Proud2BeHumble
Seek Truth, Be Happy
Abdullah Bin Sallam was a highly respected Jewish rabbi of Madinah. He embraced Islam the moment he met Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) because he identified the Messenger of Allah through his knowledge of the Torah.
Abdullah Bin Sallam was a Jewish rabbi of Madinah. He was a learned man and commanded high respect in the society for his intellectual calibre and noble character.
He is the man who identified Prophet Mohammed (Pbuh) through his knowledge of religious scriptures. He is the man who made the daring announcement of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah the moment he met him in Madinah. He is the man who became the intellectual guide for people of Madinah to follow the Prophet of Islam.
He is one of the companions who has been promised a place in paradise. His original name was Al-Husain Bin Sallam. After embracing Islam he came to be known as Abdullah Bin Sallam.
He had read in the Torah about the advent of a Prophet. It is said that he was particularly struck by some verses of the Torah that dealt with the coming of a Prophet who would complete the message of previous Prophets. Sallam therefore took an immediate and keen interest when he heard reports of the appearance of the Prophet in Makkah. In his own words; “when I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of God, peace be on him, I began to make enquiries about his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place and I began to compare this information with what is contained in our books. From these enquiries, I became convinced about the authenticity of his prophethood nad I affirmed the truth of his mission.”
Sallam was equally popular among Jews and non-Jews. He was known for his piety and goodness, his upright conduct and his truthfulness. Sallam lived a peaceful and gentle life. He was serious, purposeful and organised in the way he spent his time. Before converting to Islam, he used to devote his time teaching and preaching in the temple. Besides this, he would also spend some time in his orchard, looking after the date palms.
When Prophet Mohammad (Pbuh) arrived in Madinah and stopped at Quba, a man came rushing into the city, calling out to people and announcing the arrival of the Prophet. At that moment, Sallam is said to be at the top of a palm tree doing some work. His aunt, Khalidah Bint Al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. On hearing the news, he shouted:
“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (God is Great! God is Great!)”
When his aunt heard this, she reprimanded him: “may God frustrate you... By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming you would not have been more enthusiastic.”
“Auntie, he is really, by God, the ‘brother’ of Moses and follows his religion. He was sent by the same mission as Moses,” replied Sallam.
His aunt kept silent for a while and then said: “is he the Prophet about whom you spoke to us who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by previous (Prophets) and complete the message of his Lord?” “Yes”, he confirmed.
After this conversation, he went straight to meet the Prophet (Pbuh). A big crowd had gathered around Prophet Muhammad (Phuh). Sallam moved about in the crowd until he reached close to the messenger of Allah. The first words Sallam heard the Prophet say were:
“O people! Spread peace... Share food... Pray during the night while people (normally) sleep... and you will enter Paradise in Peace...”
Sallam looked at the Prophet (Pbuh)closely. He then went closer to him and made the declaration of faith that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet (Pbuh) turned to him and asked: “What is your name?”
“Al-Husain Bin Sallam,” he replied. Instead, it is (now) Abdullah Bin Sallam,” the Prophet (Pbuh) said (giving him a new name). By Him, who has sent you with the truth, I do not wish to have another name after this day.”
Sallam returned home and introduced Islam to his wife, his children and the rest of his household. They all embraced Islam including his aunt Khalidah who was then an old lady. However, he advised them all not to reveal this to other Jews until he gave them permission.
Subsequently, Sallam went back to the Prophet (Pbuh), and said: “O Messenger of God! The Jews are a people (inclined to) slander and falsehood. I want you to invite their most prominent men to meet you. During the meeting however, you should keep me concealed from them in one of your rooms. Then you ask them about my status among the Jews. After this you invite them to Islam. If they were to know that I have become a Muslim, they may denounce and slander me.”
The Prophet (Pbuh) did accordingly. When the Jews were invited, Sallam was placed in a separate room in the way that he could hear all the conversation that took place between the Jews and the Prophet (Pbuh).
The Messenger of Allah introduced Islam to the invited guests and urged them to have faith in God. They began to dispute and argue with him about the truth. When the Prophet (Pbuh) realised that they were not inclined to accept Islam, he asked them:
“What is the status of Al-Husain Bin Sallam among you?” “He is our Sayyid (leader) and the son of Sayyid. He is our Rabbi and our aalim (scholar), the son of our rabbi and aalim”.
“If you come to know that he has accepted Islam, would you accept Islam also?” asked the Prophet (Pbuh). “God forbid! He would not accept Islam. May God protect him from accepting Islam,” they said.
At this point, Sallam came out in full view of them and announced: “O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of God and accept what Prophet (Pbuh) has brought. By God, you certainly know that he is the Messenger of God and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of God. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I know him.”
They were shocked. They started shouting: “you are a liar ... By God, you are evil and ignorant, the son of an evil and ignorant person.” And they continued to heap every conceivable abuse on him.
Sallam was a person who approached Islam with a soul, thirsty of knowledge. He was passionately devoted to the Qur’an and spent his time reciting and studying its beautiful and sublime verses. He was deeply attached to the noble Prophet (Pbuh) and was constantly in his company.
Much of his time was spent in the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Mosque, engaged in worship, in learning and teaching. He was known for his sweet, moving and effective way of teaching the study circles of Sahabah (Prophet’s companions) who assembled regularly in the mosque.
Abdullah Bin Sallam was known among the sahabah (Prophet’s companions) as a man from ahl-al-Jannah (the people of Paradise). This was because of his determination on the advice of the Prophet to hold steadfastly to the “most trustworthy handhold” that is belief in and total submission to Allah.
(Courtesy: Haj &Umra Magazine)
Abdullah Bin Sallam was a Jewish rabbi of Madinah. He was a learned man and commanded high respect in the society for his intellectual calibre and noble character.
He is the man who identified Prophet Mohammed (Pbuh) through his knowledge of religious scriptures. He is the man who made the daring announcement of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah the moment he met him in Madinah. He is the man who became the intellectual guide for people of Madinah to follow the Prophet of Islam.
He is one of the companions who has been promised a place in paradise. His original name was Al-Husain Bin Sallam. After embracing Islam he came to be known as Abdullah Bin Sallam.
He had read in the Torah about the advent of a Prophet. It is said that he was particularly struck by some verses of the Torah that dealt with the coming of a Prophet who would complete the message of previous Prophets. Sallam therefore took an immediate and keen interest when he heard reports of the appearance of the Prophet in Makkah. In his own words; “when I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of God, peace be on him, I began to make enquiries about his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place and I began to compare this information with what is contained in our books. From these enquiries, I became convinced about the authenticity of his prophethood nad I affirmed the truth of his mission.”
Sallam was equally popular among Jews and non-Jews. He was known for his piety and goodness, his upright conduct and his truthfulness. Sallam lived a peaceful and gentle life. He was serious, purposeful and organised in the way he spent his time. Before converting to Islam, he used to devote his time teaching and preaching in the temple. Besides this, he would also spend some time in his orchard, looking after the date palms.
When Prophet Mohammad (Pbuh) arrived in Madinah and stopped at Quba, a man came rushing into the city, calling out to people and announcing the arrival of the Prophet. At that moment, Sallam is said to be at the top of a palm tree doing some work. His aunt, Khalidah Bint Al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. On hearing the news, he shouted:
“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (God is Great! God is Great!)”
When his aunt heard this, she reprimanded him: “may God frustrate you... By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming you would not have been more enthusiastic.”
“Auntie, he is really, by God, the ‘brother’ of Moses and follows his religion. He was sent by the same mission as Moses,” replied Sallam.
His aunt kept silent for a while and then said: “is he the Prophet about whom you spoke to us who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by previous (Prophets) and complete the message of his Lord?” “Yes”, he confirmed.
After this conversation, he went straight to meet the Prophet (Pbuh). A big crowd had gathered around Prophet Muhammad (Phuh). Sallam moved about in the crowd until he reached close to the messenger of Allah. The first words Sallam heard the Prophet say were:
“O people! Spread peace... Share food... Pray during the night while people (normally) sleep... and you will enter Paradise in Peace...”
Sallam looked at the Prophet (Pbuh)closely. He then went closer to him and made the declaration of faith that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The Prophet (Pbuh) turned to him and asked: “What is your name?”
“Al-Husain Bin Sallam,” he replied. Instead, it is (now) Abdullah Bin Sallam,” the Prophet (Pbuh) said (giving him a new name). By Him, who has sent you with the truth, I do not wish to have another name after this day.”
Sallam returned home and introduced Islam to his wife, his children and the rest of his household. They all embraced Islam including his aunt Khalidah who was then an old lady. However, he advised them all not to reveal this to other Jews until he gave them permission.
Subsequently, Sallam went back to the Prophet (Pbuh), and said: “O Messenger of God! The Jews are a people (inclined to) slander and falsehood. I want you to invite their most prominent men to meet you. During the meeting however, you should keep me concealed from them in one of your rooms. Then you ask them about my status among the Jews. After this you invite them to Islam. If they were to know that I have become a Muslim, they may denounce and slander me.”
The Prophet (Pbuh) did accordingly. When the Jews were invited, Sallam was placed in a separate room in the way that he could hear all the conversation that took place between the Jews and the Prophet (Pbuh).
The Messenger of Allah introduced Islam to the invited guests and urged them to have faith in God. They began to dispute and argue with him about the truth. When the Prophet (Pbuh) realised that they were not inclined to accept Islam, he asked them:
“What is the status of Al-Husain Bin Sallam among you?” “He is our Sayyid (leader) and the son of Sayyid. He is our Rabbi and our aalim (scholar), the son of our rabbi and aalim”.
“If you come to know that he has accepted Islam, would you accept Islam also?” asked the Prophet (Pbuh). “God forbid! He would not accept Islam. May God protect him from accepting Islam,” they said.
At this point, Sallam came out in full view of them and announced: “O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of God and accept what Prophet (Pbuh) has brought. By God, you certainly know that he is the Messenger of God and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of God. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I know him.”
They were shocked. They started shouting: “you are a liar ... By God, you are evil and ignorant, the son of an evil and ignorant person.” And they continued to heap every conceivable abuse on him.
Sallam was a person who approached Islam with a soul, thirsty of knowledge. He was passionately devoted to the Qur’an and spent his time reciting and studying its beautiful and sublime verses. He was deeply attached to the noble Prophet (Pbuh) and was constantly in his company.
Much of his time was spent in the Prophet’s (Pbuh) Mosque, engaged in worship, in learning and teaching. He was known for his sweet, moving and effective way of teaching the study circles of Sahabah (Prophet’s companions) who assembled regularly in the mosque.
Abdullah Bin Sallam was known among the sahabah (Prophet’s companions) as a man from ahl-al-Jannah (the people of Paradise). This was because of his determination on the advice of the Prophet to hold steadfastly to the “most trustworthy handhold” that is belief in and total submission to Allah.
(Courtesy: Haj &Umra Magazine)
