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SALMAAN AL-FAARISIY
The Seeker after Truth
From Persia comes our hero this time, and from Persia many came to embrace Islam in the long run,
and it made some of them extraordinary, unsurpassable in faith and knowledge in religion and worldly
affairs.
It is one of the wonders of Islam and its greatness that it never enters a country on Allah's earth but
that it exerts invaluable influence on all its potentialities and forces, bringing forth the latent genius of its
people and followers. From there came forth Muslim philosophers, physicians, jurists, astronomers,
inventors, and mathematicians.
Behold, they reached all heights, broke all frontiers, until the first era of Islam flourished with great
geniuses in all fields of intellectual activity such as administration and science. Verily, they came from
various nations, but their religion remained one.
The Prophet (PBUH) had prophesied this blessed spread of his religion. Indeed, he had been so
promised by his Almighty Lord. He had pointed to the time, place, and day, and he had seen in his mind's
eye the banner of Islam fluttering in all comers of the earth and over the palaces of its earthly rulers.
Salmaan Al-Faarisiy (The Persian) bore witness to this and was firmly connected with what
happened. That was on the Day of Al Khandaq (The Trench) in the year A.H. 5, when the leaders of the
Jews approached Makkah to stir up the polytheists and form an alliance against the Prophet (PBUH) and
the Muslims, asking the polytheists to enter upon a treaty for decisive battle to eradicate this new
religion.
The ungodly war was planned: the Quraish army and allies would attack Al-Madiinah from outside,
while the Bani Ouraidhah would attack from within, behind the ranks of the Muslims, who would then
fall prey and be crushed. One day the Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims were taken unaware by a huge
well-armed army marching on Al-Madiinah. The Qur'aan depicts the scene thus: "When they came
against you from above you and from below you and your eyes turned away and your hearts reached to
your throats, and you imagined vain thoughts about GOD; in that place the believers were tried and
shaken most severely" (33:10-11).
Twenty-four thousand fighters under the command of Abu Sufyaan and `Uyainah lbn Hisn were
advancing on Al-Madiinah to storm it and to lay siege to it in order to get rid of Muhammad, his religion,
and his Companions. This army did not represent the Quraish alone, for they were in alliance with all the
tribes, and all had vested interests that were threatened by Islam. It was a last and decisive attempt
embarked on by all the enemies of the Prophet (PBUH), based upon individual, collective, and tribal
interests.
The Muslims found themselves in a precarious situation. The Prophet (PBUH) assembled his
Companions for consultation. Certainly they were gathered to reach a decision on defense and battle, but
how could they put up a defense? And then a long - legged man with flowing hair for whom the Prophet
(PBUH) bore great love, Salmaan Al-Faarisiy, held up his head and took a look at Al Madiinah, which
was surrounded by hills, mountains, and exposed open country which could be easily broken through by
the enemy.
Salmaan had much experience, in warfare and its tactics in his native Persia. So he proposed to the
Prophet (PBUH) something which the Arabs had never seen before in warfare. It was the digging of a
trench in the exposed places around Al- Madiinah.