[Machine] I used to be a disbeliever, but Allah guided me to Islam. I was far from water, and my family was with me. I became junub (in a state of major ritual impurity), so it troubled me. Abu Dharr was described to me, so I searched for him and entered a mosque in Mina. I recognized him by the description: an elderly man with a flowing beard. I went and stood next to him while he was praying and greeted him, but he did not respond. Then he performed a prayer that was complete, perfect, and prolonged. When he finished, he responded to me. I said, "Are you Abu Dharr?" He replied, "My family claims so." He said, "I used to be a disbeliever, and Allah guided me to Islam. I used to neglect my religion, I was far from water and my family was with me. When junub occurred to me, it troubled me. He said, "Do you know Abu Dharr?" I said, "Yes." He said, "I embraced Islam while I was gathering firewood in Madinah. Ayyub or similar name commanded the Prophet ﷺ to give me a pair of camels and a flock of sheep. I would be far from water, and my family would be with me. When junub occurred to me, it troubled me to the extent that I thought I would be destroyed. So, I sat on one of the camels and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the midday while he was sitting in the shade of the mosque with a group of his companions. I got off the camel and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I am ruined!' He said, 'What has ruined you?' So, I told him my story, and he laughed. Then he called a man from his family, and a black slave girl came with a vessel of water in which there was some dirt. He ordered a man from the people to screen me, so I screened myself and performed Ghusl. Then I went to him, and he said, 'The good land is a purifier, as long as you do not find water. When you do find water, then be certain of its purity.'"
كُنْتُ كَافِرًا فَهَدَانِي اللهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَكُنْتُ أَعْزُبُ عَنِ الْمَاءِ وَمَعِي أَهْلِي فَتُصِيبُنِي الْجَنَابَةُ فَوَقَعَ ذَلِكَ فِي نَفْسِي وَقَدْ نُعِتَ لِي أَبُو ذَرٍّ فَحَجَجْتُ فَدَخَلْتُ مَسْجِدَ مِنًى فَعَرَفْتُهُ بِالنَّعْتِ فَإِذَا شَيْخٌ مَعْرُوقٌ آدَمُ عَلَيْهِ حُلَّةٌ قِطْرِيٌّ فَذَهَبْتُ حَتَّى قُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ ثُمَّ صَلَّى صَلَاةً أَتَمَّهَا وَأَحْسَنَهَا وَأَطْوَلَهَا فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ رَدَّ عَلَيَّ قُلْتُ أَنْتَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ؟ قَالَ إِنَّ أَهْلِي لَيَزْعُمُونَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ كُنْتُ كَافِرًا فَهَدَانِي اللهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ وَأَهَمَّنِي دِينِي وَكُنْتُ أَعْزُبُ عَنِ الْمَاءِ وَمَعِي أَهْلِي فَتُصِيبُنِي الْجَنَابَةُ فَوَقَعَ ذَلِكَ فِي نَفْسِي قَالَ هَلْ تَعْرِفُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ؟ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَإِنِّي اجْتَوَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ قَالَ أَيُّوبُ أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا فَأَمَرَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِذَوْدٍ مِنْ إِبِلٍ وَغَنَمٍ فَكُنْتُ أَكُونُ فِيهَا فَكُنْتُ أَعْزُبُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَمَعِي أَهْلِي فَتُصِيبُنِي الْجَنَابَةُ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنِّي قَدْ هَلَكْتُ فَقَعَدْتُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ مِنْهَا فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَىرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ نِصْفَ النَّهَارِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي ظِلِّ الْمَسْجِدِ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَنَزَلْتُ عَنِ الْبَعِيرِ وَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ هَلَكْتُ قَالَ وَمَا أَهْلَكَكَ؟ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ فَضَحِكَ فَدَعَا إِنْسَانًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ فَجَاءَتْ جَارِيَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ بِعُسٍّ فِيهِ مَاءٌ مَا هُوَ بِمَلْآنَ إِنَّهُ لَيَتَخَضْخَضُ فَاسْتَتَرْتُ بِالْبَعِيرِ فَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ رَجُلًا مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَسَتَرَنِي فَاغْتَسَلْتُ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الصَّعِيدَ الطَّيِّبَ طَهُورٌ مَا لَمْ تَجِدِ الْمَاءَ وَلَوْ إِلَى عَشْرِ حِجَجٍ فَإِذَا وَجَدْتَ الْمَاءَ فَأَمِسَّ بَشَرَتَكَ