he was a wicked man, encouraging them to give charity and urging them towards it. When they brought him things, he hoarded them for himself and did not give anything to the poor until he had amassed seven jars of gold and silver. He said: I developed a strong hatred for him because of what I saw him doing, then he died. The Christians gathered to bury him, and I said to them: This man was wicked, he would command you to give charity and urge you towards it, but when you brought it to him, he hoarded it for himself and did not give anything to the poor. They said: How do you know this? He said: I will show you his hoard. They said: Show us. He said: I showed them its location, and they extracted seven jars filled with gold and silver. When they saw them, they said: By Allāh, we will never bury him. So they crucified him and then stoned him. Then they brought another man and placed him in his position. Salmān said: I have not seen a man who did not pray the five prayers whom I thought was better than him, more ascetic in this world, more desirous of the hereafter, or more diligent day and night than him. He said: I loved him with a love I had not felt for anyone before him, and I stayed with him for a time. Then, when his death approached, I said to him: O so-and-so, I have been with you and loved you with a love I had not felt for anyone before you. Now that what you see from Allāh's decree has come upon you, to whom do you advise me and what do you command me? He said: O my son! By Allāh, I do not know anyone today who is upon what I was upon. People have perished, changed, and abandoned most of what they were upon except a man in Mosul, and he is so-and-so. He is upon what I was upon, so join him. He said: When he died and was buried, I joined the man in Mosul and said to him: O so-and-so, so-and-so advised me at his death to join you and informed me that you are upon his way. He said: He told me: Stay with me. So I stayed with him and found him to be the best man upon his companion's way. It was not long before he died, and when his death approached, I said to him: O so-and-so, so-and-so advised me to you and commanded me to join you. Now that what you see from Allāh's decree has come upon you, to whom do you advise me and what do you command me? He said: O my son! By Allāh, I do not know a man upon what we were upon except a man in Nisibis, and he is so-and-so. Join him. When he died and was buried, I joined the man in Nisibis and came to him. I informed him of my story and what my companion had commanded me. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with him and found him upon his companions' way. I stayed with the best man, and by Allāh, it was not long before death came upon him. When it approached, I said to him: O so-and-so! So-and-so advised me to so-and-so, then so-and-so advised me to you. To whom do you advise me and what do you command me? He said: O my son! By Allāh, we do not know anyone remaining upon our way whom I can command you to go to except a man in Amuriyyah. He is upon what we are upon, so if you wish, go to him. He is upon our way. He said: When he died and was buried, I joined the man in Amuriyyah and informed him of my story. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with a man upon the guidance and way of his companions. He said: I earned until I had some cows and sheep. Then Allāh's decree came upon him, and when it approached, I said to him: O so-and-so, I was with so-and-so, and so-and-so advised me to so-and-so, and so-and-so advised me to so-and-so, then so-and-so advised me to you. To whom do you advise me and what do you command me?