And Once Again Abu-Dhar

Prophet of God stated it well!” He walks alone, dies alone and will be resurrected alone!

“When?” “On the arising of the Day of Resurrection.” “And, also, in the arising of every era and in the midst of every generation.” And now, once again it is Abu Dharr who, among all of the visages buried in this shoreless cemetery of history, in our age and among us, will be resurrected alone.”

handed. His son's corpse was cold. He buried him with his own hands.

Abu Dharr and Umm Dharr remained alone. Poverty, hunger and decrepitude had greatly weakened Abu Dharr's body. One day he felt he had come to the end of his strength. Hunger bothered him. He said to Umm Dharr, “Arise.

Perhaps in this wilderness we will find some blades of grass to quiet our hunger a bit. Woman and man, for a great distance, from the parameters of the tent, searched and found nothing. Upon their return, Abu Dharr lost his strength. The sign of death showed itself in his face. Umm Dharr understood and, anxiouslv, asked, “What is happening to you, Abu Dharr?” “Separation is near! Leave my corpse on the way and ask wayfarers to help you bury me.” “The hajjis have gone and there are no wayfarers.” “It can't be. Get up and go on the hill. Some people will come for my death.” Umm Dharr, from the top of the hill, saw three riders who were riding at a distance. She signaled to them. They came close.

“May God bless you. A man is dying here. Help me bury him and receive your reward from God.” “Who is he?” “Abu Dharr.” “The friend of the Prophet?” “Yea.” “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you O Abu Dharr! “ They stood before him. He was still alive. He requested of them, “Any of you who are messengers of the government, spies or military personnel, do not bury me. If my wife or I had a cloth for my shroud, there would be no need.”

Only a youth from among the Helpers who had a non-government profession said, “I have this cloth with me which my mother wove.” Abu Dharr prayed for him and said, “Shroud me with that.” His mind at rest, everything was coming to an end. He closed his eyes and never opened them again. The wayfarers buried him under the hot sands of Rabadah. The young Helper stood beside his grave, whispering under his breath, “The

Ka'b, out of fear, hid behind 'Uthman and placed himself in the refuge of the Caliph. The scene is complete! The scene of the drama of all of history! On one side, gold, coercion and the ruling religion in the visages of 'Abd al-Rahman, 'Uthman and Ka'b al Ahbar, and how exact and accurate! The principle, gold, coercion its supporter and religion, hidden behind coercion, its justifier. Confronting it, Abu Dharr, the sacrifice of exploitation, despotism and deception, the manifestation of the religion condemned by history and the oppressed class of history, God and the people!

Abu Dharr, alone, disarmed, oppressed, with all of this, responsible and an assailant, takes Ka'b from the refuge of coercion, and with the camel's bone, pounded him so hard on the head that blood began to flow.

'Uthman said, “How tiresome you have become, Abu Dharr; leave us.” Abu Dharr said, “I am fed up with seeing you. Where should I go?” “To Rabadah.” Marwan Hakam, an exile of the Prophet, was assigned to exile Abu Dharr.

'Ali heard of the affair. He moaned. He took Hasan, Husayn and 'Aqil and they came to see him off. Marwan stood before 'Ali, “The Caliph has prohibited the seeing-off of Abu Dharr.” 'Ali, with a whip, by-passed him, and went with Abu Dharr till Rabadhah.

Raba&ah, a burning wilderness without water or cultivation, along the way of pilgrims; which, other than at the time of the hajj, becomes empty and silent. There he set up his torn tent and he met his needs with the few goats he had.

Months passed. Poverty was increasing and hunger, more brazen. One by one, his goats died and he and his family faced death in the loneliness of the wilderness.

His daughter died. He bore it patiently and considered it to have been upon the Way of God. A little later, the wolf of hunger attacked his son.

He sensed responsibility. He went to Madinah and sought his wages, which had been cut off, from 'Uthman. 'Uthman did not answer him. He returned empty

No tricks would work against this obstinate, brazen, pious and conscious man. Only coercion remained. He wrote to 'Uthman: If you need Damascus, take Abu Dharr away from here because complexes are swelling, the heads of wounds have opened up and an explosion is near. 'Uthman ordered him to be sent to Madinah.

They placed him in a wooden packsaddle on a camel's back and engaged several savage slaves to take him back to Madinah. Mu'awiyah ordered that no stops be made along the way, from Damascus to Madinah.

The rider nears Madinah, tired and wounded; beside the city, he saw 'Ali on Mt. Sala' and beside him, 'Uthman and several other people. From a distance he cried out, “I give glad tidings to Madinah of a great and endless rebellion.” The Caliph ordered no one to follow a religious edict from Abu Dharr but religious edicts were issued, one after another, by Abu Dharr. That which he had seen in Damascus, had made him more anxious and more brazen in struggle. 'Abd al-Rahman 'Awf, the head of the caliphate council of 'Umar, died and his heritage, which was an abundance of gold and silver, was piled up before 'Uthman. Abu Dharr heard that 'Uthman had said, “Abd al-Rahman is blessed by God that he lived well and when he died he left behind all of this wealth.”

Abu Dharr agitated and enflamed, invaded 'Uthman's house alone. On the way, he found a camel's bone. He picked it up and took it. He cried out to 'Uthman, “You say that God has blessed a man who has died and left all of this gold and silver behind?” 'Uthman, softly, replied, “Abu Dharr, does a person who has paid his zakat have other [religious] obligations, as well?” Abu Dharr recited the verse of kinz and said, “The problem here is not zakat; the problem is with anyone who hoards gold and silver and does not give it upon the Way of God.”

Ka'b al-Ahbar, a clergyman, formerly Jewish, who was sitting beside 'Uthman, said, “This verse relates to the 'people of the Book' (Jews and Christians); it does not relate to Muslims.” Abu Dharr cried out at him, “Son of a Jew! You want to teach our religion to us? May your mother mourn for you!” 'Uthman said, “If a man has paid his zakat and builds a palace, one brick of gold and one brick of silver there is no blame.” Then he turned to Ka'b and asked him his opinion and Ka'b expressed the opinion that, “Yes, your majesty. That's the way it is!” Abu Dharr attacked him.

One day, Mu'awiyah invited Abu Dharr to his home. He went beyond the limits of respect and kindness, but Abu Dharr did not reduce his harsh visage or his angry tone in the least bit and, finally, the situation reached the point of threats:

Abu Dharr, if I killed one of the Prophet's Companions without 'Uthman's permission, it would be you, but I am obliged to get 'Uthman's permission for your death. Abu Dharr, what you do separates you and, You cause the poor and the lowly people to upraise against us.” And Abu Dharr, in his response, Behave like the customs and behavior of the Prophet of God so that I will leave you alone. Otherwise, if I have but one breath remaining, I will use that one breath to recite a Prophetic Tradition.

The propaganda of Abu Dharr spread. The people of Damascus, who were beginning to think that Islam is the Roman regime which was ruling over them, little by little were finding the real visage of Islam. The uproar of the seeking of justice and freedom alongside religious faith was arising in hearts and the abased, who had been accepting the justification of poverty and abasement through rdigion, for the first time, were learning from Abu Dharr that, “Whenever poverty enters through a door, religion leaves by another.”

The mosque was still the home of God, the people and Abu Dharrs and the base of struggle. Mu'awiyah had no control over it. It was after the death of 'Ali that mosques were emptied of God and the family of God, the people, and became the base for the caliphate and a trap used by dergymen of the caliphate!

The abased surrounded him with great ardency and hope. He spoke of the truths which were intermingled with right; an Islam which was accompanied by justice; a God Who also thought about bread for the people and Who was teaching the people. In place of narcosis, he stimulated them and threatened the uncompleted Green Palace's destruction.

Mu'awiyah sent Abu Dharr to the jihad in Cyprus. If he was victorious, it could be an honor and victory for

Muawiyah and a respect which would be an 'honor' for Islam! and if Abu Dharr were killed, Mu'awiyah would be relieved of any of his harm without his hands being polluted in his blood.

Because of [these kinds of misuses of jihad], Shi'ism later issued an edict, “Jihad”, without the leader ship of the real and just Imam is prohibited.” But Abu Dharr returned healthy and, without hesitation, went from the front to the mosque and began his work!

Mu'awiyah knew Abu Dharr, knew the extent to which he thought about the freedom of slaves and satiating the hungry. He assigned a slave, “Take this bag of gold to Abu Dharr and if you succeed in having him take it, you are free ! “ The slave went to Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr refused and the slave insisted, cried and begged and the answer of Abu Dharr was only, “No! “ Finally he said, “O Abu Dharr, may God bless you. Take this money because my freedom is in giving this money to you.” Abu Dharr, without hesitation, said, “Yes. But my enslavement is in taking this money from you!”Mu'awiyah knew Abu Dharr, knew the extent to which he thought about the freedom of slaves and satiating the hungry. He assigned a slave, “Take this bag of gold to Abu Dharr and if you succeed in having him take it, you are free ! “ The slave went to Abu Dharr. Abu Dharr refused and the slave insisted, cried and begged and the answer of Abu Dharr was only, “No! “ Finally he said, “O Abu Dharr, may God bless you. Take this money because my freedom is in giving this money to you.” Abu Dharr, without hesitation, said, “Yes. But my enslavement is in taking this money from you!”

the foreheads and the rule of fate and destiny of heaven; the cause is only kinz (hoarding of capital).

What must be done?

With the austere and pious Abu Dharr, nothing!

Neither does he 'have' to threaten him: 'We will take it! ' nor does he 'want' to tempt him: 'We give! ' And his wife is Umm Dharr; she is also one of the Companions of the Holy Prophet. She helps her husband to bear the hardships, asceticism and poverty which a struggling and responsible human being must bear, because during that age when there was Islam, a woman was not yet, 'the weak one'.

Danger sharpened its teeth in the depths of Madinah. The abased, who submitted to the sacred visages of the Emigrants and the Elder Companions of the Prophet, who now rule, and bore their own anguish and the others' deviation, had become bold. 'Uthman sensed the danger. What to do? Madinah still remembers the Prophetand the people know Abu Dharr.

He exiled him to Damascus, to Mu'awiyah. From the beginning, the people of Damascus learned Islam from the Bani 'Umayyid. Mu'awiyah has more free rein over Abu Dharr. In Damascus, Mu'awiyah had, by imitating the Romans, built a more aristocratic life than 'Uthman. Discrimination, impurity, oppression and violation of the Islamic system was more evident and more brazen. It was at this time that, with the help of the Roman and Iranian architects, Mu'awiyah was building the 'Green Palace'.

This was the first monarchial palace, pompous and beautiful. Mu'awiyah had so set his heart on completing it that he would, most often, be present to supervise his orkers and masons and Abu Dharr would also appear everyday and would cry out: “O Mu'awiyah, if you build this palace with your own money, it is extravagance and if it is with the people's money, it is treason!” And he who was a mature and patient politician would bear it as he thought as to find a solution.

Day by day, aristocracy, exploitation, extravagance, poverty, distance and social and class breaks or cracks became more and the propagation of Abu Dharr grew more extensive causing the abased and the exploited to become more agitated. The hungry learned from Abu Dharr that their poverty was not God's Will, written upon

He cried for Zahra's [Fatimah's] poverty but he did not give her one dinar help.” It is clear that rapidly, question, question, and question in thoughts: Then why is the caliph 'Uthman wearing a fur coat? Why is the colorful spread in the caliph's palace filled with the most delectable foods? Then why was the legacy of Abd al-Rahman 'Awf, who was the head of the Council to elect the caliph and who made 'Uthman caliph, when piled on top of each other, like a mountain which hid the caliph, who was upon the pulpit, from the people, who were sitting on the ground.

His gold bullion was broken with an axe to divide up the inheritance. Then why does Zubayr, who was a member of the caliphate council, have a thousand slaves who work for him and they daily give him their wages? Then why does Mu'awiyah, a family member [of the caliph] and the governor of the caliphate in Damascus, build a Green Palace? Why are those who are around him, whoever confirms him, flatterers, poets, 'ulama' and Companions, given fairy-tale gifts? And, then, why does 'Uthman, who promised to follow the Book of God and the Traditions of the Prophet, and the Shaykans [Abu Bakr and 'Umar] method, only follow the traditions of the Caesars and Kings? Then, why? Then, why?