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History of Islam - Vol: 1

Chapter 3: The Rightly-Guided Caliphate

Page no: 267 to 272

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)

Age of Ignorance

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the chief of his clan Banu Taim. He was highly
respected and well known for his good conduct and righteousness. His characteristics were
distinct; he was famous for his prudence, patience, truthfulness, justice, and strength. He kept
away from all evil and was a master in the field of genealogy. Many notable companions
accepted Islam through him. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬praised him by saying,

“The sun never rose over anyone better than Abu Bakr except the Prophets.” [Isnad is da’if]

Prior to Islam, the ten different clans of Quraish were given ten different responsibilities. Banu
Taim was entrusted with handling blood money and penalties. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased
with him) made decisions on behalf of his clan, and all of Quraish had to abide by them.

Islamic Era

Amongst men, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to believe in the Prophet
‫ﷺ‬. He never forsook the Prophet's company, except with his permission. He accompanied him
during the hijrah, leaving behind his family and wealth for Allah's ‫ ﷻ‬sake. He fought all the
battles alongside the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and never hesitated to make sacrifices in the path of Allah ‫ﷻ‬. At
the Battle of Badr, he was ready to confront his own son, Abdur Rahman, who was fighting the
Muslims.

His Personality

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was an honourable man with the best qualities. Ali
(may Allah be pleased with him) was once asked who the most valiant person was. He
responded by saying, “Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is the most valiant person. He
is courageous in battles and guards the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬with his life.” He even declared that Abu Bakr

(Umm Abdullah) ©www.islamicreflectionsacademy.wordpress.com

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(may Allah be pleased with him) was better than the believing men of Aal-i-Firaun, as they kept
their faith concealed, and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) brought his faith to the
fore.

He (may Allah be pleased with him) was well known for his generosity. He readily spent his
wealth seeking the pleasure of Allah ‫ﷻ‬, assisting the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, and serving the religion. For the
expedition of Tabuk, he donated all of his wealth, leaving behind nothing but Allah ‫ ﷻ‬and His
Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬for his children. To this, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), wanting to
compete with Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) after donating half of his wealth,
remarked, “I would never be able to surpass Abu Bakr in anything.”

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was wise and knowledgeable. After the demise of
the Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) unanimously agreed on him
being the most deserving of becoming the caliph.

He (may Allah be pleased with him) lived a very simple life and sat amongst people in a way
that nobody could ever recognize who the caliph was. He used to milk the goat for little girls in
the locality.

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) died leaving behind nothing of value except a she-
camel, whose milk he drank; a bowl that he ate from; and some sheets. His belongings were
returned to Bait-ul-Mal (public funds) after his death.

(Umm Abdullah) ©www.islamicreflectionsacademy.wordpress.com