Narrated Abu Jamra: Ibn `Abbas said to us, "Shall I tell you the story of Abu Dhar's conversion to Islam?" We said, "Yes."He said, "Abu Dhar said: I was a man from the tribe of Ghifar. We heard that a man had appeared inMecca, claiming to be a Prophet. ! said to my brother, 'Go to that man and talk to him and bring mehis news.' He set out, met him and returned. I asked him, 'What is the news with you?' He said, 'ByAllah, I saw a man enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.' I said to him, 'You have notsatisfied me with this little information.' So, I took a waterskin and a stick and proceeded towardsMecca. Neither did I know him (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ), nor did I like to ask anyone about him.I Kept on drinking Zam zam water and staying in the Mosque. Then `Ali passed by me and said, 'Itseems you are a stranger?' I said, 'Yes.' He proceeded to his house and I accompanied him. Neither didhe ask me anything, nor did I tell him anything. Next morning I went to the Mosque to ask about theProphet but no-one told me anything about him. `Ali passed by me again and asked, 'Hasn't the manrecognized his dwelling place yet' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Come along with me.' He asked me, 'What isyour business? What has brought you to this town?'I said to him, 'If you keep my secret, I will tell you.' He said, 'I will do,' I said to him, 'We have heardthat a person has appeared here, claiming to be a Prophet.I sent my brother to speak to him and when he returned, he did not bring a satisfactory report; so Ithought of meeting him personally.' `Ali said (to Abu Dhar), 'You have reached your goal; I am goingto him just now, so follow me, and wherever I enter, enter after me. If I should see someone who maycause you trouble, I will stand near a wall pretending to mend my shoes (as a warning), and youshould go away then.' `Ali proceeded and I accompanied him till he entered a place, and I entered withhim to the Prophet (ﷺ) to whom I said, 'Present (the principles of) Islam to me.' When he did, I embracedIslam 'immediately.He said to me, 'O Abu Dhar! Keep your conversion as a secret and return to your town; and when youhear of our victory, return to us. ' I said, 'By H him Who has sent you with the Truth, I will announcemy conversion to Islam publicly amongst them (i.e. the infidels),' Abu Dhar went to the Mosque,where some people from Quraish were present, and said, 'O folk of Quraish ! I testify that None hasthe right to be worshipped except Allah, and I (also) testify that Muhammad is Allah's Slave and HisApostle.' (Hearing that) the Quraishi men said, 'Get at this Sabi (i.e. Muslim) !' They got up and beatme nearly to death. Al `Abbas saw me and threw himself over me to protect me. He then faced themand said, 'Woe to you! You want to kill a man from the tribe of Ghifar, although your trade and yourcommunications are through the territory of Ghifar?' They therefore left me. The next morning Ireturned (to the Mosque) and said the same as I have said on the previous day. They again said, 'Get atthis Sabi!' I was treated in the same way as on the previous day, and again Al-Abbas found me andthrew himself over me to protect me and told them the same as he had said the day before.' So, thatwas the conversion of Abu Dhar (may Allah be Merciful to him) to Islam."