The first Caliph following the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.), also referred to as Abu Bakr. Abdullah bin Abu Quhafah Uthman bin Aamer Al Qurashi Al Taymi was his full name.
In the year 573 AD, two years and several months after the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) was born in Makkah. On the Day of Victory in Makkah, his father, Uthman Abu Quhafah, converted to Islam. Salma bint Sakhar, well known as Umm Al Khair, his mother, converted to Islam early and moved to Madinah.
Early Life:
Like other Arab kids of the era, Abu Bakr (R.A.) grew up surrounded by Bedouins. He used to play with the goats and camel calves when he was younger, and because of his passion for camels, he was given the title “Abu Bakr,” which means “the father of the camel’s calf.”
At the age of eighteen, he got into the trade and became a cloth merchant, carrying on his family’s business, in 591 AD. He made a lot of caravan travels in the following years. He travelled extensively throughout the modern Middle East on business, visiting Yemen, Syria, and many other nations. Abu Bakr (R.A.) became the leader of his tribe despite his father’s continued existence, and his business expanded as a result of his many attributes, which included kindness, political acumen, trade/business acumen, and a thorough understanding of the history of Arab tribes.
Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) acquired excellent morals, high standards of ethics, and moral behaviour even in the pre-Islamic civilization. He was well known among Makkah’s populace as a moral and ethical leader. He was therefore never rejected or criticised by the Quraish tribe for any weakness.
When He Accepted Islam:
After a long quest for the real religion, Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) came to embrace Islam. Actually, the first man to respond and accept the Prophet (S.A.W.) was him. His unwavering friendship with the Prophet (S.A.W.) led to his instant embrace of Islam. Abu Bakr (R.A.) knew that the Prophet (S.A.W.) as a truthful, sincere and noble person, that he has never been untrue to people, so how could he be untruthful to Allah?
The Prophet (S.A.W.) was thrilled when Abu Bakr (R.A.) accepted Islam because, by virtue of his closeness to the Quraish tribe and the significant character that Allah had elevated him with, he was a source of triumph for Islam.
To be precise, Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) was never very enthusiastic about idol worship and had long questioned the veracity of idolatry. As a result, after converting to Islam, he made every effort to convert others. Shortly after, Mohammad (S.A.W.) was joined by Uthman bin Affan (R.A.), Abdul-Rahman bin Awf (R.A.), Talhah bin Ubaydillah (R.A.), Saad bin Abi Waqqas (R.A.), Al-Zubair bin Al-Awwam (R.A.), and Abu Ubaydah bin AL-Jarrah (R.A.). The Prophet (S.A.W.) once said:
”Abu Bakr was the only person who accepted Islam immediately, without suspicion”.
He Received the Title As-Saddiq:
The most famous of Abu Bakr’s (R.A.) titles, As-Siddiq, is derived from the word “Sidq,” which signifies truthfulness. Thus, the term As-Siddiq refers to a person who consistently tells the truth or who consistently maintains that something or someone is true. In the case of Abu Bakr (R.A.), in the veracity of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It was the Prophet (S.A.W.) himself who gave the title ‘As-Siddiq’ to Abu Bakr (R.A).
Hijrat to Madinah:
The Quraish caused the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his Companions (Sahaba) great suffering, thus the Prophet (S.A.W.) ordered them to move to Madinah. It was evident to the Makkah community that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has supporters and followers elsewhere, and that his companions have been migrating as well. They intended to murder the Prophet (S.A.W.) because they were afraid he would leave Makkah. Thus, the angel Gabriel gave the Prophet (SAW) the order to depart from Makkah. As a party of swordsmen from every tribe in Makkah attacked the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) home, he left his cousin Ali bin Abi Talib (R.A.) in his bed, snuck out of the house without being seen, and fled with Abu Bakr (R.A.) in the early hours of the morning. They had a thrilling journey from Makkah to Madinah. The moment the attacking swordsmen realized they had been fooled, they rushed off to find Abu Bakr (R.A.) and the Prophet (S.A.W.). A hundred camels were up for grabs as a public prize for anyone who could locate them. But as it happened, a spider spun her web at the cave’s entrance, and a pigeon made its nest there while they were hiding in a cave known as Thaur for three nights. The swordsmen pursued them till they arrived at their hiding spot, but seeing the web and the early hours of the next day, they left, informing everyone that there was no need in pursuing them any further.
What was His Role in the Battle of Badr and Uhud?
Abu Bakr (R.A.) was tasked with protecting the Prophet (S.A.W.) at the Battle of Badr, serving as one of his tent guards. Ibn Asakir states that on the Day of Badr, Abdul Rahman, the son of Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.), was among the disbelievers. In this case, Abu Bakr’s (R.A.) strong faith is demonstrated by how deeply and truly he loved Allah and His Messenger (S.A.W.) above all else. Abu Bakr (R.A.) sincerely followed the guidelines stated in the Hadith and the Holy Quran. Because of his loyalty to Allah and his Messenger (S.A.W. ), Abu Bakr (R.A.) would never love his unbelieving son.
The disbelievers triumphed in the battle of Uhud, which was fought the year after Badr, when the archers abandoned their positions on Uhud Mountain. The ardent believer, Abu Bakr (R.A.) was a member of the twelve people who stayed with the Prophet (S.A.W.) on this particular occasion.
Death of The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) :
Many Muslims, including Umar bin Khattab (R.A.), refused to accept the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) death in 11 AH (632 AD). However, Abu Bakr (R.A.), unwavering as always, spoke to the confused crowd and persuaded them that Mohammad (S.A.W.) was no longer among them.
He Became the First Caliph/Khalifa of Islam:
Following the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Abu Bakr (R.A.) was widely acknowledged as the caliph. But since ascending to the caliphate, he had encountered numerous challenges.
- The banner of war on all fronts was raised by Abu Bakr (R.A.). Such gruelling conflicts as those that took place were never seen in the desert, not even during the lifetime of the Prophet (S.A.W). However, the persons who received training from the Prophet (S.A.W.) were true to Allah in their deeds after realising the truth and submitting to it completely.
- They struck idolatry with a blow that cracked its backbone and squeezed its spirit till it vanished completely.
- They also expelled the Romans from the boundaries.
- The apostates’ spines were broken. While some of them died far away from Islam, others returned to its fold.
Islam emerged victorious and gained widespread recognition within a matter of years, rendering other religions in danger of becoming extinct.
The First Compilation of The Holy Quran:
The compilation of the Holy Quran is considered to be among the greatest contributions made to Islam by Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.). Though the Holy Quran had never been compiled in a book form, hundreds of Companions had memorised the whole text throughout the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) lifetime at that time. Nevertheless, memorising the Quran persisted even after the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) passing. But many of those memorizationists died in the conflicts that followed after the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) death. As a result, Umar (R.A.) saw that action needed to be taken to protect the Quran from harm while maintaining its original form. He also realised that it was not wise to rely solely on individuals who had memorised the entire text. That’s why he suggested Abu Bakr (R.A.) to compile it in a book form. Since the Prophet (S.A.W.) had not done this himself, Abu Bakr (R.A.) initially hesitated.
After considerable discussion, he decided to go forward and assigned Zaid ibn Thabit (R.A.) to the assignment. At first, Zaid (R.A.) was hesitant to take on such a significant task, but he eventually gained courage and started working on it. As an amanuensis to the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and one of the Companions who had learned the Quran directly from him, Zaid (R.A.) was the most qualified individual to be assigned this task. After completing the arduous job of compiling the Quran into a single volume, Zaid (R.A.) gave Abu Bakr (R.A.) the priceless compilation, which he kept onto till the end of his life.
Time of His Death and The Place of Burial:
On Monday, August 23, 634 AD, or the 22nd day of Jumada Al-Akhirah, 13th AH, Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) passed away after a 15 day illness, during which he gave commands for Umar bin Khattab to lead the prayers.
There is an untrue rumour that claims the Jews poisoned his food. Abu Bakr’s caliphate had only lasted two years and three months before he passed away at the age of sixty-three. He thought about Islam and its stability in the future while he was sick. After consultations with numerous prominent companions of the Prophet (S.A.W. ), Abu Bakr (R.A.) chose to bestow the caliphate upon Umar bin Khattab (R.A.).
Abu Bakr (R.A.) returned whatever he had taken from the public treasuries during his caliphate before he passed away. It is reported that he left no financial legacy. All that was left of him was a camel, a servant, and a garment. He gave the command to give the garment to his successor upon his death.
It was advised by Abu Bakr (R.A.) that his daughter and Prophet Mohammad’s (S.A.W.) wife, Aishah (R.A.), buried him next to the Prophet(S.A.W.). Abu Bakr (R.A.) was laid to rest in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid-e-Nabawi) in Madinah, next to the Prophet’s (S.A.W.) grave, in Aishah’s chamber. After he passed away, Umar (R.A.) led the burial prayer, and he was buried next to the Prophet (S.A.W.). The Prophet’s shoulder (S.A.W.) was aligned with his head when his grave was dug.