Salman the Persian, Zoroastrian, Persia (part 2 of 2): From Christianity to Islam

The man died, and Salman stayed in Amuria. One day, “Some merchants from the tribe of Kalb passed by me,” Salman said, “I told them, ‘Take me to Arabia and I will give you my cows and the only sheep I have.’” They said, “Yes.” Salman gave them what he offered, and they took him with them. When they reached Waadi al-Quraa [close to Medinah], they sold him as a slave to a Jewish man. Salman stayed with the Jew, and he saw the Palm trees [his previous companion had described].



“I hoped that this would be the same place described by my companion.”



One day, a man who was a first cousin to Salman’s master from the Jewish tribe of Bani Quraidha in Medinah came visiting. He bought Salman from his Jewish master.



“He took me with him to Medina. By God! When I saw it, I knew it was the place my companion described.



Then God sent His Messenger [i.e., Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him]. He stayed in Mecca as long as he did. I did not hear anything about him because I was very busy with the work of slavery, and then he migrated to Medina.



[One day,] I was on a palm-tree on top of one of its date-clusters doing some work for my master. A first cousin of his came and stood in front of him [his master was sitting] and said, “Woe to Bani Qeelah [people of the tribe Qeelah], they are gathered in Qibaa” around a man who came today from Mecca claiming to be a Prophet!”



I trembled so fiercely when I heard him that I feared that I would fall on my master. I descended and said, ‘What are you saying!? What are you saying!?’



My master became angry and punched me hard saying, “What business do you have in this [matter]? Go and mind your business.”



I said, “Nothing! I just wanted to be sure of what he was saying.”



On that evening, I went to see the Messenger of God while he was in Qibaa. I took something with me which I had saved. I went in and said, “I was told that you are a righteous man and that your company [who] are strangers [here] are in need. I want to offer you something I saved as charity. I found that you deserve it more than anyone else.”



I offered it to him; he said to his companions, “Eat,” but he himself kept his hand away [i.e., did not eat]. I said to myself, “This is one [i.e., one of the signs of his Prophethood].”



Following this encounter with the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, Salman left to prepare for another test! This time he brought a gift to the Prophet in Medina.



“I saw that you do not eat from that given as charity, so here is a gift with which I wish to honor you.” The Prophet ate from it and ordered his companions to do the same, which they did. I said to myself, “Now there are two [i.e., two of the signs of Prophethood].”



On the third encounter, Salman came to Baqee-ul-Gharqad [a grave yard in Medina] where the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was attending the funeral of one of his companions. Salman said:



“I greeted him [with the greeting of Islam: ‘Peace be upon you’], and then moved towards his back attempting to see the seal [of Prophethood] which was described to me by my companion. When he saw me [doing so], he knew that I was trying to confirm something described to me. He took the garment off his back and I looked at the seal. I recognized it. I fell down upon it, kissing it and crying. The Messenger of God, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, told me to move around [i.e., to talk to him]. I told him my story as I did with you, Ibn ‘Abbaas [remember that Salman is telling his story to Ibn ‘Abbaas]. He [the Prophet] liked it so much he wanted me to tell my story to his companions.



He was still a slave owned by his master. The Prophet said to him, “Make a contract [with your master] for your freedom, O Salman.” Salman obeyed and made a contract [with his master] for his freedom. He reached an agreement with his master in which he would pay him forty ounces of gold and would plant and successfully raise three hundred new palm trees. The Prophet then said to his companions, “Help your brother.”



They helped him with the trees and gathered for him the specified quantity. The Prophet ordered Salman to dig the proper holes to plant the saplings, and then he planted each one with his own hands. Salman said, “By Him in Whose hands is my soul [i.e., God], not a single tree died.”



Salman gave the trees to his master. The Prophet gave Salman a piece of gold that was the size of a chicken egg and said, “Take this, O Salman, and pay [i.e., your master] what you owe.”



Salman said, “How much is this in regards to how much I owe!”



The Prophet said, “Take it! God will [make it] equal to what you owe.”



I took it and I weighed a part of it and it was forty ounces. Salman gave the gold to his master. He fulfilled the agreement and he was released.



From then on, Salman became one of the closest of companions to the Prophet.





"The Search for the Truth"



One of the great companions of the Prophet by the name of Abu Hurairah reported:



“We were sitting in the company of God’s Messenger when Surah al-Jumuah (Surah 62) was revealed. He recited these words:



“And [God has sent Muhammad also to] others who have not yet joined them (but they will come)…” (Quran 62:3)



A person amongst them said, ‘O God’s Messenger! Who are those who have not joined us?’



God’s Messenger made no reply. Salman the Persian was amongst us. The Messenger of God placed his hand on Salman and then said, ‘By the One in Whose Hands is my soul, even if faith were near Pleiades (the seven stars), men from amongst these [i.e. Salman’s folk] would surely attain it.” (At-Tirmidhi)



Many in this world are like Salman, searching for the truth about the True and Only One God. This story of Salman is similar to stories of people in our own time. The search of some people took them from one church to another, from church to Buddhism or Passiveness, from Judaism to ‘Neutrality’, from religion to meditations to mental abuse. There are those who shifted from one idea to another, but don’t even think of wanting to know something about Islam! When they met some Muslims, however, they opened their minds. The story of Salman is that of a long search. You could make your search for truth shorter by benefiting from his.

Salman the Persian, Zoroastrian, Persia (part 1 of 2)

From Zoroastrianism to Christianity

The blessed Companion of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, Salman al-Farisi narrates his journey to Islam as follows:

“I was a Persian man from the people of Isfahaan from a town known as Jayi. My father was the town chief. To him, I was the most beloved creature of God. His love for me reached the point to which he trusted me to supervise the fire[3] he lit. He would not let it die down.

My father owned a large area of fertile land. One day, while busy with his construction, he told me to go to his land and fulfill some chores he desired. On my way to his land, I came across a Christian church. I heard the sound of people praying inside. I did not know how people lived outside, for my father kept me confined to his house! So when I came across those people [in the church] and I heard their voices, I went inside to watch what they were doing.”

When I saw them, I liked their prayers and became interested in their religion. I said [to myself], “By God, this religion is better than that of ours.” By God, I did not leave them until sunset. I did not return to my father’s Land.

I asked [i.e., the people of the church]. “From where did this religion originate?”

“They said, ‘In Al-Shaam.’

I returned to my father who had become worried and sent [someone] after me. Upon my arrival, he said, ‘O son! Where have you been? Didn’t I entrust you with an assignment?”

I said, “My father, I came across some people praying in their church and I liked their religion. By God I stayed with them until sunset.”

My father said, “My Son! There is no good in that religion; the religion of you and your forefathers’ is better.’ ”

“No, by God, it is better than our religion.”

He threatened me, chained me by my feet and kept me confined to his home. I sent a message to the Christians requesting them to inform me of the arrival of any Christian trade caravan coming from Al-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 Al-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 Al-Shaam.

Upon my arrival I asked, “Who is the best amongst the people of this religion [of yours]?”

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.”

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! Salman continued:

I despised him because of his deeds.

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 God we will never bury him.” So they crucified him and stoned him.

They replaced their bishop. I never saw anyone [from them] who prayed 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.

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 God [i.e., death] has come, so who do you recommend for me [to keep to], and with what do you order me?”

The bishop said “By God! 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, so join him [and he gave me his name].”

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.” I stayed with him and found him to be the best man holding on to the matter [religion]of his companion.

Soon he died. 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 God! I don’t know of anyone on the same matter [religion] as ours except a man in Naseebeen and his name is [such and such], so go and join him.”

Following his death, I traveled to the man of Naseebeen.” Salman found the man and stayed with him for a while. The same incidents occurred. Death approached and before he died, Salman came to the man and asked for his advice as to whom and where to go. The man recommended that Salman join another man in Amuria who was also upon the same religion.

Salman moved to Amuria after his companion died. He found his new reference and joined him on his religion. Salman [at that time] worked and, “earned some cows and one sheep.”

Death approached the man of Amuria. Salman repeated his requests, but [this time] the answer was different.

The man said, “O son! I don’t know of anyone who is upon the same [religion] as we are. However, a Prophet will emerge in your lifetime, and this Prophet is on the same religion as Abraham.”

The man described this Prophet, saying, “He will be sent with the same religion as Abraham. He will come from the land of Arabia and will migrate to a place located in between two lands filled with black stones [as if burned by fire]. There are palm trees spread in the midst of these two lands. He can be recognized by certain signs. He [will accept] and eat [from] the [food] which has been given as a gift, but will not eat from charity. The seal of Prophethood will be between his shoulders. If you can move to that land, then do so.”

Islamic Values vs. Muslim Values

The misconceptions that surround Islam in this day and age are too great to number.
A repeated scene is that of a Muslim having a discussion with a non-Muslim and trying to explain that Muslims are not terrorists, Muslims are not wife-beaters, that these actions are the deeds of a few which are then unjustly imposed on the whole Muslim population. But if the whole Muslim population had presented themselves in an Islamic manner in the first place, the reputation of a Muslim would be far too virtuous to allow the misdeeds of a few to tarnish the image of the whole Muslim world. But Muslims generally do not present Islamic values, they present Muslim values; and the difference between these two can sometimes be as vivid as night and day.

What do I mean by Islamic values and Muslim values? Islamic values are those that are set out in the Quran and the practice of the noble Messenger, Muhammad (S). Muslim values are those that are created as part of the culture of the Muslim communities. These include the day-to-day interaction between the Muslims and their outlook on Islam's rules and regulations. The difference is that Islam is perfect and pure, while the values formulated by the Muslims may or may not be in accordance with Islam. The detriment that arises from this is that many times precedence is given to the Muslim values over the Islamic values.

This is not to say that Muslims do not care about Islam, they care for and love Islam deeply, they have concern for their children's Islamic upbringing and the welfare of the Muslims all over the world. But what happens is that certain practices become common among them and their mentalities are set on justifying these practices instead of accepting the Islamic rulings on such things. They become a part of the Muslim culture and mentality, and so it becomes difficult to try to explain to them that Islam forbids such things. Because of this transformation in mentality, the average person in such a community will be hostile to someone bringing Islamic rulings forbidding things such as music and dancing and enforcing things like hijab and modest conduct. Having gatherings and parties that center around music and dancing, and removal of the hijab and modest conduct have become common among many Muslims, and so they constitute what we have called Muslim values, as opposed to the Islamic values.
The Muslim values are caused by a relaxation on the enforcement of Islamic laws. The Islamic values, principles, and priorities are contained within these laws. Prayer, fasting, charity, hajj, hijab, modesty, being kind to others, giving parents their due rights, emphasizing the importance of marriage, attending the Islamic centers and masjids, gaining knowledge, all of these are designed to build spiritually healthy individuals and a spiritually healthy society. When the performance of these actions is relaxed then a void is created that is receptive for outside and often unIslamic ideals.
When there is relaxation then a distorted concept of freedom is adopted, it gives the Muslims the courage to challenge the Islamic laws and present their own philosophy as to why following the laws is not necessary. They make excuses to oppose the laws and create their own, when the Quran has clearly said,

And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he surely strays off a manifest straying. (Al-Ahzab, 33:36)

An understanding has to be conveyed that the Muslim communities will only thrive if they adhere to the principles of Islam. The concept of Islam that the non-Muslims have is directly related to the actions of the Muslim communities, because the majority of them will not go out and research about Islam, they will make their judgments based on what they see the Muslims doing. So it is not surprising for them to think that Muslims drink alcohol, that they eat pork and haram food, they listen to music, dance, go to discos and nightclubs, engage in promiscuous relationships, and many other things that a Muslim should not be doing. On the flip side, it is not surprising for them to be ignorant of the fact that a Muslim is supposed to pray at least five times a day, he/she has to fast during Ramadhan, go to Hajj once in a lifetime, abstain from cursing and abusive language, abstain from backbiting, go to masjid on Fridays for jum'a prayer, read Quran, and other basic obligations that a Muslim has.
The result is that a distorted image of Islam, the pure and perfect religion, is presented to them, and in response the Muslims try to say that it is a few Muslims ruining it for the rest of them. But this is not the case, the responsibility lies with the majority of the Muslims who themselves are not acting Islamically. Yes, it is true that the terrorists are few, and that the equation of a Muslim with a terrorist is wrong and unjust. But this is an isolated incident, and in general it is the majority of the Muslims ruining things for themselves. This can only be corrected by starting at the root of the problem, the Muslim family and attendance in the Islamic centers. If the parents are consistent in teaching their children and are themselves consistent in practicing Islam, and if the entire family attends the Islamic centers on a regular basis, then we will see an amazing transformation in the conduct of the Muslims, as individuals and as communities. Then when the non-Muslims look to the actions of the Muslims they will actually learn about Islam, and will not have to worry about whether or not what they are seeing is Islam.
As Muslims, we have to strive to make our Muslim values the same as our Islamic values. Only then can we truly be considered believers

An Article written by : Atiq Ebady

"A wonderful Story"

Why do we read Quran, even if we can't understand a single Arabic word????

This is beautiful story, pls read till end and forward to all you knows...

An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky
with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the
kitchen table
reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to
imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Qur'an just like you
but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I
close the book. What
good does reading the Qur'an do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal
in the stove and replied,
"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of
water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back
to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a
little faster next time,"
and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the
boy ran faster, but again the

basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his
grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went
to get a bucket instead. The

old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water.
You're just not trying hard enough,"

and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would Leak
out before he got back to the house.

The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached
his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See
Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the
basket
was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was
now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand
or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be Changed, inside
and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

Proof God exist and Quran is His true book?

Dear brother, it is very good to have this opportunity to having debate. I have to existence of God (The creator). Well in the topic I will only stick with Islamic point of view that what Islam is offering us or in simple words how Muslim think about their God and How they find their God as true God.

In modern days, the measures of judging anything with true or false we use the method of Science. It is as similar as at the time of Moses (PBUH) the criteria of good or bad were judge upon magic.

Proof 1 (Creation of Universe/ Big Bang):

In 20th century science told us that how universe was started. Many research were done on that topic. In 1922 first theory of “Hubble's law and the expansion of space” was posed and in the year of 2000 it was fully conformed and Hubble’s theory became the law.

However, it is astonishing to find same research in a book which was written 1500 hundred years ago. The following is the quoted verses from that book, Chapter 21, verse 30.

“Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?”

Proof 2 (Creation of Human/ Embryology):

The creation of a baby in a mother womb was very complicated studies and until 20th century no one properly knows the basic steps or phases of fetus in a mother womb. Dr. Keith Moore was among one of most noble researcher on the topic of embryology. He completed his research in 1981 and on the same year at Seventh Medical Conference inDammam, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Moore said,

“It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God or Allah”.

Following were the verse which made him to knew the true God, Chapter 23: Verse 13-14

“Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;

Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (fetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!”

Similarly, Quran also tell us about various of other scientific facts which science recently discovered for example,

1) Movement of earth and moon in their orbit (Discovered in 16th century)

2) Movement of Sun in a greater orbit (Discovered in 20th century)

3) Difference of fingerprints (Discovered in 20th century)

4) Every creation is based upon water or made by water (Discovered in 19 century)

5) Layer formation between 2 waters (Discovered in 20th century)

6) Mountains as support of earth (Discovered in 20th century)

7) Seven ozone layers (Discovered in mid of 20th century)…100 more etc

The things which are mentioned above are the base of our discussion about God (The Creator). Now one thing we have to keep in mind that we are human, we are created beings. We don’t know what is God, How is God, What is His length, width, color. We also have to keep in mind that humans are ordinary being. In contras the God is supernatural or far more then supernatural.

We don’t know how to judge the God. However, God himself give us some criteria to find him. It’s an easy method; find the God with His signs. Those signs He gave us in His book. Scientific, mathematical, Geological any of your field his book will guide you in any way you want.

The Quran is alive miracle of God. Its 6000 verses talk on every aspect of life. It provides you with all answers.

So when a book of almost 1500 year old provides you accurate scientific facts that mean its creator is someone all knowing and wise and that all knowing and wise is Allah the creator of heaven and earth. As mentioned in Quran,

“Allah knows all that is in the heavens and on earth: He has full knowledge of all things.”