Salman as a scholar
As a scholar, Salman was noted for his vast knowledge and wisdom. Ali said of him that he was like Luqman the Wise. And Kab al-Ahbar said: ‘Salman is bursting with knowledge and wisdom. He is an ocean that does not dry up.’ Salman had knowledge of both the Christian scripture and the Quraan in addition to his earlier knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion. Salman in fact translated parts of the Quraan into Persian during the lifetime of the Prophet . He was thus the first person to translate the Quraan into a foreign language.
According to the most reliable account, he died in either 31 or 34 A.H, at the age of 250 years, during the caliphate of Uthman, at Ctesiphon.
Abu Hurraira narrates, that the Prophet prayed the following verse: ‘If ye turn back, He will substitute in your stead another people, then they would not be like you.’ (Q47:38) The Sahabah asked the Prophet , ‘O Prophet , who are these people that Allah has mentioned, that he would chose them instead of us? That they will not do as we did?’ The Prophet placed his hand on Salman’s thigh and said, ‘It will be his people. And even if faith is near the Surya (the Pleiads), someone from the Persians would attain it.’
Who were the people of Kufa and Iraq? Who was Imaam Abu Hanifah? They were all Persians. The divinely chosen denizens of Kufa were Persians. Their spiritual teachers were Persians and so were the three about whom the Prophet said, ‘Paradise longs for three people. Ali, Amar and Salman.’ (Tirmidhi)
Abu Hurraira narrates in another Hadith, that the Prophet once prayed the following verse: ‘As well as others of them, who have not already joined them.’ (Q62:3) The Sahabah asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah , who are these people,’ The Prophet placed his hand on Salman and said, ‘If faith was near the Pleiads, then someone from them would attain it.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
Time bore witness to the realisation of the Prophet words. The progeny of the Persians spread their knowledge and populated the world.
Conclusion
Once Abu Sufyan came to Madinah and passed by Salman , Bilal and Sohayb . The three companions said, ‘Have not the swords of Allah beheaded this accursed man yet?’ Abu Bakr upon hearing this said, ‘Do not say such things of the leader of Quraish.’ After that, Abu Bakr went to the Prophet and told him of this conversation. The Prophet said, ‘Have you annoyed these three? If you have, then you have annoyed Allah.’ Abu Bakr made haste to the three companions and asked them whether they took offence on his words. They told him that they had not and further said, ‘O brother, may Allah forgive you.’ The annoyance of Salman is the annoyance of Allah. Even the likes of Abu Bakr fear to offend him.
It has come in another Hadith that the Prophet said, ‘Allah has commanded me to love four men, for He too loves them. They are Ali, Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Salman.’It has also come in a Hadith that, ‘Each Prophet had seven helpers and protectors, I was given fourteen. Ali, Hasan and Hussain, Hamzah, Abu Bakr, Umar, Masaab Ibn Ameer, Bilal, Salman, Amar, Abdullah Ibn Masood, Abu Dhar and Miqdad.’
This was Salman Farsi , the Persian who’s quest for the true faith lasted almost all of his 250 years of life. As Muslims and as students, it should be our point of aspiration to achieve at least some of the dedication of Salman Farsi to faith and the gaining of knowledge
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