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The Rightly Guided Caliphs

HAZRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) Page
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Question 3
Write a detailed account about the election and administration of Abu Bakr.
In answer to this question it could be said that the Prophet (pbuh) did not nominate a successor. After his
death the ansars gathered in Saqifah-i-Bani Sa’ad to discuss the appointment of a caliph where they were
joined by Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and other eminent muhajireen, ‘Ali was not present at this meeting as he was
busy with the preparations of the final rites of the Prophet (pbuh). Whether the caliph was to be from the
ansar, or the Quraysh was discussed at the meeting. The ansars wanted a caliph from amongst them in view of
their sacrifices for Islam, but Abu Bakr argued that the Arabs would not agree on any Amir other t han a person
from the Quraysh, at which point the ansars suggested the option of electing two Amirs, one from the Quraysh
and one from the ansars, to which ‘Umar objected saying it would cause confusion in the umma. ‘Ubayda bin
Jarra addressed the ansars at this point and said, ‘O Ansar! You were the first to uphold Islam do not be the
first to sow the seeds of dissension in it.’ The ansars immediately withdrew their claim. Abu Bakr suggested
the name of ‘Ubayda bin Jarrah and ‘Umar held the hand of Abu Bakr and pledged his allegiance. On seeing
this people from all sides rushed to pledge their loyalty to Abu Bakr and a general pledge was taken the next
day. Candidates could refer to the speech Abu Bakr made upon his election.
As for the administration of Abu Bakr, candidates could say that he laid the foundation of a truly democratic
state. Following the Qur’an and sunna Abu Bakr conducted the affairs of the state by discussing all matters
with the Majlis-e-Shura. He divided the state into provinces and appointed governors who were responsible
for both administrative and military affairs. Public money was strictly accounted for and all those in
government were selected on merit. It should be said that even though there was no police force, all crimes
and their perpetrators were dealt with in the light of the teachings from the Qur’an and sunna and if they were
silent ijma was practiced. By his efficient administration he preserved the integrity of Islam by suppressing
rebellions and making sure that the Pillar of zakat was enforced.
The mark is not to be divided 5+5 between the two parts but instead the answer has to be read as a whole
and a global mark should be given.

(b) In your opinion, what was the greatest service performed by Abu Bakr during his caliphate? Give reasons
for your choice.
Candidates are free to choose which, in their opinion, was Abu Bakr’s greatest service as caliph.They could say
that by fighting the false prophets he ensured that the Muslims were not led astray, or they could say that by
upholding the Pillar of zakat he ensured that the faith was not corrupted or that the compilation of the Qur’an
ensured its survival in its original form for future generations of Muslims. All viewpoints given must be backed
up with reasons.

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(a) Describe Abu Bakr's activities against the false prophets and apostate tribes. [10]
Answers could have basic references to the false prophets, the tribes withholding zakat and the apostate tribes.
Some could go on to give fuller accounts of these challenges, faced by Abu Bakr. In the answers it could be
described that at the time of Abu Bakr's caliphate there were a number of people in Arabia who claimed to be
prophets like Muhammad. The main ones were Musaylima among the Hanifa tribes in Yamama, Tulayha among
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the tribes of Asad and Ghatafan, al-Aswad in the Yemen and Sajjah among the Tamim tribe. Answers could give
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accounts of how Abu Bakr sent forces against all of them and write about the fighting against Musaylima in the
battle of Yamama, which was the most fierce, and one in which many memorizers of the Qur'an were killed. The
revolt against Islam by tribes that had pledged loyalty to the Prophet and the refusal of some tribes to send taxes
to Medina could also be described. Excellent answers will give a full account.

(b) Why is Abu Bakr called the Saviour of Islam? [4]

To gain top marks in this question candidates need to show a good understanding of the reason why he was called
the Saviour of Islam. A satisfactory answer would simply explain that he fought to prevent the break-up of Islam.
However, more complete answers will explain that the false prophets and apostates threatened the uniqueness
and unity of Islam and could not be allowed to continue their activities. Hence when he became caliph he not only
gave new heart to the Muslims after the Prophet passed away but helped the community of Muslims against its
many enemies. In his short term as caliph he defeated the tribes who withdrew from Islam and made them stay
Muslim and he fought and won against tribes who refused to pay zakat. He also defeated the false prophets and
thus kept the unity of Islam when there was much danger. Candidates could mention his contribution in the
compilation of the Qur’an as well.

(a) Write a detailed account of the four false prophets, and how the caliph Abu Bakr defeated them. [10]
The candidates need to write in detail about the four false prophets who threatened Islam and how caliph Abu
Bakr defeated them during his caliphate. There is no need for candidates to write about other aspects of Abu
Bakr’s caliphate as it would not be relevant to the question. The false prophets were:
(i) Al-Aswad al ‘Ansi: He was the leader of the ‘Ans tribe in Yemen. His dark complexion earned him the title al
Aswad i.e. the black man, he was also known as the veiled prophet as he covered his face to create an aura of
mystery about himself. In the later years of the Prophet’s life al-Aswad claimed to receive divine guidance and
used tricks to convince people of his miracles. With a large army he invaded Narjan and most of Yemen. He was
defeated and killed by a Persian Muslim Firuz al Dhalaymi. After the Prophet’s demise his followers regrouped and
revolted under Qais ibn ‘Abd Yaghus but were again defeated by Firuz.
(ii) Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid ibn Nawfal al-Asadi: He was a wealthy leader of the Bani
Asad and Ghatafan tribes in North Arabia. He was a renowned warrior who after initially opposing Islam embraced
the faith in 630 only to rebel and proclaim himself as a prophet. He was accepted as a prophet by many tribes and
he raised a strong force against the Muslims. Khalid ibn al-Walid was sent by Abu Bakr to quell his revolt and in
the Battle of Buzakha in September 632 Tulayha was defeated. He escaped to Syria and after the Muslim conquest
of that country converted to Islam again and participated in the battles of Jalula, Qadissiyah and Nihawand.
(iii) Sajah bint-al-Harith: She was an Arab Christian from the tribe of Taghlib. She had a following as a soothsayer
and after the Prophet’s death when many of her tribesman rejected Islam she declared herself as a prophet. With
a force of 4000 she marched towards Madina, but learning of Tulayhas defeat Sajah dropped her plans. She then
joined forces with another false prophet Musailimah. She went on to marry him and accept his prophethood.

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Khalid ibn Walid crushed Sajah’s forces and then moved to tackle Musailimah who was killed in the battle of
Yamama after which Sajah embraced Islam.
(iv) Musailimah al-Kadhdhab (The Liar): He belonged to the large and influential tribe of Banu Hanifa in the
Yamama region. He was wealthy and powerful and used his influence to misguide people and declared himself a
prophet during the Prophet’s lifetime. He parodied the verses of the Qur’an and invented some verses and even
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wrote to the Prophet saying he had been given a share in his prophethood. The Prophet called him an ‘arch- liar’.
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He abolished the injunctions of the Qur’an and made permissible what was forbidden and succeeded in gaining a
large following. After the Prophet’s death he challenged the caliphate of Abu Bakr which led to the Battle of
Yamama in 632 and decided his fate. He was in command of 40 000 men. Ikrimah and Shurabil were sent by Abu
Bakr to fight him but both were defeated. A force was then sent under Khalid ibn Walid which defeated him and
he was killed by Wahshi al Harb. Details of this battle, etc. will help candidates get higher levels.

(b) Why did Abu Bakr think it of great importance to defeat the false prophets? [4]
An evaluative response giving the dangers of what could have happened if the false prophets were not defeated
by Abu Bakr should be cited. Levels attained will depend on the evaluation given in the answers which could
include points like the teachings of Islam could have been corrupted; the purity of the religion would have been
lost and many who called themselves Muslims in reality would be following a man-made faith. The first pillar of
Islam would have been challenged as the second part of the shahada which deals with the risala and finality of the
Prophet Muhammad would be contradicted if one believed in the so called prophets after Muhammad.

Question

(a) Write a detailed account of the battle of Yamama, and of the compilation of the Qur’an during the caliphate
of Abu Bakr. [10]
In response to this question, a detailed account of when and what happened in the battle of Yamama, with names
of commanding generals and outcome, etc. need to be given along with how Abu Bakr was persuaded to compile
the Qur’an by ‘Umar and how he went about doing it.
Answers could state that the Battle of Yamama was fought against the false prophet Musaylimah, who belonged
to a central Arabian tribe of Banu Hanifa and had claimed prophethood during the Prophet’s (pbuh) lifetime and
had been accepted as one by his tribe. In December 632, he was in command of 40 000 Bedouin, some of whom
did not believe his claims but had joined forces with him to support their tribe. Abu Bakr first sent Shurhbeel bin
Hasanah and ‘Ikrimah to crush the rebellion and instructed them to wait for each other to launch a combined
attack on Musaylimah. They disobeyed him and hence were defeated. Abu Bakr then sent a larger force under the
command of Khalid bin Waleed to Yamama. The Muslims, numbering 13 000, fought a long drawn out battle with
many casualties as they met with a strong resistance. Eventually Musaylimah was killed by Wahashi. In this battle,
many hundreds of Muslims were martyred; amongst them were 360 huffaz. ‘Umar therefore advised Abu Bakr to
take the necessary steps needed to preserve the Qur’an lest it be lost, forgotten or corrupted. Abu Bakr, though
hesitant at first, finally saw the importance of carrying out this task and appointed Zayd ibn Thabit along with a
group to collect the texts of all the verses from the surviving huffaz and companions of the Prophet (pbuh). These
were then compared, authenticated and compiled into a single volume.

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The mark is not divided between the two parts; the answer needs to be read as a whole and a global mark for both
parts of the answer should be given.

(b) The Prophet called Abu Bakr ‘al-Siddiq’ (Testifier of the Truth). How did Abu Bakr live up to his title during
his caliphate? [4]
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During his caliphate, Abu Bakr fought to uphold the finality of the Prophet (pbuh) in the wars against the false
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prophets; he refused to give in to the demands of those who wanted to be exempted from paying zakat and fought
battles with them, and he preserved the word of God by having the Qur’an compiled. One or more of these events
could be given by candidates as examples of how Abu Bakr always stood by the truth and fought to maintain it, by
which he lived up to the title of ‘al-Siddiq’ (Testifier of the Truth) which the Prophet (pbuh) had given him when
he was the first to believe the Prophet’s (pbuh) account of mi’raj.
Question 5
2015/A
(a) Write about any two major events that took place during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. [10]
Many important events took place during the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Expedition to Syria, the wars with the false
prophets, the apostasy movement (the ridda wars) as well as the conquests of Persia and Byzantine, and of course
the compilation of the Qur’an. Candidates need to choose any two events and give an account of them. The mark
is not divided 5 + 5 between the two events but the answer as a whole is to be read and a global mark should be
given.

(b) In your opinion which of the two events you have written about in Part (a) was the more significant and
why? [4]
From the two events the candidate has chosen to write about in Part (a) he/she needs to choose one and say why
that one event is more significant than the other e.g. if it is the compilation of the Qur’an which has been selected
as the most significant event then the candidate has to back up his/her answer by saying that if the compilation
had not taken place what could have happened etc. All valid responses must be credited.

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