Abu Darda

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Abu Darda was one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

1 Biography
2 Teaching
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography

Abu Darda was a trader in Madinah who converted from Judaism to Islam after hearing Muhammad's teachings. He was declared the brother of Salman the Persian ^[1] and served as a judge in Syria during the caliph Uthmaan's reign.

[edit] Teaching

Darda's own preaching focused on the insignificance of worldly wealth and the minor details of life. According to him, this life was comparable to a loan.

He also strongly advocated the acquisition of knowledge, saying, “None of you can be pious unless he is knowledgeable, and he cannot enjoy knowledge unless he applies it practically.” Abu Darda praised scholars of Islam greatly for their knowledge and application of it. He lauded both student and the teacher, saying they would receive equal reward.

Darda also preached the importance of strength in relationships, saying, “ To admonish your brother is better than to lose him. Give your brother advice and be tender with him, but do not agree with his covetousness lest you should be like him.” The reference to brothers is generally interpreted to refer to the wider Muslim family, rather than immediate siblings^{[citation needed]}.