Ashara Mubashara: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (RA) - The First Caliph

By Halal Trip | 09, Jun, 2022
Ashara Mubashara: Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (RA) - The First Caliph

The lineage of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq

Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq's full name was Abdullah bin Othman bin Amer bin Amr bin Kaab bin Saad bin Taym bin Murra bin Kaab bin Louay bin Ghalib. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) named him after his convert as Abdullah, this name was referred from the name that he was called in the pre-Islamic era, Abd al-Kaaba. The lineage of Abu Bakr meets with Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the sixth grandfather, Murrah bin Ka’b. During his life, he was called Siddiq which means the truthful as he was one of the nobles of Quraysh and in order to honor him for his contribution to Islam and great demeanor. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) calls him this title due to the large belief and faith that the caliph always have in him, as he was always the first to believe the Prophet such as in the incident of Al-Isra and Al-Miraj. His other titles are Al-Atiq (the saved one), Karim, Najib, and the generous man.

 

Features and Traits of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq

Physical Features

His daughter Aisha - may God be pleased her - described him as A white man, skinny, light in cross-legged, sloppy (meaning curved back) with a well-shaped face (that means with little flesh and sunken eyes).

Moral traits

Despite his status as the sahabah of the prophet, he was always humble as he was influenced by the morals of Prophet Muhammad SAW, and was characterized by having generous manners and endearing human natures. Prophet Muhammad SAW said about him: "The most merciful of my nation to my nation: Abu Bakr. The people loved sitting with him because of his good relations with them, his good reasoning, and his soundness of mind. And he was a dignified man of honor, great shyness, a lot of dreaming, in whom - may God be pleased with him - the best and loftiest manners were combined".

 

How Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq became a Muslim

Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq was a well-known merchant in the Quraysh due to his knowledge and intelligence, therefore deemed as a guide to his people, loved among them, and is a beautiful companion. When the revelation came down to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Al-Siddiq was the first man to know the revelation as the Prophet told him about revelation and belief in Allah, and soon after he then followed the Prophet and became a Muslim.

 

His actions during the era of Prophet Muhammad

He had great deeds that are recorded in his biography and his most important works are summarized during the era of the following prophecy of the Prophet (SAW). Abu Bakr was the first man to embrace Islam with the Prophet. He heard of his prophecy from the prophet's wife Khadija, and soon converted to Islam immediately without hesitation due to his deep and absolute belief in the sincerity of the prophet Muhammad (SAW). He would then support the Prophet in the incident of abuse and ascension when the prophet came back from of Al-Isra and Al-Miraj, he told his people about what he saw in al Quds and described it. “Yes, I do believe him even when it is further than that, I believe him with the news of whatever the prophet says”. Abu Bakr would also then spend all his wealth to prepare for the migration, and left nothing for his family and his children, showing his dedication and loyalty to the prophet.

 

The first caliph

He would then be the first caliph, he pledged allegiance to the caliphate on the day of the death of the prophet (SAW) in the eleventh year of migration. During his lifetime the prophet (SAW) shows a humongous belief in Al-Siddiq and used to present him as an imam for prayers without any of the other companions; this is due to his virtue and his position in the da’wah and to honor his importance while also hinting Al-Siddiq to be his successor. The period of his caliphate was two years and three months, which is a short period, but was an important and great period for the da’wah and its dissemination.

 

Cover Image Credit: Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash  

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