(Sayyiduna Abu Zarr [radhiyallahu ‘anhu] – Part Six)
In the 9th year after Hijrah, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) set out with the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) towards Tabook to confront the Roman army. This expedition was marked by extreme hardship — the scorching heat, the immense distance and the scarcity of provisions — earning it the name “Jaishul ‘Usrah” (the Army of Hardship). Owing to these difficulties, many hypocrites stayed behind, concealing their insincerity beneath fabricated excuses.
As the army advanced, certain individuals began to fall behind. Whenever the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) noticed an absence, they informed Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He would reply, “Leave him. If there is good in him, Allah will soon unite him with you. If he is otherwise, then Allah has relieved you of him.” Eventually, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) mentioned that Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had fallen behind as his camel had slowed. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) responded with the same words he had uttered regarding the others.
Meanwhile, when his camel delayed him further, Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) placed his belongings on his own back and began walking on foot to catch up with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). When the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) halted, one of them exclaimed, “O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! A man is walking along the road!” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “Let it be Abu Zarr.” Upon closer look, they recognised him and said, “O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! By Allah, it is Abu Zarr!” It was then that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “May Allah have mercy on Abu Zarr. He walks alone, he will pass away alone, and he will be resurrected alone.”
This prophecy of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was realised when Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) passed away in Rabazah – a desolate, uninhabited place – with only his wife and slave present beside him. (Mustadrak Haakim #4373)
As Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) neared the final moments of his life, his wife began to weep. When he asked her the reason, she replied, “How can I not cry? You are passing away in a desolate place, I have no one to assist me with your burial, and I do not even possess enough cloth to enshroud you.” Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) comforted his wife, telling her not to weep. He reassured her with the glad tidings Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had conveyed — that no two believers who patiently endure the loss of two or three of their children, seeking reward from Allah Ta‘ala, will ever see the fire of Jahannam.
After consoling her, Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) shared another statement of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) which he had heard while among a group of Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum): “One man among you will certainly pass away in a barren land, and a group of believers will be present (at his funeral).” He then said, “Every one of those (who heard the prophecy) has passed away in a village or among people. I am the one who will die in a barren land. By Allah! I have neither spoken a lie, nor has a lie been told to me.” (Musnad Ahmad #21373)
Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) instructed his wife and slave that after his passing, they should perform his ghusl, enshroud him and place his body by the roadside. They should then stop the first caravan that passed and request their assistance for the burial. When he passed away, they carried out his instructions accordingly and laid his body on the road.
As destined, the first group to pass by was Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), accompanied by a group from Iraq travelling for ‘umrah. They were startled to find a body lying on the road, nearly trampled by their camels. The slave approached them and said, “This is Abu Zarr, the companion of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Please assist us in burying him.”
Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) began to weep and said, “Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) spoke the truth.” He then repeated the words that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mentioned during the journey to Tabook: “You walk alone, you will pass away alone, and you will be resurrected alone.” Thereafter, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and his companions offered the janaazah salaah of Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and buried him. After the burial, he narrated to them the incident of Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) which had taken place during the expedition to Tabook. (Tabaqaat Ibni Sa’d vol. 4, pg. 234 and Usdul Ghaabah vol. 4, pg. 437)
Lessons:
1. True conviction in the words of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) grants a believer unwavering certainty in the unseen. Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had complete faith in the prophecy that one of them would die alone in a barren land, and he recognised himself as the one. With profound calm, he prepared for his death, confident that a group of believers would attend his burial.
2. Hope in Allah Ta‘ala’s mercy is a pillar of strength for a believer, especially in old age when death approaches. Sayyiduna Abu Zarr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) demonstrated this beautifully when he faced death in an isolated place, comforting his wife with the glad tidings Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had given to parents who patiently endure the loss of their children.
