Al-Husayn ibn Salam was a Jewish rabbi in Yathrib (Medina) who was widely respected and honored by the city's people, even by non-Jews. He was known for his piety and kindness, his upright conduct, and his truthfulness.

Al-Husayn lived a peaceful and quiet life. He was serious, purposeful, and organized in how he spent his time. For a fixed period each day, he performed acts of worship, taught, and preached in the synagogue.

Afterward, he would spend time in his garden, tending to his palm trees, pruning and pollinating them. From there, to deepen his understanding and knowledge of his religion, he devoted himself to the study of the Torah.

In this study, he was said to have been particularly struck by certain verses in the Torah that spoke of the coming of a prophet who would complete the message of the previous prophets. Al-Husayn, therefore, took an immediate and enthusiastic interest when he heard news of the appearance of a prophet in Mecca.

**What follows is his story, in his own words:**

When I heard about the appearance of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, I began to investigate his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place, and I started comparing this information with what is mentioned in our books.

From these investigations, I became convinced of the authenticity of his status as a prophet and affirmed the truth of his mission. However, I kept my conclusions hidden from the Jews. I held my tongue.

Then, the day came when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, left Mecca and departed for Yathrib. When he arrived in Yathrib and stopped in Quba, a man rushed into the city, calling out to the people and announcing the Prophet's arrival.

At that moment, I was up in a palm tree doing some work. My aunt, Khalidah bint Al-Hariz, was sitting under the tree. Upon hearing the news, I shouted, *“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!”* (God is Supreme! God is Supreme!).

When my aunt heard me, she complained, *“May God thwart you… By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming, you wouldn’t have been so excited.”*

*“Aunt, by God, he really is Moses’s ‘brother’ and follows his religion. He was sent on the same mission as Moses.” She was silent for a moment and then said, “Is he the Prophet you told us about, the one who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by the previous prophets and to complete the message of his Lord?” “Yes,”* I replied.

Without any delay or hesitation, I went to meet the Prophet. I saw crowds of people at his door. I moved through the crowd until I was close to him.

The first words I heard him say were: *“O people! Spread peace… Share food… Pray at night when people (normally) sleep, and you will enter Paradise in peace.”*

I looked at him closely. I investigated him and was convinced that his face was not that of an imposter. I approached him further and made the declaration of faith that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.

The Prophet turned to me and asked, *“What is your name?” “Al-Husayn ibn Salam,”* I replied. *“Instead, your name is now Abdullah ibn Salam,”* he said (giving me a new name). *“Yes,”* I agreed. *“Abdullah ibn Salam, this it shall be. By the One Who has sent you with the Truth, I do not wish to have any other name from this day forward.”*

I returned home and introduced Islam to my wife, my children, and the rest of my family. They all accepted Islam, including my aunt Khalidah, who was then an elderly woman. However, I advised them to conceal our acceptance of Islam from the Jews until I gave them permission. They agreed.

Subsequently, I returned to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said to him, *“O Messenger of God! The Jews are a people prone to slander and falsehood. I wish that you invite their most prominent men to meet with you. During the meeting, however, you must keep me hidden from them in one of your rooms. Ask them about my status among them before they learn of my acceptance of Islam. Then invite them to Islam. If they were to learn that I had become a Muslim, they would denounce me and accuse me of all sorts of things and slander me.”*

The Prophet kept me in one of his rooms and invited the prominent Jewish figures to visit him. He introduced them to Islam and urged them to have faith in God.

They began to argue and debate with him about the Truth. When he realized they were not inclined to accept Islam, he asked them a question:

*“What is the status of Al-Husayn ibn Salam among you?”*

*“He is our leader and the son of our leader. He is our Rabbi and our expert, the son of our Rabbi and a wise man.”*

*“If you were to learn that he had accepted Islam, would you accept Islam as well?”* the Prophet asked.

“God forbid! He would not accept Islam. May God protect him from accepting Islam,” they said in horror.

At that moment, I stepped forward in full view of them and announced, *“O assembly of Jews! Be mindful of God and accept what Muhammad has brought. By God, you know that he is the Messenger of God, and you can find prophecies about him and mentions of his name and his characteristics in the Torah. I, for my part, declare that he is the Messenger of God. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I know him.”*

*“You are a liar!”* they exclaimed. *“By God, you are wicked and ignorant, the son of a wicked and ignorant person.”* And they continued to list every conceivable insult against me.

**And so ends his own narrative.**

Abdullah ibn Salam approached Islam with a soul thirsting for knowledge. He was passionately devoted to the Quran and dedicated much time to reciting and studying its beautiful and sublime verses. He was deeply connected to the noble Prophet and constantly spent time in his company.

He spent much of his time in the mosque, engaged in worship, learning, and teaching. He was known for his gentle, moving, and effective way of teaching in the study circles of the Companions, who regularly gathered in the Prophet's mosque, peace and blessings be upon him.

Abdullah ibn Salam was known among the Companions as a man of the people of Paradise. This was due to his unwavering commitment to the Prophet's advice to remain steadfast in the most reliable support, which is belief in and complete submission to God.

**Image:** Islamic miniature depicting Abd Allah ibn Salam arguing to the Jews that the Tawrat foretells the coming of Muhammad.

The story of Abdullah ibn Salam, rabbi of Medina who met the prophet Muhammad and converted to Islam.