He was an evil man: he would instruct them to give charity and urge them to do so, but whenever they brought him anything from it, he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing to the poor, until he had amassed seven large jars of gold and silver.

Salman said: “I came to hate him intensely when I saw what he was doing. Then he died, and the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them, ‘This was an evil man. He would instruct you to give charity and urge you to do so, but whenever you brought it to him, he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing of it to the poor.’ They asked, ‘How do you know that?’ I said, ‘I can show you where his treasure is.’ They said, ‘Then show us.’ So I showed them its location, and they brought out seven jars filled with gold and silver. When they saw them, they said, ‘By Allah, we shall never bury him!’ So they crucified him and then stoned him.

“Then they brought another man and put him in his place. Salman said: I had never seen a man who did not perform the five daily prayers whom I considered better than him: more ascetic regarding this world, more desirous of the Hereafter, or more diligent by night and day. I came to love him as I had loved no one before him, and I remained with him for a time. Then death came upon him, and I said to him, ‘O so-and-so, I was with you, and I came to love you as I had loved no one before you. Now what you see of Allah’s decree has come upon you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you instruct me to do?’

“He said, ‘My son, by Allah, I know of no one today who remains upon what I was upon. People have perished, altered their religion, and abandoned most of what they had once followed, except for a man in Mosul named so-and-so. He is upon what I was upon, so go to him.’

“When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Mosul and said to him, ‘O so-and-so, when so-and-so was dying, he instructed me to join you and told me that you remained upon his way.’ He said to me, ‘Stay with me.’ So I stayed with him and found him to be an excellent man, following the way of his companion. But before long, he died. When death came upon him, I said, ‘O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me to you and instructed me to join you. Now what you see of Allah’s decree has come upon you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you instruct me to do?’

“He said, ‘My son, by Allah, I know of no man upon the same way that we followed except a man in Nisibis named so-and-so. Go to him.’

“When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Nisibis. I came to him and told him my story and what my companion had instructed me to do. He said, ‘Stay with me.’ So I stayed with him and found that he followed the way of his two companions. I remained with an excellent man, but by Allah, it was not long before death came upon him. When death approached, I said to him, ‘O so-and-so, so-and-so had entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you instruct me to do?’

“He said, ‘My son, by Allah, we know of no one who remains upon our way whom I can instruct you to go to, except a man in Amorium. He is upon the same way as we are, so if you wish, go to him.’ He said, ‘For he is upon our way.’

“When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Amorium and told him my story. He said, ‘Stay with me.’ So I stayed with a man who followed the guidance and way of his companions. Salman said: I worked until I acquired some cattle and a flock of sheep. Then Allah’s decree came upon him, and when death approached, I said, ‘O so-and-so, I was with so-and-so, and so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, and so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, and then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you instruct me to do?’