Jundub ibn Junadah, also known as Abu Dharr, was from the Ghifar tribe. Abu Dharr (R.A) was one of the earliest people to become Muslim, maybe the fourth or fifth.
He was brave, calm, and wise and didn’t like the idols his people worshiped. He thought their religious beliefs were silly and that their practices were corrupt.
Early Life on Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (R.A.)
The Ghifar tribe was an Arab Pagan tribe that lived near Madinah, where the Makkan trade caravans traveled through. They worshipped an idol called Munat, believing it controlled destiny and luck. They would visit and offer sacrifices to this idol, often sacrificing sheep to it.
One day, a poor young man from the Ghifar tribe went to Munat. He offered Munat some yogurt and waited, hoping Munat would accept it. But Munat, being an idol, remained still and didn’t drink the yoghurt.
He waited! While Jundub watched, a fox came by but didn’t notice him. The fox drank the yogurt and even peed in Munat’s ear. But Munat, being just a stone, didn’t react. The young man chuckled at the sight and then scolded himself for worshipping something so silly—a dumb rock that couldn’t even understand what was happening.
While Jundab was going back home, he remembered the words of Qais bin Saydah. He said them in the Ukadh market:
“Listen up, everyone! Life ends in death. And once you die, that’s it. What happens next is real. Why do I see people leave and never return? Are they happy where they’ve gone? Or have they left something behind, so they’re just taking a nap?”
Jundub gazed at the vast desert and the clear blue sky. Remembering what the fox did to Munat, he realized there must be a greater God than all the idols like Hubal and al-Lat. From that moment on, Jundab bin Jundah believed strongly in the Creator of the sky and the earth.
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (R.A.) in Waddan Valley Makkah
In the Waddan valley, which connected Makkah to the outside world, there was a tribe called Ghifar (Banu Ghafir). They relied on the small gifts or goods brought by the trade caravans of the Quraish tribe, which traveled between Syria and Makkah. When these offerings weren’t enough to meet their needs, it’s possible that the Ghifar also resorted to raiding these caravans for what they needed.
While Abu Dharr (R.A.) was in the Waddan desert, he heard about a new Prophet (S.A.W.) in Makkah. He hoped this Prophet could change people’s beliefs and lead them away from superstition. So, he quickly called his brother Anees.
“Go to Makkah and find out everything you can about this man who says he’s a Prophet and gets messages from the heavens. Listen to what he says and tell me when you return,” Abu Dharr instructed his brother Anees.
Anees went to Makkah, met the Prophet (S.A.W.), and listened to him. Then he came back to the Waddan desert.
When Abu Dharr saw him, he eagerly asked for news about the Prophet (S.A.W.).
Anees told Abu Dharr (R.A.): “I met a man who calls people to goodness, and what he says isn’t just poetry.”
Abu Dharr asked, “What do people think about him?”
“They say he’s a magician, fortune-teller, and poet,” Anees replied.
Abu Dharr wasn’t satisfied.
“I want to see for myself. Will you take care of my family while I check out this prophet’s message?”
“Yes, but be careful of the people in Makkah,” Anees warned.
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (R.A.) with Hazrat Ali (R.A.)
When Abu Dharr (R.A.) reached Makkah, he felt scared and careful. The Quraish tribe was angry because their idols were being criticized. Abu Dharr heard about the violence against the Prophet’s followers, but he wasn’t surprised. So, he didn’t ask anyone about Muhammad (S.A.W.), worried they might be a friend or an enemy.
When it got dark, He slept in the Sacred Mosque (Masjid Al-Haram). Ali ibn Talib (R.A.) saw him, knew he was a stranger, and invited him to his house. Abu Dharr stayed the night with Ali and in the morning, he took his water pouch and bag of food back to the Mosque. Nobody asked him any questions, and he didn’t ask any questions either.
He spent the next day without meeting the Prophet (S.A.W.). In the evening, he went back to the Mosque to sleep. Again, Ali ibn Talib (R.A.) saw him and said, “Isn’t it time for a man to know where he’s staying?”
Abu Dharr (R.A.) went with Ali and stayed at his house for a second night. They still didn’t ask each other anything.
On the third night, Ali ibn Talib (R.A.) asked him, “Why did you come to Makkah?” Abu Dharr (R.A.) said, “I’ll tell you only if you promise to help me find what I’m looking for.” Ali agreed so Abu Dharr said, “I came from far away to meet the new Prophet and listen to what he has to say.”
Ali (R.A.) smiled with joy and said, “I swear by Allah, he truly is the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.).” He then shared more about the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his teachings with Abu Dharr (R.A.). Finally, he said, “Tomorrow morning, follow me wherever I go. If I stop and act like I need to use the bathroom because I’m worried for your safety, wait. But if I keep going, follow me until we reach a safe place.”
Acceptance of Islam
Abu Dharr (R.A.) couldn’t sleep at all that night because he really wanted to see the Prophet (S.A.W.) and hear the words of revelation. In the morning, he followed Ali (R.A.) closely until they were with the Prophet (S.A.W.).
“As-Salaamu Alayka Yaa Rasulullah, (Peace be on you, O Messenger of Allah),” greeted Abu Dharr (R.A.).
” Wa Alayka Salaamullahi Wa Rahmatuhu Wa Barakaatuhu (And on you be the peace of Allah, His mercy and His blessings),” replied the Prophet (S.A.W.).
Abu Dharr (R.A.) was the first person to greet the Prophet (S.A.W.) with an Islamic greeting. Then, everyone started using that greeting too.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) welcomed Abu Dharr (R.A.) and invited him to Islam. He read some verses from the Quran to him. Soon after, Abu Dharr (R.A.) declared the Shahadah (believing in the Oneness of Allah), becoming a Muslim right then and there. As we said before, Abu Dharr (R.A.) was one of the earliest people to become Muslim.
Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr (R.A.) that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said:
“There is no one more truthful, that the sky has shaded and the earth has carried, than Abu Dharr.” (Tirmidhi: 3801)
Abu Dharr Ghifari in his own Words
After that, I stayed with the Prophet (S.A.W.) in Makkah, where he taught me about Islam and how to read the Quran.
Then the Prophet (S.A.W.) told me, “Don’t tell anyone in Makkah that you’ve become a Muslim. I’m worried they might harm you.”
“I swear by Allah, I won’t leave Makkah until I go to the Sacred Mosque and proclaim the truth before the Quraish,” Abu Dharr (R.A.) promised firmly.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) didn’t say anything. So, I went to the Mosque where the Quraish were chatting. I walked right into the middle of them and shouted loudly:
“O people of Quraish, I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Mohammad (S.A.W.) is the messenger of Allah.”
When I spoke, they suddenly got alarmed. They stood up and said, “Get him! He’s abandoned his religion!”
They attacked me and started striking me. They wanted to kill me. But Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (R.A.), the Prophet’s uncle, saw me and shielded me from their blows. He scolded them, saying, “Are you crazy? You want to kill someone from the Ghifar tribe when your caravans need to pass through their land?”
They then released me. I went back to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and when he saw my condition, he (S.A.W.) said, “Didn’t I tell you not to announce your acceptance of Islam?”
“O Messenger of Allah,” I said, “It was a need I felt in my soul and I fulfilled it.”
“Go back to your people,” he (S.A.W.) ordered, “and tell them about what you’ve seen and heard. Invite them to Allah. Maybe Allah will guide them through you and reward you because of them. And when you hear that I’ve made my message public, come to me.”
I returned to my people, and my brother asked me, “What happened?” I told him that I had become a Muslim and believed in the truth of Muhammad’s (S.A.W.) teachings.
“I’m not against your religion. I’ve become a Muslim too,” he said. Then, we both went to our mother and invited her to Islam.
“I don’t mind your religion. I’ll also become a Muslim,” she said.
Ghifar Tribe Accepts Islam
He kept spreading the message of Islam to the Ghifar tribe without getting tired. They were determined and didn’t give up. Eventually, many tribe members became Muslims, and they started praying together as a congregation.
Abu Dharr (R.A.) stayed in his desert home even after the Prophet (S.A.W.) went to Madinah and battles like Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq happened. Finally, when Abu Dharr reached Madinah, he asked the Prophet (S.A.W.) if he could serve him personally. The Prophet (S.A.W.) agreed and was happy with Abu Dharr’s company and help. Sometimes, the Prophet (S.A.W.) even favored Abu Dharr over others. Whenever they met, the Prophet (S.A.W.) would pat Abu Dharr, smile, and show how happy he was to see him.
After the Prophet (S.A.W.) died, he felt too sad to stay in Madinah without him. He knew he wouldn’t have his guidance anymore. So, he left for the Syrian desert and stayed there during the leadership of Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A.) and Umar ibn Khattab (R.A.).
During the Caliphate Hazrat Uthman Ibn Affan (R.A)
During the time of Uthman ibn Affan (R.A.), Abu Dharr (R.A.) lived in Damascus. He noticed how the Muslims there were more focused on worldly things and luxury, which made him sad and uncomfortable. So, Uthman (R.A.) asked him to come back to Madinah. But even in Madinah, Abu Dharr (R.A.) was critical of people’s obsession with worldly pleasures, and they didn’t like it. So, Uthman (R.A.) sent him to Rubdhah, a small village near Madinah. There, Abu Dharr stayed away from people, rejecting their focus on worldly goods. Instead, he held on to the teachings of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his companions, seeking the eternal life of the Hereafter over the temporary pleasures of this world.
Life after Acceptance of Islam
Once, a man visited Abu Dharr (R.A.) and saw that his house was very empty.
He asked Abu Dharr (R.A.), “Where are all your things?”
Abu Dharr replied, “Our real home is in the Hereafter. That’s where we send our best belongings.”
The man understood and said, “But you must have some things while you’re here.”
Abu Dharr answered, “The owner of this place won’t let us stay here forever.”
Abu Dharr kept living simply until the end. Once, the ruler of Syria sent him three hundred dinars to help him out. But Abu Dharr sent the money back, saying, “Isn’t there someone else who needs it more than me?”
Last Days in Al-Rabathah
Al-Rabathah is an area in the eastern part of Madinah. He didn’t like al-Rabathah because he used to worship idols there before Islam.
He liked Madinah because of the Prophet’s Mosque, Makkah because of the Kaaba, and Shaam because of the opportunities for Jihad. But even though he didn’t like al-Rabathah because of its past, the Caliph sent him there as a punishment. The Caliph even ordered Marwan to take him there and stop Muslims from saying goodbye to him.
The Muslims were scared of the Caliph’s authority. So, only a few companions said goodbye to him. They were Ali bin Abu Talib, his brother Aqeel, and the Prophet’s grandsons, Hasan and Husain, along with the great companion Ammar bin Yasir.
Imam Ali (a) advanced to see him off. He said:
“Abu Dharr, you’re really passionate about pleasing Allah. While others are concerned about their own interests, you’re focused on your faith. Let them handle their worries, and you focus on yours. They need what you’re trying to protect, but you don’t need what they’re stopping you from. Tomorrow, you’ll see who comes out on top. Abu Dharr, you’re only pleased by the truth and bothered by lies.”
Aqeel advanced and said:
You know we like you, and you like us. Fear Allah because the fear of Allah is salvation. And be patient because patience is generosity.
The Prophet’s grandson, al-Hasan bin Ali advanced and said:
Uncle, be patient till you meet your Prophet (s). He will be pleased with you.
Al-Husain advanced and said:
Uncle, ask Allah to grant you patience and victory.
While Ammar bin Yasir was in tears, he advanced and said:
“May Allah not reward those who trouble you, and may He not protect those who have upset you. I swear by Allah! If you desire what they have in this world, they’ll protect you. And if you approve of their actions, they’ll like you.”
Abu Dharr wept and said:
People of the House of Mercy, may Allah have mercy upon you all. When I see you, I remember Allah’s Apostle.
Abu Dharr, his wife, and his daughter went to the al-Rabathah Desert.
He was recalling our Master Muhammad’s words:
Abu Dharr, may Allah have mercy upon you. You’ll live alone, die alone, rise from the dead alone, and enter Paradise alone.
In 32 AH (652 CE), the self-denying Abu Dharr (R.A.) passed away. He is buried in Al-Rabadha, Saudi Arabia.
May Allah be pleased with Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari (R.A.) and reward him with the best of rewards. AMEEN