Abū Dardāʾ al-Anṣārī ( ar, أبو الدرداء الأنصاري, d. 32 AH/652 CE) was a
companion
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad. He was the husband of fellow companion
Umm al-Darda al-Kubra.
Biography
Abu Darda was a trader in
Medina and belonged to the al-Ḥārith clan of the
Banu Khazraj tribe. He converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
after the
Battle of Badr
The Battle of Badr ( ar, غَزْوَةُ بَدِرْ ), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ) in the Quran, Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan (calendar month), Ramadan, 2 Anno Hegirae, AH), near the ...
. He was
declared the brother of
Salman the Persian and served as a Governor in
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
during the caliph
Uthman's reign.
He died in
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
before the assassination of the third Rashidun Caliph
Uthman.
Teaching
A
hadith transmitted by him states that Muhammad enjoined to him three things: to fast three days every month, to offer the
Witr salat
(, plural , romanized: or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːh, ( or Old Arabic ͡sˤaˈloːtʰin construct state) ), also known as ( fa, نماز) and also spelled , are prayers performed by Muslims. Facing the , the direction of the Kaaba wit ...
before sleep, and to offer two rakat sunnah of
Fajr -from
Al-Tabarani and
Majma al-Zawa'id.
Abu Darda's own preaching focused on the insignificance of worldly wealth and the minor details of life. According to him, this life was comparable to a loan.
It is said of Abu Darda that once a friend went to visit him at his home. On reaching there, the friend noticed, with grave concern, the appalling condition of Abu Darda's house. According to the friend, Abu Darda's house was shorter than the full height of a standing man. It was also as narrow as it was short, and the household utilities were less than basic. When the friend inquired from Abu Darda why he lived in such dire conditions, Darda's response was: "Do not worry my friend, this is just my temporary shade. I am building a proper house somewhere, slowly putting good things deserving thereof." When, on another occasion, the friend went back and found the same deprived shade, he demanded to know why Abu Darda had not moved to his better house. It was then that Abu Darda revealed to him that the house he referred to was the Kabr (the grave).
He also strongly advocated the acquisition of knowledge, saying, “None of you can be pious unless he is knowledgeable, and he cannot enjoy knowledge unless he applies it practically.” Abu Darda praised scholars of Islam greatly for their knowledge and application of it. He lauded both the student and the teacher, saying they would receive equal reward.
See also
*
References
External links
Islamic Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abu Darda
580 births
652 deaths
Ansar (Islam)
Sahabah who participated in the battle of Uhud
Sahabah hadith narrators