From One Teacher to the Next

He arrived in Syria, and he asked about the most learned man — who is the most learned man that you have in this religion? He wanted to go and study under the greatest. He was told: go to the bishop in this particular church. He went to the bishop and told him: this is my situation, I came all the way, I want to study from you. The bishop told him: you are welcome, you can stay with me. So he ended up staying with the bishop in the church, living there. Salmān said: this man used to ask the people to donate, to give alms, charity, and then he would end up keeping it for himself rather than distributing it to the poor — he would keep it to himself. Salmān said: he was such an evil man, and I hated him so much; nevertheless, I remained with him.

And then when he died, the Christians of that church wanted to have a burial for him, and Salmān went and told them this was an evil man. They said to him, "How dare you say that?" He said, "I'll show you the proof." And Salmān took them to the place where this man used to hide all of the money, and he pulled out seven containers filled with gold and silver. This man was ripping off the people and keeping the money for himself. Salmān said the people were so angered that they ended up crucifying his dead body and stoning him. And then they appointed someone in his place.

Now Salmān says about this particular man: "Then they brought another man to take his place, and I never saw a man who didn't attend the five prayers who was better than he — nor more ascetic, nor more enthusiastic about the afterlife, nor more devoted both day and night. I loved him as I had never loved before." So now a truly pious person took his place. Salmān ended up spending time with this man, learning from him, studying the religion, worshipping in the church, but then death was approaching this man — he was already at old age. Salmān said, "I went to him when he was on his deathbed, and I told him, 'You know my story, and how I came all the way to study this religion. And now, since the decree of Allah is befalling you, who do you entrust me to? Who would you recommend for me to continue my study?'" He told him, "My son, I don't know anyone who has done as I have. People have either died, or changed, or abandoned most of their prior practices — except for one man in Mosul. He practises as I did, so join him."

So now Salmān is going to travel all the way from al-Shām to Iraq, to Mosul, in search of knowledge. The bishop died, and Salmān embarked on that journey, and he went to this bishop of Mosul, and he told him his story, and he told him, "You were recommended to me by the bishop in al-Shām — will you accept me to be with you?" He said, "Yes, of course, you can be my student." So Salmān spent time with him, but this person was also an old man, and he was approaching death, so after a short while, he was dying. So Salmān told him, "I came to this person, and he recommended you to me, and now you're passing away — who do you recommend?" He told him, "I don't know of anyone who's following the same path of ours except the Bishop of Naṣībīn." And now Salmān is travelling all the way from Mosul to Naṣībīn, and he went to the Christian man in Naṣībīn, and he told him the story: "I went from this person to this person, and now I ended up coming to you." And he spent time with the Bishop of Naṣībīn.