and its curtains.”

He asked them, “What did he say to you?”

They replied, “He uttered a word that fills the mouth.”

Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companion came, touched the Black Stone, circumambulated the House, and prayed. I approached him and was the very first person to greet him with the greeting of Islam.

He said, “And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Who are you?”

I answered, “I am from Ghifār.”

He stretched out his hand and placed it on his forehead. I thought to myself, “He dislikes that I belong to Ghifār.” I tried to take his hand, but his companion restrained me,(1) for he knew him better than I did.

He asked, “How long have you been here?”

I replied, “Thirty—one night and one day.”

He asked, “And who has been feeding you?”

I said, “I have had no food but the water of Zamzam. I have grown so stout that the folds of my belly have split, and I have felt no trace of hunger.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “It is blessed; it is food in and of itself.”(2)

Abū Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, allow me to host him for tonight’s meal.” He gave his permission. The Prophet ﷺ [and Abū Bakr] set out, and I went with them until Abū Bakr opened a door and scooped out for us some of the raisins of al-Ṭāʾif. That was the first solid food I ate in Mecca, and I stayed with them for some time.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, “I have been directed toward a land of palm-groves, and I think it is Yathrib. Will you convey my message to your people? Perhaps Allah will benefit them through you and reward you for it.”

So I went until I reached my brother Anīs. He asked, “What have you done?” I said, “I have embraced Islam and affirmed the truth.” He replied, “I have no wish to leave your religion; I too have embraced Islam and believed.”

We then went to our mother, and she said, “I have no desire to leave your religion; I too have embraced Islam and believed.” We packed up and went to our people, Ghifār.

Some of them accepted Islam before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Medina, and Khafāf ibn Imāʾ ibn Raḥaḍah(3) al-Ghifārī—who was their leader that day—led them in prayer. The rest said, “We will embrace Islam when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrives.” When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did arrive, the remainder accepted Islam.

The tribe of Aslam then came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, our brothers have accepted Islam, and we accept what they have accepted.” [So they embraced Islam as well.] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Ghifār—may Allah forgive it; Aslam—may Allah grant it peace.”

Muslim also narrated it on the authority of Hudbah(4) ibn Khālid, from Sulaymān ibn al-Mughīrah, with a similar wording.

The story of his conversion has come down through another chain containing some unusual additions—Allah knows best. Mention of Salmān the Persian’s acceptance of Islam has already appeared in the section on the glad tidings of his mission.(5)