Sahih al-Bukhari 3861

It is related that Ibn 'Abbas said, "When Abu Dharr heard that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had been sent, he said to his brother, "Go this valley and bring me some information about this man who claims that he is a Prophet to whom reports come from heaven. Listen to what he says and then come to me.' So his brother went until he reached him and listened to what he said and then returned to Abu Dharr. He said to him, 'I saw him commanding good character and words which are not poetry.' He said, 'You have not satisfied what I wanted.' So he got provisions and took a bag with some water in it and went out to Makka. He went to the mosque and looked for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, although he did not know him, but he disliked to ask anyone about him. When part of the night had gone, 'Ali saw him and recognised that he was a stranger. When he saw him, he follows him and neither of them asked his companion about anything until morning. Then he took his bag and provision to the mosque and the day remained like that, without him seeing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until evening. He returned to his resting-place and 'Ali passed by him and said, 'Has not the man recognised his house yet?' So he woke up him and took him with him and neither of them asked his companion about anything until it was the third day. 'Ali did the same and Abu Dharr stayed with him. Then he said, 'Will you not tell me what has brought you?' He said, 'If you give me a pledge and promise to guide me, I will do that.' So he did that and he told him. He said, 'It is true. He is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In the morning, follow me. If I see something which causes me to fear for you, I will stop as if I am going to pass water. If I go on, follow me and enter where I enter.' He did it and followed after him until he went in to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he entered with him. He listened to what he said and became Muslim immediately. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, 'Return to your people and inform them until my command comes to you.' He said, 'By the One who has my soul in His hand, I will shout it out in the midst of them!' So he went out until he came to the mosque where Quraysh were and called out in at the top of his voice, 'I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!' Then the people got up and beat him until they threw him to the ground. Al-'Abbas came and put himself over him and said, 'Woe to you! Do you not know that he is from Ghifar and your trade rout to Syria goes through them?' So he saved him from them. Then he did the same thing the next day and they beat him and attacked him, and al-'Abbas put himself over him."

‘Amr ibn ‘Abbas related to me: ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mahdi related to us: Al-Muthanna related to us on the authority of Abu Jamrah, on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: When Abu Dharr heard of the advent of the Prophet, he said unto his brother: Proceed to that valley and enlighten me about that man who claimeth to be a prophet and to receive communications from Heaven. Listen to some of his sayings and then return unto me.—So the brother went forth, reached the Prophet and heard some of his sayings. Thereafter he returned to Abu Dharr and said unto him: I found that he enjoineth the highest principles of morality, and that his speech is not poetry.—But [Abu Dharr] said: Thou hast not been able to satisfy me. Thereupon he took some provisions, together with an old waterskin full of water, and proceeded to Mecca. [There] he went to the mosque and began to look for the Prophet—for he knew him not, and was loath to ask about him—; and thus he spent part of the night. Thereupon ‘Ali saw him and knew him to be a stranger; and when [Abu Dharr] met ‘Ali l, he went with him [to the Latter’s house] And until daybreak neither of the two asked any questions of the other. Then [Abu Dharr] betook himself with his waterskin and his provisions to the mosque and passed that day until evening without finding the Prophet. Then he returned to his resting place [in the mosque] And ‘Ali passed by him and said: Is it not time that a man should know his abode?—And he made him rise and took him to his house, neither of the two asking any question of the other. And on the third day ‘Ali did likewise, and [Abu Dharr] stayed with him. Thereafter [‘Ali] said: Wilt thou not tell me what hath brought thee here?— [Abu Dharr] answered: I will do so if thou promise me that thou wilt guide me aright.—And [‘Ali] agreed to this. Thereupon [Abu Dharr] told him [all] [‘Ali] said: Behold, it is true, and he is [indeed] an Messenger of Allah! To-morrow morning, then, follow me. If I see any danger for thee, I shall stop as if to pass water; but if I go on, thou follow me and enter the place which I enter.—[Abu Dharr] did so, and followed the other until he entered the Prophet’s house; and [Abu Dharr] went in with him. Then he listened to some of the Prophet’s sayings and embraced Islam on the spot. Thereupon the Prophet said unto him: Return unto thy people and inform them [about me] and await my bidding.—[Abu Dharr] cried out: By Him in Whose hand is my soul! indeed I shall loudly proclaim this [truth] among the idolaters Then he left and went to the mosque and called out at the top of his voice: I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah!—Thereupon the people [of Mecca] fell upon him and beat him and threw him to the ground. And there came al-‘Abbas and covered him with his own body, crying: Woe unto you! Know ye not that he belongeth to [the tribe of] Ghifar, and that your merchants’ road to Syria [passeth through their country]?—And so he rescued him from them. On the morrow, [Abu Dharr] did the same again, and they fell upon him and beat him, and [again] al-‘Abbas covered him with his own body.