Abu ad-Darda [radiyallahu anh]

Abu ad-Darda (radiyallahu anh) embraced Islam in the second year of Hijrah, after the Battle of Badr. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) paired him and declared him brothers with Abdullah ibn Rawaha, or according to another narration, with Awf ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with them both.

During the final days of Abu Bakr's caliphate, Abu ad-Darda served as the army’s judge in the Battle of Yarmouk, marking the first instance of such a role in Islamic history. He narrated many hadiths from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Abu ad-Darda was renowned among the Companions for his knowledge of tafsir, fiqh, hadith, and Qur’anic recitation. During his years of dedicated service as a judge, he sometimes called back litigants to reconsider and listen to their cases again. 

He passed away in 652 in Damascus, where he was buried. Today, there are two sites in Uskudar and Eyup in Istanbul deemed to be possible locations of his grave. 

May Allah be pleased with him. Here are a few glimpses from his life.

A Brother in Islam and Ignorance

Abu ad-Darda and Abdullah ibn Rawaha, may Allah be pleased with them both, were known for their close friendship and even brotherhood in the pre-Islamic period in Medina. When Islam spread in Medina, Abdullah ibn Rawaha embraced it, but Abu ad-Darda held back. Despite this, Abdullah ibn Rawaha maintained their bond, regularly visiting Abu ad-Darda and inviting him to Islam. Their bond was so strong that Abdullah ibn Rawaha would ask about his brother Abu ad-Darda first whenever he returned from a battle.

Like Prophet Ibrahim

One day, while Abu ad-Darda was away for trade, Abdullah ibn Rawaha, may Allah be pleased with him, visited his house. He greeted Abu ad-Darda's wife, Umm ad-Darda, and inquired about his whereabouts. Learning he was away, Abdullah ibn Rawaha sought permission to enter the house, which she granted, and then she left. Abdullah ibn Rawaha, with the axe he brought, destroyed Abu ad-Darda’s cherished idol and then left. When his wife returned and saw the shattered idol, she sat down and cried, 

- You have destroyed us, O Ibn Rawaha! You have destroyed us!

Upon returning home and finding his wife weeping over the broken idol, Abu ad-Darda furiously asked what had happened. She replied, 

- Your brother Abdullah came while you were away and did this to our idol. 

Suddenly, Abu ad-Darda's anger subsided. Reflecting silently, he realized that an idol unable to protect itself could not be a god. He then went to Abdullah ibn Rawaha, and together they went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, where Abu ad-Darda embraced Islam.

Trading Worship for Trade

After converting to Islam, Abu ad-Darda lamented the good deeds he had missed earlier in his life. He focused on knowledge, worship, and memorizing the Quran. He abandoned trade because it consumed his time and distracted him from worship. When someone asked why he did so, Abu ad-Darda replied, 

- Before I submitted to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), I was a merchant. After embracing Islam, I tried to balance trade and worship but could not. So, I gave up trade and devoted myself to worship. By Allah, I would not trade a single prayer performed in the mosque with the congregation for three hundred gold coins earned from trade each day. I am not saying that Allah has forbidden trade. I just want to be among those whom trade and commerce do not distract from the remembrance of Allah, as mentioned in the Qur’an.

Enemy to Sin

After the Prophet's passing, Umar (radiyallahu anh) appointed Abu ad-Darda (radiyallahu anh) as a judge in Damascus. While walking through the city one day, he noticed a group of people gathered around someone they were cursing and beating. He intervened, asking why they were doing this. 

- This man committed a great sin, they replied.

Abu ad-Darda responded, 

- If this brother of yours had fallen into a well, wouldn’t you try to pull him out?

- Of course we would! they answered.

- Then do not curse or beat him. Instead, offer him advice and kind words to help him out of his sin. And thank Allah for not putting you in the same situation, he said.

- Why aren’t you angry with this man? they asked.

- I despise his sin, but when he abandons it, he is still my brother, Abu ad-Darda replied.

Hearing this, the sinner began to weep and repent.

“What Have We Done After Him?”

As was his custom, Umar (radiyallahu anh) visited Damascus to inspect his officials. One night, he went to visit Abu ad-Darda (radiyallahu anh). He gently knocked on the door, which opened on its own as it was not locked. Umar greeted loudly, and Abu ad-Darda came out to welcome him and invited him inside.

They sat in a room and began to talk, though it was dark and they couldn’t see each other. While conversing, Umar felt around with his hand and realized that Abu ad-Darda was sitting on a saddle. He then touched Abu ad-Darda's bed and discovered it was made of stone. The covering he used was so thin it couldn’t possibly provide warmth. Umar exclaimed, 

- May Allah have mercy on you, Abu ad-Darda. Haven’t I provided you with a stipend? Don’t I send you your share from the spoils of Badr? Why are you living in such hardship?

Abu ad-Darda replied, 

- O Umar, don’t you remember what the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) told us before his passing?

- What did he say? asked Umar.

- He said, ‘Let your provisions be like those of a traveler.’

- Yes, he did say that, Umar acknowledged.

- Then what have we done after him, O Umar? Abu ad-Darda asked.

Upon hearing this, both of them wept together in silence until dawn.