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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Great Companion of the Prophet (s) Abu Dharr (ra) Chapter 14 Abu Dharr was a truthful man. He used to admonish others fearlessly to do lawful acts. Mu'awiyah was a worldly man. Abu Dharr very often used to direct him to do what is good till people began to feel ashamed of the residents of Syria. One day Mu'awiyah said to Abu Dharr, "You are not so virtuous as to direct me to do good deeds before the public. Hearing this Abu Dharr said, “Be quiet!

Shame on you!" In short, when Mu'awiyah could not mend his ways and could not suppress Abu Dharr's tongue, he decided to banish him from Syria. Consequently he resolved to send him to Jabal al-'Amul. Subaiti says that when Abu Dharr called the people there towards Ahlul Bayt they readily accepted the invitation! As the area was quite extensive his call did not remain confined only within the internal limits of Jabal al-'Amul but reached the adjoining areas as well.

It is obvious that Mu'awiyah had sent Abu Dharr from Syria to Jabal al-'Amul only because he thought that his preaching activities among those strangers would come to a stand-still, but when he came to know that Abu Dharr with his fiery speech had made the people in Jabal al-'Amul inclined towards the truth, (Allamah Subaiti writes that Abu Dharr made the people devotees of Ahlul Bayt through his preachings and laid the foundations of two masjids there one at Sirfand which is situated near the river bank between Sur and Sayda and the second in Mes situated at Haulah) [^1] he called him back to Syria immediately.

Abu Dharr restarted his work on his arrival in Syria. He used to sit at Bab Damishq (Gate of Damascus), after the morning prayers, and when he saw the line of camels laden with the government owned goods he called in a loud voice: "People! This line of camels which is coming is not laden with goods but with fire.

Accursed be the people, who direct others to do good but do not do good themselves, and woe be to those who prohibit others from evils but commit them themselves"[^2] Then he rose from there and went to the gate of Mu'awiyah's palace and made the same speech. This had become his routine and he used to do it regularly. At last, Mu'awiyah got him arrested. Abu Dharr had in view the tradition, which has been quoted by Khatib al-Baghdadi and Ahmad bin Hanbal.

According to this tradition the Holy Prophet said to his companions: "O my companions! Listen attentively.