Home Articles Merits of Hadrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA)

Merits of Hadrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA)

by Minhaj

Hadrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, `Atiq ibn Abi Quhafa, Shaykh al-Islam, `Abd Allah ibn `Uthman ibn `Amir al-Qurashi al-Taymi (d. 13 AH), the Prophet’s intimate friend after Allah, exclusive companion at the Prophetﷺ’s Basin (hawd) and in the Cave, greatest supporter, closest confidant, first spiritual inheritor, first of the men who believed in him and the only one who did so unhesitatingly, first of his four Rightly-Guided successors, first of the ten promised Paradise, and first of the Prophetﷺ’s Community to enter Paradise. Alone among the Companions, Hadrat Abu Bakr(RA) repeatedly led the Community in prayer in the lifetime of the Prophetﷺ. The latter used to call him by his patronyms of Abu Bakr and Ibn Abi Quhafa, and he named him with the attributes “The Most Truthful” (al-Siddîq) and “Allah’s Freed man From the Fire” (`Atîq Allâh min al-nâr). When the Quraysh confronted the Prophetﷺ after the Night Journey, they turned to Abu Bakr(RA) and said: “Do you believe what he said, that he went last night to the Hallowed House and came back before morning?” He replied: “If he said it, then I believe him, yes, and I do believe him regarding what is farther than that. I believe the news of heaven he brings, whether in the space of a morning or in that of an evening journey.” Because of this Abu Bakr(RA) was named al-Siddîq: the Very Truthful, the One Who Never Lies.
Few ahadith that mention his merits are being narrated below:

Hadith #1
It is related that Ibn ‘Abbas(RA) said, “In his final illness, the Messenger of Allahﷺ, came out with a cloth bandage around his head. He sat on the minbar and praised and lauded Allah. Then he said, ‘There is no one who has been more generous to me with himself and his property than Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa. If I were to have taken a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but the friendship of Islam is better. Close up for me every private doorway into this mosque except that of Abu Bakr.'”►[Sahih Bukhari, Book of Prayer, Chapter of Mosques, Hadith #455]

Hadith #2
According to Abu Said al-Khudri(RA): “Allah’s Messengerﷺ said: ‘No Prophet is without two viziers among the people of heaven and two viziers among the people of the earth. As for my two viziers among the people of heaven, they are Gabriel and Michael, and as for my two viziers among the people of the earth, they are Abu Bakr and Umar!’”►[al- Tirmidhi in al-Sunan: Bk.: al-Manaqib [Virtues] according to Allah’s Messengerﷺ, Ch.: The virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar, 5/616 §3680. •al- Hakim in al-Mustadrak, 2/290 §3047. •Ibn al-Jad in al-Musnad, 1/298 §2026.]

Hadith #3
According to Abu Hurayra (RA), Allah’s Messengerﷺ said, “Once a man was driving a cow loaded with luggage, and the cow turned toward him and said, ‘I was not created for this; I was only created for farming.’ The people proclaimed in shock and amazement, ‘Glory to Allah! A speaking cow?’ Allah’s Messengerﷺ  said, Indeed, I, Abu Bakr and Umar believe in this.”’
►[al-Bukhari in al-Sahih: Bk.: Fadail al-ashab al-nabiﷺ [The Virtues of the Prophetic companions], Ch.: “The Virtues of Abu Bakr al-SiddÏq ,” 3:1339 §3463; •Muslim in al-Sahih: Bk.: Fadail al-Hanbal [The Virtues of the Companions], Ch.: “The Virtues of Abu Bakr,” 4:1858 §2388; •al- TirmidhÏ in al-Sunan: Bk.: al-Manaqib an Rasul Allahﷺ Ch.: “The Exemplary Traits of Abu Bakr and Umar,” 5:615 §3677]

Hadith #4
According to Abd Allah b. Hantab (RA): “Allah’s Messengerﷺ saw Abu Bakr and Umar, so he said: ‘These two are (for me) the hearing and the eyesight!’
►[al- Tirmidhi in al-Sunan: Bk.: al-Manaqib [Virtues] according to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, Ch.: Concerning the virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar, 5/613 §3671.]

Hadith #5
According to Anas b. Malik(RA):
“The Prophetﷺ ascended Uhud, and so did Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. (Overjoyed) it started swinging (on their arrival), so he said: ‘Stay firm, Uhud, for you have on you a Prophet, a champion of the truth and two martyrs!’”►[al- Bukhari in al-Sahih: Bk.: Fadail al-Sahaba [The Excellent Merits of the Companions], Ch.: The saying of the Prophetﷺ : “If you were chosen as a bosom friend,” 3/1344 §3472, & Ch.: The virtues of Uthman b. Affan Abu Amr al-Qurashi, 3/1344 §3496, & Ch.: Concerning the virtues of Umar b. Abi Hafs al-Qurashi al-Adawi, 3/1346 §3483. al-Tirmidhi in al-Sunan: al-Manaqib [Virtues] according to Allah’s Messenger, Ch.: The virtues of Uthman b. Affan, 5/624 §3697.Abu Dawud in al-Sunan: Bk.: The Sunna, Ch.: Concerning the Caliphs. 4/212 §4651.al- Nasai in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 5/43 §8135.Ahmad b. Hanbal in al-Musnad, 3/112 §12127, 22862.]

Hadith #6
According to Hadrat Anas(RA):“Allah’s Messengerﷺ said in favour of Abu Bakr and Umar(RA): ‘These two are the chieftains of the elderly people of the Garden of Paradise, among the first and the last, apart from the Prophets and the Messengers!’►[al- Tirmidhi in al-Sunan: Bk.: al-Manaqib [Virtues] according to Allah’s Messengerﷺ, Ch.: Concerning the virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar, 5/610 §3664–3665. Ibn Majah in al-Sunan, Introduction:Ch.: The excellent merits of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger a, 1/36 §95–100. Ibn Hibban in al-Sahih, 15/330 §6904. al- Bazzar in al-Musnad,2/132 §490. •Ahmad b. Hanbal in al-Musnad, 1/80 §602.]

Related Articles

loader