The Counsel Between Salmān al-Fārisī and Abū al-Dardāʾ

These brothers would also advise each other. An example of that is the brotherhood between Salmān al-Fārisī and Abū al-Dardāʾ (may Allah be pleased with him). Abū al-Dardāʾ was a Bedouin; he was a worshipper of Allah, and he was a zāhid. Salmān al-Fārisī (may Allah be pleased with him) came in — this was before ḥijāb — and he saw that his wife was not taking care of herself, her dress, and the way she looked. Salmān told her: what is wrong with you? He was speaking to the wife of Abū al-Dardāʾ, telling her: because he was mutabaddilah — mutabaddilah means she did not take care of her looks. Salmān asked her why. She said: because your brother Abū al-Dardāʾ is not interested in dunyā. Your brother Abū al-Dardāʾ is not interested in dunyā. So there was no need for her to look good in front of her husband, because he was not really interested in anything regarding this world.

So when Abū al-Dardāʾ came in, he brought Salmān some food and told him to eat, and he said, I am fasting. Salmān told him: I am not going to eat until you also eat with me. So he forced Abū al-Dardāʾ to break his fast. And then when night came, Abū al-Dardāʾ stood up to start his qiyām al-layl. Salmān told him: go and sleep. So he slept. And then he woke up wanting to pray; Salmān told him: go and sleep. And then toward the end of the night, Salmān went to Abū al-Dardāʾ and told him: now you can pray. Abū al-Dardāʾ the next day went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and told him: this man had me break my fast, and had me sleep at night. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him: ṣadaqa Salmān, Salmān was right. Salmān had told him: inna li-nafsika ʿalayka ḥaqqan, wa-inna li-ahlika ʿalayka ḥaqqan, wa-inna li-rabbika ʿalayka ḥaqqan — your self has a right over you, your family has a right over you, and your Lord has a right over you. Salmān al-Fārisī was giving naṣīḥah to Abū al-Dardāʾ because Salmān al-Fārisī was more knowledgeable — the Muhājirūn had spent years with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and had acquired all of this knowledge. Salmān al-Fārisī was a Muhājir to Madīnah in the sense that he came from Persia to Madīnah for the sake of finding the Prophet, though he did not come from Makkah — Salmān al-Fārisī came from Persia — but he was made the brother of Abū al-Dardāʾ by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).