Abu Bakr Raa Al-Khilaafah Booklet

8/14/2019 Abu Bakr Raa Al-Khilaafah Booklet

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Abu Bakr Al-Sidique May Allah be pleased with him

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Abu Bakrs Names, Lineage, and Titles: 1. Al- Ateeq

Al-Ateeq has various shades of meaning in Arabic: It can mean old or ancient noble; or

someone who has been freed either from the bonds of slavery or from some unpleasantcircumstances. Some feel that Abu Bakr (raa) was named Ateeq based on the latter meaning for the Prophet (saaw) once said to him, You are the Ateeq (the freed one) of Allah from the Hellfire. According to the wording of Aaishahs narration, theMessenger of Allah (saaw) said to Abu Bakr (raa), Rejoice, for you are the Ateeq of Allah from the Hellfire.

Certain historians are of the view that Abu Bakr (raa) was named Ateeq because of thehandsomeness or the nobleness of his feature. And yet others say that he was namedAteeq later on in his life because he was known for his goodness for a very long time(this is based on Ateeqs meaning of old or ancient). It has also been said that, whenever

Abu Bakrs mother had a child, he or she would die immediately. But then when AbuBakr (raa) was born, the same was not the case, and so his mother said about him, OAllah, this (child) is your freed one from death, so favor me with him. It is possible thatAbu Bakr (raa) was named Ateeq for more than one of the aforementioned reason s, forhe did have a noble countenance; he was known for his good character for many years;and he was Allahs freed one from the Hellfire.

2. As-Siddeeq

As-Siddeeq, the most well- known of Abu Bakrs titles, comes from the word Sidq, whichmeans truthfulness. The word As-Siddeeq is meant to convey a meaning of intensiveness:a person who is constantly truthful or who constantly believes in the truthfulness of something or someone (in Abu Bakrs case, in the truthfulness of the Prophet (saaw). Thetitle As-Siddeeq was given to Abu Bakr (raa) by none other that the Prophet (saaw).Anas (raa) said, The Prophet (saaw) climbed (Mount) Uhud in the company of AbuBakr, Umar and Uthman. When Uhud began to shake while they were on it, the Prophet(saaw) said (addressing the mountain), Remain firm, O Uhud, for upon you are aProphet, a Siddeeq (truthful one), and two martyrs (Umar and Uthman)

Abu Bakr (raa) was named As-Siddeeq because of his constant and unweaving belief in theProphet (saaw). Aaisha (raa) said, (The night) after the Prophet (saaw) went on his

journey to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, the people began to talk about it (being in doubt about thepossibility of; the Prophet (saaw) being able to travel to and from Jerusalem in a singlenight.) Some people apostatized (on that day), having previously believed in the Prophet(saaw) and having had faith in him. A number of men went to Abu Bakr and said, Willyou not go to your companion? He claims that he went on a night-journey last night toJerusalem! He (raa) responded, And did he indeed say that? They said, Yes. He (raa)said, if he said that, then he spoke the truth. They said, And do you truly believe himwhen he says that he traveled to Jerusalem last night and returned just before the beginningof this morning? He (raa) said, Yes, I do indeed believe him about matters that are evenmore amazing than that: I believe him about news (i.e., revelation) that


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Comes to him from the heavens in the early morning or in the afternoon. And it isbecause of this incident that he was named Abu Bakr As- Siddeeq.

3. As-Saahib

As -Saahib literally means the Companion, a title that Allah (swt) gave Abu Bakr (raa) in the Noble Quran. Allah (swt) gave him that title because he was the Prophets(saaw) companion in the cave during their migration to Al-Madeenah. Allah (swt) said: If you help him (Muhammad (saaw) not (it does not matter), for Allah did indeed helphim when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of two, when they (Muhammad(saaw) and Abu Bakr (raa) ) were in the cave, and he(saaw) said to his companion (AbuBakr (raa): Be not dad (or afraid), surly Allah is with us. Then Allah sent down HisSakinah (calmness, tranquility, peace etc.) upon him, and strengthened him with forces(angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost,while it was the Word of Allah that became the uppermost, and Allah is All-Mighty, All-

Wise. (Quran 9:40) Scholars unanimously agree that his companion in this Verse refe rs to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (raa). Anas (raa) reported that Abu Bakr (raa) once said to him, While theProphet (saaw) was in the cave (with me), I said to him, If one of them were to look athis feet, he would see us from underneath his feet. The Prophet (saaw) said, O AbuBakr, what would you think about (the safety and well-being) of (people) when Allah isthe third person among them.

4. Al-Atqaa

Al-Ataaq means the pious and righteous ones. In the following Verse, Al-Atqaa refersprimarily to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (raa): And Al -Muttaqun (the pious and righteous) will be far removed from it (Hell).(Quran 92:17) That Al-Atqaa in this Verse refers to Abu Bakr (raa) is a matter that we will furtherclarify (In Sha Allah) in our discussion of those Muslims who were tortured and whosefreedom was purchased by Abu Bakr (raa)

5. Al-AwwaahThere are at least two possible meanings of the word Al-Awwaah. It can mean someonewho supplicates to Allah (swt) a great deal, and it can also mean someone who ismerciful and soft hearted. Ibraaheem An- Nakhaee said, Abu Bakr was named Al -Awwaah because of his compassion and mercy (towards other people).


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His Birth and His Physical DescriptionScholars agree that Abu Bakr (raa) was born after the Year of the Elephants the yearduring which Abraha marched towards Makkah with his army which means that he wasyounger than the Prophet (saaw). Beyond that general agreement, scholars disagree aboutthe exact date of his birth. Some scholars maintain that he was born three years after theYear of the Elephant; others believe that he was born two years and six months after theYear of the Elephant; and yet others say that he was born two years and some monthsafter the Year of the Elephant. Born and raised in a house of noble lineage, Abu Bakr(raa) was blessed with a very respectful upbringing; from a very young age, he gained thehonor and the respect of his people.

As fro his physical attributes, he was white-skinned and skinny; some historians haverelated narrations which indicate that the white color of his skin was mixed with shadesof yellow. His beard did not grow very long on his cheeks, and his back leaned forwardto a certain degree. Because of his physical make-up his skinniness his lower garment

would not stay in place, but would instead barley remain in place at the level of his hips.His face was gaunt, and while his forehead protruded outwards, his eye-sockets weredeeply set in his face. And after his hair turned white, he would dye it with henna and Al-Katm (a kind of shrub that was used for dyeing and that was similar to henna).

His Family

Abu Bakrs father was Uthman ibn Aamir ibn Amr, and his Kunyah by which he wasmost famously known was Abu Quhaafah (raa). Abu Quhaafah (raa) embraced Islamon the day of the Makkah Conquest. By the time the Prophet (saaw) returnedtriumphantly to Makkah, Abu Quhaafah (raa) had become a very old man. When Abu

Bakr (raa) took his father to the Messenger of Allah (saaw) in order to announce his entryinto the fold of Islam, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, O Abu Bakr, should you nothave left him where he was, so that I could have went to visit him. Abu Bakr (raa) said,O Messenger of Allah (saaw) he has a greater duty to come to you, As we can cle arlysee from this narration, to honor the elderly was the way of the Prophet (saaw) ; and onanother occasion, the Prophet (saaw) said, He who does not honor the elderly among usand does not show mercy to the young among us, is not into the fold of Islam and madepledge to follow the Messenger of Allah (saaw). (4) It is related that he Messenger of Allah (saaw) congratulated Abu Bakr (raa) for his fathers entry into the fold of Islam andthat he said to Abu Bakr (raa), Change this (whiteness) in his hai r (to another color). Atthe time, Abu Quhaafahs hair was compared to a Thghaamah a white plant that was

then commonly compared to the whiteness in a persons hair.As for the mother of Abu Bakr (raa), her full name was Salmah bint Sakhr, and herKunyah was Umm Al-Khair. She (raa) embraced Islam during the earlier stages of theProphets Dawah,. Throughout his life, Abu Bakr (raa) had a total of four wives, whobore for him six children: three sons and three daughters. The following were his wives.

1. Qateelah bint Abdul -Uzzah ibn Asad ibn Jaabir ibn Maalik


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That Qateelah embraced Islam is not a point of agreement among scholars, the mainreason for that disagreement being that Abu Bakr (raa) had divorced her during the pre-Islamic days of ig norance. Qateelah was the mother of two of Abu Bakrs children:Abdullah (raa) and Asmaa (raa). Although Qareelah did not migrate to Al -Madeenah,she did go there to visit her daughter, Asmaa. She brought with her gifts, some cream and

cooking fat, but Asmaa (raa) refused not only to accept them from her, but also to granther entry into her home. Asmaa(raa) felt conflicted on the inside: on the one hand, shewas a Muslim and her mother was a polytheist; and on the other hand, her mother hadgiven her birth, raised her, and showered a great deal of love upon her. As a polytheist,she was not deserving of Asmaas respect and love; but as a mother, she had every rightto be loved and respected. Confused and uneasy about the matter, Asmaa (raa) sent amessage to Aaisha (raa), requesting her to ask the Prophet (saaw) about her situation.The Prophet (saaw) gave this reply: She (i.e., Asmaa) must grant her entry (into her home), and she must also accept her gift. And around the same time Allah(swt) revealedthe Verse: Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against

you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah lovesthose who deal with equity. (Quran 60:8)

This Verse confirmed for believers that Allah (swt) did not forbid them from being kindand generous in their dealings towards polytheists who had not persecuted them;furthermore, believers were informed that they should act justly with them, for indeed,Allah loves those who deal with equity.

2.Umm Roomaan bint Aamir ibn Uwaimar (raa) Umm Roomaan (raa) was from the Banu Kinaanah ibn Khuzaimah tribe; her husband,Al-Haarith ibn Sakhbarah, died in Makkah, after which time Abu Bakr (raa) married her.She was one of the early Muslims: she pledged to follow the Prophet (saaw) at an earlystage during his Dawah, and she had the distinction of having migrated to Al -Madeenah.She gave birth to two of Abu Bakrs children: Abdur Rahmaan (raa) and Aaisha (raa).Having lived a fruitful and blessed life, Umm Roomaan (raa) died in Al-Madeenah in theyear 6 H.

3. Asamaa bint Umais ibn Mabad ibn Al -Haarith (raa)Asmaas Kunyah was Umm Abdullah, which perhaps refers to a child she had withJafar(raa). One of the first Muslims to perform m igration for the sake of Allah (swt),Asmaa embraced Islam at a very early stage of the Prophets Dawah, even before theMuslims turned the house of Al-Arqam into a secret meeting place. She pledged tofollow the Messenger of Allah (saaw), and then because of the persecution that she and

her husband Jafar ibn Abu Taalib (raa) were afflicted with at the hands of the Quraish,they both migrated to Abyssinia. At the behest of the Prophet (saaw), they stayed inAbyssinia for a number of years. Then, just before the conquest of Khaibar, the Prophet(saaw) sent word to them that they should return, and they performed migration for asecond time- this time, from Abyssinia to Al- Madeenah. Shortly thereafter, Jafar(raa)was martyred on the Day of Motah. Abu Bakr (raa) then married her, and she later gavebirth to one of his sons: Muhammad. Asmaa (raa) made important contributions towardsthe preservation of the Prophets Sunnah: She memorized sayings of the Prophet (saaw)


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and then passed them on to others. Among the Companions (raa) who related narrationsfrom her were Umar (raa) Abu Moosa (raa), Abdullahibn Abbaas (raa), and Umm Al -Fadl (the wife of Al- Abbaas) (raa). One thing Asmaa (raa) could be proud of was thefact that she had such noble in-laws, such as the Messenger of Allah (saaw), Hamzah(raa), and Al- Abbaas (raa).

4. Habeebah bint Khaarijah ibn Zaid ibn Abu Zuhair (raa)Habeebah (raa) was a member of the Ansaar, and more specifically, she was a member of the Khazrau tribe. It was shortly after Abu Bakr (raa) died that Habeebah (raa) gave birthto the last of his daughters, Umm kulthoom (raa). Abu Bakr (raa) lived with Habeebah(raa) in As-Sunh, a district in Al-Madeenah that was inhabited by the Banu Al-Haarithclan of the Khazraj tribe.

Abu Bakrs Chi ldren

1. Abur -Rahmaanibn Ab Bakr (raa)

When one studies the biography of the Prophet (saaw) especially the Makkan phase of his biography one finds many examples of families in which parents remaineddisbelievers while the children entered into the fold of Islam. Rare were the examples of parents who embraced Islam while their children remained disbelievers. Nonetheless,Abu Bakr (raa) was the first adult male to embrace Islam, and Abdur - Rahmaanremained polytheist for many years afterwards. The two of them even had to face oneanother during battles that took place between the Quraish and the Muslims. The eldest of Abu Bakrs sons, Abdur -Rahmaan (raa) embraced Islam on the day of theAl-Hudaibiyyah Treaty Y6. He then became a good and practicing Muslim, and he triedin the years that followed to constantly remain in the company of the Messenger of Allah(swt). Among his many accomplishments, (raa) quickly became renown for his braveryon the battlefield.

2. Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr (raa) Abdullah (raa) is perhaps best remembered for his important contributions to the successof the Prophets migration to Al -Madeenah. During the days that followed the Prophetsdeparture from Makkah, Abdullah (raa) would stay in Makkah and gather informationfrom the Quraish about their plans to capture the Prophet (saaw). And during each of those nights, he would stealthily make his way to the cave in which the Prophet (saaw)and Abu Bakr (raa) were hiding, in order to convey to them the information he hadgathered. Years later, on the day of the siege at At- Taaif, Abdullah (raa) was hit with anarrow, which resulted in a wound that continued to bother him until he died a martyer inAl-Madeenah during the caliphate of his father. (raa).

3. Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr (raa)Son of A smaa bint Umais (raa), Muhammad (raa) was bon during the year of theFarewell Pilgrimage. A Quraishee youth, Muhammad (raa) was raised in the householdof Ali ibn Abee Taalib (raa). During the period of his caliphate, Ali (raa) appointedMuhammad (raa) governor of Egypt, and it was during his stay in Egypt that Muhammadwas killed.


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4. Asmaa bint Abu Bakr (raa)Older than Aaisha (raa), Asmaa was given the name The One with the Band. She (raa)was named thus because, when the Prophet (saaw) and Abu Bakr (raa) were preparing toleave Makkah, Asmaa (raa) made a Sufrah (a mat that is used for eating) in a bag for herfather, and she then cut a piece of her ban off and tied it to the mouth of the bag. After

she did that, the Prophet (saaw) gave her the name, The One with the Band. Asmaa(raa) was married to the eminent Companion Az-Zubair ibn Al-Awwaam (raa). Andwhen she migrated to Al- Madeenah, she was pregnant with Abdullah ibn Az -Zubair(raa). She gave birth to him after she arrived in Al-Madeenah, which was significant

because Abdullah (raa) was the first Muslim child to be born after the migration of theProphet (saaw). Asmaa bint Abu Bakr (raa) lived a productive and long life. Even when she reached theold age of one hundred, she still had her teeth, and she was still as intelligent as ever,which is not surprising considering the fact that she exercised her brain on a daily basis.Whereas many old people find little to do with their time, she benefited the Muslimnation, relating Hadeeth narrations to students who visited her. Among the narrators who

related narrations from her were Abdullah ibn Abbaas (raa); her children,Abdullah, Urwah, and Abdullah ibn Abu Mulaikan; and others. She made contributions tothe Muslim nation not just with her knowledge, but with her wealth as well, spendinggenerous sums of money on the poor and needy. Asmaa(raa) died in Makkah in year 73H.

5. Aaishah (raa) the Mother of the Believers One of Aaishahs titles was The Truthful One, Daughter of the Truthful One. Her marriage contract with the Messenger of Allah (raa) was agreed upon when she was sixyears old, and their marriage together was later consummated when she was nine yearsold. The Messenger of Allah (saaw) gave her the Kunyah Umm Abdullah. Aaishah(raa) did not have any children, so the reader would do well to ask why she was given aKunyah Umm Abdullah, or, Mother of Abdullah. It was a normal practice in Arabculture and society for one to take on a Kunyah even though one did not have anychildren; suffice it to say there are many examples of this throughout Arab history. Of all women throughout the history of Islam,Aaishah (raa) was without a doubt, themost knowledgeable. In regard to certain aspects of the Prophets life, she was even moreknowledgeable than the most learned of; the Prophets male Companions (raa). As muchas someone like Abu Hurairah (raa) tried to adhere to the company of the Prophet (saaw),he had no access to the private, family life he learned from; the Prophets wives.Aaishah (raa) had complete access to the private, family life of the Prophet (saaw), andso she was ale to relate many Hadeeth narrations about that aspect of his life, somethingthat others were not able to do; in this regard, she surpassed all of the Pro phets wives.She was young, intelligent, and blessed with an amazingly retentive memory. And afterthe Prophet (saaw) died, she dedicated the rest of her life to dissemination the knowledge She had learned from; the prophet (saaw). When the famous Taabie e Masrooq wouldrelate a Hadeeth narration on; the authority of Aaishah (raa), he would say, TheTruthful One, Daughter of the Truthful One, whose innocence was confirmed (by Allahthrough revelation), and who was the beloved one of the one who was beloved to Allah(e.i., The Prophet (saaw), related to me, and then he would proceed to relate thenarration 2210 of Aaishahs narrations are recorded in Hadeeth compilations; of those,Bukhaaree and Muslim are in agreement about one-hundred and seventy-four Ahaadeeth;


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Bukhaaree related an additional fifty-four Ahaadeeth from her, and Muslim relatedanother sixty-nine Ahaadeeth from her. Like her husband (saaw) and her father (raa)

before her, Aaishah (raa) died at the age of sixty -three in the year 57 H, without everhaving given birth to a child.

6, UmmKalthoom bint Abu Bakr (raa)Her mother was Habeebah bint Khaarijah (raa), and she was born shortly after Abu Bakr(raa) died. At the time of Abu Bakrsdeath, two of Aaishahs brothers were still alive,and her only sister Asmaa, was also still alive; so needless to say she was surprised whenher father, while on his deathbed, said to her, They are indeed your two brothers and youtwo sisters. Aaishah (raa) said, Here is Asmaa. I know her, but who is my othersister? Abu Bakr (raa) said, She is in the stomach of (Habeebah) bint Khaarujah.It hasbeen cast into my mind that that child (which is in the womb of Habeenbah) is a babygirl. His intuitive feeling came true, for shortly after his death, Habeeba h (raa) gavebirth to a baby girl Umm Kulthoombint Abu Bakr (raa). Talhah ibn Ubaidullah (raa) married Umm Kulthoom (raa) but then died on the day of Al-Jamal. During her period of waiting which followed her husbands death, sheperformed Hajj in the co mpany of Aaishah (raa).

These were the members of Abu Bakrs blessed household - a household of Islam andEemaan (Faith). Abu Bakrs family was the only one that contained member of four different generations who were Companions of the Messenger of Allah (saaw).Abdullahibn Az -Zubair (raa); his mother, Asmaa (raa); her father, Abu Bakr (raa); andhis father, Abu Quhaafah (raa) these were all Companions of the Messenger of Allah(saaw). Abu Bakrs family consisted of four generations of Companions (raa) fromanother part of their family tree as well: Muhammad ibn Abdur -Rahmaan (raa); hisfather Abdur -Rahmaan (raa); his father and his father, Abu Quhaafah (raa). The members of Abu Bakrs household were all believers; not a single one of them was ahypoc rite. During the era of the Companions (raa), it would be said: Eemaan (Faith) hasits households, and hypocrisy has its households. One of the households of Eemaanamong the Muhaajiroon is the household of Abu Bakr (raa). Some of the households of Eemaan among the Ansaar are those of the Banu An- njjaar clan.


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Abu Bakr (raa) Family Tree (map)


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Abu Bakr (raa) in Makah

His Islam

Upon inviting Abu Bakr (raa) to Islam, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, Verily, I am

the Messenger of Allah (saaw) and His Prophet. He sent me (to invite others) to worshipAllah alone, and He has no partner. So worship Allah alone, and know that (your) loyaltyis based on obedience to Allah. Abu Bakr (raa) responded by immediately embracingIslam and pledging to help and support the Messenger of Allah (saaw), a pledge that hethen continued to fulfill until the end of his life. Years later, the Messenger of Allah(saaw) said to his Companions (raa), Verily, when Allah sent me to you, you said Youare lying; meanwhile, Abu Bakr said, He has spoken the truth. He then consoled me bysacrificing (for the cause of Islam) his self and his wealth. So will you not then leavealone my companion for me (and abstain from bothering of harming him)? The Prophet(saaw) repeated these words twice.

Abu Bakr (raa) preaches the Message of Islam.Abu Bakr (raa) went to such men and presented the teachings of Islam to them, and hisefforts reaped wonderful fruits, for all of the following men men who became eminentCompanions in their own right embraced Islam at his hands:

Az-Zubair ibn Al-Awwaam (raa), Uthman ibn Affan (raa), Talhah ibn Ubaidullah (raa), Saad ibn Abee Waqqaas (raa),Utheman ibn Madhoon (raa), Abu Salamah ibn Al-Jarraah (raa),Abdur- Rahmaan ibn Auf (raa), Abu Salamah ibn Abdul -Asad (raa), andAl-Arqamibn Abee Al-Arqam (raa).

Each of them went and officially embraced Islam in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (saaw), and each of them went on to preach the message of Islam to others.

Abu Bakr (raa) achieved success in his Dawah efforts not just among his circle of friends bit also within his family. Each of the following members of his householdembraced Islam during those early days of the Prophets mission: Asmaa (raa); Aaishah(raa); Abdullah (raa); Umm Roomaan (raa); and Abu Bakrs servant, Aamir ibnFuhairah (raa).

Trials and Tribulations

When there were only 38 male Muslims, Abu Bakr (raa) urged the Messenger of Allah

(saaw) to openly preach the message of Islam, but the Prophet (saaw) responded bysaying, O Abu Bakr, we are (as of yet) few in number. Abu Bakr (raa) continued tourge the Prophet (saaw) to openly preach until, one day, the Muslims spread out indifferent parts of the Masjid, with each man remaining in the midst of his clan. Abu Bakr(raa) then stood up to deliver a sermon, while the Messenger of Allah (saaw) remandedseated. On that day, Abu Bakr (raa) became the first person (from this nation) to deliver asermon in which he invited people unto Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw). TheKofar (polytheists) did not idly listen to his sermon; instead, they became enraged and


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charged towards Abu Bakr (raa) and the other Muslims. In various parts of the Masjid,Quraish were giving a severe beating to the Muslims. Abu Bakr (raa) was both trampledupon and beaten severely; using his shoes, the evildoer Utbah ibn Rabeeah beganviciously strike Abu Bakr (raa) on his face and the back of his head. Had the beating continued, Abu Bakr (raa) might have died; in fact, even as maters stood,

he (raa) did almost die. But his fellow clansmen from Banu Teem came, althoughsomewhat belatedly, to defend him. They pushed the attacking move away and carriedAbu Bakr (raa) to his home, feeling certain that he (raa) had died. Members of the BanuTe em clan then returned to the Masjid and proclaimed, By Allah, if Abu Bakr dies, wewill indeed kill Utbah ibn Rabeeah. They then returned to Abu Bakr (raa), and AbuQuhaafah Abu Bakrs father as well as other members of Banu Tameen tried to speak to him until he finally revived at the end of the day and spoke to them. But rather thananswer their questions, and rather than worry about his own condition, Abu Bakr (raa)asked them how the Prophet (saaw) was dong. Since they were not Muslims, and sincethey cared about Abu Bakrs welfare particularly because he was from their clan asopposed to the Prophet (saaw) they were rather upset by what Abu Bakr (raa) had said,

and they reproached him, reminding him that he should be worried about staying alive,for though he had regained consciousness, he was still extremely weak and bruised fromthe beating he had taken.His fellow clansmen urged his mother, Umm Al-Khair, to give him food and drink. Andwhen the two of them were then left alone together, Umm Al-Khair implored Abu Bakr(raa) to partake of some nourishment, but Abu Bakr (raa) kept asking about the Prophet(saaw). It wasnt surprising that no one from Banu Teem knew how the Prophet (saaw)was doing, since it was hard to make out what had happened during the chaotic violencethat had just taken place, and since the Prophet (saaw) was, like Abu Bakr (raa), beingtaken care of by his fellow clansmen, the men of Banu Hashim. By Allah, I have no knowledge of your companion (i.e. of how he is doing now), saidUmm Al- Khair. Abu Bakr (raa) said, Go to Umm Jameel (raa), daughter of Al -Khattaab(and brother of Umar ibn Al -Khattaab (raa)), and ask her about him. Umm Al- Khair likely had a sense of how Abu Bakr (raa) valued the Prophets life more sothan his own, and so she acquiesced and went out in search of Umm Jameel (raa). Uponfinding her, Uma Al- Khair said, Verily, Abu Bakr asks you abut how Muhammad ibnAbdullah (saaw) is doing. Umm Jameel (raa) said, I know neither Abu Bakr nor Muhammad ibn Abdullah, but if you want, I will go with you to your son. Umm Al -Khair said, Yes, and the two of them returned to Abu Bakr (raa).

They found him to be seriously ill, and they suspected that he was on the verge of dying.Seeing Abu Bakrs weak condit ion, Umm Jameel (raa) approached him and yelled outloud, saying, By Allah, those who have done this to you are indeed the people of wickedness and disbelief. Indeed, I hope that Allah takes revenge on them for you. AbuBakr (raa) then asked how the Messenger of Allah (saaw) was doing, to which UmmJameel (raa) responded, Here is your mother, listening.Abu Bakr (raa) reassured her that she (raa) had nothing to worry about regarding his mother. He is safe and sound. Said Umm Jameel (raa). Abu Bakr (raa) asked, Where is he?She answered, In the House of Al -Arqam.


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Despite his own weakness and need for rest and nourishment, Abu Bakr (raa) then madean oath that he would neither eat nor drink before going to the Messenger of Allah (saaw)and making sure that he was well. But both Umm Jameel (raa) and Umm Al-Khairdelayed him, for they thought it was best to wait for the situation to calm down in thestreets. When things did finally calm down, they led Abu Bakr (raa) to the House of Al-

Arqam, and since he (raa) couldnt walk on his own, he was leaning on them for support.As soon as they entered, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) hurried towards Abu Bakr (raa)and kissed him; the other Muslims that were there also hurried to meet Abu Bakr (raa).The Messeng er of Allah (saaw) was greatly moved by Abu Bakrs condition. Knowingthat the Prophet (saaw) was worried about him, Abu Bakr (raa) said, May my mother and father be held ransom for you, O Messenger of Allah. The only hurt I feel is a resultof the blows that Al-Faasiq delivered to my face. And here (with me) is my mother, whois faithful to her son. And you are blessed, so invite her unto Allah and supplicate toAllah for her, for perhaps, through you, Allah will save her from the Hellfire. TheMessenger of Allah (saaw) supplicated for her and invited her unto Allah (saaw), and she(raa) responded to his invitation by embracing Islam.

How He (raa) would strive to defend the Prophet (saaw)

Once during his caliphate, Ali ibn Abee Taalib (raa) stood up be fore the people anddelivered the following sermon:O people, who is the bravest of all people? Those that were present answered, Youare, O Leader of the Believers. Ali (raa) said, Lo, I never entered onto a duel withanother man except that I came out victorious over him. And yet the bravest of all peoplewas none other than Abu Bakr (raa). We once built a command centre for the Messengerof Allah (saaw), and we said, Who will stay with the Messenger of Allah (saaw), so as toprevent the polytheis ts from attacking him? By Allah, not a single one of us approached(to volunteer for the job) except Abu Bakr (raa), who, with his sword unsheathed, stoodover the head of the Messenger of Allah (saaw). Abu Bakr (raa) then fought againstanyone who tried to attack the Messenger of Allah (saaw), and so, yes, he was the bravestof all people. I remember the time when I saw the Quraish opposing the Prophet (saaw)and physically shaking him violently, and all the while they were saying to him, Haveyou taken our gods and made them into one God! By Allah, not a single one of usstepped forward (to defend him) except for Abu Bakr (raa), who struggled against andstruck one man and pushed violently another, and all the while he was saying (to them) ,Woe upon you, are you fighting against a man because he says: My Lord is Allah?

Ali (raa) then lifted the robe he was wearing, and he began to cry until his beard becamesoaked in tears. He then continued, I ask you by Allah, was the believer from the family

of the Pharaoh better of Abu Bakr? The attendees of the gathering then began to cryalong with Ali (raa), who said, By Allah, Abu Bakr for an hour is better than thedeliver of the family of the Pharaoh even id clones of him were to fill the entire earth: thelatter kept his faith a secret while the former openly proclaimed his faith. According to a narration that was related by Anas (raa), the polytheists of Makah oncebeat up the Prophet (saaw) until he lost consciousness. Abu Bakr (raa) then stood up and

began to call out, Are you fighting a man just because he says, My Lord is Allah?


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The Wealth He (raa) spent to Purchase the Freedom of Muslim Slaves.

When Bilals owner, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, found out about Bilals entry into the fold of Islam, he threatened him, and when that didnt work, he offered him incentives toabandon his faith. But Bilal (raa) remained steadfast, refusing to return to disbelief andmisguidance. Furious at the idea of a slave thinking that he had the right to choose hisown faith, Umayyah decided to teach Bilal (raa) a painful lesson and to make him anexample for other Muslims. Having prevented Bilal (raa) from eating and food ordrinking any water for an entire day, Umayyah took him out to the hot sands of thedesert. Then , placing Bilals bare back on top of some burning sand, Umayyah orderedhis other servants to carry a huge stone and place it over the chest of Bilal (raa), whosehands were meanwhile tied down so that he could not move. When the brutal deed wasdone and Bilal (raa) lay there in extreme pain, Umayyah said, you will remain upon thiscondition until you either die or disbelieve in Muhammad and instead worship Al-Laatand Al- Uzah. Rather than complain about his predicament or given to the demands of Umayya h, Bilal (raa) simple answered in a dignified tone, One, One. Umayyah and his minions continued to torture Bilal (raa) in this manner until one day,Bilal (raa) was tortured so severely that his torturers realized that he was too weakenedfrom their constant beatings to be of any more use to them. Abu Bakr (raa) then walked

by and addressed Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Bilals owner, saying Will you not fear Allahregarding this poor person? Until when (will you continue to persecute him)! You are the one who corrupted him, said Umayyah, so you save him from his presentcondition. I will do so, said Abu Bakr (raa). I have a black slave who is stronger than him andfirmer than him upon your religion. I will trade him for Bilal. I indeed accept your Offer, said Umayyah. Once the trade was completed, Abu Bakr (raa) declared that Bilal (raa) was now a free man. But according to another narration,Abu Bakr (raa) did not trade his own slave for Bilal (raa), but instead purchased him foreither 7 Awaaqin (a measurement used for gold) or 40 Awaaqin of gold.

One of the slaves Abu Bakr (raa) freed was Amir ibn Fuhairah (raa), who later participated in the barrels of Badr and Uhud and was then later martyred on the day of Bair Maoonah; two others were UmmUmais (raa) and Zinneerah (raa). Upon being setfree, Zinneerah (raa) lost her eyesight; Quraish used the opportunity to say, It was noneother than Al-Laat and Al- Uzzah (two of their idols) who took away her eyesight.Zinneerah (raa) did not waive in her fai th, but instead said, They have laid Al -Laat andAl-Uzzah can neither harm nor benefit, Allah (swt) then gave her back her eyesight.

Abu Bakr (raa) also freed An-Nahdiyyah (raa) and her daughter (raa). Both mother and

daughter belonged to a woman from B anu Abd -ud-Daar clan. On the day they were setfree, Abu Bakr (raa) passed by them; they were carrying flour for their mistress. AbuBakr (raa) then went to speak to their mistress, asking her to set them free, but sherefused, saying, By Allah, I will never free them. Abu Bakr (raa) asked her to take back her oath, and she agreed to do so, but then said, You are the one who corrupted them, soyou set them free (i.e. buy them from me and then set them free).


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How much will you sell them for? asked Ab u Bakr (raa). After she told him their price,Abu Bakr (raa) said, Then I have taken them, and they are now free (women). He (raa)then went back to An-Nahdiyah (raa) and her daughter (raa) in order to tell them the goodnews. Give her back her flour. He (raa) added. They said, O Abu Bakr, shall we notfirst finish (doing what was required of us regarding this flour) and then return it to her?

He (raa) said, If you want, you may do so.

One day, Abu Bakrs father said, O my son, I see that you are freeing weak slaves. If you have to do what you are doing, then you should at least free strong men who can

protect and defend you. Abu Bakr (raa) answered, My father, I am doing this for AllahAzza Wa -Jall (the Possessor of Might and Majesty) only (an d for no other purpose).

Abu Bakr (raa) in MadinahBadrOhodAl Ahzab

Al HodaybyahTabok The First Delegation to Haj year 9The Farwell HajThe Death of the Prophet (saws)

The Messenger of Allah (saaw) Declares Abu Bakr (raa) to be Innocent of the VileCharacteristic of Conceitedness

Abdullah ibn Umar (raa) related that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, If one dragshis garment (on the ground) out of conceitedness, then Allah will not look at him on theDay of Resurrection. Upon hearing his warning, Abu Bakr (raa) said, Unless I

continually hold it up, one of the two sides (of my garment) hangs low (i.e., so does thesaid warning apply to me?). The Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, But you do not dothat out of conceitedness.(Bukhaaree 3665).

Abu Bakrs Strict Adherence to Lawfully Derived Sustenance

One does well when one avoids that which is unlawful in Islam; such, in fact, is requiredof every Muslim. Every Muslim should also avoid that which is doubtful; some piousMuslims go even further most such pious Muslims were from the early centuries of Islam avoiding anything that, though lawful in itself, might lead to that which isunlawful; or anything regarding which one has the least shred of doubt.. This last qualityis known, in Arab ic, as Wara; and Abu Bakr (raa), to be sure was a paragon of Wara. Giving an account of a story that illustrates the Wara of Abu Bakr (raa), Qais ibn AbuHaasim said, Abu Bakr had a servant, and whenever that servant brought any food, AbuBakr would no t eat until he first asked him about it. Or in other words, Abu Bakr (raa)asked whether or not the food had been lawfully derived. The, if he was satisfied with hisservants answer, he would eat; otherwise if he had the least bit of doubt regardingwhether the food had been lawfully procured he would abstain from eating Qaiscontinued: One night, Abu Bakr forgot, eating the food that his servant brought to him


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without asking him about it. Only afterwards did Abu Bakr ask him about the food. Hisservant informed him about it, telling him that which he disliked) i.e., Abu Bakr haddoubts regarding whether the food had been lawfully derived). Right then and there AbuBakr inserted his hand deep into his mouth and induced vomiting. And he continued to doso until he became certain that none of the food he had eaten was still inside of him (Az-

Zuhud, by Imam Ahmad 110; and At-Taareekh Al-Islaamee, by Al-Humaidee 13/19).Allow Me to Join in Your Peace, Just as You Allowed Me to Join in Your War

One day, as he was visiting the Prophets home, Abu Bakr (raa) heard his daughter Aaishah (raa) speaking in a loud voice. He hurried towards her in order to grab her, andall the while he was saying, Am I seeing you raise your voice while you are speaking tothe Messenger of Allah (saaw)! He was even about to strike her on her face, but theProphet (saaw) prevented him from doing so by standing in between him and Aaishah(raa). Abu Bakr (raa) left in and angry state of mind, after which the Prophet (saaw) said,Did you see how I saved you from him? A number of days passed by before Abu Bakr (raa) visited again, and when he did, he (raa) was happy to see that their dispute had beenresolved. And so he (raa) playfully said to them, Allow me to join in your peace , just asyou allowed me to join in your war. The Prophet (saaw) responded, We indeed do so. (Seeratus-Siddeeq, by Majdee As-Sayyid (pg. 136); and Sunan Abu Daawood (4999). Itshould be noted, whoever, that Al- Albaanee, in Daeef Sunan Abu Daawood, rule d thatthis Hadeeth is weak.

Enjoy Good and Forbidding Evil

One the Day of Eed, Abu Bakr (raa) visited Aaishah (raa); and much to his chagrin, shehad in her company two young girls who were singing. Upon seeing and hearing them, he(raa) exclaimed, I s the flute of Shaitaan (the Devil) being played in the house of the

Messenger of Allah (saaw)? Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah (saaw), who was homeat the time, had his face turned towards the wall and away from the young girls. He(saaw) said to Abu B akr (raa), Leave both of them alone, O Abu Bakr: For indeed, eachnation has a holiday, and this is our holiday, (the holiday of) the people of Islam.(Muslim 892)

Based on the context of this Hadeeth, it is clear that singing, even when practiced byyoung girls, was unheard of in Al-Madeenah which is why Abu Bakr (raa) referred totheir singing as the flute of Shaitaan. The Prophet (saaw) allowed the girls to sing

because it was the Day of Eed, a day during which young children should be allowed toplay and to enjoy themselves. In an another narration, the Prophet (saaw) gave another

reason why he was allowing the two young girls to sing: In order for the polytheists toknow that there is spaciousness (allowance to do things, to relax on occasions, etc.) in ourreligion. (Al -Fataawaa 11/308 and Musnad Ahmad 6/233).

This is Not the First Blessing that has occurred at Your Hands, O Family of Abu Bakr

On a journey during which she accompanied the Messenger of Allah (saaw), Aaishah(raa) became th e center of everyones attention when, at a place called Al -Baidaa (or


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Dhaata-Jaish), her necklace broke off. Not being able to find it, she informed theMessenger of Allah (saaw) about it, and He (saaw) started to look for it. And everyoneelse joined in the search. Meanwhile, another problem arose: interrupted in their journey,the travel party had no water with them, and were stuck in a place that was void of anywater source. As a result, no one was able to perform ablution. Some of them, who were

deepl y upset about the situation, went to Abu Bakr (raa) and said, Do you see whatAaishah has done? She has forced the Messenger of Allah (saaw), and everyone elsealong with him, to stop (here and search for her necklace); meanwhile, there is no watersourc e here, and we do not have any water with us. Abu Bakr (raa) betook himself in thedirection of his daughter; when he reached her, he saw that the Messenger of Allah(saaw) was sleeping, with his head resting on the thigh of Aaishah (raa). Abu Bakr (raa) said to Aaishah (raa), You have held back the Messenger of Allah (saaw) and everyoneelse at a place that is bereft of any water source; to make matters worse, we do not haveany water with us.

Abu Bakr (raa) continued to reproach her, and he (raa) even began to poke her on thewaist. Aaishah (raa) later recounted, Te only thing that prevented me from moving (atall while he was poking me) was the fact that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) was sleepingwith his head on my thigh (i.e., I did not want to wake him up). The Messenger of Allah(saaw) continued to sleep until Morning Prayer but there was no water with which hecould perform ablution. That is when being an alternate for of purification that one mayresort to using dirt in the absence of water.Allah (swt) said: Perform Tayammum with clean earth. Quran 4:43

The revelation of this Verse was a great blessing from Allah (swt) for it guided Muslimsto an easy alternative to the standard ablution in situations wherein water is not available.Recognizing this great blessing, Usaid ibn Hudair (raa) said to Abu Bakr (raa), This isnot the first blessing that has occurred at your hands, O family of Abu Bakr. Aaishah(raa) later said, We then sent forth the camel upon which I was seated, an d when it gotup, we found the necklace underneath it.

The Prophet (saaw) Defends Abu Bakr (raa)

It is established through authentic Ahaadeeth that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) wouldforbid his Companions (raa) from arguing with Abu Bakr (raa) and from harming him inany way whatsoever. According to one such Hadeeth, Abu Ad-Dardaa (raa) describedhow, one day, he (raa) was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saaw) when he (raa)when he (raa) saw Abu Bakr (raa) approaching in the distance. Clearly upset about some

matter, Abu Bakr (raa) was holing up the sides of his garment, so that he could walk faster as he approached the Prophet (saaw). Knowing his close friend and companion sowell and for such a long time, the Prophet (saaw) was certain that something was wrong.As Abu Bakr (raa) drew nearer, the Prophet (saaw) said to those that were with him, Asfor your companion (i.e., Abu Bakr (raa)), he has just returned from a heated argument. Abu Bakr (raa) extended greetings for peace, after which he (ra a) said, O Messenger of Allah, (Umar) ibn Al -Khattaab and I disagreed about something, and I was quick to saysomething to him that I then immediately regretted. I asked him to forgive me, but he


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refused. And so that is why I have come to you. The Proph et (saaw) then said threetimes, May Allah forgive you. O Abu Bakr.

Umar (raa) soon regretted his role in the argument, and so he (raa) went to Abu Bakrshouse, hoping to make peace with him. Having been told that Abu Bakr (raa) was not athome, Umar (raa) knew where he could find him. Umar (raa), certain that Abu Bakr (raa) was with the Prophet (saaw), was probably afraid that Abu Bakr (raa) had informedthe Prophet (saaw) about what had happened. And he (raa) certainly had every reason tobe afraid; of he had just offended the most beloved of them to the Messenger of Allah(saaw). As he (raa) approached the Prophets gathering, Umar (raa) could not have beenunaware of the fact that the Messenger of Allahs face was dark with anger. Looking back an d forth between the Prophet (saaw) and Umar (raa) Abu Bakr (raa) feltsorry for Umar (raa). His pity towards Umar (raa),as well as his regret for having beenthe first to speak harsh words prompted him to bend down on his knees and say, OMessenger of Allah, by Allah, I was more in the wrong than he was, after which he (raa)repeated this phrase for a second time. The Prophet (saaw) then said the following not toUmar (raa) in particular bit to all of his Companions (raa): Verily, when Allah sent meto you, you said (to me), You are lying; meanwhile, Abu Bakr (raa) said (about me), He has spoken the truth. In addition to that, he comforted me (and helped me) with hisself and his wealth. So, for my sake, will you not leave my companion alone? to ad demphasis to his point, the Prophet (saaw) the repeated these words for a second time.Thereafter, the narrator of this story affirmed, Abu Bakr (raa) was never again harmed byany of the Prophets Companions. (Bukhaaree 3661).

Say: May Allah Forgive You, O Abu Bakr One day, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) gave Rabeeah Al -Aslamee (raa) a plot of land,and he (saaw) gave an adjacent plot of land to Abu Bakr (raa). After some time passed,

Rabeeah (raa) and Abu Bakr (raa) disagreed about a date -palm tree that was on the boundary of their two respective properties. Rabeeah (raa) said, It is on my side of the property line, and Abu Bakr (raa) said, It is on my side of the property line. In the heatof the argument that ensued, Abu Bakr (raa) said something negative that he quicklyregretted. He (raa) then said, O Rabeeah, say the same to me, and that way we will beeven. Rabeeah (raa) said, I will not do so, to which Abu Bakr (raa) responded,Either you will say (what I ask you to say ) of I will ask the Messenger of Allah (saaw)to help me against you. Not wanting to say anything negative about Abu Bakr (raa),Rabeeah (raa) refused, saying, No, I will not do so.

Abu Bakr (raa) declared that he was giving up his right to the disputed piece of land, after

which he (raa) headed in the direction of the Prophet (saaw); and Rabeeah (raa) closebehind.

Rabeeahs fellow clansmen from the Aslam tribe soon got wind of what had happened,and so they went to Rabeeah (raa) and said, May Allah have me rcy on Abu Bakr! Hewas the one who said something inappropriate to you, so why is he asking the Messengerof Allah (saaw) for help against you? Rabeeah (raa) replied, Do you know who he is?He is Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, the second of two (in the cave of Thaur) and the most


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eminent of all Muslims. So beware: Do not let Abu Bakr (raa) see you taking my sideagainst him, for he might become angry as a result. Then he will go to the Messenger of Allah (saaw), who will become angry because of Abu Bakrs anger; and then Allah- thePossessor of Might and Majesty will become angry because of their anger. And as aresult of that, Rabeeah will become destroyed. His fellow clansmen asked, so what do

you command us to do? Rabeeah (raa) replied, Go back.

Rabeeah (raa) then followed Abu Bakr (raa) all by himself. When the two of themreached the Prophet (saaw), Abu Bakr (raa) gave an account of what had happened.When Abu Bakr (raa) stopped talking, the Prophet (saaw) raised his head towardsRabeeah (raa) and said, O Rabeeah, what has happened between you and As -Siddeeq? Rabeeah (raa) gave a similar account, after which he (raa) said, Abu Bakr said something to me that he quickly regretted, and he then said to me, Say to me what Isaid to you, so that we w ill then be even. But I refused to fulfill that request, TheMessenger of Allah (saaw) said, Yes, indeed. And do not say similar words to him, butinstead say: May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr. Rabeeah (raa) the said, May Allahforgives you, O Abu Bakr. The narrator of this story said that Abu Bakr (raa) thenturned around and left, and he (raa) was crying as he walked away (Musnad Ahmad 4/58,59).


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The Merits of Abu Bakr (raa)Meaning - Sahabee (plural: Sahabah) Anyone who saw the Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), while in the state of Imaan and breathe his last while in thestate of Muslim is known as a Sahabee (radiallahu anhu) - the Companion of ProphetMuhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) .

The Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)clearly mention the lofty position of the Sahabah - The first ones to accept Islam and tobelieve in the last Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). Theywere the ones, who accepted enmity against their tribes and families and endured theirtyranny and oppression, left their homelands and migrated to Madinah, all for the sake of practicing and spreading the religion of Allah. They fought along with the Prophet(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), against the Kuffar, with their wealth and lives. They are theones, whom Allah chose to place the responsibility of preserving the religion of Islam forthe coming generations and it is through them that the Religion is preserved; they are theBest of generation, as Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: " The best of my nationis my generation then those who follow them and then those who follow them. [Saheeh Bukharee]

Allah, the All-Wise and Knowledgeable extolled their virtues in His Book saying:Rather, the Prophet and those who believe with him fought with their property andtheir lives for these are all good things, they are the successful ones and Allah hasprepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow to dwell therein forever andthat is the great success [ (9): 88 -89]

They are the best example for us after our noble Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), he(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) symbolized them as a protection for the Muslim Ummah.And Allah, the Exalted has praised those who follow them in faith, He described themsaying:

And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun and Ansar and all those whofollowed them exactly (in faith). Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleasedwith Him and Allah has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow todwell therein forever and that is the great success . [Soorah at -Tawbah (9): 100]

Abi Burda reports from his father: He (Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) raised his head toward the heavens and said: "The stars are the protection forthe sky - when the stars have gone, that which has been forewarned will come to thesky. I am the protection for my Companions (radiallahu anhu) - when I have gone,that which has been forewarned will come to my companions. My Companions arethe protection for this Ummah - when they have gone, that which has beenforewarned will come to this Ummah." [Saheeh Muslim]

So, the only protection for this Ummah is to stick to the way of the Companions, the firstgeneration - the best generation. We will now focus specifically on the status and the


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virtues of the best of this best generation, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq - the first Khalifa, themost beloved person to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam):

Narrated Amr bin Al-Aas (radiallahu a nhu): The Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) deputed me to lead the army of Dat as- Salasil. I came to him and said: Who is

the most beloved person to you? ' He said: Aa'isha I asked Amongst men? He said:Her father (Abu Bakr).. . [Saheeh Al-Bukharee v.5, no.14]

Abu Bakr As-Siddique was the closest of the Companions in relationship to the Prophet(sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam). Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhu) reports: The Prophet(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) came out during his illness from which he died, his head

bound with a cloth. He sat on the minbar, thanked Allah, praised Him and said: There isno one among the people who has been more generous to me with his life and hisproperty than Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhaafa (radiallahu anhu) and if I was to take abosom friend, I would take Abu Bakr as my bosom friend. But, the friendship of Islam is better. Block off every door in this Masjid except the door of Abu Bakr

[Saheeh Al-Bukharee]

He (radiallahu anhu) was the first person to accept Islam amongst men. He was alwayspresent for the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and was the quickest to come to hisdefense and to affirm and believe everything, which came from the Prophet (sallallahualaihe wa-sallam). Narrated Urwa ibn Az-Zubair: 'I asked Amr ibn Al -Aas (radiallahuanhu): What was the most severe thing the mushrikeen ever did to Allah's Messenger(sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam)? He answered: Once, when the Prophet (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) was praying in the court of the Kaaba, Uqba ibn Abi Mu'eet came and put apiece of cloth around his neck and began choking him severely. Abu Bakr came alonggrabbed his shoulders and pushed him away from the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-

sallam) saying: Do you kill a man just for saying my Lord is Al lah? [Saheeh Al-Bukhari]

Abu Ya'la (radiallahu anhu) also narrates that Anas ibn Malik said: They beat theProphet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) one day until he lost consciousness. Abu Bakr stoodand began calling out: ' Woe to you! Do you kill a man just for saying my Lord isAllah? The people asked one another: Who is this? And they said: That is Ibn AbiQuhaafa the madman [Saheeh Al -Bukhari (Hasan)]

Being the closest Companion to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), Abu Bakr wasalso the most knowledgeable in both belief and understanding the teachings of theProphet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), as we see in the following:

Narrated Abu Sa'id al- Khudri (radiallahu anhu): Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) sat on the pulpit and s aid: Allah has given one of his slave, the choice of receiving the splendor and luxury of the worldly life (whatever he likes) or to acceptthe good (of the Hereafter) which is with Him (Allah). So he has chosen that goodwhich is with Allah . On that Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) wept and said: Our fathersand mothers be sacrificed for you. We became astonished at this . The people said:


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Look at this old man! Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) talks about theslave of Allah to whom He has given the option to choose either the splendor of thisworldly life or good which is with Him, while he says, Our fathers and mothers besacrificed for you. But it was Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) who hadbeen given the option, and Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) knew it better than us.

[Saheeh Al-Bukharee v.5, no.244]

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam), himself informed us in his traditions that AbuBakr (radiallahu anhu) was not a person of pride. Ibn Umar narrates: Prophet (sallallah ualaihe wa-sallam) said: " Whoever drags his clothing on the ground in pride will notbe looked at by Allah on Qiyamah." Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) said: One side of my garment always drags on the ground unless I constantly tend to it. The Prophet (sallallahualaihe wa- sallam) said to him: You do not do that out of pride. [Saheeh Al -Bukharee]

He (radiallahu anhu) was named As -Siddeeq - 'the true verifier, because he hastenedto believe the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam). He was named so after the Prophet's

journey to Jerusalem, when the Qura'ish refused to believe Prophet Muhammad's(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) journey to Jerusalem within a night, Abu Bakr (radiallahuanhu) when he heard of it, he said: I have always believed in his words aboutheavenly revelation; how can I disbelieve him in a secondary worldly matter.

Narrated Anas ibn Malik (radiallahu anhu): The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam)was on Mount Uhud with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman when the mountain trembled. He(sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: Stay still, Uhud for upon you are a Prophet, asiddique and two martyrs. [Saheeh Bukharee]

Abu Bakr was one of those mentioned in the Qur'aan who responded to Allah and His

Messenger after being injured . From Saheeh Al -Bukhare e: Aisha reports regardingAllah's statement: Those who responded to Allah and His Messenger (sallallahualaihe wa-sallam) after they had been afflicted with injury - to those who did goodand feared Allah among them is a great reward . [Soorah Aal Imraan (3): 172]

She said: "...Az-Zubair and Abu Bakr - after the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)was injured at Uhud and the mushrikeen backed off, but it was feared they would return -the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: " Who will go after them? " Seven menresponded to that and among them were Abu Bakr and Az-Zubair." [Saheeh al-Bukharee]

In addition to telling us that Abu Bakr was the closest person in this world to himself, theProphet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) bore witness to many of the virtues of Abu Bakrand informed him and us that he is among the people of Paradise.

Once Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) offered the morning prayer andthen faced the people and said: While a man was driving a cow, he rode over it andbeat it. The cow said: We have not been created for this, but we have been createdto plough. On that the people said astonishingly: Glorified be Allah! A cow speaks!The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: I believe this, and Abu Bakr and


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Uma r too, believe it, although neither of them was present there. The Prophet(sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam) added: While a person was amongst his sheep, a wolf,attacked and took one of the sheep. The man chased the wolf till he rescued it(sheep) from the wolf, whereupon the wolf said: You have rescued it (the sheep)from me; but who will guard it on the day of the wild beasts when there will be no

shepherd to guard them

except me? The people said surprisingly, Glorified beAllah! A wolf speaks! The Pro phet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: But I believethis, Abu Bakr and Umar too, believe this. Although neither of them was presentthere. [Saheeh Al-Bukharee v.4, no.67 7]

Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: " ...Whoever is among the people of prayerwill be called (to paradise) from the door of prayer. Whoever is among the people of

jihad will be called from the door of jihad. Whoever is among the people of sadaqawill be called from the door of sadaqa. Whoever is among the people of fasting iscalled from the door of fasting and the door of Ar-Rayaan. " Abu Bakr said "...Isanyone called from all of those doors, O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-

sallam)?" He (sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam) said: Yes, and I hope that you will beamong the m, Abu Bakr [Saheeh Bukhari]

Once Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam) asked: Who began this day fasting? AbuBakr said: I did. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) said: Who participated ina funeral procession today? Abu Bakr said: I did P rophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: Who fed a needy person today? Abu Bakr said: I did He (sallallahualaihe wa-sallam) said: Who visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr said: I didThen, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa- sallam) said: These things cannot all meet in asingle person but that they will enter Paradise. [Saheeh Muslim]

Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) was the quickest of the Companions to rush to any gooddeed. Umar ibn Khattab said: Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) ordered us to givesadaqa. It happened to coincide with some wealth I had just acquired and I said to myself:If I will every surpass Abu Bakr, this is the day I will surpass him. And so I came to theProphet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) with half of my wealth and he (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said to me: " What have you left for your family ?" I said: The same amount.Then, Abu Bakr came with all of his wealth. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam)said to him: " What have you left for your family? " He said: I have left them Allahand His Messenger. I said: I will never surpass you in anything. [Abu Dawood (ahassan hadith)]

Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) was the best person after the Messenger of Allah (sallallahualaihe wa-sallam). The Companions were well aware of who were the first fewCompanions in closeness to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and the Rightly-Guided Khalifas were chosen on that basis.

Ibn Umar (radiallahu anhu) reports: We used to discuss the best of the people duringthe time of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and we saw the best as Abu


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Bakr (radiallahu anhu), then Umar, then Uthman ibn Affaan (radiallahu anhu) [Saheeh Al-Bukharee]

Ali ibn Abi Talib (radiallahu anhu) was also very much aware of this and bore witness toit as we see in this narration from his son, which is found in Saheeh Al- Bukharee also: I

said to my father: Who is the best of the people after Allah's Messenger (sallallahualaihe wa- sallam)? He said: Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) . I said: And then who?He said: And then Umar ibn Al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu) . I was afraid that hewould say Uthman (radiallahu anhu) next, so I said: And then you? To which heanswered: I am nothing but a man among the Muslims.

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) made no "official" appointment of a successor,but left plenty of signs that Abu Bakr was to succeed him as his Khalifa. A woman cameto the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) and he ordered her to come back later. Whenshe said: What if I come don't find you? (Indicating his death). He (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) said: "I f you don't find me, then go to Abu Bakr. [Saheeh Bukharee]

Aisha (radiallahu anha) narrates: Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) said tome in his final illness: " Call Abu Bakr and his brother so I can write an officialdocument for I fear that some desirous one may follow his desires and say: I ammore appropriate. And Allah and the believers reject all but Abu Bakr. " [SaheehMuslim]

Once, when the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was very ill, he (sallallahu alaihewa-sallam) said: " Get another to lead the prayer ." The people found Umar ibn Khattab(radiallahu anhu) and Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu) was not yet there and they told him tolead the prayer. When the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) heard Umar's voice

leading the prayer, he said: " And where is Abu Bakr? Allah and the Muslims rejectthis. Allah and the Muslims reject this. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) thensent for Abu Bakr and he led the people in prayer after Umar had already led them in thatsame prayer. [Abu Dawood (hassan)]

Jundub (radiallahu anhu) narrates: I heard the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa -sallam) fivedays before his death saying: " I declare my innocence before Allah that I should haveany bosom friend among you for Allah Most High has taken me as His friend just asHe took Ibrahim as His friend. If I were to take any bosom friend from my nation Iwould take Abu Bakr. [Saheeh Muslim]

So, this is the high status of Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radiallahu anhu), we are obliged torespect him and the rest of the Companions of Prophet and refrain from criticizing themin any way, Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said: " Do not slander myCompanions, for if one of you were to spend an amount of gold equivalent to the sizeof Mount 'Uhud, you would not even come halfway up to their level. [Saheeh al -Bukhaari]


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The Death of the Prophet (saws) and the Stance of Abu Bakr (raa)

When Abu Bakr (raa) heard about the news of the Prophet s death he mounted his horseand rode from his house until the Masjid. And without saying a single word to anyone,Abu Bakr (raa) entered the Masjid, and then entered upon Aaishah (raa) in her apartment. He (raa) then headed straight for the Messenger of Allah (saaw), who wascovered in a garment. Removing the part of the garment that covered the Prophets face,Abu Bakr (raa) leaned down, kissed the Prophet (saaw), and began to cry. He (raa) thensaid, May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. By A llah, Allah will not combinetwo deaths upon you. As for the death that was decreed for you, you have died it.(Bukhaaree, the Book of Al-Maghaazee -4452- ) When Abu Bakr (raa) said, Allah willnot combine two deaths upon you, He (raa) was refuting Uma r (raa), whom wasclaiming that the Prophet (raa) would come back to life. Abu Bakr (raa) knew that, even

if that was the case, the Prophet (raa) would still die again, which meant that he (saaw)would have to die a total of two deaths; and Abu Bakr (raa) understood that the Prophet(saaw) enjoyed too high a ranking with Allah (swt) for that to happen to him.

As Abu Bakr (raa) came out of the Masjid, Umar (raa) was spaeaking to the people, and wasstill in a fit of rage. Abu Bakr (raa) said, O Umar, sit down, after which he (raa) stood todeliver a sermon to the people. He (raa) praised Allah, glorified Him, and then said, Toproceed: Whosoever used to worship Muhammad, then, indeed Muhammad has died. Andwhosoever worships Allah, the Allah is alive an d does not die. He (raa) then recited theVerse for the Noble Quran: Muhammad (saaw) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have

passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on you heels (asdisbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah,and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful. (Quran 3:144)

Umar (raa) later said, By Allah, no sooner did I hear Abu Bakr recite that Verse, than Ifell down to the ground, for my two legs could no longer carry me. And I came to knowthat the Messenger of Allah (swt) had indeed died. (Bukhaaree, the Book of Al -Maghaazee -4454- )

The Courtyard of Banu Saaidah

The people pf the Ansaar gathered around the leader of the Kha zraj tribe, Saad ibn

Ubaadah (raa). Meanwhile, the people of the Muhaajiroon were gathered elsewhere withAbu Bakr (raa), and the purpose of; their meeting was the same: they wanted to appoint acaliph from among themselves. But before they arrived at a decision, they rememberedtheir brothers from the Ansaar, and they said to one another, Let us go to our brothersfrom the Ansaar, for they have the right to help us arrive at a decision regarding thismatter. (Asrul -Khilaafah Ar-Raashidah, by Al- Umare e pg.40 )


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Umar (raa) said, So we left, intending to go and meet with them. As we drew near totheir place of meeting, we were met by two of their righteous men, who informed usabout what their people had agreed upon doing. The two men said to us, O pe ople of theMuhaajiroon, where are you going? We said, We are heading towards our brothers fromthe Ansaar. They said, You will not be doing wrong if you do not approach them (now

that you know what they have agreed to do). Decide then what you will do . I said, ByAllah, we will indeed go to them. When we reached them in the courtyard of BanuSaaidah, I saw in their midst a man who was wrapped up in clothing, and I asked, Whois that? They said, That is Saad ibn Ubaadah. I said, what is the m atter with him(i.e., why is he wrapped up thus)? They said, He has a fever and is experiencing a greatdeal of pain.

A short while after we sat down (in the midst), their speaker (stood up; and) proclaimedthe testimony of Faith and praised Allah as he deserves to be praised. He then said, toproceed: We are the helpers of Allah and the army of Islam; meanwhile you O men of the Muhaajiroon are a small group of people. A party among your people has comehere, wanting to deprive us of the right to take over the reins of leadership. When he fellsilent, I wanted to speak, for I had thought up beautiful words to say but when I wasabout to speak, Abu Bakr (raa) said, Take it easy, and so I remained silent, not wantingto arouse his anger.

Abu Bakr (raa) then spoke. He was more forbearing than I was, and he had a moredignified comportment. By Allah, as for all of the wonderful things that I had thought of saying, he said them in a similar or better manner, until he was finished speaking and fellsilent. He said, you (O people of the Ansaar) are worthy of all of the good things youhave said about yourselves. Nonetheless, only the people of the Quraish have a right tothe caliphate: they are the best among all Arabs in terms of both their lineage and theirhomeland. (As a leader) for you all I am pleased with either of these two men, so pledgeallegiance to whichever of them you want. He then took the hand of Abu Ubaidah ibnAl-Jarraah, who was seated among us ..Abu Ubaidah said, By Allah, for me to havemy neck struck (with a sword), so long as that does not make me sinful, is more belovedto me than for me to become leader over a people who have in their midst Abu Bakr (raa)

unless my soul, at the moment of death, whispers evil thoughts to me (thoughts of mylife being spared, so that I can remain alive and become the first caliph of the Muslimnation0, thoughts that I do not have right now. Someone from the Ansaar said, I am aperson who is recognized for my sound views, and I am will respected among my people(so listen to what I have to say): let us choose a leader from among us, and a leader fromamong you, O people of the Quraish. People began to argue and voices were raised. Inorder to quell their disagreement, I said, Extend you hand, O Abu Bakr. He extendedhis hand, and I pledged allegiance to him. The Muhaajiroon also pledged to follow him,after which the Ansaar did the same. (Bukhaaree 6830)

According to the narration of Ahmad, Abu Bakr (raa) said, And you indeed know tha tthe Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, Were the people to travel through one valley, andere the Ansaar to travel through another valley, I would travel through the valley of theAnsaar. And you indeed know, O Saad, that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) sai d whileyou were sitting down (and listening to Him), The people of the Quraish are in charge of


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this matter (i.e., of the caliphate): all righteous people followers of their righteous peopleand all evildoers are followers of their evildoers. Saad (raa_ said, You have spoken thetruth. We are you ministers, and you are our leaders. (Musnad Ahmad -1/5-, and Al-Khilaafah Wal-Khulafaa pg.50)

The General Pledge of AllegianceAnas ibn Maalik (raa) reported that, on the day after the meeting to place in the courtyardof Banu Saaidah, Abu Bakr (raa) sat down on the pulpit. As he (raa) was seated thusUmar (raa) stood up and addressed the people. He (raa) began his speech by praising andglorifying Allah (swt), after which he want on to say, O people, inde ed I said somethingto you yesterday which is not from that which is found in the Book of Allah; nor waswhat I said something that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) promised to us (here, Umar (raa) was perhaps referring to how, on the previous day, he publicly denied the possibilitythat the Prophet (saaw) had died). It was just that I felt that the Messenger of Allah(saaw) would outlive us all. Nonetheless, Allah has left among you His Book, throughwhich He guided His Messenger (saaw). If you adhere to the same Book, Allah willguide you upon the same path that He guided His Messenger (saaw). Now indeed Allah(swt) has brought you together and united you under (your new leader); he is the bestamong you; he is the companion of the Messenger of Allah (saaw); and he was thesecond of two when they were in the cave. So stand up and pledge you obedience tohim. The general population of Muslims then pledged allegiance to him, just as, on theprevious day, a select group of Muslins did the same.

Abu Bakr (raa) then addressed the people in what was to become one of the mostmemorable and moving speeches in the history of the Muslim nation. As Umar (raa) didbefore him, Abu Bakr (raa) began by praising and glorifying Allah (swt).

Abu Bakr (raa) then said,

To proceed: O people, I have indeed been appointed over you, though I am not the bestamong you. If I do well, then help me, and if I act wrongly, then correct me. Truthfulnessis synonymous with fulfilling the trust, and lying is tantamount to treachery. The weak among you is deemed strong by me, until I return to them that which is rightfully theirs,In Sha Allah (Allah Willing). And the strong among you is deemed weak by me until Itake from them what is rightfully (someone elses), In Sha Allah. No group of peopleabandons Jihad in the path of Allah, except that Allah makes them suffer humiliation.And wickedness does not become widespread among a people, except that Allah inflictsthem with widespread calamity. Obey me so long as I obey Allah and His Messenger.And if I disobey Allah and His Messenger, then I have no right to you obedience. Standup now to pray, may Allah have mercy on you. (Al - Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah -6/305,

306- and the chain of this Hadeeth is authentic.)


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The Rightly-Guided CaliphsContents

The First Caliph, Abu Bakr (632-634 A.C.)

The Second Caliph, 'Umar (634-644 A.C.) The Third Caliph, Uthman (644-656 A.C.) The Fourth Caliph, Ali (656-661 A.C.)

Meaning of the Word 'Caliph'

The word 'Caliph' is the English form of the Arabic word 'Khalifa,' which is short forKhalifatu Rasulil-lah. The latter expression means Successor to the Messenger of God,the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The title 'Khalifatu Rasulil-lah'. was first usedfor Abu Bakr, who was elected head of the Muslim community after the death of the

Prophet.The Significance of the Caliphate

The mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), like that of the earlier messengersof God, was to call people to the worship of and submission to the One True God. Inpractice, submission to God means to obey His injunctions as given in the Holy Qur'anand as exemplified by Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet). As successor to the Prophet,the Caliph was the head of the Muslim community and his primary responsibility was tocontinue in the path of the Prophet. Since religion was perfected and the door of Divinerevelation was closed at the death of the Prophet, the Caliph was to make all laws inaccordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. He was a ruler over Muslims but not theirsovereign since sovereignty belongs to God alone. He was to be obeyed as long as heobeyed God. He was responsible for creating and maintaining conditions under which itwould be easy for Muslims to live according to Islamic principles, and to see that justicewas done to all. Abu Bakr, at the time he accepted the caliphate, stated his position thus:

"The weak among you shall be strong with me until their rights have been vindicated; andthe strong among you shall he weak with me until, if the Lord wills, I have taken what isdue from them... Obey me as long as I obey God and His Messenger. When I disobeyHim and His Prophet, then obey me not."

The Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Al-Khulafa-ur-Rashidun)Those Caliphs who truly followed in the Prophet's foot steps are called 'The Rightly-Guided Caliphs' (Al-Khulafa-ur Rashidun in Arabic). They are the first four Caliphs: AbuBakr, 'Umar, Uthman and Ali. All four were among the earliest and closest Companionsof the Prophet (peace be on him). They lived simple and righteous lives and strove hardfor the religion of God. Their justice was impartial, their treatment of others was kind andmerciful, and they were one with the people - the first among equals. After these four, the


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later Caliphs assumed the manners of kings and emperors and the true spirit of equality of ruler and ruled diminished to a considerable extent in the political life of Muslims.

It should be clearly understood that the mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace be onhim), and hence that of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, was not political, social or economicreform, although such reforms were a logical consequence of the success of this mission,nor the unity of a nation and the establishment of an empire, although the nation did uniteand vast areas came under one administration, nor the spread of a civilization or culture,although many civilizations and cultures developed, but only to deliver the message of God to all the peoples of the world and to invite them to submit to Him, while being theforemost among those who submitted.


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The Army of Usamah Ben Zayed Ebn Harethah (raa)


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Apostasy Al MortadeenThe Causes of Apostasy and the Categories of Apostates

The people who apostatized after the death of the Prophet (saaw) did so for varying

reasons. Even though it is true that the Prophets death was the main cause of all of their apostasy, various groups among them had other underlying reasons why they apostatized;so the Prophets death simply acted as a trigger to set off their disbelief. Fo r some, it wastheir weak faith and lack of understanding of religious texts that took them over the edge,so that they fell into the abyss of disbelief; for yet others, it was a deep-seated love of pre-Islam practices that made the idea of apostatizing appealing to them; for others, triballoyalties turned them away from the idea of remaining a part of a religion that strove toeradicate the tribal xenophobia that pervaded societies during the days of pre-Islamicignorance. And for those who were ambitious, greedy, or power-hungry or all three of those combined the Prophets death signaled a vacuum of power in the region, and thusseemed like the perfect opportunity to try and grab as much power and wealth as

possible. Finally, some Muslims apostatized because they came under the influence of foreign peoples Jews, Christians, and Magians. In the following sections, we willdiscuss all of these causes in more detail, In Sha Allah (Allah Willing).

Jus as there were varying causes of apostasy, so too were there various categories of apostates. One category consisted of those who, both in general beliefs and in everydaypractices, abandoned Islam altogether and returned completely and wholly to a life of paganism and idolatry. Another smaller category consisted of those who claimed to beprophets, and their followers consisted of a larger third category. A fourth categoryconsisted of those who stated that Prayer was no longer necessary; a fifth categoryconsisted of people who, while they outwardly accepted Islam and prayed, refused to pay

Zakaat. One group consisted of people who took pleasure in the Prophets death mostlikely because they were hypocrites all along and were eager and happy to return totheir pre-Islamic practices and beliefs. And yet another group consisted of people whowere confused about everything that was happening all around them, and so they, seekingout their own best interests, wanted to wait and see what the aftermath of the wars wouldbe so that they could side with the victors.

Not all scholars agree on exactly how many categories of apostates there were followingthe death of the Prophet (saaw). This is because some scholars divided two differentkinds of apostates into separate categories, whereas other scholars, noticing an overallsimilarity between the two kinds, joined them together into the same category. Here, Iwill focus on the categorization of three scholars: Al-Khattaabee, Al- Qaadee Iyaadh, andDr. Abdur -Rahmaan ibn Saaleh Al-Mahmood.

Al-Khattaabee said, Th ere were two categories of apostates. The first consisted of thosewho turned away from the religion, abandoning Islam altogether and returning todisbelief. The people of this category can be divided into two sub-divisions: The firstsub-division consisted of the followers of Musailamah the people of the Banu Haneefahtribes as well as others who believed his claim of prophet hood and the companions of Al-Aswad Al- Ansee, as well as his followers from Yemen and elsewhere. Everyone


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from this category disbelieved in the Prophet hood of Muhammad (saaw) and the claimed prophet hood for someone else.As distinguished between prayer and Zakaat,recognizing the compulsory and that it must be paid to the Imam (the Khaleefah or theoverall leader of the Muslim nation). (Sharh Saheeh Muslim, by An-Nawawee 1/202). Itshould be noted, however, that some people were actually willing to pay Zakaat, but their

leaders prevented them from doing so. Al-Qaadee Iyaadh classified the apostates in a similar manner, except that he dividedthem not into two, but three categories. The members of the first category returned to theworship of idols. Those of the second category followed their Musaillamah or Al-Aswadal-Ansee each of whom claimed to be a prophet. As for the members of the thirdcategory, they continued to believe in Islam, buy they denied the compulsory nature of Zakaat and falsely interpreted Zakaat as being something that was specific to the lifetimeof the Prophet (saaw). So in a way, they believed that Zakaat was a tribute tax that wasspecific to the Prophet (saaw), and not a compulsory tax that was meant to alleviate theharsh conditions of the poor and needy and that was used for other noble purposes aswell.

And Dr. Abdur -Rahmaan ibn Saaleh Al-Mahmood classified apostates into fourcategories:1. The first consisted of people who returned to the worship of idols;2. the second, of people who followed false prophets Al-Aswad Al- Ansee,

Musailamah, and Sujaah;3. the third, of people who denied the fact that Zakaat was compulsory; and4. the fourth, of those who did not deny the fact that Zakaat was obligatory, but who

nonetheless refused to pay it to Abu Bakr (raa

Tulaihah Al-Asdee

Tulaihah Al-Asdee was the third man who, durin g the final stages of the Prophetslifetime, claimed to be a prophet. His full name was Tulaihah ibn Khuwailad ibn NaufalAl-Asdee. During the Year of the Delegations the year 9 H, which was the yearduring which delegations from all over the peninsula visited the Prophet (saaw) in orderto either negotiate terms of peace or declare their entry into the fold of Islam on behalf of their peoples Tulaihah visited the Messenger of Allah (saaw) in the company of othermembers of the Asad tribe. The delegates of his tribe extended greetings of peace to theProphet (saaw) and said to him, We have come in order to bear witness that none has theright to be worshipped but Allah and that you are His slave and Messenger, though youwere not sent to us They sa id these words not with complete sincerity, but to give the

impression; that they were doing the Prophet (saaw) a big favor. As a result of their badmanners, Allah (swt) revealed the Verse:

They regard as favor upon you (O Muhammad (saaw) that they have embraced Islam.Say: Count not your Islam as a favor upon me. Nay, but Allah has conferred a favor upon you, that He has guided you to the Faith, if you indeed are true. (Quran 49:17)


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It was when he returned to his homeland that Tulaihah not only apostatized, but alsoclaimed to be a prophet. By claiming to be a Prophet, Tulaihah understood that he wouldsoon be entering into a military conflict with Muslims, and so he set up a militarycommand post in Sumairah, which was an area of land that was a part of Banu Asadterritory.

Allah (swt) tested the Faith of the people of Banu Asad through Tulaihah. One day, theycompletely ran out of water, the situation soon became dire, for most of them wereovercome by an unbearable felling of thirst Tulaihah spoke a riddle to them, the answerof which, he claimed, would lead them to water. They played along, but were shockedand pleasantly surprised to find that, by following the instructions of his riddle, they cameacross a source of water. It was then that the common masses of the Asad tribe, as well asmany Bedouins who lived in the region, fell under the spell of Tulaihah and willinglybecame his followers.

Deeming himself to be a legislator of Religious law, Tulaihah told his people that it wasno longer compulsory upon them to perform prostration during prayer. He claimed thatrevelation came down to him from the heavens, and in order to prove that claim, hecomposed a number of Verses. Even though the Verses he recited were trite andnonsensical, people still followed him out of a sense of tribal loyalty.

The Battle of Buzaakhah and the Destruction of Banu Asad

Khaalid (raa) led his men onwards until he reached Ajaa and Salmaa territory, which iswhere he made comp and prepared his army for battle. When he (raa) and his men set outagain, they came face to face with Tulaihahs army at a place calle

Documents

Abu Bakr Raa Al-Khilaafah Booklet