In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Mawaddah Association presents:
The Ten Promised Paradise:
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.
Loving the Companions and the Prophet's kin is an established Sunnah,
With which I shall meet my Lord when He resurrects me.
Love for the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, returned
From the Journey of Isra' and Mi'raj (the Night Journey and Ascension),
He began recounting to the people what he had witnessed,
Relating to them wondrous accounts.
Consequently, some of those who had believed in him apostatized,
While others were seized with doubt.
Others went straight to 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman al-Taymi (Abu Bakr)
And informed him of what Muhammad was saying.
He said, "If he indeed said it, then he has spoken the truth.
I believe him in matters far beyond that;
I believe him concerning revelations from heaven coming morning or evening."
For this reason, he was thereafter named "al-Siddiq" (the Champion of Truth).
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was born
Two years after the Year of the Elephant.
He grew up in Mecca,
Raised among its mountains, mountain passes, and valleys,
Drawing deeply from the noble virtues of its people—
A culture of immense generosity and magnanimity,
And competing to serve the guests of the Ancient House (the Ka'bah).
In his youth, he befriended
His peers among the nobles and leaders of Quraysh,
Foremost among them being Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah,
The pride of Quraysh and its most trustworthy man.
The qualities of chivalry and noble character were deeply imprinted in both of them,
As though they had nursed from the very same breast
And had been raised in the very same household.
They were the most chaste of Quraysh during the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah):
Neither of them ever drank wine,
Nor did either ever bow to an idol,
Nor was a single lie or act of betrayal ever recorded against either of them.
And that is no surprise,
For a person is judged by the company he keeps.
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was
A noble and chivalrous merchant in his trade,
Deeply knowledgeable in Arab genealogies and history,
Delightful in company,
A man who endeared himself to others and was easily loved,
Extremely modest,
Abundantly humble,
Vast in knowledge,
And a chief of his clan, the Banu Taym.
It was even said of him:
"Prestige and nobility in Quraysh culminated in ten individuals from ten clans,
Among them Abu Bakr from Banu Taym."
Because of his close bond with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his proximity to him,
He did not hesitate for a single moment in following him.
Thus, he was the first among free adult men to embrace Islam.
He supported him with the dearest of his wealth,
Ransomed him with his own life and family,
And withheld nothing whatsoever from him.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to dispose of Abu Bakr's wealth
Just as he disposed of his own wealth.
He once said:
"No wealth has ever benefited me
As much as the wealth of Abu Bakr has benefited me."
Thereupon, Abu Bakr wept and said,
"Are my wealth and I anything but yours, O Messenger of Allah?"
On another occasion, he gave all his wealth in charity,
So the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, asked him,
"What have you left for your family, O Abu Bakr?"
He replied, "I have left them Allah and His Messenger."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said:
"There is no one who has done us a favor
Except that we have repaid it,
Save for Abu Bakr;
For he has done us favors
Which Allah will repay him for on the Day of Resurrection."
Allah the Exalted revealed concerning him:
"And the most God-fearing will be spared from it—
He who gives his wealth to purify himself,"
“And none hath with him any favour for reward,” (92:19)
“Except as seeking (to fulfil) the purpose of his Lord Most High.” (92:20)
"And he will surely be well-pleased."
Al-Siddiq was persecuted for the sake of Allah
Just as the early Muslims were persecuted.
He was once severely beaten,
Trampled underfoot,
And struck across his face with coarse, patched leather sandals
Until his nose could no longer be distinguished from his face.
Then the Banu Taym came
And drove the polytheists away from him,
Carrying him to his home
Having no doubt that he was dying.
When he finally regained consciousness,
The very first words he uttered were:
"How is the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?"
They said,
"He is safe in Dar al-Arqam."
He said,
"By Allah, I will taste no food and drink no drink
Until I go to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
So he was carried to him,
And when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw him,
He felt profound compassion and tenderness for him,
Leaned over him and began kissing him,
And the Muslims gathered around him doing likewise.
When the persecution of the polytheists intensified against the Muslims,
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, granted them permission
To emigrate to Abyssinia,
And later to Medina.
Yet al-Siddiq did not emigrate with those who left;
Rather, he stayed behind with the Beloved, peace be upon him,
Until he earned the noble title of "the second of the two":
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
"Indeed, Allah is with us."
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
"And He made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest,"
“If ye help him not, still Allah helped him when those who disbelieve drove him forth, the second of two; when they two were in the cave, when he said unto his comrade: Grieve not. Lo! Allah is with us. Then Allah caused His peace of reassurance to descend upon him and supported him with hosts ye cannot see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the nethermost, while Allah's Word it was that became the uppermost. Allah is Mighty, Wise.” (9:40)
"And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."
The story of al-Siddiq's emigration (Hijrah) with the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Is filled with profound emotional depths and intricate details.
In it, deep protective fear for the Prophet, peace be upon him, was manifested,
Alongside immense joy at the honor of serving him
On the greatest journey that transformed the face of the earth.
The protective concern of al-Siddiq Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him,
For the Prophet, peace be upon him, during the Hijrah
Was not confined merely to fearing his enemies;
Rather, he feared anything that might cause him the slightest harm,
Even the scorching heat of the sun or creeping vermin.
In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recorded that
The sun beat down upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
So Abu Bakr stepped forward and shaded him with his cloak.
And in Sahih Muslim,
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
"Sleep, O Messenger of Allah,
While I keep watch and clear the area around you."
So the Prophet slept, and Abu Bakr went out clearing the surroundings for him.
Al-Hakim narrated that when they reached the Cave of Thawr,
Abu Bakr said, "Stay in your place, O Messenger of Allah,
Until I inspect and secure the cave for you."
And he thoroughly inspected and cleared it.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say:
"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, that single night
Is better than the entire family of 'Umar."
Among the beautiful accounts brimming with love and esteem
Is what has been narrated that Abu al-Bara'
Asked al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with them both:
"What did you and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, do
When you set out from Mecca
While the polytheists were pursuing you?"
Abu Bakr said:
"We departed from Mecca
And traveled throughout our night and the following day until noon,
When the midday heat reached its peak—
That is, the heat became intense.
I cast my eyes around,
Looking for any shade where we could take shelter,
When suddenly I saw a large rock.
I went over to it and found a patch of shade beside it,
So I leveled the ground,
Spread out a resting place for the Prophet, peace be upon him, upon it,
And then said to him,
'Lie down to rest, O Prophet of Allah.'
So the Prophet, peace be upon him, lay down,
And I went off to inspect the surroundings,
Looking to see if any pursuers were in sight.
Suddenly, I came upon a shepherd herding his sheep toward the rock,
Seeking from it the very same shade we had sought.
I inquired of him and asked,
'To whom do you belong, young man?'
He replied, 'To a man from Quraysh,'
Naming him, and I recognized him.
I asked, 'Do your sheep have any milk?'
He said, 'Yes.'
I asked, 'Will you milk some for us?'
He said, 'Yes.'
So I instructed him, and he held one of his ewes firmly by the leg;
I then told him to dust off her udder,
And I told him to dust off his hands."
The narrator said, "He demonstrated it like this,
Striking one hand against the other."
"He then milked a small amount of milk for me into a vessel.
I had prepared for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
A small water-skin with a piece of cloth over its mouth,
So I poured water over the vessel until its base cooled down.
I brought it to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
Finding that he had just awakened,
And I said,
'Drink, O Messenger of Allah.'
He drank until I was fully satisfied and content.
Then I said,
'The time for departure has arrived, O Messenger of Allah.'
He replied, 'Indeed.'
So we set out while the people were in pursuit of us,
And none of them caught up with us except Suraqah ibn Malik upon his horse.
I said,
'The pursuers have overtaken us, O Messenger of Allah!'
He said, 'Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with us.'
Throughout the journey of the Hijrah, al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him,
Would walk in front of the Prophet, peace be upon him, for a while,
And behind him for a while.
The Prophet asked him about it,
And he replied:
'When I remember the pursuers from behind,
I walk behind you;
And when I remember potential ambushes ahead,
"So that I might walk ahead of you."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked:
"If something were to happen, would you prefer to die in my place?"
He replied:
"Yes, by the One Who sent you with the truth!"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to Hassan Ibn Thabit:
"Have you composed any poetry concerning Abu Bakr?"
He said, "Yes."
The Prophet said:
"Recite, and I shall listen."
So he recited:
"And the second of two in the lofty cave, when
the enemy encircled it as they climbed the mountain;
and the beloved of the Messenger of Allah, whom all creation
knew had no equal among men."
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) smiled so broadly that his molar teeth showed,
and then said:
"You have spoken the truth, O Hassan;
he is just as you have said."
And during the Incident of the Slander (al-Ifk),
when Allah revealed the exoneration of 'A'ishah, daughter of al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with them both),
Abu Bakr said—
and he used to provide financial support to Mistah Ibn Uthathah (may Allah be pleased with him) due to his poverty:
"By Allah, I will never spend anything on Mistah again,
after what he said concerning 'A'ishah!"
Then Allah Almighty revealed:
﴾And let not those of virtue among you
and ample means swear not to give aid to their relatives and the needy...
“And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)
“And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)
Let them forgive and overlook...
“And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)
And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.﴿
Abu Bakr said:
"Indeed!
Indeed,
by Allah, I certainly desire that Allah forgive me!"
So he resumed the financial provision he used to give him and said:
"By Allah, I will never withhold it from him."
Al-Siddiq was not content merely with the honor of being the first to embrace Islam;
rather, he took the initiative in calling others to Allah.
Through his efforts, an elite core of Islam's early foundation accepted the faith,
such as 'Uthman Ibn 'Affan,
Talhah, al-Zubayr,
'Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Awf,
and Abu 'Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with them all).
He also purchased a number of slaves who were being tortured for the sake of Allah because of their Islam,
and then emancipated them, seeking his reward only with Allah.
Among these were:
Bilal Ibn Rabah,
'Amir Ibn Fuhayrah,
Zannirah,
al-Nahdiyyah and her daughter,
Umm 'Ubays,
and the slave-girl of Banu Mu'ammil—
may Allah be pleased with them all.
Whenever he was praised, he would supplicate:
"O Allah, You know me better than I know myself,
and I know myself better than they know me.
O Allah, make me better than what they think of me,
forgive me for what they do not know,
and do not hold me accountable for what they say."
Al-Siddiq accompanied the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) throughout his entire life,
and never once caused him distress.
He was the best of this Ummah after its Prophet
(upon him be the best of blessings and the purest of peace),
and the most merciful toward it.
He was an exceedingly tender-hearted man
who could not contain his weeping
when reciting the Qur'an.
Yet in moments of valor and courage,
one could scarcely find any peer or equal to him.
This will be the focus of our discussion concerning this noble Companion
in our next gathering, if Allah wills.
To the Chosen Prophet,
the best of Companions was explicitly promised
two eternal gardens in Paradise,
adding to their exalted honor:
they are Talhah,
Ibn 'Awf,
al-Zubayr, along with
Abu 'Ubaydah,
the two Sa'ds, and the two Caliphs.