HAZRAT Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A) was born into a highly respected family of Quraish in Makah and lived his life as a merchant. He was the first of the men to accept Islam when the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) began preaching it and was also known as the closest and best companion of the Holy Prophet from his childhood. He was almost two years younger than the Holy Prophet. He was quite different from the rest and was more or less similar in his behavior to that of the Holy Prophet, possessing qualities of truthfulness and honesty. He (R.A) was kind-hearted and used to help resolve others’ problems. Regarding his compassionate behaviour towards others, the Holy Prophet said: ‘The most merciful of my nation towards my nation is Abu Bakr.’
The Holy Prophet said in his last sermon: ‘No one has been a better companion to me than Abu Bakr.’ A great reward indeed! He had earned it. All his life, he stood by the side of the Holy Prophet. He did not care for his life, nor did he care for what others said about him. His only ambition was to serve the Holy Prophet more than anyone else. The cost did not matter; the ambition was fulfilled. He received his reward in full. The Holy Prophet was well pleased with him and gave him the first place among the Companions. From early years, he was known for his good and upright nature. These qualities won him respect among the people and also won him the lifelong and history-making friendship of the Holy Prophet.
He adopted the profession of trade and was well known for his integrity in dealings, which led people to entrust their belongings to him. He earned a considerable amount of wealth through this commerce, made possible with the help of his great character. He provided more material support to the Holy Prophet than anyone else. The Holy Prophet said: ‘I called people to Islam; everybody thought over it, at least for a while, but this was not the case with Abu Bakr. The moment I presented Islam to him, he accepted it without any hesitation.’ He was titled “As-Siddiq” by Allah because his faith was too strong to be shaken by anything.
As soon as he entered Islam, he actively participated in calling others towards it. He became the very first individual after the Holy Prophet to preach Islam. He also used his social influence to bring many people to Islam, presenting it in such a way that impelled many of his close friends to embrace Islam. He was always the closest friend of the Holy Prophet throughout his Islamic journey. After the death of the Holy Prophet, all the companions of the Holy Prophet were in a state of great grief. Nobody knew who would lead them, and he was rated so highly among the believers that he was given the authority to lead the Muslims after the passing of the Holy Prophet. Although there was initially some confusion over whether the leader should be from Ansaar or Muhajireen, eventually, he was granted this great honour as no one was as close to the Holy Prophet as he was.
He took part in all the battles that the Holy Prophet had to fight. All his life, he fought bravely under the banner of the Holy Prophet and always stood like a rock by His side. The Holy Prophet led the prayers himself ever since he arrived in Medina. During his last illness, the Holy Prophet could no longer lead the prayers due to weakness, and he therefore had to choose someone to fill such a high position after him. Hazrat Abu Bakr was the one honoured to be chosen by the Holy Prophet for this task. In a Hadith, it is mentioned: ‘Tell Abu Bakr from my side to lead the Muslims in prayer.’ This Hadith clearly indicates the great position of Hazrat Abu Bakr in the eyes of the Holy Prophet, as he was made the Imam of Muslims to lead the Salah.
After an illness of two weeks, he passed away at the age of sixty-three and was buried beside the Holy Prophet. Before his death, he said, ‘Do not use new cloth to cover my dead body. The sheet of cloth I have on will do for me. Wash it clean.’ His daughter Aisha said, ‘But this is too old and worn, father.’ He replied, ‘This old and worn sheet will do for me.’This parting wish was acted upon. The second wish of the dying Caliph was, ‘Sell my land and pay back in the public treasury all the money I received as my salary.’ This was also done. Before he became the Caliph, Abu Bakr was a well-to-do merchant. The affairs of the Caliphate left him no time to look after his own business, and the matter was put before the Companions. Thus, Hazrat Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, left behind a noble example of selfless service. He lived and worked for Islam until his last breath, seeking no worldly reward for his tireless labours.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
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views expressed are writer’s own.
