He is a famous companion born in the land of people who worship one other than Allaah SWT. This is the land of the people of Persia, they are fire-worshippers i.e majuusiyyun.
In fact, his father was chief among his people. He is no other one than Salmaan Alfaarisiy, “the father of scriptures” as he was called by Sayyidinaa ‘umaar bn Alkhattab(Al faaruq) and he was also called “luqmaan the wise” by Sayyidinaa ‘Ali bn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with both of them) due to his knowledge of the Qur’an and the scriptures of the people of the book.
He hailed from Isfahan which is in a place called Jai in the land of Persia. He was the most beloved son of his father, who was held in high esteem by his people. He devoted himself to fire-worship until he became the custodian of the fire which they lit and never allowed it to be extinguished.
One day, his father sent him to one of his estates, on his way he passed by a Christian church and heard them praying. He went in and was impressed by what he saw in their prayers.
He said,” This is better than our religion”, he did not leave them until sunset and was not able to go to where his father sent him. His father sent people to search for him when it is getting late and he is yet to return.
He asked the Christians about their religion and prayers and their origin, they said in Syria, and he was impressed by their religion. When he returned to his father, he explained to him that he passed by a Christian church and was impressed by it, he said the Christian religion was better than their religion.
His father questioned him and he also questioned his father but the father put fetters on his feet and locked him up. He sends letters to the Christians telling them that he has entered their religion and informed them that when the caravan going to Syria arrives, they should inform him so he can go with it.
He went to Syria with the caravan to Syria and asked the people about the most learned man among them, he was directed to a bishop whom he served, lived, prayed and learned with him.
The bishop died and a new leader was appointed. He was most pious than the former in his religion, bid for the hereafter and was punctual at worship. When he was about to die, Salmaan asked him,” To whom would you recommend me? and to whom would you leave me?”
The bishop replied, “O my son, I do not know anyone who is on things path I am and who leads the kind of life I lead, except a certain man in Mosul. When the bishop eventually died, he went to meet the man in Mosul, he narrated his story and then stayed with him as long as Allaah wished him to stay. Then the man was also approached by death and he ( Salmaan) asked him the same thing he asked his former master but was directed to Byzantium to meet a man there.
To be continued…
