It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We set out as a delegation from our tribe Ghifar, who used to consider the sacred months permissible. I (Abu Dharr), my brother Anis, and my mother set out and stayed with our maternal uncle, who was wealthy and held a good position. He honored us greatly and did good to us, but his people became jealous of us. So they said: When you go out from your family, Anis comes to them. Thus, our uncle came and began to backbite us regarding what was said to him. I said to him: The good you did to us, you have now spoiled it, and henceforth we will not come to you. We reached our camels, mounted them, and set off. My uncle covered himself with a cloth and began to weep. We kept going and camped near Mecca. Anis boasted to a man about our camels and an equal number of others. Both of them went to a soothsayer for judgment, and he chose Anis. So Anis came to us with our camels and as many more. He said: O my nephew! I have been praying for three years before meeting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: For whom? He said: For Allah, the Exalted. I said: In which direction did you face? He said: In whichever direction my Lord turned my face. I used to pray the night prayer in the last part of the night. Now I lay down in silence until the sun rose. Anis said: I have some work in Mecca, so suffice for me. Anis left, reached Mecca, and repaid my good with evil. Then he returned. I asked: What did you do there? He said: I met a man in Mecca who is upon your religion; he claims that Allah, the Exalted, has sent him. I said: What do people say about him? He said: People call him a poet, a soothsayer, and a magician. Anis himself was a poet. He said: But I have heard the words of soothsayers and compared his words to the speech of eloquent poets, but no tongue can judge that (the words of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him) are poetry. By Allah! He is truthful and the people are liars. I said: Now suffice for me, so that I may also go and see (what the real matter is). He said: Beware of the people of Mecca, for they dislike him. I reached Mecca and stayed as a guest with a man and asked him: Where is the man whom you call irreligious? He pointed at me and said: This is the irreligious one. (Upon hearing this) the people of the valley attacked me with clods of earth and bones, and I fell unconscious. When (I regained consciousness and) got up, it seemed as if I was a red stone. I came to the water of Zamzam, washed off the blood, drank its water, and entered inside the curtains of the Ka’bah. O my nephew! I stayed there for thirty days. I had no food except Zamzam, and by drinking it I became fat (i.e., I made up for the lack of food) and filled the folds of my stomach. I did not feel any emaciation due to hunger. (Days passed and) one day in Mecca, it was a moonlit night and the sky was clear, suddenly they heard a voice that no one should circumambulate the House of Allah, and two women were calling upon Isaf and Na’ila. He said: They passed by me during the circumambulation, and I said: Marry one to the other. But they did not desist from their words. (During another round) they passed by me again. I said: The private part is like wood, and I did not speak metaphorically. Both of them went away screaming and shouting, saying: If only there was a man from our group here! He said: Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr were coming down (from a height) in front of them. He said: What has happened to you? They said: Between the Ka’bah and its curtains is an irreligious one. He said: What did he say to you? They said: He said such a thing that fills the mouth. At that moment, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came and touched the Black Stone, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companion circumambulated the House of Allah and then prayed. When they finished the prayer, Abu Dharr said: I was the first person to greet them with the greeting of Islam and said: O Messenger of Allah! Peace be upon you. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Then he said: Who are you? I said: I am from the tribe of Ghifar. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) lowered his hand and placed his finger on his forehead. I thought to myself that perhaps he disliked my attribution to Ghifar. I wanted to take his hand, but his companion stopped me, and he knew him better than I did. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head and asked: How long have you been in this place? I said: I have been here for thirty days. Then he said: Who has been feeding you? I said: I had no food except the water of Zamzam; by drinking it I became fat and filled the folds of my stomach, and I did not feel any emaciation due to hunger. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This water is blessed, and it is food that suffices for food. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! Allow me, tonight I will feed him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) gave permission. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr set out, and I went with them. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) opened the door and began to bring dates from Ta’if. This was the first food I ate. Then I stayed there for some time. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A land of dates has been made subservient to me; I think it is Yathrib (Medina). Will you convey my message to your people? Perhaps Allah, the Exalted, will benefit them through you and grant you reward because of them. I went to Anis. He asked: What have you done? I said: I have accepted Islam and affirmed it. He said: I do not dislike your religion; I too have submitted and affirmed. We both went to our mother, and she said: I do not dislike your religion either; I too have become Muslim and submitted. We mounted and reached our tribe Ghifar. Half the tribe became Muslim. Ima’ bin Rahda Ghifari, who was their chief, used to lead them in prayer. And half the tribe said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) comes to Medina, we too will become Muslim. So when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Medina, those people of the other half of the tribe also became Muslim. The people of the tribe of Aslam came and said: O Messenger of Allah! We become Muslim upon that which our brothers became Muslim. Then they became Muslim, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The tribe of Ghifar—may Allah forgive it, and the tribe of Aslam—may Allah keep it in peace.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The earth has not carried any man, nor has the sky shaded any man, who is more truthful than Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him).

(Second chain) It is in this: One who is more truthful than Abu Dharr in speech.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: On the Day of Resurrection, I will be the closest of all of you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that whoever among you departs from this world in the state in which I leave him, then on the Day of Resurrection he will be the closest to me. By Allah! Except for me, each one of you has become involved in worldly affairs and matters.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) would hear a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in which there was a strict command. After hearing this hadith, he would go to his people so that he could enforce strictness upon them in light of this hadith. Later, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would grant concession and leniency in that command. However, Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) would not hear about this leniency and concession, so he would continue to adhere to the strict command.

It is narrated from Ahnaf bin Qais, he says: I was in Madinah Munawwarah, I saw that when people saw a certain man, they would run away from him. I asked that man, "Who are you?" He replied, "I am Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." I asked him, "Why do people run away when they see you?" He replied, "I stop them from hoarding those treasures, that is, wealth and riches, from which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had forbidden them."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in the mosque. The noble Companions thought that revelation was descending upon him, so they remained silent towards him, until Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and entered the gathering and sat near the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards him and said: "Abu Dharr! Have you performed the Duha (forenoon) prayer today?" He replied: "No." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Get up and perform the prayer." He performed four units of Duha prayer, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) turned towards him and said: "Abu Dharr! Seek refuge from the evil of the jinn and human devils." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Are there devils among humans too?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, the jinn and human devils deceive and cast false words to one another." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Abu Dharr! Shall I not teach you a word from the treasures of Paradise?" He said: "May Allah make me your ransom, do teach me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Say: LAA HAWLA WA LAA QUWWATA ILLA BILLAAH (There is no power and no strength except with Allah)." I repeated this phrase, after which he remained silent towards me. I waited for his words and said: "O Messenger of Allah! We were polytheists and idol worshippers, Allah sent you as a mercy to the worlds. Please tell us about prayer, what kind of thing is it?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is the best act of worship. Now it is up to people whether they do little or much worship." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! What about fasting?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is obligatory and its reward is great." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about charity, what is its reward with Allah?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Its reward is multiplied many times and with Allah there is even more reward for it." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Which charity is best?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To give charity secretly to a needy destitute person and to give charity to a poor person is the best charity." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Of the Qur'an that has been revealed to you, which verse is the greatest?" He said: {اَللّٰہُ لَا اِلٰہَ إِلَّا ہُوَ الْحَیُّ الْقَیُّومُ} that is, Ayat al-Kursi. Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Which martyr is the most virtuous?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one whose blood is shed in the way of Allah and whose horse's legs are cut." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Which type of slave is best to free?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who is the most valuable and most beloved in the eyes of his owners." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said: O Messenger of Allah! Who was the first Prophet?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Adam (peace be upon him)." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Was Adam (peace be upon him) a Prophet?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, he was a Prophet to whom Allah spoke directly. Allah created him with His blessed hand, then breathed into him of His created soul, then Allah said to him: 'Adam!'" Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I asked: O Messenger of Allah! How many Prophets are there?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One hundred and twenty-four thousand, and among them, a large group of three hundred and fifteen are Messengers."

It is narrated from Abu Aswad Deeli, he says: I have met several companions of the Prophet, but I have not seen anyone like Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Shahr bin Hawshab, he says: ‘Abdur Rahman bin Ghanm told us that he went to visit Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) in Homs and stayed with him for several nights. He (Abu Darda) ordered a saddle to be placed on his donkey. Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I will also go along with you. He ordered a cushion to be placed on his donkey. Both of them mounted their respective donkeys and set out on a journey. They met a man who had performed the Friday prayer with Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in Jabiyah just one day before. He recognized both of them, but they did not recognize him. He informed them about the conditions of the people, then he said: There is one more piece of news, but I do not want to tell you, I know you will not like this news. Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed: Perhaps Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) has been exiled from the city? He said: Yes, by Allah! The incident has indeed occurred. Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companion ‘Abdur Rahman bin Ghanm repeated the words "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" about ten times. Then Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Now wait for Allah’s punishment upon these people and keep watching what happens. This is just like the matter when it was said to those who hamstrung the she-camel of Salih (peace be upon him): Spend three days in your homes. Then Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Allah! If these people belie Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), let them do so, I do not belie his word. O Allah! If these people accuse him, let them do so, I do not lay any accusation upon him. O Allah! If these people want to overpower him, let them do so, I will not try to overpower him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to trust him when he would not trust anyone else, and he used to confide secrets to him when he would not confide in anyone else. By the One in Whose hand is the life of Abu Darda! If Abu Dharr were to cut off my right hand, I would not be angry with him, because I have heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The earth has not carried, nor has the sky shaded, anyone more truthful than Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Ibrahim bin Al-Ashtar that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) was in Rabadhah. When the time of his death approached, his wife began to weep. He asked her, "Why are you crying?" She replied, "I am crying because how will I, alone, bury you? And I do not even have enough cloth for your shroud." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do not weep. One day I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say, while I was present with a group of companions in his service, 'One man among you will die in the wilderness, and a group of believers will reach him.' All those who were present with me at that time have died in such a state that groups of people were around them, or they died in a populated area. Only I remain among those people, and now I am dying in the wilderness. Keep watch on the road. What I am telling you, you will soon see for yourself. By Allah, I am neither lying nor did the one who conveyed it—the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—lie." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr's (may Allah be pleased with him) wife asked in astonishment, "How will this happen? The pilgrims have all returned to their regions after completing Hajj." He said, "Nevertheless, keep watch on the road." She was in this state when she saw people coming from afar, their mounts bringing them swiftly. From a distance, it seemed as if they were a flock of birds. The people came and reached Sayyiduna Abu Dharr's (may Allah be pleased with him) wife. They asked, "What is the matter?" She replied, "There is a Muslim man here. Please stop and perform his burial. May Allah reward you." They asked, "Who is he?" The woman informed them that he was Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). All those people said to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), "May our parents be sacrificed for you," and they hung their staffs on the necks of their mounts and quickly busied themselves in his service. Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Glad tidings to you! You are the people about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke. Congratulations to you! I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that two Muslims (husband and wife) whose two or three (minor) children die, and they both remain patient over their deaths, hoping for reward from Allah, will never see Hell. And today you see my condition. If any of my clothes are sufficient, shroud me in them. I beseech you by Allah, let not any man among you who is a leader of a people or a chief of his tribe or a messenger of his people shroud me." All those people had fulfilled these responsibilities, except for one Ansari youth. He said, "I will serve you in this matter. I have two extra garments in my belongings. These two garments were spun by my mother with her own hands, and the two garments I am wearing are sufficient for my own use." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Alright, you shroud me." This hadith is also narrated in brief from Sayyidah Umm Dharr (may Allah be pleased with her).