The Traveler Who Sought a Prophet

The Boy Who Sought the Truth

In a village in Persia lived a young man named Salman.

He lived near Isfahan, in a village called Jiyan.

Persia corresponds mainly to present-day Iran.

Salman's father was an important man in his village.

He owned land and many possessions.

But above all, he loved his son very much.

He loved him so much that he feared something might happen to him.

So he kept him close.

Very close.

So much so that Salman lived almost confined to the family home and knew little of the outside world.

At that time, Salman and his family practiced Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism was an ancient religion practiced especially in Persia, in which fire held an important place.

Salman was very serious in this religion.

He had even been entrusted with the responsibility of tending the fire used in their worship so that it would not go out.

That was the world he knew.

His family.

His village.

The religion of his parents.

And almost nothing else.

Until the day his father asked him to go out.

A Mission for His Father

Salman's father also owned a large agricultural estate.

Usually, he went there himself to supervise the work.

But one day, an important matter detained him.

He then called Salman and said to him:

— O my son! As you see, I am very busy today and cannot go to the estate. Go and take care of it in my place.

So Salman left the house.

His mission was simple:

go to his father's estate.

But on the road, something caught his attention.

Voices.

They came from a building.

Salman approached.

He discovered it was a Christian place of worship.

Then he heard the people inside praying.

Salman knew very little about this religion.

His father had kept him so isolated from the outside world that he had almost never had the chance to discover other beliefs.

So he entered.

An Unexpected Discovery

Salman observed the Christians during their prayer.

He stayed with them.

He listened.

He watched their way of worshipping.

And what he discovered deeply affected him.

He came to think:

their religion is better than ours.

Salman had left home to accomplish a very specific task.

But he did not go to the estate.

He stayed in that place of worship.

Hours passed.

And Salman stayed there until sunset.

Before leaving, a question naturally came to him:

— Where does this religion come from?

The Christians answered him:

— From Sham.

Sham refers to a large region including notably the present-day territories of Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Salman now knew a name.

Sham.

But he had to go home first.

And his absence had not gone unnoticed.

The Return

When Salman returned, his father was waiting for him.

He was worried.

His son was supposed to simply go to the estate.

But he had disappeared all day.

His father asked him:

— Where were you?

Salman did not hide what had happened.

He told him that he had met Christians.

That he had entered their place of worship.

That he had watched them pray.

Then he told him what he now thought.

He considered their religion better than that of his family.

His father rejected this idea.

He tried to convince Salman that their own religion was better.

But Salman persisted.

What he had discovered that day had created in him a question that he could no longer simply forget.

His father then understood that his son was truly in danger of abandoning the family religion.

And he made a radical decision.

Prisoner in His Own House

Salman's father prevented him from going out.

According to the account, he chained him in the house.

Salman, whom his father had always wanted to protect from the outside world, was now confined at home.

But that did not make what he had discovered disappear.

He now knew that beyond his village existed other people, other beliefs, other men who claimed to know the truth.

And above all, he knew a destination:

Sham.

Salman then managed to secretly send a message to the Christians he had met.

He asked them to notify him when a caravan would leave for Sham.

A caravan is a group of travelers who move together over long distances, often with animals carrying goods.

Then he waited.

One day, the message arrived.

A caravan was about to leave.

It might be his only chance.

Salman managed to get rid of what was holding him.

Then he left the house.

He left behind his father.

His village.

His possessions.

The life he had always known.

And he left with the caravan.

Destination:

Sham.

He did not know what he would find there.

He only knew that he wanted to understand.

The First Man He Chose to Follow

When he arrived in Sham, Salman asked a question:

— Who is the best among the people of this religion?

He was directed to a Christian religious leader.

A bishop is a religious leader in Christianity.

Salman went to him.

He explained that he wanted to learn this religion and stay with him.

The man accepted.

So Salman began to serve him and to learn.

He had traveled an immense distance to get here.

He had left his family.

He had left his land.

He had taken the risk of leaving without knowing what awaited him.

He thought he had found someone capable of teaching him the truth.

But gradually, he discovered something serious.

A First Disappointment

People gave money to this man so that it would be distributed to the poor.

But he did not distribute it.

He kept it for himself.

He accumulated goods meant for the needy.

The needy are people who lack what they need to live.

So Salman saw that the one he had chosen as master did not live according to what he taught.

He eventually came to hate him because of that.

Then the man died.

Another religious leader took his place.

Salman stayed.

And this time, what he discovered was totally different.

Finally a Trustworthy Man

The new man was pious.

He was detached from wealth.

He performed his deeds with seriousness.

And Salman saw in him someone he could truly respect.

So he stayed with him.

He learned.

He accompanied him.

And over time, Salman became very attached to this man.

But the years passed.

And eventually, his master fell ill.

His death was approaching.

Salman was going to lose his teacher again.

So he asked him an essential question:

— Whom do you recommend to me after you?

The man directed him to someone living in Mosul, in Iraq.

According to him, this man still followed the same path.

After the death of his master, Salman took to the road again.

Another Journey

He arrived in Mosul.

He found the man he had been recommended to.

He told him his story.

And he accepted to keep him with him.

Salman again discovered a pious man.

He stayed with him.

He learned from him.

Then time passed.

And this man also reached the end of his life.

Salman then asked the same question:

— To whom should I go after you?

This time he was directed to a man living in Nisibis.

So Salman left again.

Another road.

Another city.

Another master.

From Master to Master

In Nisibis, Salman found the man he had been directed to.

He stayed with him.

Then, he too eventually died.

Before his death, he recommended Salman to join another man living in Amorium, in Byzantine territories.

Salman took to the road once more.

He arrived in Amorium.

He found the man.

And once again, he stayed with him to learn.

Salman also worked and eventually came to own a few cows and a few sheep.

After all these journeys, he had finally managed to build something.

But again, the years passed.

And one day, his master felt that his end was near.

Salman now knew this situation.

Each time one of his masters died, he would ask:

— To whom should I go now?

And so far, he had always received a name.

Mosul.

Then Nisibis.

Then Amorium.

So he asked the question once more.

— O my father, whom do you recommend to me after you?

But this time…

the man gave him no name.

No One Left

The old man explained to Salman that he knew no one else still following exactly the path they had followed.

So there was no master to send him to.

After all these years of searching…

after all these cities…

after all these journeys…

the road seemed to stop.

But the man had not finished.

He announced to Salman something strange.

A new era was near.

And soon, an immense event was going to happen.

He told him that a Prophet was going to appear.

A Prophet who would follow the religion of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

Then he gave him indications about where this man would go.

He would appear among the Arabs.

Then he would leave his people and emigrate to a region where many palm trees grew.

This land would be between two areas covered with volcanic stones.

To emigrate means to leave one's country or region to settle elsewhere.

Salman listened.

But how could he recognize this man among all others?

His master then gave him three signs.

Three Signs

The first sign:

He does not eat alms.

Alms are goods or money given to help people in need.

The second sign:

He accepts gifts.

And finally, the third:

between his shoulders is the seal of prophethood.

The seal of prophethood was a special mark present on the body of the awaited Prophet.

Then his master told him in essence:

— If you can reach that land, do so.

This time, Salman did not receive the name of a new master.

He received something else.

A region.

An announcement.

And three signs.

For years, he had traveled from city to city in search of men who could show him the truth.

But now, the one he was to seek was no longer simply a religious leader or a scholar.

Somewhere, among the Arabs, a man was to appear possessing three specific signs:

he would refuse alms.

he would accept gifts.

and between his shoulders would be the seal of prophethood.

Salman now knew what he was to seek.

But between Amorium and that mysterious land of palm trees lay still an immense distance.

And Salman had no idea what was going to happen to him trying to reach it.

To be continued…