It is narrated from Imran bin Hittan that he said: I came to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and found him sitting alone in the mosque, wrapped in a black cloak with his knees drawn up. I asked: "O Abu Dharr! What is this solitude?" He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Solitude is better than an evil companion, and a righteous companion is better than solitude. Dictating (or speaking) good is better than silence, and silence is better than dictating (or speaking) evil."

It is narrated from Abd al-Rahman bin Ghanm that he said: I was with Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) when a man came from the direction of Madinah. He gave him bad news and told him that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) had been exiled to al-Rabadhah. At this Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we return). Even if Abu Dharr were to cut off a limb or a hand of mine, I would not speak ill of him, for I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The blue sky has not shaded, nor has the dusty earth carried, any man more truthful of tongue than Abu Dharr.'"

It is narrated from Abdullah bin al-Samit that he said: Umm Dharr (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "By Allah! Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) did not exile Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him); rather the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said (to him): 'When the buildings (of Madinah) reach Sal' (hill), then leave it.'" Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when the buildings reached Sal' and went even beyond it, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) left for Syria. And the narrator mentioned the rest of the long hadith. This hadith has an authentic (sahih) chain on the condition of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), but they did not record it. The detailed hadith on this topic is that of al-A'mash, which he narrated from Abu Wa'il, from Hallam bin Jazl al-Ghifari; I have left it out because of some of its wording and also because of its length, and have confined myself to the two authentic chains.