Valor:
Once Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) put the question, "Who is the most valiant person to
you?" "You are the most valiant," they replied with one voice.
"I always take on my equals; this is not bravery," Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied and said
again, "Tell me the name of the most valiant person." "We don't
know," all of them replied. "Abu Bakr is the most valiant," Ali
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) replied and added,
"On the day of Badr we had erected a hut for the Messenger of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). We then asked each
other as to who will accompany the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) to save him from the onslaught of the polytheists. By Allâh
none of us had the courage to offer his services. But Abu Bakr stood alone
drawing his sword and allowed no one to draw near the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), and whoever
attempted an attack on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم), came under the charge of Abu Bakr. The polytheists of Makkah
once surrounded the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
saying, 'It is you alone who says God is One. No one else has ever said so.'
They were dragging him when Abu Bakr stepped forward and set about beating and
moving them and saying, 'Woe to you, you want to kill a person who simply says:
my God is One.' Saying this, Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) burst into tears and further said, "Tell me whether the
believing men of Âl-Firaun (family of Pharaoh) are better or Abu Bakr?"
When the people made no answer, he himself said, "Why don't you reply? By
Allâh, a moment of Abu Bakr is far better than a thousand moments of those
people, for they kept their Faith concealed and Abu Bakr brought his Faith to
the fore."
Generosity:
He was the most generous among the
Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
It was about him that the following Verses were sent down:
"The
pious will be far removed from it (Hell). He who spends his wealth for increase
in self-purification." (92:17, 18)
The Prophet of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "The
wealth of Abu Bakr proved more useful to me than the wealth of anybody
else." Having heard this, Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) burst into tears and said, "What is the worth of my
wealth, it is all because of you."
As per one Hadith, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) spent from the
wealth of Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
as he did from his own. The day Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) accepted Islam, he possessed forty thousand dirhams, and he
spent this all on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
One day Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said referring to the expedition of
Tabuk, "When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
urged upon his Companions to donate to the war fund, I resolved to surpass Abu
Bakr in the matter of contribution and I gave away half of my wealth and
property in the way of Allâh. The Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) inquired of me, 'What have you left for the children?' I
submitted The remaining half.' In the meantime, Abu Bakr came in with his
entire wealth and property and the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) put to him the same question. He replied, 'Allâh and His
Messenger are enough for the children.' Having seen and heard this, I said to
myself that I would never be able to surpass Abu Bakr in anything."
Abu Hurairah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) relates that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) once said, "I
have done a good turn in return for everyone's favor but the obligation of Abu
Bakr still rests on my shoulders and Allâh the Almighty will, on the Day of
Judgment, compensate for it. The wealth and property of none benefited me so
much as did that of Abu Bakr."
Knowledge
and Excellences:
Among the Companions, he was the
most learned and wise. Whenever some difference of opinion arose among the
Companions, the issue was put before Abu Bakr Siddiq (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). His ruling was considered as final. He had knowledge of the
Qur'ân more than all others, and so the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked him to lead the Muslims in prayers.
He also had perfect knowledge of the Sunnah and the Companions turned to him
for his opinion.
His memory was also very strong and
he happened to be very sagacious. He enjoyed the sacred company of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) right from the
beginning of his Prophethood until his final departure. During his caliphate
whenever an issue came up, he turned to the Qur'ân for the solution. If he
failed to find it in the Qur'ân, he gave his verdict according to the sayings
and doings of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
If any such saying or doing was not known, he would ask the Companions if
anyone of them knew any Hadith concerning the issue. If nothing was known about
the issue in question, he called a meeting of the illustrious Companions and
took a decision according to the opinion of the majority.
Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was the greatest genealogist of the Quraish and one of the
greatest in the whole of Arabia. Even Jubair bin Mut'im (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), one of the most noted genealogists of
Arabia, learned it from Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ).
He was also an eminent interpreter of dreams and he interpreted dreams even
during the lifetime of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم). He was also the most eloquent speaker among the Companions of
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
Scholars are agreed that Abu Bakr and Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) were the most eloquent.
Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) has said more than once that Abu Bakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) was the most excellent among the
Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) once said, "I
shall beat the person who holds me superior to Abu Bakr and Umar." Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) relates that the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "May
Allâh show mercy to Abu Bakr, he gave his daughter to me in marriage, escorted
me to Al-Madinah and gave Bilâl freedom from slavery. May Allâh show mercy to
Umar for he speaks the truth no matter how bitter it might be; may Allâh show
mercy to Uthmân for even angels observe modesty before him; may Allâh show
mercy to Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
and keep truth along with him wherever he may be."
Imam Shâfi'i says, "Siddiq was
unanimously chosen as caliph for a better man was not available on earth."
Mu’âwiyah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Qurrah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) opines: "The
Companions never expressed any doubt regarding the caliphate of Abu Bakr and
they always addressed him as the caliph of the Messenger of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), and the Companions
can never reach a consensus on a misdeed."
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