Early Conversion: The Lone Believer
Abu Dharr heard about the Prophet in Mecca and sent his brother to investigate. When the brother reported back with verses of the Quran, Abu Dharr traveled to Mecca alone — without knowing anyone there. He wandered, drinking from Zamzam, until he found the Prophet. He accepted Islam immediately and the Prophet asked him to keep it secret. Abu Dharr went to the Ka’ba and declared his Islam publicly — the Quraysh beat him nearly to death. The Prophet had him return to his tribe (the Ghifar) to await the Islamic community’s strengthening.
When the Prophet migrated to Medina, Abu Dharr joined him. He was known for his extreme asceticism — he wore a rough woolen garment when others wore soft cloth, and he refused material accumulation as a matter of principle.
The Dispute Over Wealth Accumulation
Abu Dharr’s most significant controversy arose from his interpretation of Quran 9:34-35: “And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah — give them tidings of a painful punishment.”
Abu Dharr preached in Syria (under Mu’awiya’s governance) that hoarding gold was categorically prohibited — not just zakat-deficient hoarding but any accumulation beyond immediate need. Mu’awiya complained to Uthman that Abu Dharr was destabilizing the province. Uthman called Abu Dharr to Medina, then exiled him to Rabadha in the Arabian desert.
Abu Dharr accepted the exile without complaint. He said: “If Uthman exiled me to Yemen, I would obey. If he exiled me to the farthest reach, I would obey. I want nothing but to fulfill what the Prophet commanded.”
He died in Rabadha, virtually alone, and requested that the first Muslim travelers who passed be asked to bury him — which a group including Ibn Mas’ud did.
See also: Sahaba, Seerah Uthman, Khilafa Rashida, Maqasid Al Shariah, Zakat And Khums, Waqf Islamic, Akhlaq