By Salim Mohamed Badat
He came from Ghifar, a tribe feared in the deserts, known for ambushing caravans and surviving on the margins of morality. Yet even there, before revelation reached him, Abu Dharr rejected idols. There was already a fire within him—a rejection of falsehood, a refusal to bow to anything unworthy of worship.
When news of the Prophet (saw) reached him, he did not wait. He traveled alone across the desert, driven by something deeper than curiosity. When he finally stood before the Messenger of Allah (saw), it was not just a meeting, it was recognition.
The Prophet (saw) saw in him a rare truthfulness, and affirmed it with words that would echo through generations:
“Neither the green sky nor the dusty one has borne, nor has the earth borne, anyone more truthful in speech than Abu Dharr.”
This hadith, places Abu Dharr al-Ghifari among the most truthful of human beings in speech and character, a man whose tongue never bent to power, wealth, or fear. Truth, however, is rarely welcomed.
Amongst the Few to Proclaim His Faith Openly
In the earliest days of Islam, when believers concealed their faith to survive the brutality of Quraysh, Abu Dharr stepped into the open and proclaimed the shahadah publicly.
During the caliphates of Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) , he found no contradiction to challenge. Leadership was simple, accountable, close to the people. But history shifted.
Syria: When Wealth Became a Religion
When Abu Dharr traveled to Syria under Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, he witnessed something that shook him.
He saw Muawiyah constructing a palace (Green Palace), with many laborers working on it. Abu Dharr said:
“If this palace is built from the public treasury, it is betrayal; and if from your own wealth, it is extravagance.”
Palaces rose where simplicity once lived. Gold accumulated where humility once walked. A class of Muslims emerged who spoke of piety but lived in luxury.
He spoke openly, reciting Quranic warnings against hoarding. He confronted elites, even companions, when he saw comfort replacing consciousness. His voice became too uncomfortable to ignore.
From Muawiyah to Uthman: Truth Exiled
Unable to contain him, Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan sent him to Madinah, to Uthman ibn Affan (RA) .
Eventually, he was exiled to al Rabadhah, far from the centers of influence. Truth was not answered, it was removed.
The Companion We Don’t Speak About
Abu Dharr unsettles the comfortable. He does not fit into a religion that comforts the wealthy while asking patience from the poor.
He forces us to confront something we would rather avoid: that wealth, when it dominates the heart, corrupts even the language of religion.
The Prophecy Fulfilled: Alone in the Desert
Far from power, the words of the Prophet (saw) came to life: “May Allah have mercy on Abu Dharr. He walks alone, will die alone, and will be resurrected alone.”
In al-Rabadhah, he lived in isolation. When death came, there were no crowds, no state, no wealth, only his wife and a life that never compromised.
So poor was he that when he passed away, there was not even sufficient cloth to properly shroud his body. Yet even then, he was at peace.
A small caravan from Madinah eventually arrived, among them the Sahabah Abdullah ibn Masud (RA). When he saw him, he wept, remembering the words of the prophet (saw) regarding Abu Dhar dying alone and what he represented: a life of uncompromising truth.
They buried him. The prophecy was fulfilled in every detail. He died as he lived, alone, but truthful.
If Abu Dharr Walked Among Us Today
If Abu Dharr al-Ghifari were to walk through the Gulf or any modern Muslim city today, what would he see?
Corruption of these governments. Cities of glass and steel. Palaces that stretch beyond imagination. Luxury displayed openly, cars, wealth, lifestyles curated for admiration.
He would not be impressed by skylines. He would recite the same warnings he once recited in Syria:
“Say, [O Muhammad], if your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people.” Surah At-Tawbah (9:24)
And just as before, he would be unwelcome.
If Abu Dharr Came to Visit Us
He would see masjids rising in grandeur beside shanty towns. He would see people who pray, but do not always see.
He would question how a masjid can rise in elegance while hunger lives in its shadow. Why we compete in architecture but not in charity.
He would see employers who claim Islam yet pay workers wages that cannot sustain dignity. And he would ask: what kind of Islam is this, where the one who works eats last?
He would see caste divisions amongst us, speaking, subtle hierarchies dressed in culture. And he would reject it completely, because Islam came to erase such distinctions, not preserve them.
Social Media, Status, and the Illusion of Worth.
If Abu Dharr al-Ghifari were to witness our social media age, he would not be impressed. He would see lives curated for display and opulence, luxury trips, dining, possessions turned into symbols of status.
And he would ask: is this gratitude, or arrogance? He would remind us that dignity is not in what you own, but in how you answer to Allah.
Wealth, to him, is not forbidden, it is an amanah, a trust. But when it becomes a source of pride or superiority, it becomes corruption.
Contradictions Within Islamic Movements and Gatherings.
If he were to observe some of our so called Islamic movements today, he would see layers of contradiction that sit uneasily with the spirit of Islam.
He would notice how people are quietly valued according to lineage, inherited caste and wealth , where the first questions asked are your surname to determine your caste and profession to determine your wealth, used as a way to place someone in a hierarchy of respect.
And to him, this would not be a minor cultural issue, but a distortion of the equality Islam came to establish.
He would also witness so called Islamic gatherings where food is served and consumed in abundance, where scholars are given separate seating and multi course meals as a mark of status, while just beyond those spaces people are struggling with hunger and deprivation.
In the shadow of Gaza, where suffering and starvation are real and ongoing, such displays of excess would weigh heavily on his conscience. Abu Dharr would not be impressed by the formality or grandeur, he would be deeply unsettled by the disconnect between comfort inside and suffering outside.
And his response would be ,how can a community honour knowledge and faith in celebration, while remaining indifferent to the pain of the Ummah beyond its walls?
Weddings and Displays of Excess
If Abu Dharr al-Ghifari were to walk into our weddings today, he would not see joy rooted in gratitude, but excess dressed up as celebration. He would see halls glittering with vanity, tables burdened with wasted food, and families competing not in righteousness but in display.
He, who lived a life of radical simplicity and truth, would be struck by how wealth is paraded while the cries of the poor echo from places like our own country and beyond, where hunger, loss, and hardship are daily realities.
He would not simply question our spending; he would question our hearts. How did a Ummah once defined by sacrifice become one obsessed with image?
Why do we compete in extravagance while others struggle for survival? In his presence, our justifications would fall silent, and the weight of our heedlessness would be impossible to ignore.
Those Who Embody Sincerity and Justice
At the same time, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari would also witness something that would bring him relief and approval. He would see other scholars and teachers who treat people with consistent dignity and respect, regardless of their wealth or social standing.
In their presence, the poor are not diminished, and the wealthy are not elevated; everyone is met with the same basic honour that Islam demands. And in those moments, he would be reassured.
He would recognise in them a sincerity that reflects the true spirit of Islam, the message the Prophet (saw) came to establish: a community grounded in justice, humility, and equal worth before Allah.
Quiet Builders of the Ummah: Wealth as Trust, Service, and Sincere Giving.
Amongst us, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari would also witness people who embody the spirit of selfless giving, those who quietly uplift the poor, support families in need, and invest their wealth into building infrastructure and community institutions that benefit society at large.
He would see how, across South Africa, many of these individuals and groups have played a real role in establishing schools, masjids, welfare projects, and services that continue to serve generations.
And in seeing this, he would feel a sense of approval. Because this, too, reflects something deeply rooted in the prophetic message: wealth being used as a trust to serve others, not as a means of pride or superiority.
In such people, he would see a practical expression of Islam’s moral vision, where giving is not occasional, but habitual; not performative, but sincere; and where wealth becomes a means of mercy rather than division.
The neglect of Dawah .
When Prophet Muhammad sent Abu Dharr back to his people after he embraced Islam, he did not hesitate or delay. He returned to the tribe of Banu Ghifar, and through sincerity and conviction, he called them to Islam until many embraced the faith.
Not stopping there, his influence reached the neighboring tribe of Banu Aslam, who too accepted Islam. Later, Abu Dharr came to the Prophet accompanied by delegations from both tribes, and the Prophet rejoiced at their acceptance, honoring Abu Dharr’s effort and steadfastness.
If he were to look at us today, he might ask uncomfortable questions: you who lived for centuries in India, where Muslims held power and influence, why did the majority remain untouched by Islam? What prevented you from conveying its message?
And here in South Africa, after generations of presence, why have you not carried Islam meaningfully to the indigenous majority? He would ask not only why have you neglected dawah , but also why have you neglected solidarity with the poor indigenous people?
The Champion of the Marginalised
If there is a companion whose legacy belongs to the poor, the forgotten, and the oppressed, it is Abu Dharr (RA)
He is the voice of those unseen. The dignity of those dismissed. The conscience of inequality.
From the palaces of power to the slums and refugee camps, his message remains: your worth is not your wealth.
Abu Dharr and Marx: A Question of the Soul
Many turn to Karl Marx to understand inequality. But Abu Dharr spoke of it long before him. Marx saw systems. Abu Dharr saw souls.
Marx called for revolution. Abu Dharr called for accountability. One changes structures. The other changes hearts. And without the second, the first collapses.
A Mirror We Cannot Escape
If Abu Dharr were alive today, he would not be celebrated, he would be resisted.
Because he would ask uncomfortable questions about wealth, justice, and sincerity.
He would hold up a mirror to every class of society. And that mirror would ask: What has wealth done to your Islam?
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari is not just a companion of the past. He is a mirror for the present. And the question is no longer whether we admire him, but whether we are willing to change when we see ourselves in that mirror.
Salim Mohamed Badat
Writer exploring the intersection of faith , politics and justice
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