Janabe Salman (r.a.) awaits Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) used to remember Janabe Salman (r.a.) very often. Once a companion asked Imam (a.s.), “Why do you remember Janabe Salman Farsi (r.a.) so often?” Imam (a.s.) replied: “Firstly you should not call him Janabe Salman Farsi but call him Salman-e-Muhammadi and I remember him so much because he loved Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) very much and was very obedient to him (s.a.w.a.). Holy prophet (s.a.w.a.) also said about him: “Salman is from us Ahlebait (a.s.)”.
But dear children, Janabe Salman (r.a.) did not get this position easily. He had to face lot of difficulties. His story is very interesting. It goes like this:
Janabe Salman (r.a.) was a son of a farmer and was born in Shiraz, a city in Iran. His parents loved him very much and named him ‘Rozba’. One day he was going to a festival with his father. On the way they passed through a temple where one priest was saying loudly: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Isa is the spirit of Allah and Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) is the beloved of Allah”. As soon as Janabe Salman (r.a.) heard the name of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) his heart was filled with love for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). For many days he felt neither thirsty nor hungry because he wanted to meet Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) as soon as possible, but our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) was not yet born.
One day Janabe Salman (r.a.) entered his room and saw a letter hanging on the roof. He asked his mother about it. She said: “O Rozba, when we returned from the festival we found this letter hanging there. Do not go near it otherwise your father will kill you”.
When his parents went to sleep in the night Janabe Salman (r.a.) took that letter and opened it. It was written in it: “In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful. Allah has promised Hazrat Adam (a.s.) that He will send one Prophet from his children whose name will be Muhammad (s.a.w.a.). He will teach best morals to people and will stop them from worshipping idols. O Rozba, go to the successor of Hazrat Isa (a.s.), believe in him and leave the religion of those who worship fire (Majusi)”.
After reading the letter Janabe Salman (r.a.) cried and became unconscious. When his parents came to know of this, they threw him into a very deep well and said: “If you do not return to our religion we will kill you”. Janabe Salman (r.a.) said: “You can do whatever you want but the love for Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) will not go from my heart”.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) says that before reading the letter he did not know Arabic language but he learnt it as soon as he read it. His parents used to throw little pieces of bread for him in the well. Janabe Salman (r.a.) spent a long time in the well and when he could not bear the troubles of the well any more he prayed to Allah in these words: “O Lord You put the love of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and his Successor in my heart. I pray to you in the name of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and his Successor that you solve my problems and take me out of this well”.
As soon as he finished the prayer he saw that a person wearing a white dress came inside the well and said: “O Rozba stand up”. The man took Janabe Salman (r.a.) to a temple. On reaching the temple Janabe Salman (r.a.) said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, Isa is the spirit of Allah and Muhammad is the beloved of Allah”. A priest came out of the temple and said: “Are you Rozba?” Janabe Salman (r.a.) said “Yes”. He told Janabe Salman (r.a.) to come inside and Janabe Salman (r.a.) stayed with him for two years. When he was about to die he told Janabe Salman (r.a.): “I do not know anyone who has the same belief as I have except a priest in Antakia (Antioch). You go to him, convey to him my salaam and also give him this tablet (Slate)”.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) went to Antakia and stayed with that priest for two years. When he was about to die he told Janabe Salman (r.a.): “You go to a priest in Sikandria (Alexandria) convey my salaam to him and also give him this tablet”. Janabe Salman (r.a.) went to Sikandria and stayed with that priest for two years. When the was priest about to die he said: “I am going to die and I do not know any person in this world who has the same belief as me, but Muhammad ibn Abdullah (s.a.w.a.) will be born very soon. If you meet him convey my salaam to him and give him this tablet”.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) left that place and met some travelers on the way. He told them that he will do their work if they give him food. They agreed. After some time they tied one sheep with ropes and beat it to death. After that they cooked it and started eating it. When they told Janabe Salman (r.a.) to eat it he refused and said that I am a priest, I stay in temple. I do not eat meat. They started beating him. When he was about to die one of them said: “Let our wine come, If he refuses to drink wine also then we will kill him”. When wine was brought they told Janabe Salman (r.a.) to drink but he refused saying I am a priest, I stay in temple. I do not drink wine. They again tied him with ropes and were about to kill him. Janabe Salman (r.a.) in order to save his life said to one of them: “I will agree to be your slave and you can sell me to anyone”.
The person saved Janabe Salman (r.a.) and sold him to a Jew for three hundred Dirhams. The Jew asked Janabe Salman (r.a.) about what happened to him “Janabe Salman (r.a.) told him that I have done no sin or mistake except that I love Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and his successor.
The Jew said: “I also hate Muhammad and you as well”. He took Janabe Salman (r.a.) outside his house and pointing his hand towards a large heap of soil said that if you do not take all this soil to other place before morning I will surely kill you. Janabe Salman (r.a.) started moving the soil and worked for many hours. When he was tired and could not work any more he raised his hands and prayed: “O my lord you put the love of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and his Successor in my heart. I pray to you in the name of Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) and his Successor that you solve my problem”.
Suddenly a wind came and moved all the soil to another place. Next morning when the Jew saw that the soil has been moved he was very surprised and said: “O Rozba, You are a magician. I will send you out of this village so that you do not harm anyone here”.
He sold Janabe Salman (r.a.) to a woman who was very kind. She treated Janabe Salman (r.a.) very kindly and also gave him one garden.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) stayed in that garden for several years. One day he saw that some people are coming towards his tent. A cloud was covering them. They were; Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), Imam Ali (a.s.), Janabe Abu Zar (r.a.), Janabe Miqdad (r.a.), Janabe Aqeel ibn Abu Talib (a.s.), Hazrat Hamzah (a.s.) and Zayd ibn Harith. Janabe Salman (r.a.) understood that one of them is a Prophet but he wanted to make be sure about it.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) knew that Prophets do not take charity. He took some dates and told them while offering, “This is a charity”. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) did not eat them.
Janabe Salman (r.a.) thought that this is one sign of prophethood. Janabe Salman (r.a.) then took some more dates and said “Please accept them, it is a gift. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said ‘Bismillah’ and started eating it and others also ate from it. Janabe Salman (r.a.) thought that this is another sign of prophethood.
Then Janabe Salman (r.a.) went towards the back of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and was trying to look between his shoulders. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) understood what Janabe Salman (r.a.) wanted to see and said: “O Rozba are you searching the seal of prophethood?” Janabe Salman (r.a.) said: “Yes”. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) showed him the seal of prophethhod between his shoulders.
When Janabe Salman (r.a.) saw the seal he fell on the feet of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and kissed them. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: “O Rozba go to that woman and tell her that Muhammad ibn Abdullah wants to buy this slave from her. Janabe Salman (r.a.) went to that lady and told her the same. She replied that I will not sell you except for four hundred date trees. Janabe Salman (r.a.) told Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that she wants four hundred date trees. Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said that she has asked a very small price for a person like you.
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ordered Imam Ali (a.s.) to collect the date seeds. After gathering the date seeds they sowed them and Imam Ali (a.s.) watered them. Before Imam Ali (a.s.) watered the last seed the trees had grown big and their branches were touching each other.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) handed over the date trees to that lady, took Rozba with him and gave him his new name “Salman”. Janabe Salman (r.a.) stayed with Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) till he was alive.
Morals:
1. Janabe Salman (r.a.) waited for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) for many years even before Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) was born.
2. Janabe Salman (r.a.) loved Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and believed in him without seeing him.
3. We also have not seen our Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.), but we must love him, believe in him and wait for his reappearance just like Janabe Salman (r.a.) did for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).