Abu Bakr--The Successor
Abu Bakr is the best of men to have walked on the face of the earth after the Prophets. He is the prime example that every muslim should look up to. He is seen as the greatest Muslim ruler as well as the copycat of the Prophet.
Before Islam
Abu Bakr was born on 573, three years after the Prophet was born. Abu Bakr belonged to a famous Quraish tribe of Makkah.
He was a businessman and would frequently travel outside of Arabia for business trips with the Prophet on trading caravans. He saw the honesty of the Prophet and due to this him and the Prophet became close friends even before the message of Islam.
He was a businessman and would frequently travel outside of Arabia for business trips with the Prophet on trading caravans. He saw the honesty of the Prophet and due to this him and the Prophet became close friends even before the message of Islam.
Accepting Islam
When the message of Islam was presented to Abu Bakr he accepted the message of Islam without a second thought.
When the Prophet came back from the Isra and Miraj journey many people denied it, especially his enemies. So they decided to go to Abu Bakr and told him that his friend Muhammad said he went to Jerusalem and then from there he went to the heavens to meet with Allah (God). When Abu Bakr heard this he said that if the Prophet actually said this then he believes in it. This showed how much trust and faith he had in the Prophet. Hearing this the disbelievers became dissapionted and left.
Abu Bakr was a moderately rich person. Due to this he contributed great in the efforts in Islam, such as giving charity to the poor.
So one day an Ethiopian slave named Bilal was being tortured by his creul master for accepting Islam. Seeing this Abu Bakr bought him and freed him.
When the Prophet came back from the Isra and Miraj journey many people denied it, especially his enemies. So they decided to go to Abu Bakr and told him that his friend Muhammad said he went to Jerusalem and then from there he went to the heavens to meet with Allah (God). When Abu Bakr heard this he said that if the Prophet actually said this then he believes in it. This showed how much trust and faith he had in the Prophet. Hearing this the disbelievers became dissapionted and left.
Abu Bakr was a moderately rich person. Due to this he contributed great in the efforts in Islam, such as giving charity to the poor.
So one day an Ethiopian slave named Bilal was being tortured by his creul master for accepting Islam. Seeing this Abu Bakr bought him and freed him.
Death of the Prophet
KHilafa
"Whoever doubts the Khilafa (Caliphate) of Abu Bakr and Umar is a Kafir (desibeliever)"
-----Imam Abu Hanifa
(Al-Sawaiq At-Muhriqah)
Since the death of the Prophet everyone was worried about the future of the Muslim Ummah since it had no leader. So some Ansar (original inhabitants of Medina) got a council ready at the hall of Banu Saidah. So when Abu Bakr and Umar heard this they went there quickly fearing some wrong decision could be made that will cause confusion and division in the Muslim Ummah. Some leaders of the Muhajiroon and Quraish arrived there as well. Everyone started discussing who the next leader should be.
The Ansar started to argue that the leader should be from there tribe because they protected the Prophet and offered him refuge. But then the Makkans started to argue that the leader should come from there tribe because they were the first to accept Islam and had sacrificed the most for Islam. After hearing this Abu Bakr got up and said that all the good things that the Ansar said are well deserved. But the Arabs will only recognize the authority of someone from Quraish. Sohe toke the hands of Umar bin Al-Khattab and Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah and said to give Bayah (allegiance) to one of the two.
But the people refused, then one of the Ansar said that there should be two leaders one from the Muhajiroon and one from the Ansar. But they refused saying that it would cause division in the Muslim Ummah.
Umar than suddenly got up and said:
The Ansar started to argue that the leader should be from there tribe because they protected the Prophet and offered him refuge. But then the Makkans started to argue that the leader should come from there tribe because they were the first to accept Islam and had sacrificed the most for Islam. After hearing this Abu Bakr got up and said that all the good things that the Ansar said are well deserved. But the Arabs will only recognize the authority of someone from Quraish. Sohe toke the hands of Umar bin Al-Khattab and Abu Ubaidah ibn Al-Jarrah and said to give Bayah (allegiance) to one of the two.
But the people refused, then one of the Ansar said that there should be two leaders one from the Muhajiroon and one from the Ansar. But they refused saying that it would cause division in the Muslim Ummah.
Umar than suddenly got up and said:
"O Abu Bakr how can anyone else fill this office as long as you are alive? You are the most prominent of the Muhajiroon. You were the companion of Rasullah in the cave of Thawr. You led the Salah during the last days of his life. Hold out your hand so that I may give my allegiance to you"
Then Umar took Abu Bakr's hand and gave him Bayah. At that moment the people realized the wisdom of Umar and gave Abu Bakr bayah.
The next day Abu Bakr sat infront of the of the people in the Masjid to take a general Bayah. Umar got up and said
The next day Abu Bakr sat infront of the of the people in the Masjid to take a general Bayah. Umar got up and said
"O people, yesterday I said something which I did not find in Allah's Book nor was it something which the Prophet entrusted to me; but I thought that the Prophet would order our affairs until he was the last of us alive. This is why I could not believe he had died. Allah has left His book with you by which He guided His prophet and if you hold fast to that, Allah will guide you as He guided the Prophet. Allah has placed your affairs in the hands of the best among you, the companions of the Prophet, the second of the two when they were in the cave, so arise and pledge allegiance to him"
Then all of the people of Medina gave him bayah, except Ali who did it later. Abu Bakr then got up and said:
"O Muslims I have been given authority over you and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Loyalty is to tell the truth to a leader; treason is to hide it. The weak among you will be powerful in my eyes until I secure his rights, if Allah Wills. The srong among you shall be weak in my eyes until I get the right from him. If people do not follow in the way of Allah, He will disgrace them. If people becomewicked, Allah will bring punishment on us all. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet and if I disobey them you owe me no obediance. Let us now rise for Salah and may Allah have Mercy on us all. "
This was a very important speech because it defined the responsibilities of a Muslim ruler. He also said that a ruler should be followed as long as he follows the Quran and the Prophet. But the moment he goes against it then he should be corrected.
Bibliography
- The History of Al-Khilafah Ar-Rashidah. Skokie: IQRA, 1994. Print.