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MADRASA AL-HIDAYA |
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MUSLIM SCHOOL OF RIGHT GUIDANCE |
SAYYIDINA ABU BAKR AS-SIDDIQ
Rady Allahu Anhu (may Allah be pleased with him)
- Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) is the greatest Companion (Sahabi) of the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam).
- Among all the people, Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) is ranked next after all the Prophets (peace be upon them).
- He was two years younger than the Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam). They were close friends.
- When the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) invited people to accept Islam, he was the first among men to accept Islam.
- He accepted Islam without any doubt or hesitation.
- Many people accepted Islam through his persuasion.
- Both his father and mother also accepted Islam.
- He was given the name Abdul Kaba (servant of the Kaba) by his parents, but after accepting Islam, the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) gave him the name Abdullah. He was known as Abu Bakr.
- He was a wealthy trader and very generous. He helped the poor and the needy.
- He was always ahead of others in performing good deeds like fasting, going to a funeral, feeding the poor and visiting invalids.
- He freed many slaves who were oppressed by their masters. He paid in gold to free Sayyidina Bilal (Rady Allahu Anhu). Sayyidina Bilal later on became the first muazzin of Islam.
- He loved Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) so much that he used to weep when he recited the Qur’an.
- When the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) went on Mi‘raj (heavenly ascension), Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) was the first to believe him so he got the title As-Siddiq, which means “the Truthful”.
- He also got the title Al-‘Atiq which means: “saved from the punishment of hell-fire”.
- He accompanied the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) on his Hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Madina as the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) wanted to escape from the non-believers of Makkah who wanted to kill him.
- The Islamic calendar starts from that year.
- The Qur’an says that Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) is
the second of the two when they were in the cave, (9:40)
He was hiding in the cave together with the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) when they were on Hijrah.
- He gave his daughter Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha) in marriage to the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) after Sayyidatina Khadija (Rady Allahu Anha), his first wife passed away. He did that to strengthen their relationship.
- Sayyidatina Aisha (Rady Allahu Anha) and the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) were watching the stars one night and she asked him whether there was anyone who had obtained more thawab (heavenly rewards) than the number of those stars. He replied that her father had obtained more thawab just on the day of Hijrah.
- Sayyidina Umar al-Faruq (Rady Allahu Anhu) said he would have traded all of his good deeds for Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu)’s one good deed, which was the Hijrah (migration) with the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam).
- Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) went with the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) to the Battle of Badr and many other battles which they fought against the non-Muslims.
- Once, he brought everything from his home for the sake of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) to help the Muslims in the Battle of Tabuk. The Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) asked him what he had left at home for his family. He replied that he had left for his family only the Name of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) and the Name of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam). Such was his love for Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) and His Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam). Then Sayyidina Jibril (Alayhissalam) came and informed the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) that Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) was sending salams (salutations) to Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu).
- In his final illness, when the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) could not stand up to lead Salah (Prayer), he asked Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Rady Allahu Anhu) to lead Salah.
- When the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) passed away, the Muslims chose Sayyidina Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (Rady Allahu Anhu) as the first Khalifa or Successor.
- He was the first of the Khulafa ar-Rashidin (the Rightly-Guided Successors). The Khulafa ar-Rashidin who followed after him were: Sayyidina Umar ibn al-Khattab (Rady Allahu Anhu), Sayyidina Uthman ibn Affan (Rady Allahu Anhu) and Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib (Rady Allahu Anhu).
- In their time as Khalifa, they were the leaders of the Muslim community. They knew their responsibilities well, of continuing in the path of the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam). They knew that the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah had to be upheld.
- Some verses of the Holy Qur’an had been revealed praising each of them.
- Some Hadith narrate the virtues of each of them.
- They narrated some of the Hadith.
- We know of their life histories from their biographies (sirah) as well.
- Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala) was pleased with them and they were pleased with Him as their Lord.
- They obtained deep spiritual knowledge of Islam from Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam).
- They are among the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise by the Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam).
- They loved him and he loved them.
- Muslims love them and are proud of them.
- Their names are mentioned in the du‘a after the completion of the recitation of the Holy Qur’an.
- Their names are mentioned in the Friday khutbah praising them.
- They have also been praised in Muslim religious poetry.
- We now come to the history of Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Rady Allahu Anhu) when he became Khalifa.
- When he became Khalifa, some Muslims refused to pay Zakat. He said he would stand up for the Pillars of Islam. He said he would fight anyone who refused to pay Zakat. So, everyone agreed to pay Zakat.
- After the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa Sallam) passed away, Musailamah, the Kadhdhab (arch-liar) claimed he was the prophet. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Rady Allahu Anhu) sent the Muslim army to fight him until Musailamah the Kadhdhab was defeated and killed in the Battle of al-Yamama. In this way, he preserved the purity of the teachings of Islam.
- He had all the verses of the Qur’an compiled together in the form of a Kitab (Book). This copy of the Qur’an was kept with Sayyidatina Hafsa (Rady Allahu Anha).
- He introduced the bayt al-maal (public treasury).
- He was Khalifa for two years.
- He passed away on 22 Jumada al-Akhira, 13 A.H. at the age of 63.
- He is praised in the Friday khutba as As-Siddiq (the Truthful).
- His last resting place is alongside the Holy Prophet Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) in Masjid Nabawi in Madina, where angels continuously recite salawat and salams (blessings and salutations of peace).