So every man in the company had, at one time or another, held one of those posts, all save a young man from the Ansar. He said, “I will attend to you. In my saddlebag (1) are two pieces of cloth spun by my mother, and I have on me one of the two garments I am wearing.” Abu Dharr replied, “You are indeed the one; then shroud me.” (2)

Ibn Saʿd then said: Ishaq ibn Abi Israʾil narrated to us, saying: Yahya ibn Sulaym narrated to us, from Ibn Khuthaym, from Mujahid, from Ibrahim ibn al-Ashtar, from his father, that when death approached Abu Dharr and his wife began to weep … he recounted the story and added: the Ansari was the one who wrapped him in a shroud, together with the party that witnessed his death; among them were Hujr ibn al-Adbar and Malik ibn al-Ashtar.

Ibn Ishaq said: Buraida ibn Sufyan narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Kaʿb al-Qurazi, from Ibn Masʿud, who said:

When ʿUthman banished Abu Dharr to al-Rabadha and his appointed time came there, no one remained with him but his wife and his servant. He instructed them: “Wash me, shroud me, and place me on the roadside. When the first caravan passes by, say, ‘This is Abu Dharr—help us with him.’”

They obeyed. Abdullah ibn Masʿud then arrived with a party of Iraqis who were performing the pilgrimage, and they were startled to find him lying there, the camels almost trampling him. The servant stood and announced, “This is Abu Dharr, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

Abdullah burst into tears and said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke the truth: ‘You will walk…’”