One of the most important Islamic figures, he has firsts, including that he was the first free man to convert to Islam, and the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. He was born in Mecca and was a companion of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – in his migration to Medina.
He was chaste before his conversion to Islam and pious after it. He witnessed all of his conquests with the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace. During his caliphate, he fought those withholding zakat and apostates from Islam after the death of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. During his reign, the Islamic state expanded northward and the collection of the Qur’an began.
Birth and upbringing
The great companion Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, whose name is Abdullah bin Othman bin Amer bin Amr bin Kaab bin Saad bin Taym bin Murrah bin Kaab bin Luay bin Ghalib Al-Qurashi, and he met the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – in his sixth grandfather once, and he was nicknamed Abu Bakr, which is From the “virgin” (young man of camels).
Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – was born on October 27, 573 AD in Mecca, two years and months after the birth of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace.
His father was nicknamed Abu Quhafa and he converted to Islam on the day of the conquest, and his mother’s name was Salma bint Sakhr bin Amer bin Ka’b. She was his father’s cousin, and she was nicknamed Umm al-Khair, and she converted to Islam early.
Abu Bakr was nicknamed Al-Siddiq, and there were many stories about the reason for that nickname. It was said that he was nicknamed him in pre-Islamic times because of his honesty, and it was said that he was nicknamed him after the Isra and Mi’raj event because he was the first to be truthful to the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. It was said that the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him He called him a friend on more than one occasion.
He was also nicknamed Al-Atiq, and opinions differ as to the reason for that. It was said that the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – was the one who nicknamed him, because he said, “You are, by God, free from the Fire.” So he was named Atiq, and it was said that he was nicknamed him because of the age of his face, that is, because of his beauty, and it was said that his mother was She did not have a child, so when Abu Bakr was born – may God be pleased with him – she welcomed him into the house and said, “Oh God, this man is free from death, so give him to me.” It was also said that he was nicknamed him because of the purity of his lineage and his purity, for which he was criticized.
He was also nicknamed “the Companion” due to scholarly consensus that he is what is meant by “companion” in the noble verse {When he says to his companion, “Do not be sad. Verily, God is with us” Surat Al-Tawbah: Verse 40. He was also nicknamed “the pious”, and it was said that he is what is meant by the Almighty’s saying in the verse “And the most pious will avoid it – he who gives his wealth purified} Surah Al-Layl: Verses 17-18, and he was called Al-Awah because of his fear and mercy.
The description of his face was mentioned in the words of his daughter, the Mother of the Believers, Aisha – may God be pleased with her – that he was a white, thin man, with light brows. He had prominent facial veins, sunken eyes, a prominent forehead, narrow legs, and a sloping back. He used to dye his beard and conceal (curve his gray hair).
He was raised – may God be pleased with him – in Mecca, and he did not leave there except for trade. He was wealthy among his people and loved among them for his honesty, chivalry, and benevolence. He was also respected among their leaders and those who consulted with them, and one of his duties was taking over the blood money and the fines.
Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – married 4 women, and they gave birth to 3 males and 3 females. His wives were Qutila bint Abd al-Uzza, the mother of Abdullah, and Asmaa, may God be pleased with them. He had divorced her in pre-Islamic times, and he disagreed about her conversion to Islam.
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e married Umm Ruman bint Amer, who was a Muslim immigrant, and she was the mother of Aisha and Abd al-Rahman, may God be pleased with them all. He also married Asma bint Umays, one of the first female immigrants and the widow of Jaafar bin Abi Talib, may God be pleased with them both, and she bore him Muhammad.
He married Habiba bint Kharijah, an Ansar from Khazraj, and she gave birth to Umm Kulthum after his death, and he had resided with her in her family’s home in Medina.
His Islam and his calling
Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was chaste before his conversion to Islam. He was a merchant who never drank alcohol or prostrated to an idol. He was the first free man to convert to Islam and believe the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
He was among those who saw signs of prophecy and even accepted the call of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and heard its effects. When he, may God bless him and grant him peace, approached him with the invitation, he converted to Islam from that time on, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, never spoke to him anything except that he accepted it immediately.
The Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – was very happy with Abu Bakr’s conversion to Islam. Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was a kind person, and his people loved him for his tolerance and virtue, and they acknowledged that he was the most knowledgeable of them about their lineage and history. When he converted to Islam, he carried the call with the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
A selection of the Companions, may God be pleased with them, converted to Islam at the hands of Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – among the most prominent of whom were the Rightly Guided Caliph Uthman bin Affan, Al-Zubayr bin Al-Awwam, Talha bin Ubaidullah, Saad bin Abi Waqqas, and Abu Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah, and they, may God be pleased with them, were among the pillars on which the edifice was built. the invitation to the Islam.
Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – had firsts that preceded the rest of the Companions. He was the first to convert to Islam, the first to compile the Qur’an, the first to call it a Qur’an, the first preacher who called to God and His Messenger, and he was the first caliph to whom his subjects were required to give, and the first caliph to take a treasury for Muslims.
His love for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace
Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was not spared from the Quraish’s harm to the Muslims, even though he was one of their masters and nobles. He had dirt thrown on his head, and he was beaten with sandals in the Sacred Mosque until he was carried to his home in a robe. He did not stay there long until he urged his mother to meet the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Peace be upon him, so he went to him while he was leaning on her and Umm Jamil (the sister of Omar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him). When he saw him, he felt very tender and leaned on him and kissed him.
He, may God be pleased with him, was one of those who announced his conversion to Islam in front of the infidels of Quraysh, to the point that they thought that they had fought him because of his audacity in declaring his love for the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – and his defense of his call. He was one of the companions most vulnerable to harm as a result of his constant accompaniment of the Prophet, his attachment to him, his defense of him, his ransom, and his call for himself and his money.
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l-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was an interpreter of the vision, and Muhammad Ibn Sirin said that he was “the leader in this knowledge by consensus,” and he was one of the most eloquent and orator of people, and Omar, may God be pleased with him, said to him, “O the best of people after the Messenger of God.”
In another place, Omar – may God be pleased with him – ascended to the pulpit and said, “The greatest of this nation after its Prophet is Abu Bakr. Whoever says other than this is a slanderer, and the slanderer is liable.”
Abu Dawud narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah – may God be pleased with him – that the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “You, Abu Bakr, are the first of my nation to enter Paradise.”
A Mujahid and promised Paradise
Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – did not lag behind in any of the conquests of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. He participated with him in the Great Battle of Badr, and he used to reconnoiter the army with him, and he guarded it, may God bless him and grant him peace, in his arish.
During the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims around the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – dispersed throughout the battlefield, so Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – split the ranks until he reached him.
Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – participated in the battle of Banu Al-Nadir, Banu Al-Mustaliq and Banu Qurayza against the Jews of Medina, and he was with the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – in the Battle of the Trench.
When the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – went out to Al-Hudaybiyyah in the sixth year of the Hijra, Abu Bakr went with him, and he said about the peace treaty later on, “There was no greater conquest in Islam than the conquest of Al-Hudaybiyyah.”
In the Battle of Khaybar, the first commander sent by the Messenger – may God bless him and grant him peace – was Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him. He was the one who advised the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – not to cut down the palm trees of Khaybar, because that would be a loss to the Muslims, whether Khaybar was conquered by force or peace. .
He was with the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – in the Najd and Bani Fazara companies. He was the commander of the two companies, and he accompanied the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – in the Umrah of Judiciary and then in the Dhat al-Silsil company.
In the eighth year of the Hijra, Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was present at the conquest of Mecca, and when Abu Sufyan asked him to renew the contract between them and increase the period, he said, “My neighbours are in the neighbourhood of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and by God, if I found atom fighting you, I would help you.”
He witnessed the day of Hunayn and the siege of Taif, and in Taif, his son Abdullah was shot with an arrow, killing him after that in Medina. When the people of Thaqif from Taif came as Muslims to the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – Al-Siddiq was the first to announce their arrival.
When he knew the owner of the arrow that killed his son after that, and he had converted to Islam, he said to him, “This is the arrow that killed Abdullah bin Abi Bakr. Praise be to God, who honored him with your hand, and did not humiliate you with his own hand, for it is more expansive for you both.”
In the Battle of Tabuk, the day the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – set out with a great army, he made the greatest flag for Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him. In this battle, Omar gave half his money in charity, competing with Abu Bakr, but he discovered that Al-Siddiq had given in charity all of his money, so when he asked the Prophet – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him And peace be upon him – Abu Bakr, about what he left for his family, answered him, “God and His Messenger,” and Omar said, “I will never compete with you in anything.”
During the Hajj in the year 9 AH, the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – sent Abu Bakr as the commander of the pilgrims, and this argument was a prelude to the Farewell Pilgrimage in which Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
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l-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – was given good tidings of Paradise through the mouth of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. One day he asked for permission to enter upon the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and he said to Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, “Give him permission and give him good news of Paradise.”
His assumption of the caliphate and his achievements therein
After the death of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – the Ansar gathered in Saqifa Bani Sa’idah and discussed the matter of choosing a successor to the Messenger of God, and for that purpose they presented the leader of the Khazraj, Saad bin Ubadah.
Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – was also in a meeting with the Muhajireen at that time. When they heard the news of the Ansar’s meeting, they went to them, and Abu Bakr addressed the Ansar and praised them and their support for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Abu Bakr introduced Omar and Abu Ubaidah – may God be pleased with them. For succession.
Omar rejected this, then Saad bin Ubadah and the Ansar after him pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, and the Muslims chose him as their successor and pledged allegiance to him the next day in a general pledge after the specific pledge of allegiance to Saqifat Bani Sa`ida. Thus, he was the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and his caliphate began in the 11th year of the Hijra.
Hafsa bint Omar – may God be pleased with them both – said to the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, one day, “If you fall ill, you will come forward to Abu Bakr,” and he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said, “It is not I who will come before him, but God will bring him forward.”
The most prominent incidents of the caliphate of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, are four:
First: Implementing the army of Osama bin Zaid
Before the death of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – he prepared an army led by Osama bin Zaid to fight the Romans, but the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – fell ill during that time, so the army camped in Al-Jarf, north of Medina.
When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – assumed the caliphate, some of the companions suggested to him that he keep the army, but he insisted on continuing the military campaign heading to the Levant, and the Muslims defeated the Romans in that battle.
Second: Fighting the people of apostasy and those who refuse to pay zakat
When news of the death of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – spread, groups of Arabs abandoned Islam and banned zakat. Omar – may God be pleased with him – advised Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – to leave them, but he refused.
Omar, may God be pleased with him, said, “How do you fight people when the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said (I have been commanded to fight people until they say there is no god but God. Whoever says it has protected his property and his life from me except according to his right, and his reckoning is with God).”
The friend’s response, may God be pleased with him, was, “By God, I will fight whoever differentiates between prayer and zakat, for zakat is the right of money, and by God, if they withheld from me a camel that was given to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, I would fight them for withholding it.” Then Omar, may God be pleased with him, said, “By God, it is nothing but If I saw that God had opened Abu Bakr’s heart for fighting, then I would know that he was the truth.”
Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – sent armies to several regions to fight the apostates, including the army of Ikrimah to Oman, and the army of Al-Alaa bin Al-Hadrami to Bahrain.
Third: Fighting Musaylimah the Liar
Musaylimah the Liar sent to the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – during his illness a letter claiming that he was his partner in prophecy, and he was prostrating, trying to come up with something similar to the Qur’an revealed to Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.
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usaylimah was the most famous of those who apostatized after the death of the Prophet – may God bless him and grant him peace – and claimed prophethood. Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – sent an army to fight him in Al-Yamamah, led by Khalid bin Al-Walid, may God be pleased with him. The Muslims besieged them for days and then killed Musaylimah.
Fourth: Expansion and collection of the Qur’an
The situation of the Islamic State stabilized after fighting the people of apostasy and defeating them. Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with him – sent armies to expand northward, and Khalid bin Al-Walid – may God be pleased with him – was able to achieve great victories in the Levant in the battles of Yarmouk and Ajnadayn.
After many of the Companions were martyred in the fight against Musaylimah in Al-Yamamah, Omar feared that the Qur’an would be destroyed by the martyrdom of the reciters, and he advised Abu Bakr – may God be pleased with him – to collect it. Al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, said, “How can I do something that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not do?”
So Omar reviewed this matter with him until he agreed, and he ordered Zaid bin Thabit – may God be pleased with him – to trace the Qur’an and compile it, and Zaid – may God be pleased with him – was the scribe of the revelation of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
His illness and death
Aisha bint Al-Siddiq – may God be pleased with them both – said, “The beginning of Abu Bakr’s illness was that he took a bath on Monday, the seventh of Jumada al-Akhira, and it was a cold day, so he had a fever for 15 days and did not go out to pray.”
While in his sick bed, Abu Bakr recommended the caliphate to Omar bin Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with them both. He died during the illness mentioned by Aisha – may God be pleased with her – in August 634 AD, and was buried next to the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him
