Abu Bakr's supporting role in Islam, services to Islam
This Article is about Abu Bakr's supporting role in Islam, services to Islam. Here you will read about Hazrat Abu Bkr servises in Islam.
 |
| Abu Bakr Siddique Services for Islam |
*Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq RA - Introduction*
*Full Name: Abdullah bin Uthman bin Aamir Al-Taymi Al-Qurashi
*Title: As-Siddiq "The Truthful", Atiq "Freed one"
*Born: 573 CE in Makkah
*Died: 22 Jumada Al-Akhirah 13 AH / 634 CE in Madinah
*Caliphate: 11 AH - 13 AH | 632 CE - 634 CE. First Caliph of Islam
*1. Life Before Islam
Hazrat Abu Bakr RA was a close friend of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ even before prophethood. He was a successful merchant, known in Makkah for his honesty, gentle nature, and knowledge of Arab genealogy. He never worshipped idols, even in Jahiliyyah.
*Reference*: Ibn Hisham, _As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah_
*2. First Adult Male to Accept Islam
When the Prophet ﷺ received revelation, Abu Bakr RA was the first adult man to accept Islam without hesitation. His immediate faith earned him the title _As-Siddiq_.
He spent his wealth to free slaves who were tortured for Islam, like Bilal RA, Aamir bin Fuhairah RA.
*Reference*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 62, Hadith 8
*3. Companion of Hijrah
He was the Prophet's ﷺ companion in the migration to Madinah. They hid together in Cave Thawr for 3 days. The Qur'an refers to this:
_"...the second of the two when they were in the cave..."_ [Qur'an 9:40]
*Reference*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 5, Hadith 227
After the Prophet ﷺ was given permission to migrate to Madinah, only one person was chosen to go with him: Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq RA*
*1. Why Abu Bakr RA?
The Prophet ﷺ trusted him completely with his life, wealth, and secret. Abu Bakr RA was the only one who immediately believed, supported Islam financially, and was ready to sacrifice everything.
*Reference*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 5, Hadith 227
*2. Hidden Incidents of Cave Thawr / Ghar-e-Sor*
The Quraysh announced 100 camels reward for anyone who captures the Prophet ﷺ. To avoid them, they hid in *Cave Thawr*, 5 miles south of Makkah, for *3 days*.
Here are the key incidents inside the cave:
*A. The Fear and Reassurance
When Quraysh reached the mouth of the cave, Abu Bakr RA whispered in fear: _"O Messenger of Allah, if one of them looks down at his feet he will see us."_
The Prophet ﷺ replied with calm:
What do you think of two, when Allah is the third of them?"*
Then this verse was revealed:
_"...do not grieve, indeed Allah is with us."_ [Qur'an 9:40]
*Reference*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 62, Hadith 6; Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 10
*B. The Snake Bite Incident
Abu Bakr RA saw holes in the cave. Afraid that some harmful creature might come out and harm the Prophet ﷺ, he tore pieces from his clothes and blocked all holes. One hole remained.
He put his foot over it. A snake bit him, but he didn’t move so he wouldn’t wake the Prophet ﷺ who was sleeping with his head in Abu Bakr's lap.
The Prophet ﷺ woke up, saw tears on Abu Bakr's face, and put his saliva on the bite. The pain went away instantly.
*Reference*: Musnad Ahmad 5/183, Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak 3/63 - Hasan
*C. The Secret Supply Chain
Three people risked their lives to keep them safe:
1. *Asma bint Abu Bakr RA
- Brought food tied with her waist belt. That’s why she’s called _Dhat-un-Nitaqayn_ "The one with two belts".
2. *Abdullah bin Abu Bakr RA
- Came at night to bring news of Quraysh’s plans, then returned to Makkah by morning.
3. *Amir bin Fuhairah RA
- A freed slave who would graze goats near the cave to erase footprints and bring milk.
*Reference*: Ibn Hisham, _As-Seerah An-Nabawiyyah_, Vol. 2
*D. The Spider Web & Dove Miracle*
When Quraysh reached the cave, they saw a spider web over the entrance and a dove nesting. They said: _"No one has entered here, otherwise the web would be broken."_
Allah protected them with the smallest of His creatures.
*Reference*: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah At-Tawbah 9:40
*3. Value Added: Lessons from Cave Thawr*
1. *Tawakkul*: When all doors close, Allah opens one.
2. *Loyalty*: Abu Bakr RA put his own life and body between danger and the Prophet ﷺ.
3. *Planning + Faith*: The Prophet ﷺ used guides, night travel, and secrecy, but relied on Allah for results.
4. *Teamwork*: The success of Hijrah depended on a whole secret network, not just 2 people.
Allah called Abu Bakr RA *"Thani Ithnain"* - The Second of the Two. That title alone shows his status.
*4. Closest Companion & Father-in-law
His daughter Aisha RA married the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Bakr RA led prayers when the Prophet ﷺ was ill. After the Prophet's ﷺ death, the Sahaba unanimously chose him as the first Caliph at Saqifah Bani Sa'idah.
*Reference*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 23, Hadith 10
*5. Role as First Caliph - "The Stabilizer
His 2-year rule was short but critical:
- *Crushed the Ridda Wars* and kept Arabia united
- *Compiled the Qur'an* in one Mushaf after the Battle of Yamamah
- *Started Islamic conquests* against Persia and Rome
- *Established Bait-ul-Maal* and a simple, just administration
*Reference*: Al-Tabari, _Tarikh al-Tabari_, Vol. 3; Ibn Kathir, _Al-Bidayah wa Nihayah_
*6. Personality & Legacy
Known for 3 things: Taqwa, Tawadu, and Hikmah.
Umar RA said:
"Abu Bakr surpassed us not with much prayer or fasting, but with something that settled in his heart."
He lived simply, worked for the state, and refused luxury.
Hazrat Abu Bakr RA is the model of "leadership in crisis". He turned chaos after the Prophet's ﷺ death into stability. He proved that faith + decisive action + humility can hold a nation together. That’s why Sunni Muslims consider him the best person after the Prophets.
relationship between Quraysh and Saqif
In addition, all Arabs rebelled against the Islamic government. Various people had claimed to be Prophets, and those who denied zakat started threatening to hang Madinah. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr ended all these conspiracies with the help of his intelligence, greatness and religious understanding. He conveyed the message of guidance to all of Arabia, so the fact is that he revived Islam after the Holy Prophet. And the person who has the greatest favor in Islam today is Abu Bakr.
The first founder of the Caliphate
Hazrat Abu Bakr, was the first to establish the Caliphate in Islam. He used to take advice from companions in matters. This is the reason why they never separated their experienced companions from Dar Khilafat. During Osama's campaign, he kept Hazrat Amr with him in Madinah for advice. He consulted the Companions before the invasion of Syria. Hazrat Ali advised and then agreed to it.
(History of Yaqubi, Volume 2, Page 149).
However there was no Majlis Shura system in the era of Abu Bkr. Hazrat Abu Bakr used to call some prominent people from among the Muhajarin and Ansar, such as Uthman, Ali, Abdur Rehman Bin Auf, Muwaz Bin Jabbal, Abi Bin Kahab and Zaid Bin H All of them were also muftis in the era of Saddaqi.
(Taqbat Ibn As-Saad, Qasm vol., vol. 2 pg. 109).
The best style of country system
The most important thing is to run the administration of the country in the best way, to base it on principles, to distribute positions. During the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the foreign conquests were just beginning, that's why his rule was only Arab. He divided Arabia into provinces and districts; Makkah, Madinah, Taif, Sinha Najran, Hazral Mut, Bahrain and Dumatul Jindal were made into separate provinces.
Every province had an agent who performed all kinds of duties. But in the center, most of the tasks were done separately. Abu Ubaydah was an officer of wealth before the army officer of Syria. Hazrat Amr was a judge, Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Zaid bin Sabat were the secretaries of government affairs. When Hazrat Abu Bakr would give someone a position, he would call him and explain the details of the duty and exhort him to be upright.
(Tarikh Yaqubi, Volume 2, Page 148).
Oversight and accountability of authorities
No matter how organized the laws of a government are, if the officials are not accountable So the whole system will be in chaos, that is the reason the first Caliph Despite his natural gentleness in most cases, violence is used for accountability and criticism. Hazrat Abu Bakr took action with the utmost severity when any nefarious act was committed by the authorities.
In the Battle of Ymamah, Musailmah Qazaab (Who claimed to be a prophet) saved all the people of Musailmah from the clutches of Muslims by betraying Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed.
Hazrat Khalid married his daughter at the time of punishing him. Many Muslims were martyred in this war. Therefore, Hazrat Abu Bakr expressed his strong displeasure and wrote:
" Blood is flowing near the rope of your tent And you are surrounded in luxury with women".
(Tarikh Yaqubi, Volume 2, Page 148)
Impliment of limits and warnings
Moral surveillance of the nation and And to protect the lives and property of the people, he maintained the same procedure which was in the Prophet's time, but he increased it to such an extent that he assigned Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud to guard the service and prescribed the punishments for many crimes. For example, the limit of Khmer was set at 40 Korres (Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Volume I).
Construction of Bait-ul-Mal
There was no department of wealth in the era of Prophethood. The money coming from different sources was distributed. For the first year of the covenant, this was the way. Every free, slave, male and female ten dirhams would be distributed. In the second year, the amount was increased, so it made it 20 to 20 dirhams.
(Taqabat Ibn Sa'd, Volume 3, Page 151)
After the death of the first Caliph, Hazrat Amr took Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Hazrat Uthman and a few other companions and examined Baitul Mal. Only one dirham was recovered. People said, may God have mercy on Abu Bakr and called the treasurer of Baitul Malik and asked to him,
How much money will have come from the start? He said two hundred thousand dinars.
(Taqabat Ibn Sa'd, Qaf 1, Volume 3, Page 151)
Military management
There was no order and management of the army in the era of the Prophet and the era of the Abu Bakr. But it was added that whenever an army set out on a campaign, it was divided into separate troops and they would appoint an officer for each squad.
*Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq RA and Military Management*
Hazrat Abu Bakr RA was the first Caliph of Islam 632-634 CE, and his 2-year caliphate is considered the foundation period of Islamic military organization. Even though he was known for his softness and piety, in military matters he was very decisive, strategic, and systematic.
Here’s his key role:
*1. Centralized Command Structure
Before Abu Bakr RA, Muslim armies fought in tribes under different leaders. He created a centralized command under the Khilafah.
All military decisions, appointments of commanders, and war policies came from Madinah.
*Reference*: Al-Tabari, _Tarikh al-Tabari_, Vol. 3
*This prevented tribal disunity and made the Muslim army act as one unified force instead of separate tribal groups.
*2. Appointment of Capable Commanders
He did not choose commanders based on tribe or seniority alone, but on competence, piety, and experience.
Examples:
- *Khalid bin Waleed RA
made commander in Iraq and later Syria for his mobility and tactics
- *Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah RA
commander in Syria for his discipline
- *Amr bin Al-As RA
for Egypt and Palestine campaigns
*Reference*: Ibn Kathir, _Al-Bidayah wa Nihayah_, Vol. 6
*Merit-based appointments gave the Muslim army flexibility and expertise across multiple fronts at the same time.
*3. The Ridda Wars - Internal Security First
Right after the Prophet's ﷺ death, many tribes apostatized and refused Zakat. Abu Bakr RA called it a military + ideological threat.
He launched 11 campaigns simultaneously across Arabia to restore the state.
Strategy: Divide and conquer, quick mobile units, no negotiations with those who rejected core Islam.
*Reference
Sahih Bukhari, Book 66, Hadith 50; Al-Baladhuri, _Futuh al-Buldan_
*Value added*: By crushing the Ridda quickly, he secured the internal front so the Muslim state could expand externally without rebellion in the rear.
*4. Dual-Front Strategy: Iraq + Syria
While still fighting the Ridda, he opened two external fronts against the two superpowers:
- *Iraq front vs Sassanid Persians
- *Syria/Palestine front vs Byzantines
He kept them separate so defeat in one would not collapse the other. He also rotated Khalid RA between fronts.
*Reference*: Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallabi, _Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: His Life and Times_
*Value added*: This was early "multi-theater management" — a concept modern militaries still use. It stretched the enemy and protected Madinah.
*5. Logistics, Intelligence & Morale
- *Bait-ul-Maal*: He organized state treasury to pay soldiers regularly so they wouldn’t loot.
- *Intelligence*: Used local guides and spies before entering Persian and Roman lands.
- *Morale*: His letters to commanders emphasized taqwa, discipline, and no harm to civilians.
*Reference*: Letter of Abu Bakr to Yazid bin Abi Sufyan - Al-Tabari, Vol. 3
*Value added*: He linked ethics with military success. The army was not just strong, it was trusted by local populations.
*Summary of His Military Principles
In just 2 years as Caliph, he laid the foundation of the Islamic military system. His principles were simple but powerful:
*1. Unity of Command
One central authority in Madinah. All armies, commanders, and war plans reported to the Caliph.
*Why it mattered*: Prevented tribal division and made the Muslim army act as one force.
*Ref*: Al-Tabari, _Tarikh al-Tabari_ Vol. 3
*2. Merit Over Tribe
Commanders were chosen by competence, taqwa, and experience — not family or tribe.
Examples: Khalid bin Waleed RA, Abu Ubaidah RA, Amr bin Al-As RA.
*Why it mattered*: Put the right people on the right front.
*Ref*: Ibn Kathir, _Al-Bidayah wa Nihayah_ Vol. 6
*3. Secure the Interior First
Before expanding, he crushed the Ridda Wars and united Arabia.
*Principle*: "No external war with an internal rebellion."
*Why it mattered*: Gave a stable base for external conquests.
*Ref*: Sahih Bukhari, Book 66, Hadith 50
*4. Multi-Front Management
Fought Persians in Iraq and Romans in Syria at the same time, but kept both fronts separate.
Used Khalid RA’s mobility to shift forces when needed.
*Why it mattered*: Early example of fighting on 2 fronts without collapsing.
*Ref*: Dr. Ali As-Sallabi, _Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: His Life and Times_
*5. Ethics + Logistics
- *Bait-ul-Maal*: Regular salaries for soldiers to prevent looting
- *Rules of War*: No harm to civilians, women, children, trees, or places of worship
- *Morale*: Letters to commanders focused on taqwa and discipline
*Why it mattered*: Made the army strong and won local support.
*Ref*: Letter to Yazid bin Abi Sufyan - Al-Tabari, Vol. 3
*In One Line:
*Centralized leadership + Capable commanders + Internal stability + Ethical warfare + Strong logistics = The Abu Bakr Model*
This model was later expanded by Hazrat Umar RA and became the basis for early Islamic history.
1. *Unity of Command* - One Caliph, one policy
2. *Meritocracy* - Best man for the job
3. *Internal stability before external expansion*
4. *Multi-front management with mobility*
5. *Ethics + Logistics = Sustainable war*
In just 2 years, he stabilized Arabia and laid the groundwork for the great conquests of Umar RA. Historians call this "the most efficient state-building under crisis in early Islamic history."
The post of Commander-in-Chief
Khalid bin Waleed was the first Commander-in-Chief to be created by the first Caliph. Hazrat Abu Bakr used to spend a considerable part of his income on war equipment. A special pasture was prepared in the Baqih for camels and horses. In which thousands of animals were reared (Kitab al-Kharaj, page 12).
Special attention to the propagation of Islam,
Hazrat Abu Bakr had a keen interest in preaching even before the caliphate. After the caliphate, this interest increased further and the voice of Islam was raised again among all Arabs. Hazrat Abu Bakr exhorted the forces deployed towards the Romans and Iranians. First, invited Islam.
By the efforts of Muthna bin Haras, all polytheists and Christians became Muslims. It was at the invitation of Hazrat Khalid that the Arab tribes of Iraq and Syria became Muslims.
(Tarikh Yaqoobi, Volume 2, Page 145)
Comments
Post a Comment