death. During the last moments of his life, his daughter said to him, "I am alone in this part of the country and I am afraid that I will not be able to protect you from the wild beasts." Abu Zar a.s replied: "Do not be afraid, in a few moments some believing men would arrive here, do you see someone approaching?" The daughter replied: "No, I do not see anyone coming." Abu Zar a.s said: "That means I have a few more moments to live." He repeated his question to the daughter after a while. She said: "Yes, I see some riders approaching." Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari ((a.s.)) said: "Allahu Akbar, Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (saw) are really truthful. Turn my face towards the Qibla. When these riders arrive here, say my Salam to them. When they are done with my funeral rites, have this goat slaughtered for them and tell them that I have asked them under oath not to leave without eating a meal." With that statement, Abu Zar a.s breathed his last. When the riders arrived there, who were seven men and among them were Malik Ashtar and Huzayfa al-Yaman, Abu Zar's daughter told them that her father, Abu Zar, the companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sahabi E Rasool), had just died, and he is without anyone to take care of his funeral. They all wept for Abu Zar, the companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sahabi E Rasool). Then they gave him a funeral bath, enshrouded him, prayed his funeral prayer and buried him. When they were all done with that, Abu Zar's daughter told them that before dying he had left a message for them under oath that they should not leave without having a meal. They slaughtered the goat, had a meal and then set of towards Madina taking Abu Zar's daughter with them. Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari ((a.s.)), the great companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sahabi E Rasool) died alone in exile with no one by his side as the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) had predicted, in 652 CE, at Rabza, in the desert near Medina. *Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) says, "Abu Zar, the companion of Prophet Muhammad (Sahabi E Rasool) wept from fear of Allah until he was almost blind. The people told him to pray for his eyes to get cured but he replied, 'I am busy with more important things'. When asked what these were, he replied, 'fear of Hell and joy of Heaven.'"* (Taken from Syed-Mohsin Naquvi's writing with some modifications) -- * فبای الاء ربکما تکذبن.* * * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "shiagroup" group. To post to this group, send email to shiagroup@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to shiagroup+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/shiagroup?hl=en.
