All Praise is due to Allah: We Praise Him: We beg assistance of Him: We ask Him for .forgiveness.

We have faith in Him: We have reliance on Him

We fly for refuge unto Him (to deliver us) from the mischief of our minds and from the evil consequences of our actions.

Whomever Allah directs shall not go astray: and whomever He allows to go astray, no one can guide.

We profess that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and we further profess that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.

To Proceed.
A few years back when I was in KC a local fox TV station did a report called Metro Muslims Battle Prejudice for their beliefs I ask the report Tess Koppelman why she was doing the report, she said, because her boss wanted to know why so many people are coming to Islam. The news piece featured two of our local Muslims reverts and why they came to Islam. The first revert was brother Abdur Rashid Nuradeen who before coming to Islam was called Phil, and said that, I saw truth, I saw miracles in the book and couldnt disagree with anything I learned about, and I got to the point where I wanted to convert Sister Susan Basheer said that the hijab she wears is like a billboard, It says I dont drink, I dont smoke, I dont say bad words, I dont touch men, I dont eat pork, I am a Muslim and my life is centered around doing good in accordance to how God wants us to live. Brothers and sisters in Islam as one who was born into a Muslim family, I am always amazed at the story of non-Muslims who revert back to the religion of their birth which of course we believe is Islam. The reason I am amazed is to me their stories really are a journey, a quest, a yearning for the truth. So I like to share with you in this gathering one of the best examples of the quest for truth and that is the story of Salmaan Farsi, and then I will offer some reflections on his Quest for the truth in accordance to what the scholars tells us. Salmaan Farsi related his story to Ibn Abbas as follows: I was from a village in Isfahan called Jee in Persia, which is covered by modern day Iran and parts of Afghanistan. My father was the Dhaqah and also to keep of the fire lit. Now please recall that people in the Persian empire were majoos or fire worshippers. And Dhaqaan means his father was the authority in agricultural matters. and also along with Salmaan charged with keeping lit the fire. Recall that the Persians of that time were Majoos or Zoroastrians, or in others words fire worshippers. I was the most beloved son of my

father, and my role of custodian of the fire, was to never let the fire that we worshiped to go extinguished. So Salmaan lived a very sheltered life knew nothing but the Zoroastrian religion due his fathers protective care of him. My father had an estate. One day, he sent me there. I passed by a Christian church and heard them praying. I went in and saw what they were doing. I was impressed by what I saw in their prayers. I said, "This is better than our religion." I did not leave them until sunset, nor did I go to my father's estate, nor did I return to my father until he sent people to search for me. I asked the Christians about their affair and prayers, which impressed me, and about the origin of their religion. They answered, "AsShaam." As-Shaam is now Syria and Palestine and of course that is land of origin for Christianity.

Argument with father and Imprisonment

So Salaam returned home and when questioned by his father Salmaan answered and said, "I passed by people praying in a church of theirs, and I was impressed by their prayer, and I could see that their religion is better than ours." His father replied stay away from them your religion is better than theirs. And when Salmaan diagreed with his fathers, his father put him in chains and locked Salmaan in his house. So basically Salmaan was imprisoned. Salmaan says that he was able to get a message out to the Christians. The message being if you get a caravan going to Syria and please inform me.

Runaway to Ash-Shaam
So when a caravan came from Syria Salmaan was able to escape and he accompanied the caravan to Syria. So you can see how Salmaan had deep in his heart is quest for truth. Salmaan gave up everything he left his position as the family his land his wealth all to search for the truth and Syria. A trip of 900 miles. When he got to Syria he went to a church and asked the people for their leader. So the people referred Saddam and to a particular Bishop in a monastery. Salmaan went to the bishop and said I came here to learn about your religion and I want to be your student and will also serve you. The bishop agreed.

Evil Bishop
After spending some time with this Bishop Salmaan said that he had never met someone as evil as this man. This bishop was not faithful in his religion, because he used to gather money from the people to distribute it, but he would keep it for himself. Salmaan relates that he could not tell the people about the evil bishop, due to their respect for him. So look at the condition of Salmaan he gave up everything to search for the truth and ended up with a hypocrite. Nevertheless Salmaan was sincere in his quest and he made sabr. After some time this man died. And when Salmaan informed the people of the bishops misdeed and showed them the evidence the people become very angry and did not even bury the body of the hypocritical bishop. They appointed a new leader in his place.

Good Bishop#1
I have never seen a man more rightoues than he in his religion, nor more active in his bid for the Hereafter, nor more pious in the world, nor more punctual at worship. I loved him more than I had ever loved any other person before. So look how Allah Tala reaffirmed the sincere seeker of truth by rewarding Salmaan with this pious bishop. When his fate came, I asked him, "To whom would you recommend me? And to whom would you leave me?" He said, "O my son, I do not know anyone who is on the path I am and who leads the kind of life I lead, except a certain man in Mosul." Distance for this trip is 425 miles

Good Bishop #2
When he died, I went to that man in Mosul, and told him the story, and I stayed with him as long as Allah wished me to stay. Then death approached him.

Good Bishop #3
So I asked him, "To whom would you advise me to go to?" He directed me to a pious man in Nisibean in Syra." So I went to him and told him my story. I stayed with him as long as Allah wished me to stay.

Good Bishop #4
When death overtook him, I asked him as before. He told me to meet a person at Amuriah in Byzantium. So, to Byzantium I went and stayed with that man, earning my living there by rearing cattle and sheep. So look at Salmaans persistences in seeking the truth, he runaway from Isfahann, goes to Damascus, then Mosul, then Nisibean and Amuriah always seeking the good pious companionship, of learned scholars. So in Amuriah when death approach that Bishop, Salaman asked him, "To whom should I go?" He said, "O my son,I know no one anywhere who is on the path we have been on so that I can tell you to go to him. But you have been overtaken by an epoch in which there will appear a prophet in the pure creed of Ibraahim (Abraham). The bishop told Salmaan that this prophet will be from the from the Arabs. And that time that meant the Arabian peninsula. The bishop further told Salmaan that this Prophet will migrate to the place of palm trees. Then the bishop told him that this Prophet will have three signs, he does not eat of charity, yet he accepts gifts, and between his shoulders is the seal of Prophethood. When you see him, you will know him."

Arab Caravan
So Salmaan found an arab caravan and he offered all his wealth if they could take him to the Arab lands. The caravan people agreed and they took Salmaan to Wadi Al-Quraa which has some palm trees, and Salmaan thought could be the city that the bishop described.

Sold to Slavery
Here the people of the caravan betrayed Salmaan and sold him as a slave to a Jewish man. I saw many palm trees and cherished the hope that it was the land that had been described to me and which would be the future place of the advent of the prophet. So look as Salmaans sacrifices at this point he sells all his wealth in Amourih, and becomes a slave all in search again for the truth.

Relocated to Madinah
I stayed with this Jew who bought me until another from Bani Quraidhah came to him one day and bought me from him. I stayed with him until we came to Al-Madiinah. By Allah, I had hardly seen it when I knew that it was the land described to me. I stayed with the Jew, working for him on his plantation in Bani Quraidhah.

Hearing of the Prophet SAW

One day, when Salmaan was the top of a palm tree with his master sitting below. His masters cousin came and said, "May Allah destroy the children of Qayla (name given to the descendents of Aws and Khazrah). They are spreading a rumor about a man at Qubaa' who came from Makkah claiming that he is a prophet." Salamaan then sadi, by Allah, he had hardly said it, when I was seized by a tremor, and the palm tree shook until I almost fell on my master. I climbed down quickly saying, "What are you saying? What news?" My master gave me a nasty slap and said, "What have you got to do with this? Return to your work!" So Salmaan Farsi afters years of giving up his homeland, his wealth, his position as the son of the chief of his village, traveling to and from As-Shaam, Iraaq, Turkey, and the Hijaaz or western Saudi Arabia, Salmaan is this close to meeting the Prophet of Allah.

Meeting with the Prophet SAW

So, I returned to work. At nightfall I gathered what I had and went out until I came to the Prophet (PBUH) at Qubaa'. I entered and found him sitting with some of his Companions. Then I said, "You are in need and a stranger. I have some food, which I intend to give out as charity. When they showed me your lodgings, I thought you most deserve it, so I have come to you with it." I put the food down. The Prophet said to his Companions, "Eat in the name of Allah." He abstained and never took of it. I said to myself, "This, by Allah, is one sign. He does not eat of charity!"

Prophet SAW takes Gifts

I returned to meet the Prophet (PBUH) again the next day, carrying some food, and said to him (PBUH), "I can see that you do not partake of charity. I have something which I want to give to you as a present." I placed it before him. He said to his Companions, "Eat in the name of Allah" and he ate with them. So I said to myself, "This indeed is the second sign. He eats of presents."

Seeing the Seal of the Prophet

I returned and stayed away for a while. Then I came to him, and I saw him sitting, having returned from a burial, and surrounded by his Companions. He had two garments, carrying one on his shoulder and wearing the other. I greeted him, then bent to see the upper part of his back. He knew what I was looking for, so he threw aside his garment off his shoulder and, behold, the sign between his shoulders, the seal of Prophethood, was clear just as the Christian monk had described." At once I staggered towards him, kissing him and weeping. He called to me to come forward and I sat before him. I told him my story as you have already heard me describe the events.

Asking to be free
Rasullah told Salmaan Free yourself from slavery (mu-ka-tba) and when he went to his master to ask for his freedom, his master said, a huge sum of 300 palm trees, and 40 oho-qee-yah or we could say 40 ounces of gold. So when Salmaan reported his conditions of freedom to Rasullah, Rasullah announced to his sahaba your brothers needs your help. So the sahabah responded to Rasullahs and started bringing seedlings of palm trees to Salmaan. Some 10, 20, 30 depending on his means. When Salmaan had gathered the 300 seedlings Rasullah instructed him to dig the holes for each but do not plant them. Then Rasullah with his own blessed hands planted each tree, and Salmaan reported that by Allah all 300 seedlings survived. After some years those seedlings grew into palm trees, and at that point Rasullah helped Salmaan by giving him some gold donated to him reported to be the size of a small egg. Salmaan reports that he thought it was not enough. But Rasullah told him take and it will be enough and low and behold when the gold was weighed by Salmaans master it was exactly 40 ounces.

Salmaans Contribution to the cause of Islaam

Now slavery had prevented me from taking part in the battles of Badr and Uhud. But we all know that Salmaan played a crucial role after becoming free and participating in the battle of Khanaq. For it was Salmaan who give the idea of digging a ditch around Madina as defensing to the invading pagan Mecaans. With these simple clear words, Salmaan spoke of his great, noble, and sacrificial adventure for the sake of Allah, seeking after the reality of life that led him to Allah and helped him to find his role in this life and place in history.

Reflections on Salmaans Story

Some reflections and lessons we can learn from Salmaan Farsis story: Number one:

19:76 "And Allah doth advance in guidance those who sincerely seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return." So those who seek guidance Allah will for sure Allah will guide them. Rasullah says in hadith Qudsi, that Allah Tala says, if you walk towards Me I will come to you at speed. So if we take one step towards Allah, Allah will take many steps towards us. But we must show the willingness, we must take the first step. Example is Mosa AS who when fleeing from Pharoh they got trap with the Red Sea in front of them and Pharohs army behind them. The children of Isreal was trapped. But with the firm believe, Allah Tala instructed Mosa to hit the sea with his stick. Mariams example
Brothers and sisters in Islam the fox news piece I talked about earlier that reported that statistics are hard to come by but it is estimated that 38,000 people come to Islam every year. To me that is an amazing figure, and is further confirmation of the truth of Islam. That an age where Muslims and Islam is getting virtually nothing but bad press, negative image, reports of sucide bombers, Islam being equated to terrorism, Islam being equated to fascisam, an age where many Muslims many times are Muslim only name and not action, with all this negatism still thousand are entering into the fold of Islam. That to me is a further confirmation of the truth of Islam. So we thank and glorify Allah for guiding us to the path of Islam, we Ask Allah to keep us on and to ordain for us to die as Muslims.

I close with statement of sincerity that everything we do, doing or will do is for Allah:

6:162] Say, "My Prayers, my sacrifices, my living and my dying, are for Allah Lord of the universe. [6:163] "No partner has He. This is what I have been commanded to do, and I am the first of the Muslims."