Jundub ibn Janadah

Chapter on Jundub [٢٨٩] Jundub ibn Janada, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari(١), although there has been disagreement concerning his name; it has been said as we mentioned, and it has been said: Burayr(٢) ibn Jundub, and it is said: Burayr ibn Ishraqa(٣), and(٤) Burayr(٥) ibn Janada, and it is said: Barr(٦) ibn Janada, thus said Ibn Ishaq(٧), and it has been said: Burayr(٨) ibn Jundub(٩), also on the authority of Ibn Ishaq(١٠), and it is said: Jundub ibn Abd Allah, and it is said: Jundub ibn Sakan.

But the well-known and reliably preserved is: Jundub ibn Janada, and there is also disagreement concerning what comes after Janada, so it has been said: Janada ibn Qays ibn Amr ibn Suayr ibn Haram ibn Ghifar, and it has been said: Jundub ibn Janada ibn Suayr ibn Ubayd ibn Haram ibn Ghifar, and it has been said: Jundub ibn Janada ibn Sufyan ibn Ubayd ibn Haram ibn Ghifar.

And his mother was Ramla bint al-Rafia(١) of the Banu Ghifar as well.

The conversion of Abu Dharr to Islam was early(٢), it is said: after three, and it is said: after four, and it has been related from him(٣) that he said: I am the fourth(٤) of Islam(٥), and it has been said: he was the fifth.

Then he returned to the land of his people after he had embraced Islam, and he remained there until Badr, Uhud, and the Trench had passed; then he came to the Prophet ﷺ at Medina and accompanied him until he died; then he went out, after the death of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, to Syria, and he remained there until Uthman رضي الله عنه came to power; then Uthman summoned him because of Muawiya's complaint about him, and settled him at al-Rabadha(٦), and he died there, and Abd Allah ibn Masud prayed over him, having met him while he was coming from Kufa, with a company of excellent men among his companions(١); among them were Hujr ibn al-Adbar, and Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar, and a young man of the Ansar, whom his wife called to him, and they witnessed his death, and closed his eyes, and washed him, and shrouded him in the garments of the Ansari(٢), in a wondrous, fine report of some length(٣).

And in a report(٤) other than it, that when Ibn Masud was called to him and he was mentioned to him, he wept a long weeping.

And it has been said: that Ibn Masud was on that day coming from Medina to Kufa, and he was called to the prayer over him, so Ibn Masud said: Who is this? It was said: Abu Dharr, so he wept long, and said: My brother and my close friend, he lived alone, and died alone, and will be resurrected alone, blessed is he.

And his death was at al-Rabadha in the year thirty-two(٥), and Ibn Masud prayed over him رضي الله عنهما (٦).

Ali ibn al-Madini mentioned, he said: Yahya ibn Sulaym narrated to us, he said: Abd Allah ibn Uthman ibn Khuthaym(١) narrated to me, on the authority of Mujahid, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Umm Dharr, the wife of Abu Dharr, she said: When death was present to Abu Dharr I wept, so he said to me: What makes you weep? So I said: And why should I not weep, when you are dying [in a desert of the earth] (٢), and I have no garment that suffices as a shroud for me or for you? [And I have no means(٣) to undertake] (٤) your preparation. He said: Rejoice and do not weep, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, say: No two Muslim spouses lose two or three children and bear it with patience seeking reward but that they shall never see the Fire", and three of our children have died(٥), and I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say to a group among whom I was: "There shall surely die a man among you in a desert of the earth, witnessed by a band of the believers(٦)", and there is none of that group but that he has died in a village and amid a congregation; so I am that man. By Allah, I have neither lied nor been lied to, so look out(٧) for the road. I said: How, when the pilgrims have gone and the road has been cut off?! He said: Go and look out, she said:

So I would hasten(١) to the sand-dune and look out, then return to him and nurse him; and while he and I were thus, behold, I was with men upon their mounts as though they were vultures(٤), their mounts urging(٥) them on(٢)(٣), and they hurried to me until they stood over me, and they said: O bondwoman of Allah, what is the matter with you? I said: A man of the Muslims is dying; will you shroud him(٦)? They said: And who is he? I said: Abu Dharr, they said: The Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? I said: Yes, she said: So they ransomed him with their fathers and their mothers, and hurried to him until they entered upon him, and he said to them: Rejoice, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say to a group among whom I was: "There shall surely die a man among you in a desert of the earth, witnessed by a band of the believers", and there is none of that group but that he has perished in a village and(٧) a congregation. By Allah, I have not lied, [nor have I been lied to] (٨), and had I a garment that sufficed me as a shroud for me or(١) for my wife, I would not be shrouded except in a garment that is mine or hers, and I adjure you by Allah, lest(٢) a man of you shroud me(٣) who was a commander, or a tribal chief, or a courier, or a captain, and there is none of that group but that he has been involved(٤) in some(٥) of what he said, except a young man of the Ansar, who said: I will shroud you, O uncle, in this cloak of mine, and in two garments in my saddlebag of my mother's spinning, he said: Will you shroud me(٦)? he said: So the Ansari shrouded him and washed him among the group who were present, and they stood over him and buried him among a group all of whom were Yemenis(٧).

A number of the Companions رضي الله عنهم narrated from him, and he was among the vessels of knowledge, outstanding in asceticism, scrupulousness, and speaking the truth. Ali رضي الله عنه was asked about Abu Dharr, so he said: That is a man who held knowledge that the people were incapable of, then he tied it up tightly and did not bring forth anything of it(١).

And it has been related from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: "Abu Dharr in my nation is like Jesus son of Mary in his asceticism" (٢), and some relate it: "Whoever it pleases to look at the humility of Jesus son of Mary, let him look at Abu Dharr".

And from the hadith of Warqa and others, on the authority of Abu al-Zinad, on the authority of al-Araj, on the authority of Abu Huraira, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The green sky has not shaded, nor has the dusty earth borne, anyone of a tongue more truthful than Abu Dharr, [and whoever it pleases to look at the humility of Jesus son of Mary, let him look at Abu Dharr" (٣).

[And it has been related from him عليه السلام from the hadith of Abu al-Darda and others, that he said: "The green sky has not shaded, nor has the dusty earth borne, anyone of a tongue more truthful than Abu Dharr" (١).

And we have already mentioned the chain of the hadith of Abu al-Darda in the chapter of his name among the agnomens(٢).

Ibrahim al-Taymi(٣) narrated, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abu Dharr, he said: My sustenance in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was a sa of dates, and I will not increase upon it until [I meet Allah] (٤) ﷿ (٥).

And in his chapter among the agnomens, from his account, is what we have not mentioned here(٦).

And al-Amash narrated, on the authority of Shimr(٧) ibn Atiyya, on the authority of Shahr ibn Hawshab, on the authority of Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm, he said: I was with Abu al-Darda when a man from the people of Medina(٨) entered and questioned him, so he said: Where did you leave Abu Dharr? He said: At al-Rabadha, so he said