In the Waddan valley, which connects Makkah with the outside world, lived the tribe of Ghifar. The Ghifar existed on the meager offerings of the trade caravans of the Quraysh, which plied between Syria and Makkah. It is likely that they also lived by raiding these caravans when they were not given enough to satisfy their needs. Jundub ibn Junadah (ra), nicknamed Abu Dharr, was a member of this tribe.

He was known for his courage, his calmness and his far-sightedness and also for the repugnance he felt against the idols that his people worshipped. He rejected the silly religious beliefs and the religious corruption in which the Arabs were engaged.

While he was in the Waddan desert, news reached Abu Dharr (ra) that a new Prophet had appeared in Makkah. He really hoped that his appearance would help to change the hearts and minds of people and lead them away from the darkness of superstition. Without wasting much time, he called his brother, Unays (ra), and said to him:

"Go to Makkah and get whatever news you can of this man who claims that he is a Prophet and that revelation comes to him from the heavens. Listen to some of his sayings and come back and recite them to me."

Umays (ra) went to Makkah and met the Prophet (saw). He listened to what he had to say and returned to the Waddan desert. Abu Dharr (ra) met him and anxiously asked for news of the Prophet (saw).

"I have seen a man," reported Umays, "who calls people to noble qualities and there is no mere poetry in what he says."

"What do people say about him?" asked Abu Dharr (ra).

"They say he is a magician, a soothsayer and a poet."

"My curiosity is not satisfied. I am not finished with this matter. Will you look after my family while I go out and examine this Prophet's mission myself?"

"Yes. But beware of the Makkans."

On his arrival in Makkah, Abu Dharr (ra) immediately felt very apprehensive and he decided to exercise great caution. The Quraysh were noticeably angry over the denunciation of their gods. Abu Dharr (ra) heard of the terrible violence they were meting out to the followers of the Prophet (saw) but this was what he had expected. He therefore refrained from asking anyone about Muhammad (saw), not knowing whether that person might be a follower or an enemy.

At nightfall, he lay down in the Haram. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) passed by him and, realizing that he was a stranger, asked him to come to his house. Abu Dharr (ra) spent the night with him and in the morning took his water pouch and his bag containing provisions and returned to the Haram. He had asked no questions and no questions were asked of him.

Abu Dharr (ra) spent the following day without getting to know the Prophet (saw). In the evening he went to the Mosque to sleep and 'Ali (ra) again passed by him and said:

"Isn't it time that a man knows his house?"

Abu Dharr (ra) accompanied him and stayed at his house a second night. Again no one asked the other about anything.

On the third night, however, 'Ali (ra) asked him:

"Aren't you going to tell me why you came to Makkah?"

"Only if you will give me an undertaking that you will guide me to what I seek."

'Ali agreed and Abu Dharr (ra) said:

"I came to Makkah from a distant place seeking a meeting with the new Prophet and to listen to some of what he has to say."

'Ali's face lit up with happiness as he said, "By Allah, he is really the Messenger of God," and he went on telling him more about the Prophet (saw) and his teaching. Finally, he said:

"When we get up in the morning, follow me wherever I go. If I see anything that I am afraid of for your sake, I would stop as if to pass water. If I continue, follow me until you enter where I enter."

Abu Dharr (ra) did not sleep a wink the rest of that night because of his intense longing to see the Prophet (saw) and listen to the words of revelation. In the morning, he followed closely in 'Ali's footsteps until they were in the presence of the Prophet (saw).

"Assalamu 'alayka ya Rasulullah (Peace be on you, O Messenger of Allah)," greeted Abu Dharr (ra).

"Wa 'alayka salamullahi wa rahmatuhu wa barakatuhu (And on you be the peace of Allah, His mercy and His blessings)," replied the Prophet (saw).

Thus, Abu Dharr (ra) was the first person to greet the Prophet (saw) with the greetings of Islam. After that, the greeting spread and came into general use.

The Prophet (saw) welcomed Abu Dharr (ra) and invited him to Islam. He recited some of the Qur'an for him. Before long and without any hesitation, Abu Dharr (ra) pronounced the Shahadah and so entered the new religion. He was among the first persons to accept Islam.

Let us leave Abu Dharr (ra) to continue his own story…

After that, I stayed with the Prophet (saw) in Makkah and he taught me Islam and taught me to read the Qur'an. Then he said to me, "Don't tell anyone in Makkah about your acceptance of Islam. I fear that they will kill you."

"By Him in whose hands is my life, I shall not leave Makkah till I go to the Sacred Mosque and proclaim the call of Truth in the midst of the Quraysh," I vowed.

The Prophet (saw) remained silent. I went to the Mosque. The Quraysh were sitting and talking. I went in their midst and called out at the top of my voice, "O people of Quraysh, I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

My words had an immediate effect on them. They jumped up and said, "Get this one who has left his religion." They pounced on me and began to beat me mercilessly. They clearly meant to kill me. But 'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (ra), the uncle of the Prophet (saw), recognized me. He bent over and protected me from them. He told them:

"Woe to you! Would you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your caravans must pass through their territory?"

They then released me.

I went back to the Prophet (saw) and when he saw my condition, he 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 to your people," he commanded, "and tell them what you have seen and heard. Invite them to Allah. Maybe Allah will bring them good through you and reward you through them. And when you hear that I have come out in the open, then come to me."

I left and went back to my people. My brother came up to me and asked, "What have you done?" I told him that I had become Muslim and that I believed in the truth of Muhammad's teachings.

"I am not averse to you religion. In fact, I am also now a Muslim and a believer," he said.

We both went to our mother then and invited her to Islam.

"I do not have any dislike for your religion. I accept Islam also," she said.

From that day, this family of believers went out tirelessly inviting the Ghifar to Allah and did not flinch from their purpose. Eventually, a large number became Muslims and the congregational Prayer was instituted among them.

Abu Dharr (ra) remained in his desert abode until after the Prophet (saw) had gone to Madinah and the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq had been fought. In Madinah at last, he asked the Prophet (saw) to be in his personal service. The Prophet (saw) agreed and was pleased with his companionship. He sometimes showed preference to Abu Dharr (ra) above others and whenever he met with him he would pat him and smile and show his happiness.

After the death of the Prophet (saw), Abu Dharr (ra) could not bear to stay in Madinah because of grief and the knowledge that there was to be no more of his guiding company. So he left for the Syrian desert and stayed there during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (ra).

During the caliphate of 'Uthman (ra), he stayed in Damascus and saw the Muslims' concern for the world and their consuming desire for luxury. He was saddened and repelled by this. So 'Uthman (ra) asked him to come to Madinah. In Madinah he was also critical of the people's pursuit of worldly goods and pleasures and they were critical in turn of his reviling them. 'Uthman (ra) therefore ordered that he should go to Rubdhah, a small village near Madinah. There he stayed far away from people, renouncing their preoccupation with worldly goods and holding on to the legacy of the Prophet (saw) and his companions in seeking the everlasting abode of the Hereafter in preference to this transitory world.

Once a man visited him and began looking at the contents of his house but found it quite bare. He asked Abu Dharr (ra):

"Where are your possessions?"

"We have a house yonder (meaning the Hereafter)," said, "to which we send the best of our possessions."

The man understood what he meant and said:

"But you must have some possessions so long as you are in this abode."

"The owner of this abode will not leave us in it," replied Abu Dharr (ra).

Abu Dharr (ra) persisted in his simple and frugal life to the end. Once the amir of Syria sent three hundred dinars to Abu Dharr (ra) to meet his needs. He returned the money saying, "Does not the amir of Syria find a servant more deserving of it that I?"

In the year 32 AH, the self-denying Abu Dharr (ra) passed away. The Prophet (saw) had said of him:

"The earth does not carry nor the heavens cover a man more true and faithful than Abu Dharr (ra)."