Abu Bakr was a rich merchant of Makkah, belonging to the Quraysh tribe. At the time when Muhammad was endowed with prophethood, Abu Bakr had gone to Yemen on business. When he came back, people immediately came to him to give him the ‘strange’ news of Muhammad receiving revelations through Gabriel. Having been the Prophet’s close friend since boyhood (born in Makkah in AD 573, he was just three years younger than the Prophet), Abu Bakr was too keenly aware of the sincerity and truthfulness of the Prophet to have any misgivings. However, on hearing this news, Abu Bakr went to see the Prophet, and asked him about the message of this religion that he was preaching. Having unshakeable faith in the Prophet, he accepted Islam without any second thoughts. That is why he was given the title As-Siddiq (the upright) by the Prophet. He was thus the first male to embrace Islam, and was one of the Prophet’s oldest supporters. Abu Bakr’s father, Usman, (better known as Abu Qahafa) and his mother, Salma, had named him Abdul Kaaba, meaning “the servant of the Kaaba”. But when he embraced Islam, the Prophet changed this pagan name to Abdullah and gave him the surname of Abu Bakr.
Without knowledge, action is useless and knowledge without action is futile. — Abu Bakr
Even prior to Islam, Abu Bakr had been respected for his good moral character. He was honest and truthful and had good relations with everyone. The Quraysh trusted him and consulted him for solutions to their problems. Now, after having accepted Islam, he began to spread the word of God in his own social circle. As a result of his efforts, some very promising and talented people accepted Islam, most of whom were his friends. They were—Usman ibn Affan, Zubayr ibn al-Awam, Abdur Rahman ibn Auf, Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Khalid ibn Sayeed, etc.
When the Quraysh came to know of his role in the spread of Islam, they turned against him and began to persecute him. But he patiently bore all their oppression and faithfully stood by the Prophet amidst all perils. He spent all his wealth in the cause of Islam. It was because of his sincerity and dedication to the cause of Islam that the Prophet chose him to accompany him when he migrated from Makkah to Madinah. His self-sacrificing friendship and his devotion to the cause of Islam was rewarded by his name being immortalized in the Quran as “the second of the two.” (9:40)
Soon after the Prophet and Abu Bakr migrated to Madinah, in obedience to a divine injunction, the Muslims then left their home and hearth for Madinah. But the Quraysh did not allow them to rest in peace even in Madinah. They waged many battles in their bid to uproot the Muslims from the city. Abu Bakr took part in all these defensive battles. He was always with the Prophet and accompanied him on all his campaigns. He never showed any weakness, always standing like a rock by the side of the Prophet.
Tabuk was the last expedition of the Prophet of Islam. He asked people to give generously in aid of it. Abu Bakr was the only person to give all he had to the cause of Islam. The Prophet asked him whether he had anything left for his wife and children. He replied that God and His apostle were enough for them. No one could surpass him so far as selfless service to Islam was concerned. Not only was he the first man to accept Islam, but he was also the foremost among the Muslims to uphold the cause of God.
After Makkah was conquered, the Prophet sent Abu Bakr in 631 to Makkah to lead the Hajj on behalf of the Prophet. Abu Bakr read the customary sermon (Khutba) of Hajj.
If an ignorant person is attracted by the things of the world, that is bad. But if a learned person is thus attracted, it is worse. — Abu Bakr
Ever since the Prophet had arrived in Madinah, he had been in the habit of leading the prayer himself. During his last illness, the Prophet became so incapacitated that he could not come to the mosque for this purpose. The Prophet then asked Abu Bakr to conduct the prayer in the mosque and to lead the Muslims in his stead. Aisha, who was Abu Bakr’s daughter and the wife of the Prophet, thought that her tender-hearted father would not be able to bear this burden. She therefore requested the Prophet to ask someone else to perform this duty. But the Prophet did not change his mind. Thus, in the lifetime of the Prophet, Abu Bakr came to fill the highest office. This distinction made it possible for Umar and his friends, after the Prophet’s death in 632, to propose Abu Bakr as the head of the community. Abu Bakr thus became Caliph (the successor of the Prophet) by the general consent of the people.
Thanks to his simple but firm character, he was able to lead the young Muslim community successfully through the most difficult times. After the death of the Prophet, a number of the Arab tribes revolted. Most of them had embraced Islam after the conquest of Makkah in AD 629- 630 and had not had the opportunity to undergo any proper training by the Prophet. Being used to a free and easy life, they found such Islamic injunctions as zakat (compulsory alms-giving)) and jihad more than they could stand. They were under the impression that, after the Prophet, God’s succour too had come to an end.
But Abu Bakr did not let the situation get out of hand. He dealt with them firmly, having chosen the brave general Khalid ibn al-Walid as the commander of his forces. He successfully suppressed all revolts and brought all the Arabian tribes under the control of Islam. Abu Bakr treated the vanquished mercifully. This helped re-establish peace in the country. Arabia was brought under control within less than a year. Later, Abu Bakr sent Khalid and other able generals on a campaign against Persia and Byzantine.
By resorting to these measures, Abu Bakr very successfully brought about much-needed unity among the Muslim community. During his short rule, the Arabian army saw several victories. Al-Hira in Persia was conquered in 633.
Our abode in this world is transitory, our life therein is but a loan, our breaths are numbered and our indolence is manifest. — Abu Bakr
Soon after, Abu Bakr fell victim to a fatal illness in AD 634. On his death bed what Abu Bakr feared more than anything was division among the Muslims. He wanted to make sure that no difference should divide them after he was gone. After much thought, he decided to nominate Umar as his successor. When he put his choice before the senior Companions, they all approved of it. When all of the Companions had agreed to this, he went ahead with the nomination.
Abu Bakr passed away two weeks after the appointment of Umar. According to his wish, he was buried by the side of the Prophet, and his body was wrapped in the same old clothes in which he had died. His rule had lasted for two years and three months.
Abu Bakr had lived a very simple and modest life. He had had neither servants nor bodyguards. He used to come early in the morning to the Prophet’s mosque to carry out the duties of the state and to perform the congregational prayers. He even did routine chores at home, sweeping the floor, feeding and milking the goats, etc. Abu Bakr lived and worked for Islam till his last breath. Although his rule lasted only for two years, three months and ten days—a very short span of time for a nation—he had been able to perform great feats. One of the many great contributions made by Abu Bakr was the collection and collation of the Quran in codex form. His achievements have rendered his name immortal.
