The following is adapted from Imam Ghazali Publishing’s Morning and Evening Invocations and from the forthcoming book Glimpses of the Lives of the Companions.
ABU AD-DARDA’ al-Khazraji al-Ansari رضي الله عنه was a noble sahabi who was an authority on the Qur’an. He was renowned for his piety, abstinence and strict adherence to the religion. Faith in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ permeated his entire being. He was one of the few who collected the Qur’an as it was being revealed.
His Acceptance of Islam رضي الله عنه
One morning, ‘Uwaymir ibn Malik al-Khazraji, also known as Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه, woke up early and went to his personal idol, which he kept in the best spot of the house. He rubbed the idol with the most expensive perfume sold at his shop, and draped it with an exquisite silk cloak which had been gifted to him the day before by a trader returning from Yemen.
Before he accepted Islam, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه was a merchant who sold perfumes.
After sunrise, Abu al-Darda’ left the house and headed to his shop. He found the streets of Medina packed with the followers of Muhammad ﷺ, who had just returned from the Battle of Badr. In front of them were the prisoners of war they had captured from the Quraysh. Abu al-Darda’ initially turned away from the crowds, but he quickly turned back and approached a young man also from the Khazraj tribe, and asked him about ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه.
His fellow tribesman told him: “He fought with the utmost courage and has returned safely, carrying many spoils of war.”
Several hadith included in The 40 Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi are reported from Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه.
Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه was relieved at the news. The young man had shown no surprise at his enquiry, for everyone knew about the strong bonds of friendship between Abu al-Darda’ and ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه. The two men were like brothers in Jahiliyyah, but when Islam had arrived, ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه had chosen to embrace the religion, whereas Abu al-Darda’ had turned away. But this had not cut the ties between them, and ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه would still visit Abu al-Darda’ on a regular basis, persistently and enthusiastically calling him to Islam, and regretting every day his friend remained an idol worshipper.
Abu al-Darda’ arrived at his shop, sat on his high stool, and began his daily activities buying and selling, instructing his workers as usual. Meanwhile, he was completely oblivious to events at his house.
At the same time, ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه had gone to visit his friend’s home, determined to carry out a certain task. When he arrived, the front door was open and he saw Umm al-Darda’ رضي الله عنها, the wife of Abu al-Darda’, standing in the courtyard.
He رضي الله عنه greeted her: “May peace be upon you, O slave of Allah.”
“And may peace be upon you, O brother of Abu al-Darda’”, she replied.
“Where is Abu al-Darda’?” he رضي الله عنه asked.
“He has gone to his shop, but he will return soon”, she replied.
“May I come in?” ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه asked.“
You are welcome”, Umm al-Dardā’ replied, clearing the way for him. Then, she went into her room, busying herself with the affairs of the house and taking care of the children.
Before he accepted Islam, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه was in the habit of rubbing his household idol with the most expensive perfume sold at his shop
‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه quietly entered the room in which Abu al-Darda’ kept his idol, and took out an adze he had brought with him. He set upon the idol, cutting it to pieces with the adze, saying repeatedly: “Everything called upon apart from Allah is worthless.” When he was finished, he left the house.
When Umm al-Darda’ later went into the room, she was flabbergasted. The idol lay decimated, its limbs splintered and scattered on the ground. Umm al-Darda’ was overwhelmed by the sight and began slapping her cheeks and crying out: “You have destroyed me, O Ibn Rawahah, you have destroyed me!”
Two of the du’a included in Shaykh Thaika Shu’aib’s Morning and Evening Invocations are mentioned in hadith narrations reported by Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه.
It was not long before her husband arrived home. Abu al-Darda’ found his wife sitting at the entrance to his idol’s room, crying and wailing with grief. He also noticed signs of fear in her countenance. “What is wrong?” he asked.
“While you were gone, your brother ‘Abdullāh ibn Rawahah came round”, she replied, “and you can see what he has done to your idol.”
When Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه glanced into the room, he found his idol had been reduced to debris. He was enraged, and determined to take revenge on his idol’s behalf.
After a few moments, however, his temper settled and he calmed down. Reflecting on what had happened, he said to himself: “If this idol was any good, it would have protected itself from harm.”
Leaving his misguidance behind him, he went straight to ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahah رضي الله عنه. The two of them went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه announced his acceptance of Islam, and became the last person in his neighbourhood to embrace the religion.
His Devotion to Islam رضي الله عنه
From the time he became a Muslim, he رضي الله عنه devoted himself completely to Islam. He deeply regretted every moment he had spent as a mushrik and the opportunities he had lost to do well. He realized how much his friends had learned about Islam in the preceding two or three years, how much of the Qur’an they had memorized and the opportunities they had to devote themselves to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
He رضي الله عنه made up his mind to expend every effort to try to make up for what he had missed. ‘Ibada occupied his days and nights. His search for knowledge was restless. He memorised the Qur’an and sought to understand the profundity of its message.
His Giving Up His Business رضي الله عنه
When he رضي الله عنه saw that business and trade disturbed the sweetness of his ‘ibada and kept him away from the mosque, he reduced his involvement without hesitation or regret.
After he became a Muslim, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه decided to give up his business as a perfume merchant in order to devote himself to worship.
Someone asked him رضي الله عنه why he did this and he replied:
I was a merchant before my pledge to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I became a Muslim, I wanted to combine tijara (trade) and ‘ibada (worship), but I did not achieve what I desired. So I abandoned tijara and inclined towards ‘ibada.
He added:
By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Abu ad-Darda’, what I want to have is a shop near the door of the mosque so that I do not miss any salat with the congregation. Then I shall sell and buy and make a modest profit every day. I am not saying that Allah—Great and Majestic is He—has prohibited trade, but I want to be among those whom neither trade nor selling distracts from the remembrance of Allah.
He also abandoned his hitherto soft and luxurious lifestyle. He ate only what was sufficient to keep him upright and wore clothes that were simple and sufficient to cover his body.
His Asceticism رضي الله عنه
Not only did Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه sacrifice his business, he completely abandoned the luxuries and comforts of worldly life, sufficing with occasional morsels to satisfy his stomach, and coarse clothes to cover his body.
When asked about his decision to give up his business, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه explained, “I was a merchant before my pledge to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I became a Muslim, I wanted to combine tijara (trade) and ‘ibada (worship), but I did not achieve what I desired. So I abandoned tijara and inclined towards ‘ibada.”
He once had visitors on a bitterly cold night, and he sent them hot food but no blankets. When they wished to sleep, they started discussing what had happened to the blankets. One of the visitors said they would go and speak to Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه. One of the others suggested that they leave the matter, but he refused, and went on his way.
When he got to the door of their host, he saw Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه lying down with his wife seated beside him. They were covered by only a thin sheet which would neither protect them from heat nor shield them from cold.
The man said to Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه: “I see that you are spending the night just like us! Where are your possessions?”
“We have another house that we send all our possessions, and if we had anything here we would have sent it to you. The path we are going to take to our other house has many difficult obstacles, so it is better to travel light. So, we wished to relinquish some of our burden in order to ease our passage.”
A number of the hadith included in Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya were narrated by Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه.
Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه asked the man if he understood.
“Yes, I have understood,” the man replied, “and may you be rewarded.”
After the Prophetic Age
During his Caliphate, amir al-mu’minin ‘Umar b. al-Khattab رضي الله عنه wanted to appoint him رضي الله عنه as a governor in Syria. The latter refused.
‘Umar رضي الله عنه persisted, and so he replied:
If you are content that I should go to them to teach them the Book of their Lord and the Sunna of their Prophet ﷺ and pray with them, I shall go.
‘Umar رضي الله عنه agreed and Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه left for Damascus.
When he arrived in Damascus, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه. found the people immersed in luxury and soft living. This appalled him. He called the people to the Masjid and rebuked them, moving them to sobs and tears.
From then on, he began to frequent the meeting places of the people of Damascus and market places where he taught and answered questions and exhorted anyone who had become heedless. He used every opportunity and every occasion to awaken people and to set them on the right path.
When ‘Umar رضي الله عنه Visited Him رضي الله عنه in Damascus
Once, Sayyiduna ‘Umar رضي الله عنه visited him at his home during a visit to Damascus. It was night and there was no light in the house.
He رضي الله عنه welcomed ‘Umar رضي الله عنه and they sat down.
When Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه arrived in Damascus, he found the people immersed in luxury and soft living. From then on, he used every opportunity and every occasion to awaken people and to set them on the right path.
The two men conversed in darkness. As they did so, ‘Umar رضي الله عنه felt his “pillow” and realized it was an animal’s saddle. He touched the place where he lay and knew it was covered with small pebbles. He felt the sheet with which he covered himself and found it so flimsy that there was no way it could possibly protect him from the cold of Damascus.
‘Umar رضي الله عنه asked him:
Shouldn’t I make things more comfortable for you? Shouldn’t I send something for you?
He رضي الله عنه replied:
Do you remember a hadith that the Prophet a told us?
‘Umar رضي الله عنه asked:
What is it?
He رضي الله عنه said:
Did he not say, “Let what is sufficient for anyone of you in this world be like the provisions of a rider?”
‘Umar رضي الله عنه replied:
Yes.
He رضي الله عنه said:
And what have we done after this, O ‘Umar?
Both men رضي الله عنهم were moved to tears, thinking about the vast riches that had come the way of Muslims with the expansion of Islam and their preoccupation with amassing wealth and worldly possessions. With deep sorrow and sadness, both men continued to reflect on this situation until the break of dawn.
When ‘Umar رضي الله عنه visited Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه in Damascus, he noticed that his “pillow” was actually an animal’s saddle.
His Death رضي الله عنه
Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه stayed in Damascus, reminding and exhorting the people, and teaching them the Book and wisdom until his time of certainty arrived.
During his final illness, some of his companions came to visit. “What do you complain of?” they asked.
“My sins”, he رضي الله عنه replied.
“And what do you desire?” they asked.
“The pardon of my Lord”, he replied.
Then, Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه said to those who were present: “Make sure I say: ‘There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’”
A number of the discussions in Shaykh ‘Abdullah Siraj al-Din’s Recitation of the Glorious Qur’an included hadith narrated by Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه.
And he رضي الله عنه continued to utter these sacred words until he had taken his final breath.
After Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه had passed away, ‘Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i experienced a dream where he saw a vast green meadow filled with lush, shady trees. There was a large domed tent made from leather, and sheep more beautiful than he had ever seen sitting on the grass around the tent.
“Who does this belong to?” he asked.
“‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf”, a voice replied.
Then, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf رضي الله عنه came out of the tent and said to him: “O Ibn Malik, this is what Allah has given us in the Qur’an, and if you follow that path you will see things your eyes have never seen, hear things your ears have never heard, and find things your heart has never imagined.”
“Who does it all belong to, O Abu Muhammad?” he replied.
“Allah prepared all this for Abu al-Darda’, for he pushed away the worldly life with his palms and his chest.”
Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه entered the isthmus in 32 AH (652).
Du’a transmitted through him رضي الله عنه
Several well-known du’a are transmitted through Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه. They include:
Sayyiduna Abu ad-Darda’s رضي الله عنه Verse of Supreme Sufficiency
Allah is enough for me, there is no god but Him; in Him I trust, and He is the Lord of the Glorious Throne.
Surah al-Tawbah, 9:129 - (read 7 times)
Abu ad-Darda’ رضي الله عنه said:
If anyone says seven times morning and evening; “Allah suffices me: there is no god but He; I put my trust in Him; He is the Lord of the Supreme Throne” Allah will be sufficient for him against anything which grieves him, whether he is true or false in [repeating] them.
Morning and Evening Invocations contains two famous du’a transmitted from Abu ad-Darda’ رضي الله عنه. It’s available both in paperback and as a free ebook.
Abu Dawud’s Sunan: 5081 in mawquf form; Ibn as-Sunْni: 71)
Sayyiduna Abu ad-Darda’s رضي الله عنه Expression of Complete Reliance
O Allah, You are my Lord · none has the right to be worshipped except You · In You I place my trust · You are the Lord of the Mighty Throne · What Allah wills, shall be and what He does not will, shall not · There is no power or strength except by Allah, the Most High, the Mighty ·
I know that Allah has power over all things · and that He encompasses everything with His knowledge · O Allah, I seek protection with You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of every beast that You hold by the forelock · Verily, my Lord is on a straight path.
Abu al-Darda’ رضي الله عنه was told, “Your house has caught fire!” (A fire had broken out in his quarter).
He رضي الله عنه said, “Allah will never do that!”
He رضي الله عنه was told three times but he continued to say, “Allah will never do that!”
Then someone came up to him and said, “O Abu ad-Darda’, the fire went out when it came near your house!”
He said, “I already knew that.”
He was then told, “We do not know which of your two statements was more astonishing!”
To which he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘If one says these words in the daytime or at night, nothing will hurt him.’ So I recited them. They are, “Allahumma anta Rabbi...”
Ibn Asakir and ad-Dailami’s kanz al-ummal: 2/163; at-Tabarani’s ad-Du’a: 343; Ibn as-Sunni: 56 & 57)
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Morning and Evening Invocations contains two famous du’a transmitted from Abu ad-Darda’ رضي الله عنه. It’s available both in paperback and as a free ebook.