Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) I
Please read this if you havent.
This post is not a translation from any book. Its straight from the heart, for a person I admire dearly, you can call it loyalty with my own family if you want. He was the man for whom the Prophet (SAW) himself said in his last sermon, ‘No one has been a better companion for me than Abu Bakar (RA)‘. Obviously, I cannot do justice to his grandeur but I can try to do my bit.
Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abu Quhafah (RA) or Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (RA)* as we commonly know him as was born in a rich family 2 years after the Prophet (SAW). His linage joins that of the Prophet (SAW) 6 generations before. It is known that he was so handsome that he earned the nickname Atiq. He was literate, had a very good memory and was very fond of poetry.
Prophet (SAW) married Hazrat Khadija (RA) and became his neighbor. It wasnt a surprise that both of them soon became good friends as both were nearly the same age, traders and good managers. When the Prophet (SAW) disclosed to him about the revelation of Allah (SWT), he became the first adult free man to believe in the Prophet’s (SAW) mission. The Prophet (SAW) is known to have talked about this later, ‘When I invited people towards Allah (SWT), they thought over it and hesitated, at least for a while, except Abu Bakar (RA) who accepted my call the moment I put it before him.‘ He also said once, ‘Had I made anyone a friend other than Allah (SWT), it would have been Abu Bakar (RA)‘ and ‘Whatever Allah (SWT) poured into my heart, I poured into the heart of Abu Bakar (RA).‘ He is also known to have said once, ‘There is no one to whom I am obligated and have not repaid my debt except for Abu Bakar (RA), for I owe him so much for which only Allah (SWT) will compensate on the Day of Judgement.‘
This brought about a complete change in his life. He not only had to divorce one of his wives, Qutaylah, he also had to be separated from his son Abdur Rehman as they refused to revert to Islam. He convinced many of his friends torevert to Islam including Hazrat Usman (RA), Hazrat Zubair (RA), Hazrat Talha (RA) and Hazrat Abdur Rehman bin Awf (RA). He also liberated slaves who later became an important part of the Ummah including Hazrat Bilal (RA).
He later accompanied the Prophet (SAW) on Hijra to Medina, who can forget the famous verse from the Quran that honors Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (RA):
When the disbelievers drove him out; he had no more than one companion. They were two in the cave. And he said to his companion: “Have no fear for Allah is with us”. Then Allah sent down His peace upon him. (9:40)
He fought in almost all the battles along with the Prophet (SAW). In Jang-e-Badr he was with the Holy Prophet like a shadow. His own son, who had not embraced Islam (Abdur Rehman) by that time, was fighting on the side of Kuffar. Once he had accepted Islam he told Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) one day, ‘I found you twice under my sword at Badar but I could not raise my hand because of my love for you’. ‘if I had got a chance’, Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) replied, ‘I would have killed you’. Abdur Rehman ibn Abu Bakar was later known as a fierce Muslim fighter.
In the battle of Uhud when some of the Muslims were running away in the second phase of the battle (when Hazrat Khalid ibn Al-Walid’s (RA) cavalry attacked Muslims from behind and changed their victory into defeat), Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) was firm and when the Holy Prophet (SAW) was brought on the mountain after being injured, he was with him.
Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) was also the first Sahabi to accept the peace plan of the Prophet (SAW) without any hesitation at Hudaibiyah when all the Muslims insisted upon fighting. Even people like Hazrat Omar (R.A.) hesitated to accept the treaty with the non-believers of Mecca but Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) fully supported the Prophet’s (SAW) decision and was a witness to this treaty.
But, two of the greatest honors of his life must have been to be appointed as the leader of the first Hajj (year 631) and then to be chosen to lead the prayers by the Prophet (SAW) himself.
* His birth name was Abdul Kaaba.
Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) II
Yaar I had this idea to write something which correlates Sun Tzu’s teachings with the life of Rasoolallah Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam. Because the only perfect example of a true victory according to Sun Tzu’s teachings which I can think of is the Sullahe Hudaybiyah and the conquest of Makkah!
One thing I like to add to everything is that Islam has never been symbolic or sentimental, but it does realize it as human nature. And the Sahaba would describe in every way what humanity is reality. Not that version of buddha of see no evil and do no evil and live at peace with yourself.
Sahabah describe to us who to behave even when we are at odds with the best of our friends! As is evident from many incidents. I dont want to overstep my bounds here but some may not realize of how these bonds were forged in due time! We can never imagine how close the bond between Rasoolallah Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam and his WHOLE family must and Abu Bakr Raziallah Ta’alah Unho must be! They have been through so much together that one cant even gauge the amount of love and respect they must have for each other! Those bonds were not formed by mere talking with one another but real actions together! And WE have the audacity to disrespect THEM? when we back stabb our best of friends for the most insignificant of things?
I was just reading the mukaalmah between Fatima Raziallah Ta’alah Unhah and Abu Bakr Raziallah Ta’alah Unho over the land she should have got as inheritance, people say a lot of thing that Fatimah Raziallah Ta’allah Unho must have stopped talking with Abu Bakr Raziallah Ta’alah Unho and this and that! But really? Do we really have the guts to say that to a person who would lay his life and all his wealth down for the cause of Islam? And they would have a rift (Schism if you like) over a damn peace of land??? Do we really???I think this is preposterous of us!!!
And this has us divided!!! In times like these!!! The world is really going to hell!
Does nt anybody remember the Makkah and the Badr? Where these people sacrificed so much! And we think they would really form a schism over an inheritance issue???
I dont know whether to laugh or to cry!
Yaar delete the above comment!
wats wrong with that comment? i can delete it if you want but i will be talking about fadak myself
@Safi: Not just any piece of land bro. Fadak was Maal-e-Fai, that is the sole property of the Prophet alone, unlike Maal-e-Ghaneemat. It was given to Bibi Fatimah (S.A.) in gratitude of her mother Hazrat Khadijah’s (S.A.) services to Islam and her sacrifice of her wealth and belongings on the Prophet and Islam.
Fadak lay halfway between Khyber and Madinah. On the way back from the battle of Khyber, after Hazrat Ali (A.S.) had conquered the seven forts, the Jews of Fadak met Rasoolullah (S.A.W.W.) half-way and offered half of their properties in return for amnesty from him. It was a whole city in itself, full of orchards and farms. The money generated from Fadak was solely responsible for feeding the Muslim army and the conquests later on, as evident from historical texts.
Howe it was taken away and what justifications were given and whatever happened after that, remains a bone of contention.
There were several occasions when it was given back to Aal-e-Muhammad but it was later taken away again by some ruler. Fadak was taken away by the Hazrat Abu Bakar, given back by Umar Ibne Abdul Aziz, taken back by Yazid bin Abdul Malik, Saffah Abbasi gave it back, Mansoor-e-Do-Anaqi took it away, Mehdi Abbasi gave it back and then Moosa Ibne Hadi Abbasi took it away again. When Mamoon Rashid asked Ali-e-Raza to draw the map of Fadak so he could give it back to him, Ali-e-Raza drew the map of Mamoon’s whole kingdom!
As far as a rift between Bibi Fatimah (S.A.) and Hazrat Abu Bakar is concerned, that too is written down in history and hadees books. She refused to speak to him till she went to her father three or six months later.
Sorry if I’ve been too bold here, this is what I’ve read guys.
its ok SAWJ, just that I wanted to do a post on this on what I have read.
Thanks. Waiting.
Chal Safi, who’s the greatest general ever?
guys, its my blog, not a battle ground, so please keep that in mind.
secondly, can we stay on topic and for this post talk about hazrat abu bakar siddiq (RA) as a companion of the Prophet (SAW) only?
Sorry! (We’re not fighting waise, only asked him due to Sun Tzu and his understanding of wars.)
lol, why is sun tzu so important in safi’s life?
I have no friggin idea!
Now you are talking about Sun Tzu. STAY ON TOPIC!
yea, we can talk about that love affair between sun tzu and safi some time later
In all probability, it would be wrong to think that Abu Bakr was a name given to him because he was father of prophet’s only virgin wife, SAWS and RA.
The arabic word for virgin is Bikr not Bakr. The latter means a youthful camel. If wikipedia is to be trusted here then he earned this name or kunyah due to his fondness of camels during the early stages of his life. Other than that, Syed Suleman Nadwi has a note on it too in his book Seerat e Aisha RA. But now the only thing I remember from there is his rejection of the notion that Abu Bakar means ‘father of a virgin’ as a malapropism of some orientalist who wasn’t well versed in Arabic.
If you would like to cross check online what I am saying, download the first part of Lane’s arabic-english dictionary. I have located this word on page 277 of the pdf.
Lady its no love affair… Just shear awe and appreciation. And if one takes a closer look at the life of Rasoolallah Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam, we would find him to conform to the teachings of that book completely! It is not only fascinating but sometimes make you wonder the divinity of Rasoolallah Sallallaho Alaihi Wasallam! Having read nothing, much less in chinese! How could he have been so informed! It make a believer out of you. Actually I read a book sometime back called Life of Mohammad Sallallaho ALaihi Waaalihi Wasallam as a political and military leader. But that book was a bit lacking and not so well described how does he conform to it! What exactly did he do and not do! Khair now I m drifting away!
Well, he did command 87 battles in his lifetime.
Yeh Rasoolullah ko Ilm-e-Ghaib kahan se aa gaya? Now I’m drifting away!
i read this whole post! now i shall go drink a glass of milk…
me too! actually i kinda got gripped into it
@ Brickwall
Thanks for the correction. I have updated the post
@ farooq and Saad
there’l be another post on Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddiq (RA) on his services as a Caliph. I hope that would be gripping enough too 
Thanks
Yeah, I’ll agree with Brickwall here. That’s what Zameer Akhtar once said too, father of a youthful camel. Or in exact words, father of a virgin she-camel.
that was according to a story that has been going on in my family that Abu Bakar means father of a virgin…my mistake i didnt cross check it. thanks anyway for clarifying that its actually the virgin she-camel.
Just giving a thought after reading the post and the comments!!
This is to clarify that we can’t even reach the mentality of the Caliphs of Muhammad PBUH and therefore we shouldn’t be discussing their conflicts or what ever we should call.
When Allah has clearly stated in Holy Quran that “Allah is agreed with them and they are agreed with Allah” then there shouldn’t be any controversy over these historic events.
We should have a firm believe that what ever they did was in the favour of our Religion. Rest is known by Almighty Allah!