Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 1 Second to None in the Pursuit of God
By Omar Suleiman | 2026-01-06T15:49:01.050753+00:00 | Topic: Allah
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 1: Second to None in the Pursuit of God | The Firsts | Dr. Omar Suleiman
Introduction: The Ultimate First
So, tonight we start with, and I was thinking about how to title anything about Abu Bakr al-Siddiq radiyallahu anhu. Anything about him falls short, and so I thought the ultimate first. You think about someone who is quick to believe, quick to do any good, never hesitant with anything that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam asks of him, and also has a natural instinct towards good, it's always Abu Bakr.
Now, I struggled because it's hard to piece what part of Abu Bakr's life radiyallahu anhu to take for this, and I don't want this to become a biography or a seerah course. I want it to become something where we look at these people from the perspective of what it entailed to be sabiqoon. What it meant to be from those that were first, those that were always forerunners, those that were always preceding others to good.
And so with Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, it'll probably take us two classes, maybe three, to just go over that aspect of his life and what makes him so unique in the way that he is distinguished within the books of seerah, within the books of biography.
Background: The Tribe of Banu Taym
So, we'll kind of go to the very beginning of this. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu is from a tribe called Banu Taym. And Banu Taym is not one of those big tribes that you find in early Mecca. It's not Banu Mahzum, it's not Banu Adi, it's not one of the major tribes, Banu Hashim. These are some of the big tribes of Quraysh that you often hear about.
Banu Taym is a sub-tribe of Quraysh, and it's a very small tribe. One of the good things about this tribe is that it's noble, it has a reputation for not being combative, not being messy, not inserting itself into some of the tribal warfare that would take place. It has a good reputation as a tribe, people that would generally play the role of being peacemakers.
So, it has the nobility of a big tribe in Mecca, but at the same time it doesn't have the size nor does it participate in the type of combat that a lot of the other big tribes in Mecca participated in. And when you look at the companions of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, you can often group them in tribes. The only two real notable people from the companions of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, from Banu Taym are actually Abu Bakr and Talha.
Two pretty big names. But those are the two notable names from this tribe of Banu Taym. And of course all of Abu Bakr's family and all of Talha's family, may Allah be pleased with them, will come under this tribe of Banu Taym.
Names and Their Meanings
Abu Bakr's Real Name
Now, Abu Bakr's actual name. What's Abu Bakr's real name? Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa. What's Abu Quhafa's name? Abu Quhafa also is a Kunya. Anyone know Abu Quhafa's name? So his name was Abdullah ibn Uthman. Abu Quhafa is Uthman. Abdullah ibn Uthman.
Abdullah ibn Uthman. Some of the narrations say his name prior to Islam was Abdul Kaaba. The servant of the Kaaba and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam changed his name to the servant of Allah.
And his father is Abu Quhafa. His actual name is Uthman. His mother is Umm Khair. Her name is the mother of good. SubhanAllah, it's like she was meant for this. Salma ibn Sakhr radiyallahu ta'ala anha, also would become Muslim actually pretty early on. The mother of Abu Bakr.
The Nickname Abu Bakr
So Abu Bakr has a lot of interesting names and there are meanings to these names. There are meanings to these names for us to take lesson from. Who can tell me... And Abu Bakr, let's just put this out there from now. Abu Bakr means the father of what? What is Bakr? It's the young camel. So Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu had a particular interest with the different types of animals that were there.
He had a particular interest in raising camels. And so his nickname became Abu Bakr. Usually if you have an interest in something or you indulge in something too much, they'll call you Abu, the father of that thing. So he's the father of the young camel. That became his nickname. And he would go by that for the rest of his life.
The Name Atiq (The Freed One)
Radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. There's also a nickname that he had, Atiq. What is Atiq mean? The one who is freed. And typically speaking, many will look at this as a post-Islam name. Meaning this was a name that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam gave him. But if you actually look into the history of Abu Bakr's name, it's actually a name that his mother called him.
And the reason being is that Abu Bakr's parents, Abu Quhafa and Umm Khair, had trouble having a boy. They kept on miscarrying boys. So he had sisters but he could not have, she could not have a boy. And so when Abu Bakr was born and he survived the pregnancy, she called him Atiq. Meaning he survived death.
So he was freed into this world. SubhanAllah, so there's some miracle even in his birth that his mother actually felt compelled to call him Atiq. And then after Abu Bakr was born, she had another son. So she called him Mu'taq. And then they had another son, so she called him U'taiq, which is tasgheer, which is like a small Atiq. So they all ended up with those nicknames.
So his name is Abdullah, but still Atiq, which is freed. Because he was freed from death and that he was allowed to survive. And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam took that name and he gave it another meaning.
So Atiq is a name that preceded Islam, but it has a post-Islamic meaning. That the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"Whoever would like to see someone who's been freed from the fire, then let them look at this one here. Let them look at Abu Bakr." (Tirmidhi)
Early Characteristics
So Abu Bakr was freed from death and coming into this world and then freed from hell fire on the tongue of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. What are the characteristics of him? So he was born about two and a half years after the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. So two and a half years after the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, which would put his birth year at what? 572. The Prophet peace be upon him was born 570. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu was born in the year approximately in the year 572.
He grows up in this noble tribe, very special young man. The characteristics of him sound very much so like the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He loved poetry. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu had a great love for poetry. But subhanAllah he had an aversion to poetry that contained shirk, that contained polytheism, even as a young man. So he loved poetry.
He was known to study ancestry. He knew the tribes, he knew where each person came from. Without you having to spit into a cup and send it to somewhere that will eventually be used to destroy you. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu could look at you, he could tell you where you were from, what you were from, who your great great great grandparents were, where this tribe mixed with this tribe. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu had an incredible memory and an incredible understanding of the lineage of the Arabs.
Extremely eloquent. Extremely sharp. Very very smart. And he was, you know, he rose in the marketplace very quickly. So he was sharp and he was brilliant at his trade. So he was a merchant radiyallahu anhu. And his sharpness is what caused him to be very wealthy, very good at trade.
And people loved to do business with him because he was very honest. Alright, so there's actually an Arab that wrote a poem about him being, you know, excelling in the marketplace, getting rich off of honesty. How few people get rich off of honesty. So his honesty gained him a reputation in the marketplace and trade. And he used to trade in garments and cloth. Radiyallahu anhu. So different types of fabrics and things of that sort. And that was what gained his reputation in the marketplace.
Early Rejection of Idol Worship
In his intelligence and in his fitrah, in his natural disposition, he found idol worship silly. Okay, very early on. And so his father took him, Abu Quhafa, took him to the Kaaba as a young man. And he sat him in front of an idol. In front of one of the Aslam. And he said, go ahead and worship it. I'm going to go and I'll come back.
Okay, so he left him there with the idol in front of the Kaaba. Just think of the image, right? Abu Bakr is a young man standing in front of the Kaaba. There are idols in front of him. He said, I'm going to go, come back. You know, do some worship. So he looked at the idol and he said, Ya Rabb. He called the idol, Oh my God. But in a way of testing it. He said, I need some nice clothes.
So clothe me. He looked around. Nothing happened. Then he said to another idol, he said, I'm hungry, give me food. Nothing happened. Right? So then he kept on talking to them and he said, what is it with these, they don't talk, they don't benefit. And he said, if I pushed one of them, it would break. So he said, what type of God? It didn't click with him. Even as a young man.
And so Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu took a stone and he looked at one of the idols and he said, I'm about to throw a stone at you. If you're a God, protect yourself. Threw the stone at the idol, it fell over. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said, this is nonsense. So he completely abandoned idol worship. And he practiced as, he just never worshipped idols.
Similar to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. Of course this is his best friend. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam never worshipped an idol. Abu Bakr never worshipped an idol. There's one more person, who Aisha radiyallahu anhu says, never worshipped an idol or drank alcohol. Other than, I'm not talking about Zayd radiyallahu anhu or some of those others that were Hanif.
They weren't hostile to idolatry. They didn't say anything, or they weren't publicly preaching against it, but they didn't worship idols nor did they drink alcohol. So he said there were three. Or she said there were three. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam, obviously, Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and Uthman. So these three never worshipped idols, nor did they drink alcohol.
They found it to be counter to their fitrah, to their natural intelligence, their natural goodness. And that incidence of Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu with the idols, what does it remind you of when you think of a Prophet? What does it remind you of? Is there an image that comes to your mind? It reminds you of Ibrahim, doesn't it? Ibrahim alayhi salam. This is Ibrahim alayhi salam being put in front of the idols as a kid as well.
And it's very interesting because Abu Bakr is nicknamed with the same title as Ibrahim. As-Siddiq. The truthful one. He inclines towards the truth. There's siddiq in him. There's a desire to the truth. There's an inclination to the truth. What is inside of him agrees with the truth naturally. So just like Ibrahim alayhi salam, extremely intelligent, eloquent, you know, poking holes in idol worship, Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu is doing the same thing as a young man even in those moments.
Abu Bakr's Conversion to Islam
Early Signs and Preparation
Now, when did Abu Bakr become Muslim? So there's some narration. So for example there's Maimun ibn Mahran. He says that when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Damascus. When we said the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Sham twice. I'm always going to try to pull back other parts of this series so that you can keep on getting a full picture. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Sham twice.
When he went as a very young man, who did he go with? Who took him to Sham the first time? His uncle, Abu Talib. And what happened when Abu Talib took him to Sham? Who saw him there? That's why the narration of Bahira, the monk who saw the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and who saw signs of prophethood in him spoke of him and praised him. So the narrations mention Abu Bakr was also part of that group.
So Abu Talib was with the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam as well as Abu Bakr. And Abu Bakr grew up going to Sham. And if you read the seerah of Abu Bakr, so that narration there are different forms of it anyway. But Abu Bakr grew up going to Sham on an annual basis. This was his life to go to Sham and go to Yemen on the trade routes because he was a merchant. He didn't have the constraints that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam had growing up.
So Maimun ibn Mahran says that Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu knew of what was prophesized of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam then and already had a feeling. Knowing that there was something unique about his best friend Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu also was very close to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and would spend private time with him.
So he's seeing signs of his character. You can't spend that much time with him and not know there's something special about him. So that's why it would make sense then why Abu Bakr just clicked right away when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam told him, I'm a messenger of God. It just immediately clicked with him. He's been seeing the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam in his alone time in those private moments for so much time.
The Immediate Acceptance
Now when did he become Muslim? Abu Hanifa radiyallahu anhu he says that the first woman to become Muslim was Khadija. The first youth to accept Islam was Ali. The first man to accept Islam was Abu Bakr. So that's how Abu Hanifa actually brought it all together. That Khadija was the first to accept Islam from the women. Ali was the first from the youth. Abu Bakr was the first from the men.
Now obviously there is the situation of Waraqah which we talked about which is a very different and unique situation in and of itself. But when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, Abu Bakr immediately told him:
"I believe you."
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam told Abu Bakr what happened and his experience with Jibril and Allah appointing him as a messenger of Allah, he immediately said I believe you. So it was a complete buy-in. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu resembled the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam most in qualities, most in his character.
And so some of the scholars they point out the hadith of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. A person is on the religion of his friends, is on the way of his friends. If these two were best friends, if you're the best friend of Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa sallam for 40 years or 38 years, best friend from childhood, then obviously those characteristics will match.
The Character Match
Ibn al-Jawzi rahimahullah, he points to, he says, look at the description of Khadija to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam came back to the house. And Khadija comforted the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam by mentioning his good qualities. The way that he treats his family, the way he treats his neighbor, the way he treats the poor, the way he treats the orphans, the way that he treated anyone that had a cause.
And he said that was the way that Ibn al-Daghina, who was a Meccan chief, when Abu Bakr was on his way to Abyssinia to make hijrah, to migrate, to escape persecution, Ibn al-Daghina stopped him and he took Abu Bakr to the different leaders of Quraysh and said, this is a person who should not be expelled.
And he mentioned the exact same qualities about Abu Bakr, that Khadija mentioned about the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. So Abu Bakr is a copy of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam in regards to his character and in regards to the opinion that people had of him. Except he was a chief of his people, he experienced wealth his entire life.
The Immediate Response
And Imam al-Nawawi rahimahullah said that one of the blessings of Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, or something to think about, is that as soon as the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam told him about who he was, about the religion coming to him, Abu Bakr did not think about his rank or his position, or what would happen to him as a result of supporting the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He immediately, he found the truth, he immediately accepted it, he immediately accepted the calling, and he knew that there were going to be serious ramifications to that.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, every single person that I invited to Islam, they had doubts at first. Except for Abu Bakr, as soon as I invited him to Islam, as soon as I called him to Allah, he did not hesitate. He immediately accepted the religion, and he believed in me, and he supported me right away.
Now obviously it's not including Khadijah radiyallahu anhu, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is talking about on the outside of his household. Right, that Abu Bakr believed in him right away, and supported him right away, and had absolutely no qualms about the types of ramifications that would come.
Building the Early Muslim Community
Abu Bakr's Role in Da'wah
But not only does he believe in the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, he builds the community around the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. So he doesn't just say to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, I believe in you. He goes out, and he starts calling people to Allah, calling people to the religion, and people start to convert, right and left, through the tongue of Abu Bakr.
Remember, he was extremely eloquent, he had position, he had rank, people took his word seriously. And so think about this, he accounts for six, so there are the ten promised paradise, al-ashr al-mubashshireen. Right, we'll go through all ten of them, but we can start with seven. Abu Bakr is one, and then he brought six others.
The Six Companions He Brought to Islam
Who else did Abu Bakr bring to Islam? Uthman, that's one. Talha, who is inseparable from Talha? Zubair, who else? Abdurrahman ibn Auf, who else? Abu Ubaidah al-Jarrah, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqas.
Uthman and Abdurrahman ibn Auf, were also of that same class as Abu Bakr. Wealthy, elite in their tribal status, have a certain word, so Uthman and Abdurrahman ibn Auf are most similar to Abu Bakr. May Allah be pleased with them.
Talha and Zubair are youth, they're young teenagers that come to Islam through Abu Bakr, and of course Sa'd and Abu Ubaidah are from some of the respectable members as well. So these six that he brought to Islam, other than himself, obviously being the seventh, these six that he brought to Islam, make up with him seven of al-Ashr al-Mubashshireen, the ten that were promised paradise.
The Reward of Guidance
So think about this, all of the good deeds of Abdurrahman ibn Auf and Uthman ibn Affan, all the wealth they spent, all the charity that they gave, goes to the scale of Abu Bakr. So it's not just Abu Bakr's own sadaqah, his own charity, all of their charity is his, and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, the one who guides to good is like the one who does it without decreasing from the original doer in any way whatsoever.
So every time you read a narration about the generosity of Uthman or Abdurrahman ibn Auf, Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu is cashing in on the good deeds of that. That's all his sadaqah as if he gave that too. So consider his incredible generosity radiyallahu anhu, and then the two pools of Uthman and Abdurrahman ibn Auf, the three most generous people that spent on the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, all stem from Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
Talha and Zubair, the neighbors of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam in Jannah, who defended the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, who were always by his side, all of that goes to him. We talked about Islam going to China, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqas, that's Abu Bakr's da'wah. Every person that the 30 million people that say la ilaha illallah in China, stem from Sa'd, that's all Abu Bakr's good deeds.
The Persecution and Abu Bakr's Courage
The Torture of the Nobles
Now was he tortured? Was Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu actually going to be tortured? We know that the Meccans would make an example out of the weak and the poor. Would Abu Bakr be tortured? Yes. Who dared to torture Abu Bakr? This is where the picture starts to fill.
Abu Bakr and Talha belong to Banu Taym. They're noble. And the nobles would be reprimanded behind the scenes. They'd be beaten and reprimanded behind the scenes. They weren't going to be publicly humiliated the way that the slaves would be humiliated, the way that the poor would be humiliated. They would humiliate them privately and try to get them to renounce the religion privately because in their tribalism they did not want to humiliate their tribesmen in public because they would see that as collective humiliation of the tribe.
So we can only do this in private. There was no one from Banu Taym. So the idea with the noble tribes was you take your noble ones and you punish them privately. Banu Taym, small tribe, no one was willing to torture Abu Bakr and Talha.
Naufal ibn Khuwaylid's Torture
Guess who takes the challenge to torture Abu Bakr and Talha? The brother of Khadijah. Naufal ibn Khuwaylid who was known as the lion of Quraish, Asad Quraish. The brother of Khadijah, radiyallahu anha, who was nicknamed because of what he did to the Muslims as Shaytan Quraish, the devil of Quraish. I gave a khutbah about him two years ago I believe. Because how could the brother of Khadijah be such a horrible evil man to even go out in Badr to try to kill the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So the brother of Khadijah, Naufal ibn Khuwaylid, takes a rope, he ties Abu Bakr and Talha together and he beats them and tortures them in private together. With one rope. Crazy, right? SubhanAllah. I mean the brother of Khadijah torturing Abu Bakr and Talha. And that's why they were actually called Al- Qarinayn, the two tied ones. Because Abu Bakr and Talha were tied together by the same rope of Naufal.
So subhanAllah, I mean this is when you start to dig deep into these things, you start to see it's all interconnected. Everything that's happening in this society is related to another part of this society and another dimension of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam's life. So Al-Qarinayn, the two that are tied together, Abu Bakr and Talha, are bounded by the rope of Naufal, beaten and tortured only in private.
Now not beaten the way that the slaves were being beaten. Not to a point of death, not to a point where they're not having their skin burned off of them, they're not having their nails pulled out. Some of the really harsh things that are being done to the slaves, that's not to that level, but it's enough to try to get them to renounce their faith. But it's all done, again, away from the public sphere. This isn't happening around the Ka'bah because that would be a shame on the tribe itself.
The Emancipation of Slaves
The Most Underestimated Dimension
Now, this is probably, this next part, is probably the most underestimated dimension of Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu's life and his good in the very beginning of Islam, which is the freeing of slaves. Abu Bakr is the emancipator of slaves, early on in Islam. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, freed multiple slaves.
And obviously the most famous one is who? Bilal radiyallahu anhu. The most famous one is Bilal radiyallahu anhu. Bilal is being tortured, humiliated, being made an example of. Bilal, how dare you? Abyssinian, black slave with absolutely no protection in a deeply tribalistic, racist society. How dare you challenge Umayyah? Right? I mean, Bilal radiyallahu anhu is doing everything. Basically, it's suicidal for Bilal to become Muslim.
The Purchase of Bilal's Freedom
And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu goes and says, I will purchase his freedom. Umayyah radiyallahu anhu, who's making an example out of him. Abu Bakr says how much? He says seven uqiyahs. And one narration, ten. Uqiyahs are a huge amount of money. A huge amount of money to free Bilal radiyallahu anhu.
So Abu Bakr says deal. Gives him all the money. Takes Bilal. As Abu Bakr is taking Bilal, Umayyah wants to throw a comment. He almost tortured him to death. He literally had him under a stone, whipped, dehydrated. Bilal radiyallahu anhu is barely alive. He's beaten to a bloody pulp. And as Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu is taking Bilal, Umayyah says:
"You could've given me one coin for him."
He wasn't worth more than one dinar for you to take him. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu he says, Wallahi if you would've said only a hundred uqiyahs I would've given it to you. I would've given you everything for Bilal.
So it wasn't just freeing these slaves. It was something else. And Umar radiyallahu anhu used to call Bilal, our master who was freed by our master. Our master who was freed by our master. Bilal was our master, freed by our master Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu.
Other Slaves Freed by Abu Bakr
Khabbab radiyallahu anhu. Freed by Abu Bakr. A'amir ibn Fuhayrah freed by Abu Bakr. There are some women that were freed by Abu Bakr. Female slaves that were freed by Abu Bakr. And it didn't matter what their status was or what benefit they would bring to this new Muslim community. If Abu Bakr heard that a slave had become Muslim and was being tortured for that, he takes his money and he goes and frees them.
There was one woman by the name of Zunayrah. And she was beaten to blindness for becoming Muslim. So they beat her till she lost her sight. And subhanallah, they said, when Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu went to purchase her, a blind female slave, what use is she at this point, right? They said:
"The reason why she went blind is because of Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, the two idols."
So it was her insult of religion. It was the gods that took her sight. And when they said that, she said:
"I swear by God, Al-Lat and Al-Uzza can't hurt anyone nor can they benefit anyone."
This is a blind slave girl being pulled away by Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu. And because of that:
"Allah returned her sight."
The Freed Slave of Umar
Some of these people you don't hear about. One that absolutely shocked me. SubhanAllah, I've taught the story of Abu Bakr multiple times and I actually, because I'm trying to imagine the societal implications of this. One of the female slaves that Abu Bakr had freed was a woman by the name of Lubayna, who was the slave girl of Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu anhu. Umar was not a Muslim.
Umar hated Islam. And when this particular slave became Muslim, Umar beat her until he would get tired. SubhanAllah, he said, I'm not stopping beating you because I pity you. It's because I'm tired. That's the type of wrath that she experienced from Umar before he became Muslim. And that was one of the regrets of Umar. That he beat someone like that for becoming Muslim. And Abu Bakr is the one who freed her, purchased her freedom.
SubhanAllah, think about that. Who would have thought at some point the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr and Umar become the two sheikhs of the community, inseparable. And in this early day of Islam, Abu Bakr is the one purchasing a beaten slave from Umar radiyallahu anhu to free her from his cruelty.
Abu Bakr's Motivation
So he is, Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu is going out, looking for, if he can hear the news of any one of these slaves. And this is a religion that started with the slaves. Right? This is who Islam appealed to in the first place. The du'afa, the masakeen, the weak, the downtrodden, the oppressed. This is where tawheed, the idea of monotheism really appealed. Because they've been brutalized in the name of those idols. Right? Abu Bakr is going out and freeing them.
And subhanAllah, his father, who's not a Muslim yet, Abu Quhafa says to him, he says to him, oh my son, he said people purchase slaves that are strong or healthy or have some sort of unique expertise that they can't get from anywhere else. Or they purchase a slave that would get everyone else in line. Right? People purchase slaves for reasons.
Why are you freeing these weak ones that can't even do anything for themselves? What's the point of freeing these slaves? What are these people going to do for you? And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu responded:
"Oh my father, I am seeking with their freedom what is with Allah."
The Revelation of Surah Al-Layl
Guess what came down as a result of that? Surah Al-Layl. Which I was reading. Ibn Abbas radiyallahu ta'ala anhu says, the consensus that Surah Al-Layl was revealed about Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. This particular moment where Abu Bakr was freeing these slaves that no one else wanted, that everyone else beat. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, and people start saying like, maybe he's freeing Bilal because something happened in the past.
They start to make up stories, right? Maybe there's some deal, some cover, because it doesn't make sense. Why is Abu Bakr spending all of his money on these slaves? Freeing all of these slaves? What are these women going to do for him? What are these men going to do for him? They have absolutely no benefit to the religion. And Allah responded to what Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said, I seek with their freedom what is with Allah.
No one can compensate him for what he is doing. No one can compensate him for what he is doing. No one has enough money, enough power, nothing could stop Abu Bakr, could satisfy that craving that he had to free these people and to do this. Except for that which is with Allah.
"And Allah will certainly please him."
Allah will certainly please him.
Abu Bakr's Wealth and Spending
Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, when he came into Islam, he had 40,000 dinars. By the time they made hijrah, he only had 5,000 left, and most of it went to these types of things. I mean at this time, you're not financing in Mecca at this point, you're not financing any expeditions, any journeys of the Prophet. What's there to spend upon? There's no masjid, there isn't much to spend (في سبيل الله - fi sabilillah) in Mecca. So out of his 40,000 which he saved all of that time, he left with only 5,000 because of all of the money that he was spending primarily on freeing these slaves.
This is something that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam recognized that there was something about the man spending very early on, that he did not care about the implications of spending (في سبيل الله - fi sabilillah).
So Abu Huraira radiyallahu anhu says, that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"No money was ever more beneficial to me than the money that was spent by Abu Bakr." (Bukhari)
So Abu Bakr when he heard that, he started to cry, and he said:
"O Messenger of Allah, am I and my money for anything but you?"
Like Abu Bakr was embarrassed when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam would say that. Jabir radiyallahu anhu and Abu Sa'id they narrate that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam would spend from the wealth of Abu Bakr like he would spend from his own.
Now that's not insulting. They had that type of a relationship where Abu Bakr's hand was free in spending on these good ventures, on these good things for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam would spend of it like it was his own money. They shared that. That's how close they were. And that was an honor for Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu to be respected and to be loved by the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam in such a manner.
The Public Persecution Begins
Now what happens as Islam starts to spread? Now Abu Bakr is first to believe in him from the men. He's someone who has a unique position. He has clout, but it's not the type of clout that Abu Jahl or Umar or some of the more powerful as in physically strong warriors are known for. It's a clout that comes through respectability, through his money, through his tribal, his tribe being elite. That's the type of clout that he has. He brings in the top tier of the sahaba in regards to the economic and the tribal class.
And then he brings in the lower tier. And I'm saying that in quotes very intentionally because there's nothing low about Bilal and Khabbab in these people, right? But he's bringing in all these elements of society. He's building the community around the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He's using his money to build around the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He's financing Dar al-Arqam, everything that has to go with that. He's spending and spending and spending and spending.
All of this in the da'wah is not public yet. Meaning the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam has not actually publicly preached yet. This is all within small gatherings. But the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam has not made the community wide call at this point. And obviously as the community is growing around the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, there's a fear that this is going to get worse.
The Incident at the Kaaba
Ali radiyallahu anhu, and this is actually narrated by Ali Abdullah ibn Amr and Aisha, that Quraysh were surrounding the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And so they started to rough him up. Now this is where you see the gradual beating, humiliation of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and his followers in public. So they were around the Ka'bah one day and they started to rough up the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
They started to push him. They started to pull his clothes. Uqba ibn Abi Mu'it slapped the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. So they're humiliating him. They're yelling at him. And they're saying to him, You're the one who made all these idols into one god. You're that person. Mocking the religion of the
Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And at this point there's no Hamza. There's no Umar. There's no one that's really strong to go out there and support the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam without getting themselves killed.
Now Uqba ibn Abi Mu'it he escalated. When the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam was humiliated after getting beaten and slapped around, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam started to pray. And when Uqba ibn Abi Mu'it saw, remember Uqba is the one who would put the camel guts on the back of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He took his shawl and he put it around the neck of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and he started to choke him.
The Prophet gave an order that the sahaba don't do anything. Even if provoked, don't respond. Because ultimately what they were looking for was a brawl and then they'd have an excuse to kill them all. Right. So the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam was actually it's a strategic reason too. Right. Don't respond. Let them instigate. Let them provoke. Don't respond to this.
Abu Bakr's Famous Defense
Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu could not help himself. He heard about what was happening. He came to the haram. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, he says the famous words:
"Will you kill a man because he says his Lord is Allah?" (Bukhari)
Would you really kill a man because he says his Lord is Allah? Now Abu Bakr is not going and punching or anything like that. He's trying to protect the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And he's saying, would you really kill a man? Like, what is wrong with you people? Would you really kill a man who would say that his Lord is Allah? That was enough for them to start pouncing on Abu Bakr and making an example of him.
So they took Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, they rubbed his face in the dirt, and they dragged him in the dirt. So actually Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu's face was covered and they punched him, punched him, punched him until Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu lost consciousness. And they thought he might have died. They didn't want him to die, because if you killed him, then that would be another level of this.
But Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu was beaten to a point of unconsciousness. Some of Banu Taym who were not Muslims, they saw that Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu was not moving anymore. So they went and they picked him up. And they took him home radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. And the description of him, his face was unrecognizable because of the swelling. If you look at Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, you would not be able to see his face, or you wouldn't be able to recognize him because of the swelling.
Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu had a very sparse beard. He only had a few hairs on his face radiyallahu anhu. That's the description of him. They said that the few hairs on his face were covered in blood. And he looked lifeless radiyallahu anhu. So they started to treat him.
Abu Bakr's First Concern
And these are not Muslims, this is his tribesmen, right? That saw this as going too far. This was the first time a person is getting beaten like this. Other than the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, in the proximity of the Kaaba. Abu Bakr's mother is treating him. You've got to understand the direness of the situation. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu, he wakes up and he says:
"Where is the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam?"
He does not even ask, where am I? What happened to me? No sign of a lack of consciousness. Where is the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam? Where is the Messenger of Allah? They told him, relax. He said, not until I see the Prophet of Allah. So subhanAllah, to stop him from asking about the Prophet of Allah, they had to carry him to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
So he could see the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, embrace the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And he embraced him for a long time. Ali radiyallahu anhu narrates this incident. He used to cry when he'd narrate the incident. Ali radiyallahu anhu would cry. Because he remembered, he was a young boy, he couldn't do anything. Ali radiyallahu anhu was a 9-year-old, a 10-year-old, he can't do anything about this.
Ali's Testimony
And Ali radiyallahu anhu said, I swear by Allah, that Abu Bakr is greater than the man from the family of Fir'aun, who said:
"Would you kill a man who says, my Lord is Allah?"
And he said, do you know why that is? And the people said, why? He said, because the family of Pharaoh, the man who said that, hid his iman, he concealed his faith. He said, whereas Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu declared his iman openly before everyone. And there was a Pharaoh and Abu Jahl and those people that were there too, and he took the beating that came with that radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
So he said, by Allah, one moment in the life of Abu Bakr is superior to a thousand from the family of Fir'aun. Obviously not talking about Asiyah radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, but talking about the man who Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu said, just like him, would you kill a man just because he said, his Lord is Allah.
So his whole thing is, is the Prophet okay? Is Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa sallam okay? And that becomes the theme of Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu's life, or one extremely important element of the life of Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, that he puts the Prophet before himself in everything. He responds right away, and that's a special characteristic.
He doesn't take time, he doesn't hesitate, immediately responds. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam asks him for something, he responds. There's an opportunity to good, he responds. He's always there to respond. But there's also that selflessness, completely putting his life on the line, everything that would come with being a follower of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Hijrah (Migration)
The Daily Visits
And that shows in the hijrah, obviously Aisha radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, she says that before the migration, she says that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam used to visit Abu Bakr's house every day. Rarely would the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam fail to visit our house every day. Aisha is not married to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam yet, so she's experiencing this as the daughter of Abu Bakr. She said he would come either in the morning or the evening, but it was rare that he would not come, radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
So when the permission for the hijrah was granted, that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam was going to take his companions and flee to Yathrib, which would become Madinah. So the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam came to us at noon, and it was a time that he would not typically come. So we knew that something was up.
Abu Bakr was waiting for the news of what the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam was gonna do with him, whether he was gonna send him and the family out alone. He's waiting patiently to see what the plans of the Prophet are, to escape to Madinah. So he told Abu Bakr to just wait, and Abu Bakr is waiting, waiting, waiting.
The Invitation to Accompany
And so when the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam came at that time, Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said, that this has to be something urgent. He's coming at a time that he usually does not come. So the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam asked permission to come in, and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, let no one else be in the home while we speak.
This is a private matter. And Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said, Ya Rasulullah, they're only my two daughters. Asma and Aisha are in the room, and that's it. Meaning they'll go to the side, and it'll just be you and I that would talk. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said to him, that I've been informed, that I've been given the permission to migrate, to do hijrah. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said:
"Your companionship, O Messenger of Allah."
Meaning do I get to come with you? Your companionship. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
"Yes, the companionship."
You'll get to be my companion. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu starts to shout in joy, crying, happiness.
Now the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is the most wanted man in Mecca. Everyone's trying to kill him. There's literally the biggest bounty that was known to the Meccans on his head. Every tribe is vying to kill the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And he just told Abu Bakr, you get to be with me in the middle of the desert, while people come and try to find me and kill me.
Aisha's Observation
Aisha radiyallahu anhu, she said, when I saw my father cry like that, she said, I didn't think, that people actually cry out of joy. It's weird to think of someone crying out of joy. Crying to me was reserved as an emotion for sadness. She said:
"Until I saw my father cry that particular moment."
The way that Abu Bakr cried out of joy, as-sohba ya Rasulallah, I get to come with you, I get to come with you, was something that I had never thought was possible from any person. radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
The Preparation
Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu said, ya Rasulallah, I've got two camels prepared, they're ready to go, and I'll offer one of them to you, the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, I'll only take it if I pay for it. So no, I'm not gonna take my camel for hijrah, from you as a gift, I'll pay for it. And so the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam made that condition, and they went out, radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa alayhi wa sallam.
Abu Bakr appointed Asma who was older, and Abdullah to help them in the hijrah. And the freed slave Amir ibn Fuhayrah, Amir ibn Fuhayrah was known for being a guide. So Amir ibn Fuhayrah is one of those that was freed by Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu. So he would be the guide of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr cover their tracks.
Abdullah, the son of Abu Bakr, would listen to the news in Mecca, and bring it to them on that journey. So coordinate points with them. And Asma radiyallahu anha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, would carry the
food to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and to Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
The Journey to the Cave
When they went out in the hijrah, and I'm gonna have to end within the next few minutes inshaAllah ta'ala. So this is probably a good stopping point. But when they went out in the hijrah, Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu did something strange. They'd be walking, and then he'd go in front of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And then he'd go behind the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And then he'd go to his left, and then he'd go to his right.
And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam is looking at him like, what are you doing? Why do you keep on switching spots? And he said, Ya Rasulullah, every time I think about the potential of someone coming from this direction, I go to that direction. So I think about someone might be coming from this way, so I go to this way. Then I think someone might be coming from this way, so I go to that way.
So he's circling the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam even as they're walking on this journey to protect the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And of course, that's where they enter into Ghar Thawr.
In the Cave of Thawr
The Tiny Cave
Has anyone ever been to Ghar Thawr? Like inside of it? It's hard to get up there. Hijrah is a lot easier. Ghar Thawr is a tiny, tiny, tiny cave. Meaning it can fit two people, and that's it. If you extend your legs, it can only fit one of me. It's a tiny, tiny, tiny cave. I mean it hurts to actually get inside of Ghar Thawr.
And it's very, very private, very hard to find. And you'd have to look for it. But at the same time, like the idea that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr were there, and Quraysh came to the foot of that cave. Subhanallah, when you actually go there, it's a crazy thought. Because literally if they would have looked, it wouldn't take but one foot, right? You'd see their limbs, you'd see the leg of Abu Bakr, or the leg of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Scorpion Incident
So you imagine, they're hiding out in this cave. And while they're hiding out in this cave, before they're found, something happens. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam fell asleep, and they're crunched up. Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu noticed that a scorpion was coming in through the cave. He put his foot on the hole, and he let the scorpion pierce away at his foot to protect the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam woke up by his tears. He couldn't hold his tears from the pain of that scorpion drilling into his foot radiyallahu anhu, protecting the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Pursuers Arrive
Then they're there, and of course, those that are trying to kill the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam find him. They get to the mouth of the cave. And if you're there, you're thinking, that's it. It's been a good life. Alhamdulillah we came this far. There's no way you're getting out of that, right?
But of course Allah protected with the nest, and the birds that were there that suggested that there was no one inside, as well as the spider web according to some of the narrations. And they didn't even think to look down because of the spider web and because of the birds, right? So why would anyone, or how is it possible that there would be a fully formed spider web and the birds that would be there and the nest that would be there if there was a human being that was in there?
The Moment of Fear
So you imagine those moments where you're looking at the feet of these people, and you're sitting with the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, and the love that Abu Bakr had for the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, the sense of duty that he had to protect him all that time. And you're looking at those feet. And in those moments Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu starts to shake. He's scared, right?
And the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam says to him:
"What do you say of two people and Allah is the third?"
Don't worry, we're okay, right?
"Don't worry, Allah is with us." (Quran 9:40)
Why are you worried? Complete, complete tranquility that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam had. Now is Abu Bakr worried about himself or is he worried about the Prophet? He's worried about the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. He's not worried about himself. He had no care for himself in the presence of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Quranic Reference
And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala refers to this in the Quran:
"If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Mecca] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, 'Do not grieve;
indeed Allah is with us.' And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see." (Quran 9:40)
Allah mentions when the two were in the cave, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mentions the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam, said to his companion. By the way, that's another distinction. Allah called him his companion:
"Don't worry, Allah is with us."
So Allah revealed His tranquillity upon him. Who's the tranquillity coming down upon? Abu Bakr. That's who it's speaking about in this moment. So Allah speaks about this in particular, it coming down on Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
The Journey to Medina
And I'll end with this moment from the Hijrah inshaAllah ta'ala. They get out of the cave, they make their way to Medina. And on the way now, because the cave is actually not very far away from Mecca. Right on the outskirts of Mecca. They hadn't really started the journey yet. But now they're on the way. Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta'ala anhu and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam had not had anything to eat or drink for days.
Asma radiyallahu ta'ala anhu is not able to reach them at this point. They're in the midst of the journey to Medina, all by themselves. And they walk into, they find the home of a woman on the way by the name of Umm Ma'bad radiyallahu ta'ala anhu.
The Miracle at Umm Ma'bad's House
Umm Ma'bad didn't know who they were. Bedouin woman that had a house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Between Mecca and Medina. And they go in and she sees these two travelers who are in need of something. Something to eat, something to drink. They are dying of thirst at this point.
Umm Ma'bad gives one of the most beautiful descriptions of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. So it's a long description. Describing his beauty, describing his grace, describing, she said, I never saw a man like this in my life. Describing the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam. And then the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam asked, do you have any goat or sheep or anything to milk? She said, I've got this one that doesn't give any milk. That's what I have right now.
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, bring it here. Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam says, Bismillah, in the name of Allah. And he rubs its udders and starts to give milk. The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam takes a cup of that milk. He first offers it to Abu Bakr. He says, drink Abu Bakr.
The Beautiful Exchange
Abu Bakr says, no way, you first. Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) drinks. Abu Bakr is looking at him. He says, drink Abu Bakr. He said, no, no, you keep drinking. Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) drinks. He says, drink Abu Bakr. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) did it three times. He insisted on Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu. And Abu Bakr says, drink O Messenger of Allah.
And then Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu says:
"I looked at him drinking, and he drank until I was full."
That's actually the sentence. Until I was full. When I saw the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) drinking, and I saw him nourishing himself, I wasn't thirsty or hungry anymore. It was literally that type of a connection.
His thirst is my thirst. His nourishment is my nourishment. His sickness is my sickness. His healing is my healing. His pain is my pain. His joy is my joy. Everything that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) goes through, that's how Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu views life, living through that with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Conclusion
I want to end with... Actually, you know what, I'll leave this for next time. I'll end on that note inshaAllah. We might need three for this. We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to be pleased with Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu to grant us that love of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam), to grant us that selflessness, and to reward Abu Bakr radiyallahu anhu for all of those people that he freed for the sake of Allah, or brought for the sake of Allah to this religion that we all benefited from.
We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to grant us that companionship of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salallahu alayhi wa sallam) in Jannatul Firdaus.
Allahumma ameen.