Abu Bakr as-Siddiq: the truthful friend

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was the closest friend of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the first leader of the Muslims after him. He is known as as-Siddiq: the one who affirms the truth, a man of complete truthfulness. The Prophet himself used this title. Once he climbed Mount Uhud with Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them, and when the mountain shook, he said:

Be firm, O Uhud! For on you there are no more than a Prophet, a Siddiq and two martyrs.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3675

Among the very first to believe

Abu Bakr was among the very first people to accept Islam, and the first among free adult men. The companion Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, remembered seeing the Prophet in those early days when "there was none with him but five slaves, two women and Abu Bakr" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3660). Years later, the Prophet himself described what Abu Bakr had done:

Allah sent me (as a Prophet) to you (people) but you said (to me), 'You are telling a lie,' while Abu Bakr said, 'He has said the truth,' and consoled me with himself and his money.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3661

That is the meaning of as-Siddiq. When others called the Prophet a liar, Abu Bakr said, "He has said the truth", and he stood behind those words with his own life and wealth.

The companion in the cave

When the Prophet emigrated from Makkah to Madinah (the Hijrah), Abu Bakr traveled with him. They hid in a cave for three nights while the Quraysh searched for them. The Quran mentions this moment, and scholars of tafsir (explanation of the Quran) explain that "his companion" here is Abu Bakr:

when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us."

Quran 9:40 (Saheeh International translation)

Abu Bakr later described how close the danger was:

I said: O Messenger of Allah, if one of them looked below his feet, he would see us. He said: "O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two persons, the third of whom is Allah?"

Sahih al-Bukhari 3653 and Sahih Muslim 2381

When you feel alone or afraid, remember the words the Prophet said to his friend: "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us."

Generous with everything

Abu Bakr spent his wealth freely for Islam. He freed Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, from slavery, and Umar used to say: "Abu Bakr is our chief, and he manumitted our chief" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3754). Umar also told this story. One day the Prophet asked the companions to give in charity. Umar brought half of everything he owned, sure that this time he would outdo Abu Bakr. Then Abu Bakr came with everything he had. The Prophet asked him what he had left for his family, and he answered: "I left Allah and His Messenger for them." Umar said he would never be able to beat him at anything (Sunan Abi Dawud 1678 and Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3675, graded hasan).

The Prophet said: "The person who has favored me most of all both with his company and wealth, is Abu Bakr. If I were to take a Khalil other than my Lord, I would have taken Abu Bakr as such" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3654). A khalil is the closest possible friend.

The first caliph

In his final illness, the Prophet said: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer." (Sahih al-Bukhari 3384 and Sahih Muslim 418). When the Prophet died, the people were in shock, and some could not accept it. Abu Bakr stood up, praised Allah, and said:

Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Alive and shall never die.

Sahih al-Bukhari 3668

Then he recited: "Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him." (Quran 3:144). His words steadied the whole community: our worship belongs to Allah, who never dies. The Muslims then chose Abu Bakr as the first khalifah (caliph), the leader of the community after the Prophet. He led for about two years, and when he died he was buried beside the Prophet (Sahih al-Bukhari 3700).

Next, you will meet Umar ibn al-Khattab, known for his strength and his justice.

Sources

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3675 (a prophet, a siddiq, and two martyrs) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3660 (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3661 (opens in a new tab)

• Quran 9:40 (Saheeh International translation) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3653 and Sahih Muslim 2381 (agreed upon) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3754 (opens in a new tab)

• Sunan Abi Dawud 1678 (hasan, al-Albani) (opens in a new tab)

• Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3675 (hasan sahih, al-Tirmidhi; hasan, al-Albani) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3654 (opens in a new tab)

• Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (agreed upon) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3668 (opens in a new tab)

• Quran 3:144 (Saheeh International translation) (opens in a new tab)