For which of the following virtues can the Caliph condemn Abu Zar? For
excellence, good deeds, knowledge, piety, Islam, faith, good manners, nobilities,
good conduct, nice conduct in past and later?1 And he punished him and was
always sending him to exile and recalling him and he was mounted on a wild
camel and taken from place to place.
Five persons from Saqaliba2 forcibly drove his camel fast to Medina. The
flesh of his thighs was torn off and he was on the verge of death. They continued
to torture him on the way, till he was sent to his last banishment in Rabdha,
where he died without water and food and the extreme heat scorched his body.
He did not have any affectionate friend, who would have assisted him.
No one from his community was present to bury him. He – may God forgive
him – died alone and would be raised alone. As Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) had
informed him of this excellence. Allah, the Mighty and High above those two, is
the best defender of the oppressed!
Indeed, Caliph bestowed unprecedented wealth [millions] to his family and
close confidants, and there was no one among them who could have reached the
excellence of Abu Zar or could blame Abu Zar for even an iota of blemish. What
impelled them to deprive Abu Zar from his share from Public Treasury and needs
of subsistence? And he was compelled to leave the neighborhood of Messenger
of Allah (s.a.w.a.) to a place, which was most inhabitable.
Why they banned people from having social intercourse with Abu Zar?3 And
why people forsook his company in Medina?
Why Uthman prohibited people to interact with him? And why the Caliph
forbade people to see him off and sent Marwan to assure that no one speaks to Abu Zar. Yes, Abu Zar, criticized what was going on at that time. Like
prodigality in bestowals without the recipient having any eligibility. And
opposition to Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) in these bestowals and whatever
contradicted holy Sunnah; and harassment and torture of those, who had
precedence in Islam at the hands of the rulers from the Umayyads, who were men
of corruption and transgression.
They thought that their power was established; and believed that listening to
Abu Zar and his like from the pious companions would distance them from
power; or those, who had amassed that wealth with speed and greed, they feared
that if someone listens to him, what they had would be taken away. So they
united against him and instigated the Caliph against him till it came to pass
whatever occurred.
The Caliph was a prisoner of the selfish desires of his people and acted
according to their lust and his heart was full of love for the sons of his father even
though they were accursed ones of Quran.
Abu Zar did not restrain them from gathering wealth obtained through
proper channels and he did not want to divest anyone of a property that he
obtained through lawful means. On the contrary, he found fault with those, who
usurped rights of Muslims and plundered the property of God, like camels graze
fresh grass, who confined wealth to themselves and deprived others from it; and
he did not want, except what Allah, the Mighty and the High has intended in the
following statements:
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ ٱلذَّهَبَ وَٱلْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍۢ (٣٤)
“And (as for) those who hoard up gold and silver and do not
spend it in Allah’s way, announce to them a painful
chastisement,”4
And what the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) had brought regarding the
material aspects.
In his Musnad, Ahmad has narrated from Ahnaf bin Qays that:5 I was in
Medina and saw a man that whenever people saw him they fled from him. I
asked: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am Abu Zar, companion of Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.a.).” I asked: “Why people flee from you?” He replied: “I forbid
them from hoarding wealth just as Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) did.”
In Fathul Bari,6 it is quoted from a person that: “The fact is that the criticism
of Abu Zar was for rulers, who gathered wealth for themselves and did not spend
it in the right manner.”