THE MAGNIFICENCE OF HAZRAT ABU BAKR SIDDIQ (RADI ALLAAHU ANHU)-THE FIRST CALIPH (KHALIFAH) OF ISLAM
Those who saw Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in person, and had accepted faith (imaan) in Islam and passed away whilst having faith in Islam are called the companions (Sahaaba)(Radi Allaahu Anhum) of Prophet ﷺ. They were the disciples and followers of Prophetﷺ who physically saw or met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The companions are divided into two groups. The first are called the Muhajireen-those who accepted Islam in Mecca when Prophet ﷺ declared his Prophethood and invited them towards Islam. The second group are called the Ansaar-the people from Madina who had accepted Islam, who helped and supported Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Muhajireen when they migrated from Mecca to Madina (Hijra).'
Allah Ta'ala mentions the two groups in The Holy Quran:
'And the first and the foremost emigrants and helpers, and those who followed them with good, Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah. And for them Allah has prepared Garden under which rivers flow. This is the greatest success'
(Surah At-Tauba. verse 100)
The Muhajireen are referred to as the emigrants and the Ansaar are referred to as the helpers. And the others who followed them, And Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah. For them, Allah Ta'ala has prepared a Garden in Paradise under which rivers are flowing, where they will be forever.
Muhajireen and Ansaar, both are jannati. However, the Muhajireen have superiority over the Ansaar. The honour of the Muhajireen is higher than the Ansaar because they suffered more hardship and sacrificed more than the Ansaar- though both are beloved of Allah Ta'ala.
'Those who believe and migrate and fight with their wealth and lives in the path of Allah have the highest rank with Allah. And they are the ones who reach their goal'
(Surah At-Tauba. verse 20)
The most superior of all the Muhajireen is Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu). There is none equal in standing with Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) amongst the Muhajireen. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was the first amongst the males to accept Islam, and is the first caliph of Islam, after the passing away of Prophet ﷺ.
Prior to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declaring his Prophethood, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was on a business trip. During this trip, he had a dream in which the moon came down in his bag. He went to a dream interpreter who told him that a Messenger of Allah would soon declare his Prophethood as the last Prophet. You (Hazrat Abu Bakr(Radi Allaahu Anhu) ) will accept Islam and later become the first caliph of Islam. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) returned to Mecca, and after a few days Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared his Prophethood.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ' were very good friends. Prophet's ﷺ honesty, nobility, truthfulness and trustworthiness, had great attraction of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu). When Prophet ﷺ disclosed to him about the revelation of Allah Ta'ala, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) accepted it without delay.
When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was a child, his father Abu Quhafa (an infidel at this time) took him to his place of idol worship. When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) refused to worship the idols, he was taken back to his mother to punish him. But she defended him and said that when he was in her womb, he would move in her womb and would not let her bow down to the idols. She said that she heard a divine voice telling her that he was a pious son, his name in the heavens is Siddiq and he would be the companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was the first male to accept Islam. He was also the companion of Prophet ﷺ whilst migrating to Madina from Mecca, and was his companion in the Cave of Saur. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) also participated in Islamic battles and sacrificed his wealth and possessions for the cause of Islam.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'But those who come with truth and confirm it as truth, these are among the pious'
(Surah Az-Zumar. verse 33)
From this verse we learn that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is a person of a very lofty status. There is a narration in Sawaaiq e Muharriqa, on the authority of Ibn Asaakir, that Hazrat Ali's(Radi Allaahu Anhu) recitation of it is 'wallazi saddaqa bihi'-
'Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is he who declared truth about it'. Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) explains this verse as 'the one who is bringer of truth is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the verifier of this truth is Hazrat Abu Bakr(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was so truthful that his truthfulness is mentioned in The Holy Quran:
'And he who obeys Allah and His Messenger then he will get the company of those who have been blessed by Allah, of the Prophets, and the truthful, and the martyrs and the righteous. And what good companions they are'
(Surah An-Nisa. verse 69)
To love and respect Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is a sign of being truthful. To have enmity against him is a sign of untruthful. Siddiq means absolute truthful. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was very honest and truthful. He was a soft- hearted man and kindly felt others sufferings and miseries. He used to help the poor and the needy, the distressed and the oppressed.
Once, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was returning from a battle. A mother whose son also went in the battle stood in the way and asked Prophet ﷺ whereabouts of her son. Prophet ﷺ told her to ask Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) who was behind him. Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) now knew the son was martyred and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ didn't want to tell her. He, then told her to ask Hazrat Uthman(Radi Allaahu Anhu) who was behind him. Hazrat Uthman(Radi Allaahu Anhu) asked her to ask Hazrat Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) who was behind him. And Hazrat Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) told her to ask Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu). Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) also knew by now that the son was martyred. However, he told her that her son was coming behind him. Allah Ta'ala immediately commanded Hazrat Jibreel(alaihis salaam) to bring the son back to life and send him behind Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu anhu). This the status of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
Another time, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ascended Mount Uhud accompanied by Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu), Hazrat Umar(Radi Allaahu Anhu) and Hazrat Uthman(Radi Allahu Anhu). The mountain started trembling underneath them. Prophet ﷺ hit it with his foot and said, 'O Uhud! Be calm, upon you are a Prophet, a Siddiq and two Martyrs'. Prophet ﷺ referred to Hazrat Abu Bakr(Radi Allaahu Anhu) as Siddiq- the honest and trustworthy.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was a 'fana fir Rasool'. Fana means self sacrifice, any sign of assumed worthiness of self or any thought of self proves the unworthiness. It is the ease by which one falls back, so to speak, into the heart of Prophet ﷺ and feels the love of Prophet ﷺ, which is the most important thing, together with concentration and action. The concentration based upon love is the means and the actions perfect the blessings, which comes in this state. Before reaching this stage of perfection, one has to first reach the status of 'fana fi sheikh'. And after the stage of 'fana fi Rasool', is the stage of 'fana' fillah'.
If anyone ever on this earth has achieved the status of 'fana fi Rasool', it was none other than Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
Upon the migration from Mecca to Madina, lots of people of Madina came to visit Prophet ﷺ, and to see his blessed luminous face. When they came, they saw the two friends, Prophet ﷺ and Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) sitting next to each other. Both looked the same in the same attire, same beard, same hair (zulf), and same luminous face. People were unclear whom to greet and meet first. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) took a piece of cloth and started fanning Prophet ﷺ. Then, the people made out who was the Master and who was the disciple.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu), both passed away at the age of sixty-three years, both passed away on Monday, both passed away of head ache and fever, and both were sick for two weeks.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is laid to rest next to Prophet ﷺ in the sacred chamber- house (hujra) of Hazrat Aa'isha(Radi allaahu Anha) in Masjid Nabawi under the green dome (gumbadh e khazra).
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This article is an abridged English translations of Urdu sermons delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
