The life of Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (RA)
HAZRAT Abu Bakar Siddique (RA) was the first adult male to accept Islam. A businessman by profession, an elite by virtue of being from the tribe of Quraish, an influential, wealthy and well-respected person before the dawn of Islam.
He was recognised for his wisdom, nobility, and balanced loveable personality, which was easy to interact with while exhibiting a high level of personal conduct with honour and dignity. He was a friend of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and his age group. As soon as Hazrat Abu Bakar was presented with the invitation to embrace Islam, he immediately accepted it.
Convinced with the truth of this divine religion, he decided to spread the message of Islam to his friends and relatives around him.
Several influential persons who accepted Islam included Hazrat Usman Bin Affan (RA), Hazrat Zubair bin Al Awam (RA), Hazrat Abdur Rehman bin Auf (RA), Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas (RA), and Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidullah (R.A). Besides using his influence and social linkages, he spent wealth to support the cause of Islam.
He used to facilitate those poor who accepted Islam and bore hardships at the hands of their masters. Once his father found that he was buying and liberating enslaved people, he advised him to invest in those influential and young individuals so that he could later benefit from them.
Hazrat Abu Bakar’s (RA) objective was to free those poor Muslims inflicted with torture for accepting Islam. One of them was Hazrat Bilal (RA), who used to call Ahad, Ahad, meaning Allah is the only one and there is no one but Allah.
Besides supporting the weak, he stood beside the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and assisted him in spreading the message of Islam.
In those days, no one was allowed to preach in public. During this process, Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) took a courageous action and invited all the people in the Holy Kaaba to accept Allah without any supporter, helper or subordinate, etc.
On seeing this, the non-believers started to beat him fiercely until he fell unconscious and it was widely believed that he might not survive these injuries. Once he gained consciousness in his home, the first question he asked was about the well-being of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He refused to eat anything till such time he would not see him.
He adored Islam and requested that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) pray for his mother to accept Islam. Allah had opened his heart and mind towards the glory of Islam.
One night the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was asleep at the residence of Hazrat Umme Hani (RA) from where Allah took him from Holy Kaaba to Holy Aqsa mosque and subsequently for Miraaj (meeting with Allah in the heavens) as stated in Surat Isra.
The next day when the holy prophet narrated the details of this journey, the non-believers refused to accept and went to Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (RA), expecting him to deny also.
However, he said that if the Holy Prophet (PBUH) narrated this, it is nothing but the truth. In recognition of this testimony, Allah awarded him the title of Siddique, the truthful.
He was the most trusted companion of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). As opposition to Islam grew, the powerful elite of Mecca planned to remove the obstacle of Islam. There were developments in the enemy camp to remove him from the scene, and Islam’s supporters were aware of this situation.
However, the prophets move once the orders are conveyed to them by Allah. Permission to move out to Medina Munawarah was granted on the night when the enemies had planned to attack and kill him.
He took his most trusted friend and moved south, opposite the direction of Medina. About 10 km south of the Kaaba is a cluster of mountains and the centre one is the highest of them all where these two took refuge in a cave called ‘Saur. ‘The enemies followed their imprints to arrive in the neighbourhood of the hiding place. They observed a spider web at the entrance of the cave.
Besides, a tree grew in the vicinity to hide them from the eyes of the enemy and a pigeon laid eggs.
These marks convinced the adversary that there was no one to be found in that area. This is stated in the Holy Quran that the armies of the skies and earth are for Allah.
While hiding from the searchers, Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) expressed his worries to the holy prophet (PBUH), who asked him not to worry as “Allah is the third One with us. “Allah has stated this reply in Ayah 40 of Surat Taubah.
Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) used his servant to remain current on the enemy movements and employed his daughter Hazrat Asma (RA) to provide food. He also carried all available cash held with him (about 6000 dirhams) for the travel expenses. He also contributed his entire household to the Ghazwa-e-Tabuk.
The spending to get the blessings of Allah was even acknowledged by Allah in Surat Al Lail where it is informed that those who spend to please Allah will be rewarded in the hereafter.
During the last days of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.), he asked Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) to lead the prayers in Masjid-e-Nabvi.
Later he became the Muslims’ Caliph, during which he served the Muslims and Islam. He did not want to take any salary, but he was requested to take salary by Hazrat Umer (RA) and other companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
Later, at the time of his death, he asked his daughter Hazrat Aisha (RA) to deposit his Garden in Bait-ul-Mall to refund that salary. Virtually he took nothing but gave whatever he had in spreading the message of Islam. This is what Abu Bakar means, the torchbearer and leader of the daybreak of Islam.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Rawalpindi.
