Post by ali0009 on Sept 24, 2009 20:43:37 GMT
Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari (Radhiallahu Anhu), Companion of Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam
Mitaaya Qaysar-o-Kisra Ke Istibdaad Ko Jis Ne,
Wo Kiya Tha? Zor-e-Hyder, Faqr-e-Bu Zar, Sidq-e-Salmani
Wo Kiya Tha? Zor-e-Hyder, Faqr-e-Bu Zar, Sidq-e-Salmani
The above two lines of poetry (Urdu language Couplets) have been taken from Allama Iqbal's famous revolutionary long-poem Tuloo-e-Islam. In these two short lines, Allama Iqbal has identified three major elements in the Islamic spirit that once ruled the world, and in his opinion, it was ready to repeat that once again, should those elements be revived. Those are: (i) The spirit of martyrdom personified in Imam Ali bin Abi Talib alayhis 'salam, (ii) the socialistic fervor of Abu Zar Ghaffari Radi Allahu anhu, and (iii) the devotional persistence of Salman al-Farsi Radi Allahu anhu.
What is very significant in these lines is the fact that Allama Iqbal has used the names of two great empires (the Roman and the Persian) of the past to identify oppression and tyranny. Then he quotes the names of three individuals who, out of the strength of their own personalities, were able to subdue that tyranny. The message is that it takes the collective effort of groups and countries to subdue the human spirit but it takes only one individual's personal force to break the tyranny. It is also accurate historically in that, when Islam rose on the horizon of the world history, it were those two empires at the two ends of the Arabian peninsula, which were competing which each other. In that process, they were crushing the human spirit of freedom, liberty and human rights. Islam came and destroyed both empires by giving people freedom by liberating them spiritually by the message of Tawheed (Oneness of God), economically by making them self-sufficient, and socially by giving them human compassion and a value-system.
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Hazrat Abu Zar's Radi Allahu anhu real name was Jandab ibn Junadah ibn Sakan, better known as Abu Dhar al-Ghaffari, or Abu Thar al-Ghaffari. Hazrat Abu Zar's Kunniya was Abu Zar, which is because his eldest son was named Zar (this word in Arabic means 'fragrance'). By one estimate, Abu Zar was born in 568 AD, which means Abu Zar was two years older than the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam.
Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari (Radhiallahu Anhu) is reported to be the fourth Muslim in chronological order. He had the exclusive honour to call the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam as Ya Habibi (my dear friend), while everybody else could only address him as Ya Rasool Allah. Abu Zar Radi Allahu anhu finally arrived in Madina after the Battle of Ahzab / Battle of the Trench (5th year of Hijra) and spent the rest of the days in the company of the Prophet Muhammad Salla Allahu 'alayhi wa Sallam.
Hazrat Abu Zar Ghaffari (Radhiallahu Anhu) lived a pious life and spent his days in prayer and worship. His daily meal used to be a handful of dates. He lived a contented life, always spoke the truth and he was firm in his faith.