125
The H istoryof thewho took
3rd Revised edition
a translation of the chapters onal - Kh u I afa' ar- Ras h i d u n
fromTarikh al-Khulafa'
of
Jalal ad-Din as-SuyutiTranslated by Abdassamad Clarke
Khalifahsthe right way
L
Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd.
Copyright @ l4t5l tgg5,Abdassamad Clarke.
Published by: Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd.Unit 4, The tU7indsor Centre,
\fiindsor Grove,
London, SE27 9NTwww.taha.co.uk
\Tebsite:
E-mail:
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in anyretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise,without written permission of the publishers.
By' Jalal ad-Din as-suyutiGeneral Editor: MrAfsar SiddiquiTranslated, typeset
and cover by: Abdassamad Clarke
A catalogue record ofthis book is available from the British Library
ISBN-I3: 9781 84200 097 7 (paperback)ISBN-l3: 9781 B42OO 098 4 (Hardback)
Printed and Bound by Mega Basim, Turkey
Abu Bakr was the most absdnent of men in rhe Jahiliyyah
xi
xii
xvi
1
3
6
78
8
11
r3
Contents
Preface to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the Third Edition
Abu Bakr as-SiddiqHis name and affectionate nicknameHis birth and early life
His descriptionHis acceptance of IslamHis companionship and expeditionsHis bravery and that he was the bravest of the CompanionsHis spending his wealth on the Messenger of,Slah and that
he was the most generous of the CompanionsHis knowledge and that he was the most knowledgeable
of the Companions and the most intelligent of them 18
His memorisation of the Qur'an 22
That he was the most eminent of the Companions and
the best of themSectionThose ayatwhichhave been revealed in praise of him or
in affirmation of him or other matters concerning him'Ihe hadlth related on his merit coupled with "LJmar, apart
from what has already been mentioned'Ihe hadith related on his merit alone apaft from what
has already been mentioned
t4
23
26
27
29
33
'lltx I ltr lrrrv ()rr't,ltr Kr rrrr.rmus
'lhnt whlclr hrs lrcen related from the Companionsnnd the right-acting early generarions on his merit
Sectlon'the h(i1h and ayatwhich indicate his khitafah,
and the words of the imamson thatThe oath of allegiance to himThat w_hich happened inhis hhilafahThe collection of the eur'anThe things in which he was firstSectionSome examples of his forbearance and humilitySectionHis final illness, his death, his last restamenr and his
appointment of "Umar as hhalifah\7hat had;th with chains of transLission have been related
from himThat which is narrated from as-Siddiq in commenrary
on the Qur'an\What is narrated from as-Siddiq of traditions which stop
at him, sayrng-s, judgements , khutbahs, rrrd pr"y.r,His words indicative of the sirength of his fear of his'LordThat which is narrated from himln interpretation of dreamsA point of interestSectionSection
'[Jmar ibn al-KhattabThe reports on his acceprance of IslamHis emigration'Ihe hadith on his merit, other than those already quoted
_ in the chapter on as-SiddiqSayings of the Companion,
"nd firrt generations on him
SectionThe agreements of (the views of) .Umar (with
subsequent confirmarory revelations of eur an)
vi
His miraclesSome particulars of his biograPhY
His descriptionti.is hhilafahThe things in which he was first
Some accounts of him and of his judgements
SectionThose of the Companions who died during his days
"Uthman ibn "AfFan^Ihe hadith related on his merit apart from what have
already been quoted
His khtlafahAn observationSectionThe things in which "Uthman was first
Th. not"Ll.s who died during the time of "Uthman
"Ali ibnAbi Talibthe hadlth related on his merit
The pledge of allegiance to "Ali for the hhilafdh and what
came about from that Q;r
Some fragments of accounts of 'Ali, his judgerrrents and
his wordsHis commentary on the Qur'anSome fragments of his astonishingly concise words
Those notable people who died during his time
Al-Hasan ibn "Ali
Glossary of Arabic Terms
Appendir On the Imamate
Bibliography
Contents
4042
t27131
134134t4tr43154155
r57
161
r64r66178
179
180
181
184
190
194205206208
209
219
227
232
435r596465
686869
69
77
87
88100
101
r02t02103
107
108
n5
tt6120123
t23
vlt
+ )t#LJL^rPreface to the
First EditionMay Allah bless the Prophet, his Family and Companions
and grant them Peace
his is a new translation of the chapters on al-Khulafa' ar-
Rashid.un from as-Suyuti's Tarikh al-Khulafa'' These
I chapters shine with a genuine light'
I have.orrii.rr.d beyond the first four khulafa'to include al-Hasan
ibn cAli ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, because
he was the fifth of the khuiafa'and he legitimately transferred the
hhitafdhto Mu'awiyah, mayAllah be pleasedwith him'
fhl tr"rrrlrtion lacks the majority of references to the books which
are the sources of the bad.lthquoted, because whoever is interested
will find the Arabic text easily available' cs'
Furthermore the translation stays as clote as possible to the
original Arabic at the risk of a slight awkwardness in the English.'Wf;.r.
necessary I have added within parentheses whatever seemed
necessary for an understanding ofthe book'
Th. hirtory outlined in these pages is further illuminated by a
work which is even greater than it, but is itself an exposition that
assumes a knowledge of what is in these Pages, that is al:Awasim
min al-Qawasim (befence Against Disaster') by Qadi Abu Bakr
ibn al-"Arabi, mayAllah show him mercy. \Thereas as-suyuti gives
the most authentic traditions relating to these khilafahs, Qadi Abu
Bakr lays bare the real significance of many of the events which
as-Suyuti so exPertlY relates.
Preface to theSecond Edition
iving as we do in 'later times' if not necessarily ,last times,, itis fruitful to bear in mind Imam U"fif.il"y,ng, mayAllah
3,f.::TL,*,T, "o,ty wh"t ;;bk;r the nrst of this
Preface
It is clear from the whole texture of the lives of the great men
painted so graphically within the pages of the book now in yourhands, that they were not building a so-called 'Islamic state' -but that rather they typified the very form of prophetic Islamicgovernance, which has nothing in common with the modernbankers' control technique that is statism. This is confirmed by the
work of Professor Maksudoglu, who was the first to refuse to refer
to the Osmanlis as the Ottoman 'Empire', and who went on toconclude that neither were they a 'state', since a state is a fictitiousentity that legislates, whereas a dawlaht brings Allah's revealed ahkam(judgement-rulings) into effect.2
It remains to draw the readert attention to Shaykh Abdalqadiras-Sufit book, 7he Return of the Khalifura which exposes in most
extraordinary detail the actual technique used to destroy the mostrecent khalifate of Islam - the names of the principle parties, the
dates, and the sums of money involved. It was not by militaryconquest or superior technology that the destruction occurred, butby means of an unstoppable, exponentially growing, usurious debt
which was presented to the Osmanlis as the only means of achieving
a developed technology and systems culture.The creation of that debt, owed to entities hostiti to the ummah,
can only have been possible in the ambience oFsupportivefatwasmade from within the ummahby'ulama of modernist persuasion -fatwas which are now seriously in doubt, because it is so clear thatthey completely fail to consider the inherent nature and intrinsicworthlessness of the money used, the deceptions involved and theunderlying objective - while simultaneously either displaying a
I Dawkhi root meaning signifies a'turn of fortune', revealing a dynamicconcept utterly opposed to the static concept of'state'; it is organic growth as
opposed to concrete and plastic.2 Also in accordance with the Professort work, we follow him in not translat-ingfath as'conquest' but as'opening [to IslamJ', and the Fath Mahhah as'theOpening of Makkah [to Islam]' rather rhan the 'Conquest of Makkah'.
ummalt will be rieht for the last l,f ir:;ni, .H _#:il::ii:'late ones', ,in.. ti. fanrasy,f.;;;;r;, progress and developmentis,increasingly being .rpor.d for the h"iffi ilr;;;J""",The best of mank]nd'i"a g Ul* g."**"ns of humanity havea,eady lived and passed on. \7e *to"rl alive now hope to moderourselves on rhem, and so thi, book *iri b. ofgr."test varue to thosewho take it in hand.a1a1 aid "rd
iil;;"tion for establishing a.iustand illuminated civilisation in rfr. fI*. "g..Having realised the greatnes, of th... m;n,
the first hhukfa,, n?yAIIah be pleased with tiem, i.ir ril"ir"r f.r the reader ro grr.p th.greatness ofthe most recent khulafa,,th.brma.rli (Uthmaniyyah orottomans)' Their history is proofthat the kharifate oflsram has enduredright down to our o*r, d"y, .in.. itl a]mise of tt. utt -"niyy"t,(tgz3) is'historica'v speay;& ""r;r-,-drr It is important to rearisethis - otherwire w. i"T O.-i:f.;;"p.d ;" the helpless idealism ofthose who romanricise it- ruuhyo'-iii)rhidorand then regard therest oflslamic historv as a conrinuing and irreversibre decrine, ratherthan as aseries ofcycles ofemergencJ gr.",r.rr, decline and renewalas natural and as breathtaking "Ith. iE-.;;. ofa flower. To counterthat false picture of decrine, I;;;rri.", nothing better for thereader than O s m a n I i h i s n ry, I 2 s r D;,-' i) n a, o o r ri*, i- ii, * AyProfessor Mehmet Mak.ulogl,r.'
-'--' v@
-lur Hts'rony or'urr Kn.nrrreHs
profound ignorance ofthe true nature and undoubted sophisticationand superioity of thefiqh of Islamic commerce or being beguiledby their own superficial mastery of that very sophistication intodevising means to circumvent thefqh andpermit usury. Today, onlya few well-paid Islamic bankers, associated intellectuals and t ulama'still seek to maintain that what Allah has forbidden is permitted as
long as the interest rate being charged is 'reasonable' and describedas 'Islamic' or falsely concealed as a 'legitimate service charge' or a'profi t-sharing transaction'.
The Osmanli debt was based on nothing more complicated thanwriting some numbers on pieces of paper and then subjecting themto a compound mathematical formula in order to make them grow.The Osmanli were caught in the same trap that continues to ensnare
most of us today, and which is perpetuated by our acceptance of thequite sinister power we have unwittingly handed over to a group ofshadowy people to print money and then charge interest for its use,
thus creating their wealth out of nothing, at our expense.
If that were the entire story, then it would only be bad news, butShaykh Abdalqadir also draws attention to the logical corollary: a
return to the Muslims' traditional bi-metal currency as being thecorrect and only way out of transitory decline after this "second
interregnum" in the Osmanli Khalifate. This remedy confirms thewords with which we began: "Only what was right for the first ofthis ummah will be right for the last of it."
Contrary to those whose concept of the restorarion of the khalifateis akin to the idea of building a house starting with the chimney andthen proceeding to build roof, walls, floors and finally foundations, wesee its restoration proceeding from the reJaying of the foundations ofIslam, i.e. a return to the halal and non-usurious modes of transactingin Islam, first and foremost using the currency of the Muslims, thegold dinar and silver dirham, an important element of which will be
the use of the e-dinar, a non-usurious utilisation of the Internet (http:/lwww.edinar.com) according to thefqh of transactions.
xii
Preface
The most significant asPect of this ]n'11iative'
and one which is
an individu"l oblig"i;'o" t"t'y Muslim man and woman' is
the restoration of th;';;;;* piil" of .zakat'
collected by zakat
collectors -.-no*ttl iii '*'":-in gold dinars and silver dirhams'
as was done by ""' ;;;ho' 'ry{t4
bless him and grant him
Deace, and all *' niffil*'f'o f"Uo*ed after' throughout history'
lntit shortlY before our own time'
This re-invigoration of the collection and distribution of za'hdt'
combined *i.h tt. .orr.o*i,"tt cleansing of. usury T:T tn'
economic Pracdce titnt ft4"tfims' will inshaAllah inexorably bring
about a revival "f tht;;;t; and social riches of Islam - in parallel
with the inevitable "lf-dttt"'"tion of the-usurious monetarist system
that has ,o ..t,l""ti';];t;J "nd polluted the earth during the
last centuries.
In that Programme we will need constandy to bear in mind the
luminous human and spiritual qualities thai the Islam of the Last
Messenger, *"ye["h Lit" hi* "t'd
grant him peace' brings about
in the peoplewho actuallylive it as exemplifiedbythese noble men'
,n ridrilhs who took the right way'3
This book i, i, h";;;; of tr'JE'"tiiate to come; mayAllah make
t, ,ht"; "s
brightly as those which have been' U'*rr"*"d Clarke
Charlottenlund, Denmark
Rabi' athjfh ani l4Z}lJttne 2001
3 Ra,bid,nis translated as .who took the right way" as opposed t?
..:ich:Y...
suided" since although tht;;;;;ttiut "i".i''i" to"'ttt translation of mah'
*;,;;,;;;;;d*;;1:^e more ""'i" """
indicarcd'
xiii
Preface
Finally, I have included the Arabic text of the du'ataughtby the
ijess**; of AU"t','t"y aff"n bless him and grant him peace'
to al-Hasan in , a""-];t ; u "
part of the last words from him'
mavAllah bless him and grant him peace, in the book, and for the
btessing of this wonderf'tl du'a' Abdassamad clarke, Norwich
Tuesday 4th Raiab 1429t8thJuly 2008
Preface to theThird Edition
ittle was meant to have changed in this edition apart froma slight expansion of the appendix and the placement in thefootnotes of some text previously located in parentheses in
the body of the book, but then we restored as-Suyutit own accounts
ofthe sources ofhis hddith and narrations. It is probably the greatestindication of the profound changes that have taken place in theinterim since its first publication, when it was felt unnecessary andperhaps even burdensome to the reader to include that material. Thereader must on his part follow the author in his careful explicationof this science and not reduce it to the simplistic search for onlytraditions from the wo Sahih collections.
After extensive research I found no reason to revise the footnoteabout the death of al-Hasan, mayAllah be pleased with him, andthe alleged hand of Yazid in it.
Ironically, this book is being widely cited by Shi"ah sources because
of its luminous chapter on Sayyiduna "Ali ibn Abi Talib, mayAllahhonour his face, but it would be a serious mistake to take that chapterout of the context of all of these Khulafa'and Companions, mayAllah be pleased with all of them without exception. As-Suyuti'spenetrating insight is best illustrated by the fact that the chapter onSayyidunaAbu Bakr as-Siddiq, mayAllah be pleased with him, isequal in volume to all of the other chapters combined, and containsproof after proof of his uniquely high standing and his prior rightto the hhalifate, manyofthem transmitted from Sayyiduna Ali ibnAbi Talib, mayAllah honour his face.
Abu Bakr as-Siddiqmay Allah be pleased with him
bu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was
the khalifuh of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace. His namewas tbdullah ibnAbi
Quhafah "Uthman ibn "Amir ibn "Amr ibn Ka"b ibn Sa'd ibn Taymibn Murrah ibn Ka"b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib al-Qurashi at-Taymi,
whose genealogy connects to that of the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Murrah.An-Nawawi said in his Thhdhib:'What I have said, that the name
of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was tbdullah, is correct and well known.It is said also that his name was "Ateeq, but the truth upon whichthe generality of the men of knowledge agree is that "Ateeq (the
one set free) was an affectionate nickname an{lot his own name
and he was given that name on account of his having been set free
from the Fire as has been narrated in the hadhh of atjTirmidhi;and it is also said, on account of his facet'itaqah, that is to sayits
goodness and beauty, as Mus"ab rbn az-Zubayr, al-Layth ibn Sa"d
and a whole group said; and it has also been said that it is because
there is nothing in his genealogy to be found fault with.Mus"ab lbn az-Zubayr a.nd others said, 'The ummah agree
unanimously on his being named as-Siddiq because he hastened
to affirm the Messenger of Allah, m?y Allah bless him and granthim peace, and adhered steadfastly to truthfulness, and he was
nor remiss nor did he hesitate in any state or condition. He made
exalted stands in Islam, among which was his story on the Nightof the Isra',his steadfastness and his replying to the hffir about it.
'l i tlc l lrs,xlHy ()t'l,r rH Kneuperrs
'lhcre is also his emigration with the Messenger ofA,ah, mayArahbless him and grant hi- p.".", Ie"uing hr, a'"riry
""J .fiiii.r,, ,rahis remaining by the prophet, mayAIIah Uf.r, ii-
"rJ glrr, f,,_peace, in the Cave and on the rest of the journey (of thi Hrjrah).Then there are his wolds on the Day ofB"dr, ,rrd'o, it. Ory ofHudaybiyyah when the matter of ielaying ;;;r;;;;; Makkahseemed unclear to orhers. There is his weeping when the Messengerof Allah, may Allah bless him ard gr"ri hii, p.".., ,"ri,ieff"f,has given a slave the choice b.,*..rr?is life and.i.'.ro, Grra n.has chosen the next).,, Later there i, hi, ,t
"dfastness o, th. d"yof the death of the Messenger ofAIIJ, mayAllah bless him andgrant him peace, his addressing the plqre and his ,rir1i.g',1r.*.There is his undertaking ,h. ,i",,., of tt e oath of a,egiance forthe benefit of the MusLLs, and then hi, dilig..r.e in sending thearmy of Usamah ibn 7,.aidto syria and his determination on that.Then there is the stand h. tooi or,., ,hor. who reneged (on theirIslam) and his exchange ofviews with the other Corrfra.riorr,
"rr,ifhe overcame their 4rgumenrs with his proofs, ""d
All;;;;"rrd.dtheir breasts as He had expanded his brirrt to the reality and trurh,which was ro fight the renegades. Th.n th.r. r, fr" .qdpt"g.lr.armies rg go ro syria to conquer it and his support of them. Thenhe sealed all of that by an impor,".r.
"oio, which was one of hisbest deeds and most majestic of his virtues - his appointment of"(Jmar' mayAllah be preased with him, as hhalifahofthe Muslims,(and. his perceptiveness concerning him, hi, b.q,r.atfrr"f ," frr*,and his entrusting the urnmabro,{lhh, .o th", Allrh, .frZ furrgfrryand Exalted, made him succeed among;h;; i{r'iru-ii)ryrn,and for .IJmar, *h?_r1a, one of t i, iooa actions, were realisedthe establishment of Islam, the ,rr.rgih.ring of the deen and, thefulfilment of the promise ofAllah, ,lr.i""h.a, that He would makeit manifest oyer the deen, allof it.) How many qualities, srations andvirtues of as-Siddiq rhere are which ,,rr,.rrrrot b.;;J.;,
The above is from an-Nawawi.
2
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
I say: I want to expand upon the introduction to as-Siddiqsomewhat, mentioning about him much that I have discovered ofhis life, and to arrange that in sections.
His name and affectionate nicknameIbn Kathir said that all admit that his name was "Abdullah ibn'Uthman, except for the narration of Ibn Sa"d on the authorityof Ibn Sirin which asserts his name to have been 'Ateeq whereasthe truth is that that was his affectionate nickname. Then there issome disagreement as to the time of his being so named, and thereason for iu for some say that it was on accounr of the 'itaqah ofhis countenance, that is, its beauty - but Abu Nu'aym al-Fadl ibnDukayn said that it was on account of his priority in merit - andalso it is said on account of the nobility of his pedigree, that is itspurity, as there is nothing in his lineage that can be accounted a
stain; and it is said too he was first so named and afterwards called'Abdullah.
Atllabarani narrated that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad questioned',{ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, as to the name of AbuBakr, and she replied, tAbdullah.'Then he said,.'The people callhim'Ateeq.' She answered, 'Abu Quhafah had three sons whomhe named "Ateeq, Mu"taq and Mu'aytaq.'
Ibn Mandah and Ibn "Asakir narrated that Musa ibn Talhah said:I said to my father Talhah, ''Why was Abu Bakr called "Ateeq?' Hesaid, 'His mother had no son surviving and when she gave birthto him, she faced towards the House (the Ka"bah) with him andexclaimed, "O Allah if this one is 'Ateeq (free) from death thengive him to me."'
At-Iabarani narrated that Ibn tbbas said: He was only called'Ateeq because of the beauty of his face.
Ibn tsakir narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased withher, said, Abu Bakrt name which his family called him by was
'Abdullah, but the name "Ateeq became the dominanr usage.' In
'lhu Hlsrony oF THE KnerrreHs
a version, 'But the.prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, called him .Ateeq.,
Abu Ya"la, Ibn Sa'd and ar-Hakim, who declared it sahih,narratedthat'Aishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, said, ,ByAllah,
f *r, i,my.house one day and the Messenger ofAllah, -"yAllri Ut.r, t i_and grant him peace, and.his .omlrrions were in the cou.yard, acurtain between me and them. Abu gakr came up and the prophet,mayAllah bless him and grant_him peace, said, ,,Vho.r.., irpl."r.dto look upon one who is free from ih. Fir. then ret him looi...ponAbu Bakr." The name which his family knew him by was Abdulrahbut "Ateeq became the dominarrr,rrrg..,
At-Tirmidhi and ar-Hakim narrateJth"t tishah, mayAlrah bepleased with her, said, ,Abu Bakr entered upon ,lr. Vf.'rr.rg., "fAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said, ,AbuBakr, you are the oneAllah has frled from th. Fire." From th"t d"yhe was known as "Ateeq.,,
Al'Bazzar and at-Tabarani narrared with an excellent isnad thatAbdullah ibn az-Zubayr said, Abu Bakr,s name was .Abdullah,then the Y.r:.rrr.r.-rf Allah, may Allah bless him
""a go", lri_peace' said to him, "you are Allaht freed one from the Fi"re.,, so hewas known as.Ateeq.,
As for the name as-Siddiq, it is said about it, ,He was given the
affectionate nickname in thilahltlyyal, because of the truthfulnessfor which he was known' as Ibn kiusdi mentioned. It has been saidalso, 'Because of his haste in affirming the Messeng*
"i ailrlr,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in that of which herntormed.'
^ Ibn Ishaq narrated that ar-Hasan ar-Basri and eatadah said: The
6rst time that he became known for it was the riorning ,r,.. t[r.Night of the Isra'.
Al-Hakim narrated in the Mustadrak that .Aishah, may Allahbe pleased with her, said: The idoraters came ro Abu Bakr andsaid, '\flhat do you think of your Companion? He claims that he
4
Abu Babr as-Siddiq
was taken this night to Bait al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).' He replied,'l)id he say that?' They said, 'Yes.' He said, 'He has definitely toldthe truth. I believe and affirm him in matters more remote thanthat: the news from heaven in the early part of the morning and
in the evening.' For that reason he was called as-Siddiq. Its isnad
is excellent, and that has also been narrated from hadith of Anas
rrnd Abu Hurayrah, for which Ibn tsakir gave isnads, and UmmHani', which was narrated by at:Iabarani.
Sa"id ibn Mansur narrated inhis Sunan: Abu Ma"shar narrated thatWahb the freed slave ofAbu Hurayrah said: \7hen the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned on
the night in which he was made to travel (to Jerusalem), and he was
at Dhu Tuwa, he said, 'Jibril, my people will not believe me.' He(Jibril) said, Abu Bakr will believe you, and he is as-Siddiq.'
Al-Hakim narrated in the Mustadrak that an-Nazzallbn Sabrah
said: 'We
said to 'Ali: Amir al-Mu'minin, tell us about Abu Bakr.'
He said, 'That man, Allah named him as-Siddiq on the tongue ofJibril and on the tongue of Muhammad, mayAllah bless him and
grant him peace. He was the deputy of the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for thp- prayer; he was
contented with him for our deen and so we werEpleased with himfor our worldly affairs.' Its isnad is excellent.
Ad-Daraqutni and al-Hakim narrated that Abu Yahya said: Icannot count the number of times that I heard "Ali say upon the
minbar,'Truly Allah named Abu Bakr through the tongue of Hisl)rophet, a siddiq.'
At-Iabarani narrated with an excelle nt sahih isnad that Hakim ibnSa"d said: I heard .Ali say, and he swore upon it, Allah definitelyrcvealed from heaven the name ofAbu Bakr, as-Siddiq.'
In the hadlth of Uhud, 'Be still, for there are only upon you al)rophet, a siddiq and two martyrs.'
Abu Bakrt mother was the daughter of his fathert paternal uncle(she was his fathert cousin). Her name was Salma bint Sakhr ibn
'lirl Hrs,lory oF t,HE KHerrraHs
'Amir ibn Ka'b' She was given the hunyah(surname) Umm ar-Khayr(Mother of good),, saidiz_Zuhri ".
,i"rr"t.d by Ibn "Asakir.
He was born two.rrf:'lTLil3ffjli',1*er the birth orthePlophet, may Allah. bress him and grant him peace, ".j-rr. ar.awhen he was sixty-three years old.
a
Ibn Kathir said: As fo, th"t which Khalifah ibn al_Khayyatnarrated that yazid ibn al-Asamm said., that the p-pt.,, _lvAilahbless him and grant him peace, said to Abu B"kr, A; i-riiJi t *On,
; also greater) or you?'And he said, ,you
are grearer than me but Inave more years than you,, it is a mursal (attributed directly to theProphet without mention of the companion from whom it washeard) ghareeb (unusual, in having "
,ingl. reporrer ",
,o_. ,,"g.of the isnad) tradition, and what ilwefl k".*" * r1,. "pp"rrr. fr...the.Prophet, mayAllah
!|e.s: h,y and grant him peace, was older),
i"drr is true only of ar-'Abbas (that hJ*", some years order thanthe Prophet, marAl.lal bless him and grantl,;;.;. '-". His early life was in Makkah, whichle o.rly l# fo, ,."d.,
"rrdhe had great wealth among hi" p.opl., complete manliness, andmunificence, and co::resy_ "-org rhem, as Ibn aa_Oaghnifyal,
said, 'You join ties of kinship, yoi, "r. truthful, you attain whatothers are.denied, you suppor, ,hor. in need, you'help i,,.aim.,rtt
rimes, and you are hospitaLle to the guesr.,An-Nawawi said: He was one of ihe chiefs of euraysh in the
Jahiliyyab, one of their counsellors, beloved "-orrgiL._, "rl ,fr.wisest in the direction of their affairs. The., *h.n-rrr"-'."-.1r.
preferred ir over everything else, and enrered i"r" i, f..f..rf, "racompletely.
--Az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar and Ibn "Asakir narrared that Ma.ruf ibnKharrabudh said: Abu Bakras_Siddiq, mayAllah be pleased withhim, was one of ren -j:9f e"oyrt *fro united pre_eminence in
lahil;yyab and Islam. H. hrJr.rponsibility for the settlement of
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
blood-money and debts. That was because Quraysh had no kingto whom all affairs could be referred. Rather in each tribe therewas a general area of responsibility which resided in its chief; so
that Banu Hashim had responsibility for giving (the pilgrims) todrink, and feeding them (by collecting from the tribes of Quraysh),nteaning that no-one ate or drank except from their food and drink.llanu "Abd ad-Dar had responsibility for being the doorkeepers
lnd guardians (of ttre Ka"bah) and for the banner and council,l.c. no-one could enter the House without their permission, andwhenever Quraysh fastened on the banner of war, the Banu "Abdad-Dar bound it for them, and whenever they assembled togetherfbr a matter, either to confirm or annul it, their assembly could notbe anywhere but in the House of Council, nor decided upon except
there, and it belonged to Bani'Abd ad-Dar.'
Abu Bakrwas the most abstinent of men intheJabiliyyablbn "Asakir narrated with a sahih isnadthat'Aishah, mayAllah be
pleased with her said: ByAllah, Abu Bakr never spoke poetry (i.e.
he never'composed' poetry) either intheJahiliyyah or inlslam, andhe and "Uthman gave up drinking wine in theJahiliyyah.
Abu Nu"aym narrated with an excellent isnad that she said, mayAllah be pleased with her: Abu Bakr had forbidden himself winein the Jahiljyah.
Ibn tsakir narrated that "Abdullah ibn azZubayr said: Abu Bakrnever ever spoke poetry.
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Abu'l- Aliyyah ar-Riyahi said: It was
said toAbu Bakr as-Siddiq in a gathering of the companions of theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, 'Didyou drink wine in the Jahiliyyah?' He said, 'I seek refuge in Allah.'.Someone said, '\7hy?' He replied, 'I tried to protect my honour andguard my manliness, for whoever drinks wine will lose his honourand his manliness.' He said: That reached the Messenger ofAllah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, Abu Bakr
6
'littr l{r.s'r'ony ()H THE Kner-rrans
lras told the truth, Abu Bakr has told the truth,' twice. ltis arnursalghareeb hadith in both isnad and rcxt.
His descriptionIbn Sa"d narrated that'lf ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, said
that a man said to het 'Describe Abu Bakr to us.' She said, A fairman, of slender build, thin cheeked and with a stoop; he could notkeep his lower garment from slipping over his loins; gaunt-faced,eyes deep-set, with a prominent forehead, and the backs of his hands
feshless. This is his description.'He narrated that "Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said
that Abu Bakr used to dye [his hair and beard] with henna andindigo (hatarn).
He narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, went to Madinah and there was
no-one among his companions having hair of mixed white and blackexcept Abu Bakr, so he dyed it with henna and indigo (katam).
His acceptance of IslamAtrlirmidhi and Ibn Hibban, inhis Sahih, narrared that Abu Sa'id
al-Khudri said: Abu Bakr said, Am I not the most suitable of people
for it (the hhildfdh)? Am I not the first to accept Islam? Am I not theone of such-and-such? Am I not the one of such-and-such?'
Ibn 'Asakir narrated by way of al-Harith who related that "Ali,mayAllah be pleasedwith him, said: The first among men to accept
Islam was Abu Bakr.Ibn Abi Khaythamah narrated with a sahih isnad that Zaid lbn
Arqam said: The first to perform the prayer with the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, was Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.Ibn Srd narrated that Abu Arwa ad-Dawsi the Companion, may
Allah be pleased with him, said: The first to accept Islam was AbuBakr as-Siddiq.
AtjThbarani narrated inthe Kabir and tbdullah ibn Ahmad [Ibn
B
Abu Bahr as-Sidd'iq
llrrnbal] narrated in the Zawa'id' az'Zuhd that ash-Sha"bi said: I
--i..J ri" "Abbas, '\[ho was the first person to accePt Islam?' He
urlcl, 'Abu Bakr as-siddiq' Did yot"'oi hear the words of Hassan?:
"When you recall the distress of a trusted brother' then
,.-.-b., your brother Abu Bakr for what he did'
'lhe best of creation, most fearfully obedient of them' and the
,rr"r, pr,, except fo' tht Prophet' "nd
the most certain to fulfil
what he has undertaken,'[he second, the follower whose assembly is praised, and the first
ofthe men of they who affirmed the Messenger'"'
Abu Nu'aym narrated that Furat ibn as-Sa'ib said: I asked
Maymun ibn Mihran, 'Is'Ali better in your view or Abu Bakr and
'Umar?' He shook until his stafffell from his hand and replied' 'I
ncver thought that I would live to a time when anyone would be
.r-p"r.a iith them' Their good deeds belong to Allahl They were
the head of Islam.' llaid, "'{li *"' the first toaccept Islam or Abu
Bakr?'Hesaid,'ByAllah,AbuBakrbelievedintheProphet'mayAllah bless him and grant him peace' at the time of Buhayra the
tttonk when he Passed bY him"'lhere is a disagreem.n, ",
to him and Khadija.h (which of them
wts first to accept Islam) until (it is said that) he married her to
ili,;, -", Allrh^b[; hi- "td grant him peace' and all of that
hefore the birth of "Ali'A whole group of the Companions and the Followers said that
Itc was the first ,o-""ttpt Islam' and some of them claimed that
tltcre was a consensus o" th"t' It has been said' 'The first to accePt
l*1.- *r..Ali.' It has also been said, 'Khadiiah'' The reconciliation
Itctween these apparently conflicting statements is that Abu Bakr
was the first man * "ttpt Islam' "AIi *"t the first of the children
to accept Islam, *J fn'iq"t' was the first woman to accePt Islam'
'lhc first to reconcile it in this way was the Imam Abu Hanifah'
rnay Allah be merciful to him'
'lltu Hts't'<xv oF THE Knerrrans
Ibn Abi Shaybah and Ibn'Asakir narrated that Salim ibn Abi'l-Ja"d said: I said to Muhammad ibn al-Hanafryyah, ''WasAbu Bakrthe 6rst person to accept Islam?' He said, 'No.' I said, 'So how didAbu Bakr excel and precede others so much so that no-one else is
mentioned but Abu Bakr?' He said, 'Because he was the best of themin Islam from the moment he accepted Islam until the moment hemer his Lord.'
Ibn "Asakir narrated with an excelle* isnadthat Muhammad ibnSa'd ibn Abi Vaqqas said to his father Sa"d, '\fas Abu Bakr thefirst of you to accept Islam?' He said, 'No. More rhan five peopleaccepted Islam before him, but he was the best of us in Islam.'
Ibn Kathir said: It is clear that the people of his house, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, believed before anyone; his wifeKhadijah, his freed slaveZaid,,Zild'swife Umm Ayman,'Ali and'Waraqah.
Ibn tsakir narrated that "Isa ibn Yazid said: Abu Bakr as-Siddiqsaid, 'I was sitting in the courryard of the Ka"bah andZildibn .Amr
ibn Nufayl was seated, then Umayyah ibn Abit-Salt passed by himand said, "How are you, seeker after good?" He said, "-Well." Hesaid, "And have you found?" He said, "No," so he said,
"Every deen on the Day of Rising, excepr that which Allah has
decreed, will perish.
"But as for this Prophet who is awaited, will he be from us or fromyou?" And I had not heard before that of a prophet who was awaitedand who would be sent. So I went to 'Waraqah ibn Nawfal who usedto look much towards heaven, and was much astonished ofheart. Istopped him and told him the story. He said, "Yes, my nephew.'Weare the people of books and sciences, but this Prophet who is awaitedis from the midst (noblest) of the Arabs genealogically - and I have
a knowledge of genealogy - andyour people are midmost (noblest)
of the Arabs in terms of lineage." I said, "(Jncle, and what will theProphet say?" He said, "He will say what is said to him, except thar he
10
Abu Bahr as-siddiq
wlll not oppress nor be oppressed nor seek the oppression (ofanyone)'"
So that when the Messe"gt' ofAll'h' mayAllah bless him and grant
;i;;;""., was sent I beiieved in him and affirmed him"
lbn Ishaq r*id, M'h"-m"d ibn "Abd ar-Rahman ibn "Abdullah
lbn al-Husayn atllamimi narrated to me that the Messenger of
;ii-h, -"yeff"n bless him and granttril Pe-ace' said''I have never
lnvited anyone ," Iil;;;;;f ir'"t:nt h"d "t' aversion to it' and
lrresolution "rrd
d.libt'xi'"t' i*"tpt forAbu Bakr' He did not delay
when I reminded him and ht wa' not irresolute" Al-Bayhaqi said:
,llris was because he used to see the proofs of the prophethood of
;i; M.t,."g"r ofAllah, mayAllah bless^him and grant him peace'
tnd hear the traces of ittefore his invitation (to Islam)' so thatwhen
hc invited him he h;J;;;iv refected and thought about it' and
he submitted and accepted Islam at once'
'[hen he t l-B"yh;qi] ""'"tta that Abu Maysurah said that the
M;:;;.t of Ailah,'may Allah bless him and grant him peace'
used to hear someo"L t"iit"g f im wtren he went out' 'Muhammad!'
\(hen he heard tttt ttoi"t hI woold turn back in fight-and he told
It in confidence to Abu Bakr who was his friend tnJahiliyyah'
Abu Nu"aym,t'a Ibt tsakri "1T"t* that Ibn "Abbas said: The
Messenger of Allah,?'1nff'n.Uftss him and gr-int trim peace'
snid, 'L.r., ,pokt'to-ffittt abolt Islam but ihat they refused
me and rejected ;;"tit excePt for the son of Abu Quhafah' I
ncver spoke to hi,,i ;;;t;;t;hing but that he accepted it and
was steadfast in it'Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu d-Darda' said: The Me13-e1Ser of
Allah, may Allah Uit* frirn and grant him peace' said' '\flill you
It:ave me *y "o-p"ttion?
(Villyoi lt"nt me mycompanion),I said'
"People, I am the ilttt;+t ofAllah to you-all"' 'ld.I:" said' "You
*r.lii.rg." Abu Bakr said] "You have told the truth'"'
His companionship and expeditions
'lhe'ulama'say: Abu d"k' ""o-panied
tht Ptophtt' may Allah
11
Thn Hlsrony oF THE Knarrrens
bless him and grant him peace, from the moment he acceptedIslam until his death,,not Ieavinghim ir, " ,o.rrrr.y or in residence,except for that wl.lch h., -"viralr bress nil;ig;t himpeace, authorised him to go our on, such as rhe Hajj and fightingexpeditions. He was present at all the batrles with him, ._i!r"r.dwith him, Ieavins hi. rr-ity
"r,A.l,itJ*_tffi; i; oiii,n "rOHis ,ylesseng., irry Allah bless hi,,,
"nd grant him peace. Hewas his close companion in the cave. He, exalted is He, said,,7hesecond of t*o when
1!e two-of them *)o n the caue, when he saidto ltis companion, ,,D.o ,ot b1sad. i)iy atUl ,, *ri*i.',ii,1qut^n9: 40). He undertook to help ,t. ivf.ir.rrger of Allah , ndyAllahbless him and grant hi- p.".., _;;;;" once. He gave splendidservice in the battres,
".rd *", firm on ih. o"y of Uhud and theDay of Hunayn when ail of the;.";L had fled, as we wi, showin the secrion on his bravery.
r --r--
Ibn .Asakir narrated that Abu H^urayrah said: The angels madeeach other to rejoice _on
the O"y Jn"'a, sayrng, .Do you nor seeas-siddiq with the Messenger
"rar[rr, *ay Arah bress him andgrant him peace, in the rheiter?,Abu Ya"la, al-Hakim and Ahmad narrated that l{li said: TheMessenger ofAIIah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, saidto me and Abu Bakr on_ fe Day of Badr, ,\7iA ;;;;al,Ur,and with the other is Mika,il.,
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
His bravery and that he was the bravest of the CompanionsAl-Bazzar narrated in his Musnad that "Ali said, 'Tell me who isthe bravest of men?'They said, 'You.' He said, As for me, I never
cncountered anyone but that I took my due from him, but tellme who is the bravest of men?'They said, '\7e don't know.'S7'ho
ls it?' He said, 'Abu Bakr. On the Day of Badr we made a shelter
fiom the sun for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himnnd grant him peace, and then we said, "'W.ho will be with theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, so
that none of the idolaters may fall upon him?" By Allah, none ofus drew near except for Abu Bakr who brandished a sword over
the head of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace. No-one fell upon him but that he in turn fellupon him. So he is the bravest of men.'"AIi, mayAllah be pleased
with him, said: I saw the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, and Quraysh grabbed him. One held himnnd another threw him down and they were saying, .Are you theone who has made the gods into one god?' By Allah, none of us
epproached except Abu Bakr, striking this one, and restrainingthat one, and throwing down another, saying, '\7oe to you!'S7illyou kill a man because he says, "My Lord is Alftt?"'Then "Aliraised a cloak which he was wearing and wept uirtil his beard was
we t and said, 'I adjure you by Allah! Is the believer of the peopleo[Fir"awn better or Abu Bakr?' People were silent. He said, ''\tr7ill
you not answer? By Allah, an hour of Abu Bakr is better than a
thousand hours of the like of the believer of the people of Fir"awn.He was a man who concealed his irnAn, and this was a man whowas open about his iman.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that "Urwah ibn azZttbayr said: I asked
'Abdullah ibn "Amr ibn al-"As about the worst thing that theidolaters did to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace. He said, 'I saw'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt who came
to the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, while he
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Ibn Sirin said that.Abd ar-Rahmanibn Abi Bakr was, o:_jl. Dry ,f Br;r,"*ith those who associarepartners with AIIah. vhen he (rater) ""..pt.d Isram he said to hisfather, 'you were exoosed ro ^rGilillas a rarger on the Day ofBadr, but I turned ,*_"r f.- y"; "# ;d nor kill you.,Abu Bakrsaid, 'However, if)rou^had been expor.J.. me as a targer I wouldnor have turned away from you., fU, q*aybah ,rid, Tf;;."rrr.rgof ahdafia k ashrafta,_.you.were high ir open, exposed and close.Thus it is said of a tall i"lar"i, iiarf fliterally_ target).,
72
T3
THr Hrsronv oF THE Knelrrens
was praying, and he placed his cloak about his neck and seriously
tried to throttle him. Then Abu Bakr came and defended him and
said, "\(ould you kill a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,'and he has come to you with clear signs from your Lord?"'
Al-Haytham ibn Kulayb narrated in his Musnad that Abu Bakr
said, 'On the Day of Uhud everyone fled from the Messenger ofAllah, and I was the first to return.' The rest of the hadhh is in the
Musnadwhich al-Haytham ibn Kulayb narrated.
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that'A ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her,
said:'!7hen the companions of the Prophet, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, gathered, and they were thirty-eight men,
Abu Bakr pressed upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, to be open and public. He said, .Abu
Bakr, we are few.'Abu Bakr wouldn't stop urging the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
made things public. The Muslims went into every corner of theMosque (of Makkah), every man among his own kinsfolk, and
Abu Bakr stood up among the people addressing them, so thathe was the first public speaker to invite people to Allah and HisMessenger. The idolaters leapt upon Abu Bakr and the Muslims,and they beat them, in every corner of the Mosque, very severely.
The conclusion of this hadith wlll come in the biography of "Umar,may Allah be pleased with him.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him,said:
'When Abu Bakr accepted Islam, he was open about his Islam
and he invited people to Allah and to His Messenger, may Allahbless him and grant him peace.
His spending his wealth on the Messenger of Allah and that he
was the most generous of the CompanionsAllah, exalted is He, says,And he will be auertedfrom it (the Fire)who has the rnost fearful obedience, tlte one uho giues his weahh
t4
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
nurifvins hirnself,' (Qur'an 92: 17-21) to the end of rhe surah'
Ki'!t:,-l:;;;;;i' +;;;;;'e unanimousrv that this was reveared
sbout Abu Bakr'
Ahmad narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger ofAllah'
nray Allah blt" hit'i""1 g""t ['i*. Pt:tt' said' 'No wealth ever
bcnefited me as dd;t;;lth of AbL Bakr'' Abu Bakr wept and
rnid, 'Are I and my **ftf' for any but you' Messenger of Allah?'
Abu Ya"[a narrated '#']Xol'.h"may Allah be pleased with her'
narrated the like tf ;;; "*"f* n'.d'ith' ,lbtKathir
said: And it is
narrated irt hadlth;"A1'' il "Abbal' Anas' Jabir ibn "Abdullah
nnd Abu Sa"id al-Khul;;"rn;' A[ah.be P-l1yd with all ofthem'
Al-Khateeb ,t"""tti*i no*'S""ia ibn al-tvtus tyyab ': '? y""nl
haduhand added, And the Messenger of A[ah, may Allah bless
nnd grant n.u"t to'i"i "Jio r"tiity' used to make use of the
*.lfli,.f eUu Bakr as he did of his own wealth"
lbn tsakir narrated by variour routes that "lf ishah' may Allah
be pleased *i,n f"',1# 'U'*'t' ibn tz-Zrtbayr said: Abu Bakr'
nrav Allah be pleased with him' accepted Islam on the day that he
illffiJJi-f.r" ,ho.rr".d dinars (and. in a wording - totrv
thousand airnr-i itffi;;:;iem on the Messenger ofAlla'ttr
n ",
Attrtt bless him and grant him peace'
Abu Sa"id ib' "iA;;;"'"""tta t^hat Ibn "U#'r' may'Allah be
d;'.ilrh;'d;r;;;m' '"id' Abu Bakr accepted Islam' mar
Allah be pl"""a*ilh t'i^' ot the day that he did' and in his house
there were f"+v;;;';;Jdth"*'' Then he emigrated to Madinah
rrnd he had nothiffi,l* rt ""."nd
dirhams. He had spent all of
that on freeing 'f"it' ""a helping the cause of Islam'
lbn "Asakir "";;;;;h"t "tiIt'"t". mav Allah be pleased with
lrer, said ,h* Ab' ;;; f"ta tt*" (slaves) each one of whom was
i;i;; *""red for the sake of Allah'
Ibn Shahin "";tJ;-avSunnah'al-Baghawi in his tafsir md
Itrn "Asakir th* i;;"Umar said: I was,with lht Ptophtt' mayAllah
hless him ""d g;; h;;;;' and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was with
r5
Tnr Hrsrony oF THE KHeupens
him, and he had on a large (coarse goatskin) cloak which he hadfastened over his breast with a skewer, and then Jibril, peace beupon him, descended upon him and said, ,Muhammad,
irow is itthat I see Abu Bakr and he has on a large (coarse goatskin) cloakwhich he has fastened over his breast with a skewer?iHe said, Jibril,he spent his wealth upon me before the opening (of Makkah toIslam).' He said, Allah sends greetings of peac. ,o hi- and says to._ry lo him, "Are you pleased with Me in this poverty of yours ordispleased?" Abu Bakr said, Am I displeased with my Lord? L-pleased with my Lord. I am pleased with my Lord. I am pleasedwith my Lord.' It is unusual (ghareeb) and its isnad is.,.ry *."k. Ab..Nu'aym narrated the same from Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Mas"udand their isnads are also weak. Ibn "Asakir narrated the like of itfrom a hadith of Ibn "Abbas.
Al-Khateeb narrated with an isnad which is also weak that Ibntbbas, mayAllah be pleased with both of them, related from theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said,'Jibril, peace be upon him, descended upon me and he had on alarge piece of coarse cloth fastened on him, so I said to him, 'Jibril,whai is this?" He said, 'Allah, exalted is He, has ordered the angelsthat they should fasten in the heaven as Abu Bakr fastens o., .".rh.,,,Ibn Kathir said: This is very much to be reject ed (munhar)a. If itwere nor that many people hand down this one and the one beforeit, it would be better to completely avoid them.
Abu Dawud and atrrirmidhi narrated that.umar ibn al-Khattabsaid: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, ordered us to give sadaqah andthat agreed with the propemythat I had so I said, 'Today I will outdo Abu Bakr if I am .r., ,ooutdo him,' and I brought half of my wealth. The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, ,\flhalhave
a Munhar means, even in rhe cases of hadlth which have sound isnads, thatthe contenr of the hadith contradicts known altat of the eurhn or the texts ofother better k nown hadith or known principles of the deen.
r6
Abu Babr as'Siddiq
you left for your family?' I said, 'I l'.t le.ft the like of it'' Then Abu "
i]^k, ."-. with everything that he had, and he said' Abu Bakr'
*h", h"rr. you left fot yo.tt f"-ily?' He said' 'I have left for them
Allah and His Messenger.' I said, 'I will never ever outdo him in
rnything.' AtlTirmidhisaid,'[This hadith) is hasan sahih"
AbuNu.aym narrared inal-Hllyahthat al-Hasan al-Basri said that
Abu Bakr."-..o the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him
p."1., with his sad.aqah and con;;1led it' He said' 'Messenger of
hf f"n, this is my sad)qah, and, Allah can return to me (for more)'',lhen
"Umar came wiih his sadaqah openly and said, 'Messenger
of Allah, this is my sad'aqah ""d I t"" return to Allah (for more)''
'lhe Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace'
said, 'The dfu...rr.e between your two sadaqahs is the same as the
clifference between your words '' Its i'snad is excellent' but it is a
mursal.
AtjTirmidhi namated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace' said' ''We have
never been under obligation to anyone but that we have repaid him'
.*..p. for Abu Bakr, tr he has put obligations on us which Allah
will repay him for on the Day oiRising' No-onet wealth has ever
lrerrefit.i me as has Abu Bakr's wealth''
Al-Bazzarnarrated that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq' -"j"e'["h be pleased
with him, said: I camewith myfatherAbu Quhafah to the Prophet'
rn"f nff"l, bless him and grant him peace, who said' 'You should
have left the shaykh until-I could come to him" I said' 'Rather it
ip more correct ihrt h. should come to you'' He said' ''We would
'Lrt ., U. protective of him for the favours for which we are obliged
to his son.'
Ibn tsakir narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Messenger of
Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace' said'.'No-one has
shown gr.r,.. favour to me th"t' Abt' Bakr' He shared himself and
hi, *.Jth with me and he married me his daughter''
17
Tus Hrsrony oF THE KrreureHs
IHis knowledge and that he was the most knowl.ag."[ of theCompanions and the most intellig"rr. of ;f,"J "
An-Nawawi said, in his Tabdhtb, "r,i no]- hi, ;*riting Itransmir: our companions proved the vastness ofhis knowredge by
ltr,*:rd:, mayAllah b. pl.r*d;;; hi-, i, the well establishedbadith which is in the ,*o Srhlh.oll.*o.r., .ByAllah, t *itinglrtwhoever distinguishes berween ,nlni
^nd *hnt ny aifri,'ri,lr.yrefuse me as much as the harter.f
".;;;i which they used to pay rothe Messenger ofAlrah, mayA,ah ur.*i,,- "rGffi;f.r..,I will fight them over their refusal.'sh"ykha;;1f;;;; ""r-.gin this and orher ,h,,ng:,,,1 hk Tabaqat,th"t abu nrirlri",aa,r,mayAllah be pleased wirh him, *r, ,ir. most knowl.ag;it. of rlr.Companions, because they all failed to .rrrd.rrt".rd;h:l;;._.r,
:: ,Iir issue except for him, then it b.."_. clear ro them because ofhis discussions with them that t i, *ora. *re the corre- position,so they came back to that.\7e have transmitted that Ibn .L-Imar was asked, ,\7ho
used togivefatua for people at the time of the Messeng., of Ail"l,, -"yAllah bless him and grant him pea.el, He said, Abu Bakr and
"Y#:';tr#}1h be pteased with them. r don,t know o;;;^,,.
^ fu I*: Shaykhs (ar-Bukhari and Musrim) narrated that AbuSa"id al-Khudri said: The Messeng., oiAll"h, mayali"[ ur.* rr,-and grant him peace, addressed pJopl.
"rd r"ia, Allah, the Blessedand Exalted, has given a slave th..hoi.. b.r*..r, the world and thatwhich is with Him' That slave has .hor* ,h"t which is withAlrah,exalted is He.' Then Abu Bakr wept a"JrJa, .\i[e
would ,r.rro_ ,o,,with our fathers and motherr.,\7. *.*l.ro.rished at his weepingbecause the Messenger ofAlrah irf..;;J;out a slave who had beengiven a choice. But the Messenger of Allah, _ry AUrlr-Ut..l ii_and grant him peace, yr.,!. ""'. gi"* ,he choice, and Abu Bakrwas the most knowledgeable of ,J Th. M.rr.rger of Allah , nzyAllah bless him and grrnt him peace, ,"ia, ,m."_." *.".."", "f
l8
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
people to me with his company and his wealth is Abu Bakr. If I were
to take an intimate friend other than my Lord I would have taken
Abu Bakr, but there is the brotherhood of Islam and its affection.
I.,et no door remain open but for the door of Abu Bakr.''lhe above is all the words of an-Nawawi.lbn Kathir said: As-Siddiq, mayAllah be pleased with him, was
thc best read of the Companions, meaning that he was the most
knowledgeable of them in the Qur'an, because he, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace, put him forward as imam of the prayer
fbr the Companions, may Allah be pleased with him and them,
elong with his words, 'The best read in the Book ofAllah will lead
the people.'
AtrTirmidhi narrated that 'lt'ishah, may Allah be pleased withher, said: The Messenger of Allah, hal Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, 'It is not fitting for a people among whom is Abullakr that another than him should lead them (as imam: the wordhaving the meaning of both leading, and leading the prayer).'
He was, along with that, the most knowledgeable in the Sunnah.
Nflhen the Companions referred to him on several occasions, he
produced transmissions of sunnahs from the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, he had memorisfd"and which he
produced at thi *oments when theywere needed, and which theydidn't have. How could that not be when he had persevered inaccompanying the Messenger, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeace, from the very beginning of his being sent until his death?
Along with that he was one of the most intelligent of the slaves
of Allah and one of the most comprehending. However, there are
not many hadith traced back with a chain of transmission to him,only because of the short time he lived and the speed of his deathafter the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. If he
had lived for long, his narrations would have been very extensive.
None of the transmitters left a hadith that he transmitted withoutnarrating it. But none of the Companions from his time, needed
r9
Tlrr Hrsrony oF THE Knarrpans
to transmit from him what they shared with him in the narrarion
;lr:: ,n., only transmitted from himwhat they themselves didnt
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
gcrrcalogies from Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was
thc most learned in genealogy of the Arabs.'
Along with that, as-Siddiq had reached the limit in thelnterpretation ofdreams. He used to interpret dreams in the time ofthe Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace.
Muhammad ibn Sirin, and hewas the foremost in this knowledge bygcneral consensus, said: Abu Bakr was the most able of this ummah
rfter the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, to drawt meaning (from a dream). Ibn Sa'd narrated it.
Ad-Daylami narrated in Musnad al-Firdaws and Ibn tsakirnarrated that Samurah said: The Messenger of Allah, mxl Allahbless him and grant him peace, said, 'I have been commanded tolnterpret the dream (and to tell it or teach it) to Abu Bakr.'
lbn Kathir said: He was one of the clearest and most eloquent ofpeople. Az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: I heard one of the people ofknowledge saying, 'The most eloquent of those of the Companionsof the Messenger ofAllah who gave the hhutbahwere Abu Bakr and
'Ali ibn Abi Talib, mayAllah be pleased with both of them.' In thehadith of as-Saqifuh we will relate the words of 'Umar, may Allahbe pleased with him. He was one of the most knowing of mankindof Allah and the most fearful of Him. Some of,hii words on thatand on the interpretation of dream and some df his khutbahs we
will place together in an independent section.One of the proofs that he was the most knowledgeable of the
Companions is the hadith of the teaty of Hudaybiyyah when'Umar asked the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, 'For what reason should we accept disgrace in our deen?'"[he Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, answered
him. Then he went to Abu Bakr and asked him the same questionthat he had asked the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him andgrant him peace, and he answered him just as the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, had answered him, word forword. Al-Bukhari and others narrated it.
Abu'l-Qasim ar-Baghawi narrared that Maymun ibn Mihran said:Abu Bakr, when a d;ryr,e *:, ar_;;;i ro hi_, used ro look in theBook of Altah. Th.n lf he fo,rnJ if;.*"r1. b;; rrr-; ffi_*,between the disoutanls !e *oulJgr";lrag._enr on that basis. If
:l_.1. y"r.r:thing in the Book il il il;* a Sunnahon that marrerfrom the Messenser o.f. \llah, _"yAllrh iless and grant him and hisfamily peace, t. ir* gi".;;;:;., u, ,t *. If he could not findthe right way he would ;" ";, ;;; d; Muslims, and say, ,Such
and such has come ,o -i so do you kr;*i.;l;;ri. i*rrJ"*.rAllah, mayAllah blel him ""d;rr;;i; peace, gave any judgemenron that?' Perhaps a Bloup *ould gather ".ound
him, everyone of
*fr #ffi'*+l{,i.{}:::T*.#fl *-".,:",:il[f ,rT.f,,l*to Allah {ho.has put among us rhose *h;;;:.*. ;fffiff:from our Prophet.' If he was"unabre to find a sunnahabout it fromthe Messenger of Allah, -"y arui-Uil* i,_ and grant him peace,he would gather the leaders ,"a rl,I U.l,.irf,. pil;;r.:,1*.,,counsel. If they wou]d agree on
" ri.* t.*uld give judgement bythat. .Umar,
may Allah 6. pl."r.d *r,l ir_, used to do that. If hewas unable to Gnd solne.walin the eurhn and the Sunnah,he wouldlook to see ifAbu Bakr.haigid;il;enr on it. Ifhe found thatAbu Bakr had alreadv gir.r, ,,-udg._.* 3., i, lr. *ould pass judgemenr:: 'T basis of thatyuag.-*t. ir".r,
-r,.
*.urd ca, the readers oftheMuslims and if they *ould .g... ,.;ni_"rrf, on a ma*er he wouldgive judgement on that basis]As-siddiq, may Ailah be preased with him, was, arong with that,the most knowledseafb r: *. *.*"irgr*
"f rlreArabs, particularlyof Quraysh. A sha'vkh
"f ,hr;;;;;'r""u,J_1uu"r, ibn Mut.im usedto be the most kno*l.dg.rbl. oi qrr*n in the genealogies ofQuraysh and of theAr"bjr g*.*fi"lie used ro say, ,I
only took
20
2l
Tkr, Hrsrony oF THE Knc.uraHs
Along with that, he was the most penetrating of the Companionsin his views and the most perfect of them in intellect. Tamam ar-Razi narrated in his Fawa'idandlbn "Asakir narrared that Abdullahibn "Amr ibn al-"As said: I heard the Messenger ofAIIah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, saying, Jibril came ro me and said,'Allah orders you ro seek the counsel ofAbu Bakr."'
At-Tabarani, Abu Nu"aym and others narrared that Mu.adh ibnJabal told that when the Prophet, nay Allah bless him and granthim peace, wanted to send Mu"adh to the yemen he soughi thecounsel of men of his companions among whom were Abu Bakr,"IJmar, "Ali, Talhah, az-Zubayr and Usayd ibn Hudayr. The peopletalked and every man had his own view. He said, .What
do youthink, Mu'adh?' I (Mu"adh) said, 'I think the same as thar whichAbu Bakr said.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, Allah dislikes in the heaven thatAbu Bakr should makea mistake.'IbnAbi Usamah related it in his Musnad, Allah, in theheaven, dislikes that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq should make a mistakeon the earth.'Sahl ibn Sa.d as-Sa"idi said: The Messenger ofAllah,mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, Allah dislikes thatAbu Bakr should make a mistake.' The men who transmitred it areall trustworthy.
His memorisation of the QurhnAn-Nawawi said, in his Tahdhib: As-Siddiq was one of theCompanions who memorised all of the Qurbn.
A large group have mentioned this also, of them Ibn Kathir inhis tafsir.As for the tradition ofAnas, 'Four gathered together (i.e.memorised entirely) the Qur'an in the time of the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,' what he meanrwas 'of the Ansar'as I made clear in the book al-Itqan.As for thatwhich ash-Sha"bi said, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, mayAllah be pleasedwith him, died without gathering (memorising) all of the eur'an,,it is rejected, or it can be interpreted that he meant by'gathering,,
22
Abu Bakr as-siddiq
l.e. in a rnushafwiththe organisation. (of surahs and' ayat) which
'Uthman gave it, mayAllah be pleased with him'
ThathewasthemosteminentoftheCompanionsand the best ofthem
'lhe people of the Sunnahare unanimous that the best of mankind
tfter the Messenger of Allah' may Allah bless him and grant him
n.r"., were Abuiakr, then "Um*" then "Uthman' then tli' then
fil;.';;;;il r." G" *re given the good news of the Garden bv
i'f,. lr.pt* , mtYerf"n blt""hi- "t'Igt""t him peace)' then the
,." "f
rL p.opl. of B'd', then the "" of tht PtoPf-:f Yhud' then
rhe rest of the p.opt. "fif" oath of allegiance t:1"*,*PrYlah)'then the rest of the Co-p"io's' Abu M""t" al-Baghdadi relates
that there is consensus on this'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn 'fJmar said' ''We were choosing
between people in the time of the Messenger.of Allah' mayAllah
bl.r, hi* ,rrd gr",ta him peace' sowe chgse Abu Bakr' then "Umar
(ifr. ,irtt",,"6), .t.., "Uthman (ibn "Affan) may Allah bepleased
with them all.' Atjlabarani added' ln al'Kabir' And the Prophet
came to know of that but did not deny it''
lbn'Asakir narrated that Ibn "Umar said: Ve' 1hft the Messenger
nf All"h, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace' was among us'
ur.a a -prefetAbu
Bakr "IJmar''Uthman and "Ali'
lbn "Asakir narrated thatAbu Hurayrah said: \(e' the gatherings
of the Comp"nio,', oi'he Messenger ofAllah' mayAllah bless him
and grant him peace, while we were considerable numbers' used to
;:Th. b"rt of this umrnah after its Prophet -a5
Ab-u Bakr' then
'U-"r, and then'IJthman,' and then we would be silent''
At:Iirmidhi,,,.,,..athatJabiribn"Abdullahsaid:"f]marsaidtoAbu Bakr, 'O best of mankind after the Messenger of l-llah'
maf
Allah bless him and grant him peace" Abu Bakr said' 'If you say
,t ",,
,t * I heard hiti '"yi"g,
"the 'ut
has not risen over a better
man than'Ijmar."'
23
Tnr Hlsrony oF THE Knarrrens
Al-Bukhari na*ated thatMuhammad ibn "Ari ibnAbi Thrib said:I said to my father, .\'ho i, ,fr. U..,
"imankind ,fr., ,i. froplr.r,mayAllah bless him and grant him peace?, He said, Abu Bakr., Isaid, 'Then who?, He saidf tUm"r.l i*", "n"id that fr. **fa r"y'Uthman so I said, ,1., yor?,H. r"ra, ,f ";;;bJ;b;; _",among the Muslims.,
Ahmad and others narrared that "Ari said: The best ofthis ummahafter our prophet areAbu g"r., "ndlt*"r. Adh-Dhahabi said: Thisis mutawatif from'Ali, so mayAIIa'curs e ar-Rafdah(riterary.the
rejecrors' i.e. the Shf!?:how ignora* ,lr.y ,rr,,!'--'-"" q"'-'c'
At:Tirmidhi and al_Haki- ,r""rrrt.J,lrr, "(Jmar ibn al_Khattabsaid: Abu Bakr, our master, the best of us and the most beloved toth; Prophel, mayAllah bl.r, hi--rn;;", him peace, said, ,...,Ibn 'Asakir narrared that'Abd "r-R?h-rn ibn Abi Lavra saidthat "Umar ascended the mlnbarr,rd;;-T;.*"#ilrbir, *this ummahafter our prophet is Abu B"ir. Who.rr.r.ry"rrr.irrg
else is an inventor offal*od ,;;ffi u. .,o_,i,#rulll,li.nnis upon the inventor of farsehooa."rt.lio narrated that Ibn AbiLayla said: i{li said,. ly": *lr; ;r;f.^ me over Abu Bakr and'LJmar' I will rash with tle h"dd p;;-irh^ent due to the inventorof falsehood.'
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
nrrd which require that it be a sahih or hasan hadith.Ibn KathirItrdicated that his judgement was that it is sound.
At-Tabarani narrated that Salamah ibn al-Akwa' said: The
Mcssenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said,
'Abu Bakr as-Siddiq is the best of mankind, unless it be a prophet.'
And in al-Awsat that Sa'd ibn Zurarah said: The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,'The Ruh
nl-Quds, Jibril, informed me that, "The best of your ummah afteryou is Abu Bakr."'
'[he two Shaykhs "Amr ibn al-"As said: I said, 'Messenger ofAllah,which of the people is most beloved to you?' He said, '"A'ishah.' Ireid, 'Of the men?' He said, 'Her father.' I said, 'Then who?' Henaid,'Then'l]mar ibn al-Khattab.'This hadith has been narrated
without, 'Then'Ljmar,' in narrations of Anas, Ibn "Amr and Ibn
'Abbas.Atrlirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and al-Hakim narrated that'Abdullah ibn
Shaqiq said: I said to "Aishah, '\[hich of the companions of the
Messenger of Allah were most beloved to the Messenger of Allah,mayAllah bless him and grant him peace?' She said, Alu Bakr.' Isaid, 'Then who?' She said, 'Then "[Jmar.' I said, 'Then who?' She
said, Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.' , ("''
At:Tirmidhi and others narrared that Anas s"idr Th. Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said aboutAbuBakr and "IJmar, 'These two are the lords of the mature adults ofthe people of the Garden, of the first ones and the last ones, except
flor the prophets and the messengers.' He recorded the like of itfrom "AIi.
In this section there are hadith from Ibn'Abbas, Ibn "Umar, AbuSa"id al-Khudri and Jabir ibn "Abdullah.
At-Tabarani narrated in al-Awsat that 'Ammar ibn Yasir said:
W'hoever preferred anyone of the companions of the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, over Abu Bakrand "Umar has belittled the Muhajirun and the Ansar.
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hy_*d, inhis Musnad,andAbu Nu.aymand others narrated with di'trer."r-pr,l* of transmission thatAbu'd-Darda,, said that the.M+;;ilrAllah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, ,The Iu' h". not risen nor has it setover anyone better rhan Abu Bakr, unless he were, pr.ofr*j r" "diflerently worded version, '...over ,"i
"rthe Muslims, after theprophets and messengers, betre.h"n hb, Bakr., It has also beentransmitred as a hadith ofJabia in its wording is, ,The sun has notrisen over anyone of you better thrn lrim.'Atrrhbarani and othersnarrared it' There are other texts which *ppo* it from othe, argl.,
- 5 Narrated by a rarge number of peopre directry from him to other peopre sothar it reached later generariom fro* dr;. ."_d.rs ot people.
2425
Trrr Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrerrs
Ibn Sa"id narrated that azZuhri said: The propher, may Ailahbless him and grant him peace, said to Hassan ibn lhabii .Have
yol :aid,1lything about Abu Bakr?, He said, ,yes.,
He said, ,Say itand I will listen.' He said,
And the "second of the tuto" in the glorious cave,The enemy wenr round abour lt *hen he ascended the
mountain.The love of the Messenger ofAlrah (for him) they already kne*,Of people he held not equal any man.,
- Ald the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
Iaughed until his back reeth were visible, rhen rJd, 'yo,, h# toldthe truth, Hassan; he is as you say.,
SectionAhmad and atlrirmidhi narrated that Anas ibn Malik said: The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, 'The mosr merciful of my ummahrowards iy ,rn*ahi, aUuBakr, the mosr severe of them in the marter ofAllah is "rJmar, themost truly modest of them is 'Uthman, the mosr knowledgeableof them of the hakl and rhe haram is Mu"adh bin yabar, rh."-orrknowledgeable in the laws of inheritan ce is zayd. ibn Th"bit, thebest read of them (in eur'an reading) is Ubayy ibn Ka"b, andevery urnmalt has a trusred one and the trusted one of this umrnaltis Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.'Abu ya.la narrated it from thehadith of Ibn "LJmar and added (in his narration) to it, ,and
themost decisive of them (as eadi) is "Ali.'Ad-Daylami narrated it inMusnad al-Firdarus from a hadlth of Shaddad ib'A*, who addedto it, 'and Abu Dharr is the most abstinent of my ummaband themost truthful of them, Abu'd-Darda' is the mosi given to worshipof my ummah and has the most fearful obedi.rl. of them, andMu'awiyah ibn Abi Su$ran is the most forbearing of my ummaltand the most liberally generous.'
25
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
()urShaykhal.Khafijiwasaskedaboutthesedistinguishingeh.,r",.ri.iics and *h.ti'e' they negated the ones previously given
nncl he replied that there was no contradiction'
'lhose ayatwhichhave been revealed in praise of him or in
affir"mation of him or other matters concerning him
KnowthatlhaveSeenabookwrittenbyoneofthescholarsonthen*rn., of those about whom Qur'an was revealed but it was not
aaaurr," or comprehensive, so I composed on that subject a copious'
aotpr.t.oriv. and accurate book and I excerpt from it here that
whi.tr pertains to as-Siddig mayAllah.be pleased with him'
Allah, exalted is He, , yi,'7h' second' of the two when the two of
them uere in the caae, when he said to his companion' "Do not be
tad., truly Attah is with us." So Allah sent down Hi; ranquil!'ity upon'ii*.'
(qur'^n9: 4O)The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the
cu-prrr-ior, *ho is mentioned here is Abu Bakr' and there will come
n tradition from him on it'lbn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn "Abbas said' about His words'
exalted is He, 'Then Allah sent down His ffanquilll'ty r!'p,ory him" he
,.id, 'rlpon Abu Bakr. (As for) the Prophet' mayAllah bless him
and gr*t him peace, tranquillity-was a-lwayl "qopfi-''.. ,
IbnAbiHatim.r"rrr..dthatlbnMas"udsaidthatAbuBakrbought Bilal from Umayyah ibn Khalf and Ubayy ibn Khalfwith
a cloak and ten pieces oiriL"' (approximately an oyngt lacf)' then
set him free for ih. ,ake ofAllah. Then Allah revealed, 'By the night
when it coaers" .' up to His words, " " ffub your endea-uoars ttre
dffirrnt,'(Qur'an ie, U) meaning the endeavours of Abu Bakr'
Umayyah and UbaYY.
Ib. jarir.r"rr",.i ihat "4mir ibn "Abdullah ibn azz'btyr sild:
Abu Bakr used to set free Glaves) upon (their accePtance o0 Islam'
in Makkah. He would set free oli women and women generally
whenever they accepted Islam' His father said' 'Son' I see you
fr..irgwetk peopl.. Wfty do you not free sffong men who would
Thn Hrsrony oF THE KHerrreus
rri:1li:h lou, protect you and repel (artackers) from you., Hesaid, 'Father, I wish for that which-ir?,i;ililjh;i;j; *,0,Some of my familv told me ,n^, it i, )yrlwas revealed about him,'!J
rffi.t who giues and h^Crfirl"o7rA,rrrr..., feurl"l"ii t_Zrl
Ibn Abi Hatim and atjrhbarani narrared that "Urwah said thatAbu Bakr as-Siddi,eachof wh"_;;;o;f;;1,,_.Tnf ffi,1il:lllr;,T*:mwas revealed, And the^y;rlrfryrf"tb obrd;rnt wii i))rrrAhr* uG(.f1.re)..' (eurhn g6: t}Ait"ifr. *a of the surab.A'-Bazzar narrated that Abdul t^iiL"' *-zubayr said,t:-Ihis ayah,And there is not for dnlone with him a beneft to be recompensed,,6
[3;[::.'rt*3iil;:';'r'dabou'cAb";;ff-'iioi,:ii,"3^ior"nAl-Bukhari narrated that wishah, mayAlrah be preased with her,said that Abu Bakr never used to b..rk o"ths untir Allah revearedthe atonemenr for breaking m o"at.-*^''Al-Bazzar and Ibn "Asakir rr"rr",.d that Usayd ibn Safwan, whoenjoyed companionship (of the pr.ph;ayAllah
bless him andgrant him peace), saidi.Ali , ia,,Zri'the one wlto came uilh themrth (al-haQq)" (eur'an 39: 33)ir rtaul-r., ad.,,and he ffirmed it,(Ibia') refers to Abu Bakr "r-stiaiq.;ii; ;sakir said: The narrationis this way, 'with al_haqq (t.uth),1."J., ,t
"r, ,r_ra, ir^'rrrri, ,,truthfulnessl the
"ry:iieading'r, q"r,r"f and perhaps it was avariant reading of AIi. \AI-Hakim narrated that Ibn Abbas spoke about His words,exalted is He, And take ,t r;r rrorrA l) *, mAtter., (eur,an 3: 159)He said, 'It was revealed about Aa; it;; and "(Jmar.,Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibi ih"*,dhrb said.: Andfor himwhofears the standing (beforr) hi, i;;;;;;, are two gardens,, (eurbn
6 'i'e' he does not do good as a recompense for a favour that someone hasshown him, rather he does it sponta"."uriy;;;;ly for the Face ofAllah , Kitabat-Tashil li ,(Jlarn at_Thnzil, ti" l" i'-'r YqLt'
28
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
l1t 46) was revealed about Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased withhlnr,
AtlTabarani narrated in al-Awsatthat Ibn "(Jmar and Ibn "Abbas
rnch said about His words, exalted is He, And the right-acting of the
belieuers,' (Qur'an 66: 4) that they were revealed about Abu Bakr
lnd'Umar.'Abdullah ibn Abi Humayd narrated in his tafiir t.hat Mujahid
mid: \When 'TiulyAllah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet,'(Qur'an 33:56) was revealed, Abu Bakr said,'Messenger ofAllah,Allah has not sent down on you good but that we share in it,' and
then this ayahwas revealed, 'He is the OneVho sends blesings upon
yu (the mu'minun) and His angels (send blessings upon you)! (Qurhnt* 43)
Ibn tsakir narrated that "Ali ibn al-Hussein said that this ayah
was revealed about Abu Bakr, "lJmar and "Ali, And We wrest dwa!that wh;ch is in their breasts of malice, as brothers on couches, facingfich other.' (Qur'an 15 47)
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Ibn "Abbas said: There was revealed
about Abu Ba,kr, And Ve haue counselled man witlt good teatmentof his parents,' up to His words, 'the promise of sincerity whlch they
wcre promised.' (Qur'an 46: 15-16) t'n'
Ibn Asakir narrated that Ibn 'Uyaynah said: Allah reproached
lllof the Muslims concerning the Messenger ofAllah, malAllahbless him and grant him peace, excepting onlyAbu Bakr alone, forhe was definitely excluded from the reproach. Then he recited,'Ifyu do not help hirn then Allah has already helped him when tlte ones
who disbelieae expelled him as the second of two, uhm they two utere
in tlte caue.' (Qur'an 9:40).
the hadlth related on his merit coupledwith "Umar, apart fromwhat has abeady been mentioned
'[he two Shaykhs narrated thatAbu Hurayrah, mayAllah be pleased
with him, said: I heard the Messenger ofAllah say, mayAllah bless
29
Tnn Hrsrony oF THE KneuraHs
him and grant him peace, '\while a shepherd was in the middle ofhis fock, a wolf rushed upon it and carried offfrom it a sheep andthe shepherd pursued it. The wolf turned to him and said, .,\flho
will look after it on the Day of Rising, the day when there willb:
"9 other shepherd than me?" And as a man was driving an ox
which he had laden it turned to him and said, "I was ,rotlr."t.dfor this, but I was created for tillage,"' and the people said, ,Glory
be to Allah, rhar an ox should talk?' The prophet, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, 'I believe in that andAb,, Bakr and"(Jmar (believe),' and Abu Bakr and "Umar werent there at rhat dme,i.e. they werent in the gathering. He bore witness to their belief inthat, perhaps meaning the perfection of their belief.At:Tirmidhi narrated that Abu Sa.id al-Khudri said: The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, 'There has been no prophet but that he had two deputie, fro*the people of heaven and two deputies from the people of earth. Asfor my two deputies from the people of heaven, they are Jibril andMika'il, and as for my two deputies from the people of earth theyare Abu Bakr and "LJmar.'
The authors of the sunan collections and others narrated thatSa'id ibn Zaid said I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, saying, Abu Bakr is in the trard..,'(Jmar is in the Garden, 'Uthman is in the Garden, "Ari is in theGarden, . ..' and he mentioned all of the ten (who were promisedthe Garden).
At:Tirmidhi narrated thatAbu sa'id said: The Messenger ofAllah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ,The
ones of thehighest ranks, those beneath them will see them as you see the srarsrising over the horizon of the sky, and Abu Bakr and "LJmar areamong them.'Atjrhbarani also recorded it in hadhh of Jabir ibnSamurah and Abu Hurayrah.
Atirirmidhi narrated thatAnas said that the Messenger ofAllah,mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, used to.o-. ort to his
30
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
Gotnpanions of the Muhaiirun andthe Ansarwhlle they were sitting'
u,rr.,ng them Abu Bakr and "LJmar, and none of them would lift
itt.ir.Iy.. to him excePt forAbu Bakr and "umar' They used to Saze
t,,pn" fri- and he would gaze uPon them and they would smile at
him and he would smile at them'
At:Tirmidhi and al.Hakim narrated that Ibn "Umar said that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace' went
uu, on.i"y "nd
entered ,h. -o'qut, with Abu Bakr and'Uma! one on
ii* ,igl,, hand side and the other on his left hand side, he holding their
li.nai. He said, 'Like this we will be raised up on the Day.of Rising"
At-"lhbarani also recorded it in al-Awsatfrom Abu Hurayrah.
Atjlirmidhiandal.Hakimnarratedthatlbn"I'Jmarsaid:TheM.*.rrg., of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace'
,nia,'l i"itt U. the first or., *ho- the earth will split open, then
Abu Bakr and "Umar.'
Atrlirmidhi and al-Hakim, and he declared it sahi h, narrated that
'AbdullahibnHantabsaidthattheProphet'mayAllahblesshimnnd grant him peace, saw Abu Bakr and "Umar and said' 'These
;;; ;. hearing and.ight.'Atllabarani also recorded it from hadith
of Ibn 'LJmar and Ibn "Amr'A|.Buzxandal-HakimnarratedthatAbuArwtad-Dawsisaid:
I was with the Prophet, mayAllah bless him "'d
gt""t himpeace'
Geated) a.rd the, Abu Baki and'(Jmar came uP' so he said' 'Praise
hb"g; to Allah \Who has helped me through you 1w9"
It has been
rr"rrriitt.d also in a hadithofal-Bara ibn "Azib, which atjlabarani
rccorded in al-Awsat.
Abu Ya.la narrated that "Ammar ibn Yasir said: The Messenger of
Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant !1* pt"::' said' Jibril came
u, ..pr.',riously and I said, "O libril, tell me of the merits of "l;mar
ibn al-Khattab.,, He said, ..Even if I were to tell you his merits for
the length of time that Nuh remained among his people the merits
t,f "UnL. would not be exhausted, and truly 'fJmar is one of the
good actions of Abu Bakr'"'
31
Thr Hrsrony oF THE Knerrrens
Ahmad narrared that "Abd ar-Rahman ibn Ghanam said that theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bl;r;h;;"d grant him peace, saidto A-bu Bakr and "Umar, ,If you *;;;;';i1*::,Tjil,t*'a,+uu,.*iffi ;::ffi:['n"i,^,,iiTi),i
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
rnicl, '\What was the position of Abu Bakr and.[Jmar with theMcssenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?,Hc said, Just like their position with respecr to him this very hour.'('lhey are buried right beside the Prophet, mayAllah bress rrim andgrant him peace).
Ibn Sa"d narrated that Bistam ibn Muslim said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu-Bakrgnd'Umar, 'No-one shall have command over you afrer me.,
Ibn tsakir narrated that Anas related, es a marfu, hadith,,LoveofAbu Bakr and "L]mar is iman (belie0 and hatred of them is hufr(disbelieO.'
He narrated that Ibn Mas"ud said: Love ofAbu Bakr and "L]marand a knowledge of them is (a part) of the Sunnah.
And he narrated that Anas related as a marfu', .I hope for myummah in their love forAbu Bakr and "umar what I hope for themin the saying, "No god but Allah."'
the badlthrelated on his medt aloneapart from what has already been mentioned
The two Shaykhs narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard theMessenger of Allah saying, ''W'hoever spends fwo of a pair ofanything in the way ofAllah will be called froin one of the doorsof the Garden, "Slave ofAllah, this is good."'W'hoever was one ofthe people of prayer wiil be called from the door of prayer, whoeverwas one of the people of jihadwill be called from the door of jihad,whoever was one of the people of sadaqah will be calred from thedoor of sadaqah, andwhoever was one of the people of fasting willbe called from the door of fasting.'Abu Bakr said,;There will ,rot beany need left with one who is called from these doors.
'will anyone
be called from them all, Messenger ofAllah?' He said, .yes, and l
hope that you are one of them, Abu Bakr.'Abu Dawud narrated and al-Hakim, and he declared it sahih,
that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The
Ibn Sa"d narrated thatJbn "{Jmar was.asked, ,I7ho used to givefatwa in the time of rhe Mesr.-##irah, mayArah bress himand grant him peace?, ff. r"id, ib, i"f.. and "{.Jmar and I knowof no others aDart.t t ,t.i i rJ] Ilrrrr.d that at_easim ibn
{:W:l *:';,,^o' s"k;]u-".1L*-*,
"na aii,,.a ,"fr ,T,fi ;;ffi T:".:
the Messenger of Allah, -]far'r'?' ur.*At{abarani narraied that Ibn Mas'ud, mayAllah be preased withhim, said that the Messenger
"i;#, may AIIah bless him andgrant him peace, *r.LTrrr, .r*, O-*er has an elect from hisummah and my elec from ^y o**)lr".r. abu Bakr and .LJmar.,I bn i..saki r na *ated,1r". d i
-,
" i ii- i, ol,risen ger of Al I ah, m ay
#fi j[#t:y.1 :,", r,i- p.,..,,",a,,u"y ;lrah show ;;..yabode ofthe Hiirah
jl* *:,rql*., "nd h. .ilil.,o.,r,.abode of the Hiirah, ""il;.; ;ilffi: iliiTi,:t j##JT
'[Jmar' He says the-truth-even rf il;lr;,.r. The truth has Ieft himwithout a friend. Mal..l{llairh;;;;, to.Uthman. The angelsare shv of him. MayAIIah .h;;; . "o,r. o AIIah, make thetruth turn with him *l...r.r lr.;;l.jAt{abarani narrated ,t
", S"ht, .r* aff"f, be pleased with him,said: \,hen the proohet, ;;;o,,;i'tlrln,_
"1j g."r, him f."..,came back from th. f:r:y.lf ,rr;;, il"*cended _the
minb)r and.praised AIIah, then sajd, .l.rpl;, Xir'u"r., has never h"._.d _.,so know that about !g, o.-"'a, i.ij;ilr.d with him, and with
"xffi "Y',?:;x*i*3lllii**l'*","Abdar-Rah*",ib.,.Abdurrailil;il5i1i:g^K{itr;,::,ii:2;y,ff i*;that Ibn Abi Hazim said: A; ;;; r{ri ibn ar-Hussein and
32
33
Tnn Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrans
Messenger of AIIah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said' 'As for you, Abu Bakr, y" r"riil. ,h.;rr,"J-;')))* *enter the Garden.,The two Shaykhs narrated thatAbu sa.id, mayAlrah be preasedwith him, said: Jhe.M.rr.rg., ofAlli, _"rOUah bless him andgrant him peace, said, ,Trul"y,
"". ;i;;me,withhir.o-p*yr.,dhi.or**;;;[T:tffiT:r,.r'rr#.:to take an intimate friend ,p".ino.., ,iry Lord I wourd have takenAbu Bakr as an intim"r. Ai.rri, Ur,''rfr.r. is the brotherhoodof Islam'' Thk badithh"' b;;";;; bv transmissions fromIbn Abbas ,Ibn az_Zub"y., tU., ilil, Jundub ibn Abdullah,at-Bara', Ka"b ibn y4,1, jil; ;;;bduilah, Anas, Abu,r_I.aqid al-Laythi, Abu,l_Miaffi, "airfrrrr, Abu Hurayrah, andIbn 'Umar, may Allah u. fr.rr.i *ir'r, ", of them, and theirpaths of transmission have b.;;;";;;rated in ahadithwhich
i:#::tr'{l:::'^"d bv a number or compan;;;;;"';,r.Al-Bukhari narrared that Abu'd-Darda' said: I was sitting withthe Prophet, may Altah u1."
1,_ "rJ;fi;;'p."*, *ili, oo,Bakr came up and greeted and said, .Thrme and "U-", iu., i-rnrt;, ;;i;".r:##il;H:l.TmI regretted and I asked
1= -a*;;;:, but he refused, so I havecome ro you.' He said, ,May alfi forqive you, Abu Bakr,, threetimes. Later, .LJmar relented *a *.", ,r.the house ofAbu Bakr butdid not find him. Hgranthimo."...*l.;I'Ji#J..J,lT,#f,,#ll[:ffi f]grant him peace, became flushed ,.rtit euu Bakr grew afraid andfell down on his knees saying, ,Messenger
ofAllah, byAllah, I wasmore in the wrong rhan him], twice. ti. rropl.t, mayAllah blesshim and grant him p.1...: said, ,Tiuly, Allah sent me ro you andyou said, "you lie,,,a.1d A.bu g"Lr r"li, Lyo,, hrr. rold the rrurh,,,and he shared himserf and rrrr *.lirr, iith me. \wi, you leave memy companion?' saying this last rwice. He was not caused any hurt
34
Abu Bahr as-Sidd.iq
cltcr that. Ibn Adi narrated that Ibn '(Jmar, may Allah be pleased
with him, related the like of it, in which he said: Then the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Do not€fluse me hurt in my companion, for Allah sent me with guidance
crrd the life-transaction of the Tiuth. You said, "You lie!" and AbuBlkr said, "You have told the truth." If it was not that Allah named
him a "companion" I would have taken him as an intimate friend.But there is the brotherhood of Islam.'
Ibn tsakir narrated that al-Miqdam said that: "Aqil ibnAbi Talib and Abu Bakr insulted each other. Abu Bakr was agcnealogist, except that he refrained because ofhis ('Aqil's) kinshipto the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and
turned away from him. He complained to the Prophet, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace. Then the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, stood among the people and said,
'!(/ill you not leave me my companion? W-hat is your business
compared to his business? For, by Allah, there is not one manof you but that upon the door of his house there is a darkness,
except for the door ofAbu Bakr, for upon his door there is light.By Allah, you said, "You lie!" and Abu Bakr said, "You have toldthe truth!" and you withheld your wealth and ke was liberal tome with his wealth, and you abandoned -. "Ld
he shared withme and followed me.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn 'IJmar, may Allah be pleased withboth of them, said: The Messenger ofAllah, nay Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, '\7hoever trails his robe haughtily, Allahwill not look upon him on the Day of Rising.' So Abu Bakr said,'One of the two sides of my robe hangs loosely unless I repeatedly
correct that.'The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, said, 'You don't do it out of haughtiness.'
Muslim narrated thatAbu Hurayrah, mayAllah be pleased withhim, said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless and grant himand his family peace, said, ''S[ho ofyou has started today fasting?'
35
Tnr Hrsrony oF THE Kserrrens
Abu Bakr said, 'I did.'Then he said, ''\J7'ho of you has followed afuneral cortege?' Abu Bakr said, 'I have.' He said, ''Who of youhas fed a bereft person today?'Abu Bakr said, 'I have.' He said,''Who of you has visited a sick person today?' Abu Bakr said, 'Ihave.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, 'They are nor gathered rogerher in a man butthat he will enter the Garden.' This hadith has been transmirtedin narrations of Anas ibn Malik and "Abd ar-Rahman ibn AbiBakr. In the haditb ofAnas, which al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Asl,at the end of it there is, 'The Garden has become obligatory foryou.' In the hadith of .Abd ar-Rahman, which al-Bazzar narrared,its wording is: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, performed the dawn prtyer, then turned hisface to his companions and said, '.Who of you has started todayfasting?' So "IJmar said, 'Messenger of Allah, I did not decide tofast yesterday, so I have not begun today fasting.'Abu Bakr said,'But I did decide to fast yesterday so I have begun today fasting.'He said, 'Has anyone ofyou today visited a sick person?' So .Umar
said, 'Messenger of Allah, we haven'r left (the mosque after thedawn prayer) yet. How could we have visited a sick person?'AbuBakr said, 'It reached me thar my brother.Abd ar-Rahman ibn"Awf is complaining (of an illness) so I made my way to him tosee how he is this morning.' He said, 'Has anyone of you fed abereft person today?' "(Jmar said, 'Messenger ofAllah, we haven'rleft yet.'Abu Bakr said, 'I entered the mosque and there was abeggar, then I found a piece of barley bread in Abd ar-Rahmant(his sont) hand, so I took it and gave it to him.' Then he said,'You! So rejoice in the Garden.' Then he said a word which pleased"Umar, and he fUmar) claimed that he had never meant io do agood action but that Abu Bakr had preceded him to it.
Abu Ya"la narrated that Ibn Mas"ud, mayAllah be pleased withhim, said: I was in the mosque praying and the Messenger ofAllah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, enrered, with him Abu
36
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
Bukr and "l]mar. He found me making supplication and said' Ask
lntl you will be gi,tt''i': T-ftt" ht '"id':'W:hoe'"tt
loves to recite the
A,;tl;;.thry, ir,." let him recite with the recitation of Ibn Umm
'Abd (an affectionate ""t f- Ibn Mas"ud)" I returned to my house
rnd Abu Bakr came;;; to give me the eood news (of what the
Prophet, mayAllah Uit" f'r- i'd g'""t nt# '-:":::,1"j::193't:_uri", ."r". and found Abu Bakr coming our having beaten nrm
tu i,, ,o he said, 'Truly, you always outdo with good''
Ahmad narrated *ith'' go'd isnad that Rabi"ah al-Aslami' m&I
,qif ti, Ulpf.ased with him, ;aid: There were some words between me
end Abu Bakr, and il:;,;.; me something I disliked, and then he
;;;.;.aid to me, ,Rabi"ah repeat the like of it back ro me
so that it can be r.,"tt-"t#: I said' 'I will not do it" Abu Bakr said'
,you musr say it or I;lilpp."l to thelvtCIsenger ofAllah,,mayAllah
ffi ;; ,r,i gr",,, hi* pt'"t' for help.aqainst you'' I said, 'I am not
;;t;g.. do itlSo Abu Bakr' may Afah be pleased with him' went
off to the Prophet, ;'y Aifu bhss him ani g'""t him peace' and
I went off followin;il;' i;;e people from Asl"m came and said
to me, 'May Allah Jno* rnt"y to et" Bakr' For what reason is he
appealing to the M.t;t;gtt ofAllah'.may Allah bless him and grant'hl;;#,
f", h.h ;;;ii't vo" and he was the oneowho said to vou
what he said?' So L;iJ,;;;v'" grasp who this i6l This is Abu Bakr
as-Siddiq. This is ,t"itil 'f tli *;'(Qur'an 9:.40)' and this is the
white-haired one of the Muslims' Be*"'" ih't he should turn and see
you supporting me ";t;;i;. T9 to,b:to-e angry then come to the
Messenger of Alhf',"may Allah bless him and grant him peace' who
will become angry because of his anger' and then Allah will become
*", ;;;;"'.;f ;;;;;s". T1{"u1"t' will be destroved'' rhev
said, '\7hat do you tell us i dot' He said' 'Go back" Abu Bakr' may
Allah be pleased *nt' t'i-' went and I alone followed him' until he
came to ,fr" Nt.rr.tgt"feff"f" mayAllah bless him and grant him
peace, and told h# tht story just as it was' He raised his head to
me and ,"id, 'R"brln, *ft* is it with you and as-Siddiq?' So I said'
37
Tnn Hrsrony oF THE Krraureus
'Messenger of Allah such and such happened, and he said to me aword which I disliked, and then he said to me, "Say as I said so thatit will be retaliation," and I refused.' Then the Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Right! Do not repear irback to him, but rather say, "MayAllah forgive you, Abu Bakr."' SoI said to him, 'May Allah forgive you, Abu Bakr.' (Al-Hasan said:So Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, turned away and hewas weeping).
AtiTirmidhi narrated, and he declared it hasan, that Ibn "umar,mayAllah be pleased with both ofthem, said that the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Bakr,'You are my companion at the hawd (Pool) and my companion inthe cave.' Its isnad is good.
"Abdullah ibn Ahmad, mayAllah be pleased with him, narratedthat Ibn "Abbas, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: The MessengerofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, Abu Bakrwas my companion and my solace in the cave.'
Al-Bayhaqi narrated that Hudhayfah, mayAllah be pleased withhim, said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, said, 'There are in the Garden birds the likes of Bactriancamels.'Abu Bakr, 'Truly, they must be blessed, Messenger ofAllah.'He said, 'More blessed than them is whoever ears them, and youare one of those who will eat them.' -Ihis hadith has been narraredin a transmission ofAnas.
Abu Yrla narrared that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleasedwith him, said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him andgrant him peace, said, 'I was made to ascend to heaven. I did notpass by a heaven but I found in it my name, "Muhammad is theMessenger of Allah and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq is his successor."' Irsisnad\s weak but it has been narrated also in hadith of Ibn "Abbas,Ibn "Umar, Anas, Abu Sa"id, and Abu'd-Darda', may Allah bepleased with all of them, with weak isnads, yet which support andstrengthen each other.
38
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
Itrrr Abi Hatim and Abu Nu"aym narrated that Sa"id ibn Jubayr"
nsy Allah b. pl."tta*itf him' said: I recited in the presence of
liIJ#;;,rl"varr"r' iio' hi* and grant him peace' 'o vou self
' ;;;;;;;;;;z' (q"i"" 8e: 28-30) "'JAb" Bakr said''Messenger
of Allah, this is bt""ifol" So the Messenser of Allah' mayAllah
blcss him and grant i't'i-pt'""' said' 'Ceriainly the angel will say
-h
,o yo,', at the time of death"
lbn Abi Hatim '*'i"ta ti"t .Amir ibn "Abdullah ibn az-Zubayt'
may Allah U" pf""tjli'n ['i*' '"ia' \7hen' And if we had decreed
frr thern, "rittyou,'iliit;;-iq"i"" 4:66):0 the end of the a1a'hw$
l*'r^r"i,fft;[;;;id''il-"""ger of Allah' if vou had ordered
nrc to kill myself I *;il n"" a""'t it" He said' 'You have told the
"Xlor*sim al-Baghawi narrated: Dawud ibn "umar narrated
to us: .Abdtil-Jabbaribn al-'\rard narrated that Ibn Abi Mulaykah
eaid: The tut"r,t'g"' olAiilf" *"'Altah bless him and grant him
;;". ;, r lt',.::T*;H;:T.[*It T:,Hl"o ;H xlman swim to hls c(
there only r.-"tt"i'[JNrt"tng"t of Allah' mayAllah bless him
and grant rri- pt"lo -Jau" [akr' So the Messenger of Allah'
mayAllah bl.,' hi* "td
granllrin Peace' swamtd'Abu Bakr until
he embraced him, "'d 'iid' 'If I were to take in intimate friend
until I meet Allahi*ot'ld have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate
friend, but he it *r";;;;"io"'' v'ttr concurred with him from
'Abdu l-Jabb^. iUt""iV"a' rU"'Asakir recorded it' "Abdu t-Jabbar
is trustworthy ""Jhi' shaykh' Ibn.Abi Mulaykah is an imam'
irpart from ,n. r""J ti* i'o ̂ *'nol except that it is very unusual
(ghareeb). r '"yt "-f"i"'""i "*""t
ed' k in at-Kabir' lbn Shahin in
as-sunnah i" """;;' *;to""ttttd back through Ibn'"Abbas'
Ibn Abi'd-D,'"y" '""* din Maharirn athkhkqandlbn "Asakir
by way of S"d"qa1l'^iUt fuf i*'n al-Qurashi that Sulayman ibn
7 Sa"id ibn Jubayr was an eminent Follower and not a Companion' Perhaps
rhe compani"" ft";;;;;ht ""'"tt' is missing' or the name is a mistake'
39
Abu Bakr as-Sidd'iqTnr Hrsronv oF THE Kneurens
Yasar said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grahim peace, said, 'The qualities of good are three hundred and sixryqualities.
'!7'henever Allah wishes good for a slave He puts in himone of those qualities by which he enters the Garden.' Abu Bakrsaid, 'Messenger of Allah, is there in me anything of them?' Hesaid, 'Yes, a summing of them all.'
Ibn'Asakir narrated by another route from Sadaqah al-Qurashirelated from a man that he said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, said, 'The qualities of good are
three hundred and sixty.' So Abu Bakr said, 'Messenger of Allah,do I have anything of them?' He said, All of them are in you, so
therefore joy to you, Abu Bakr.'Ibn "Asakir narrated by way of Mujamma" ibn Ya'qub al-Ansari
from his father that he said: The circle of the Prophet, n?y Allahbless him and grant him peace, was numerous and tightly gatheredtogether until it became like walls. Abu Bakr's seat would be empty,and none of the people would aspire to it. \7hen Abu Bakr came
he would sit in that spot, and the PropheL may Allah bless himand grant him peace, would turn his face to him, and direct hisdiscourse to him, and people would listen.
Ibn tsakir narrated that Anas, mayAllah be pleased with him,said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said,'Love ofAbu Bakr and gratitude to him are a duty on everyone of myummalt.'He narrated the like of it in a hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd.
He narrated that "lfishah, may Allah be pleased with her, in ahadith which is rnarftf, said: All people will be taken to accountexcept for Abu Bakr.
That which has been related from the Companionsand the right-acting early generations on his merit
Al:Bukhari narrated thatJabir, mayAllah be pleased with him, said:
'LImar ibn al-Khattab said, Abu Bakr is our chief (Sayyid).'
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Shu'ab al-Iman that "Uma5 may Allah
40
, hc pleased with him, said, 'If the-iman of Abu Bakr were to be
1 wcighed against th''l''nan ofthe inhabitants of the earth' he would
outweigh them''
Ibn Abi Khaythamah and "Abdullah ibn Ahmad ' in Zawa'id
*,-Z-uhd.,thr, "U*"', rn, Aff"f' !t n\1:td with him' said' Abu
Bskr was r r,,'p"'it! ""Jt*o*'' 49 "tImar said''I would that
I were a hair upon th:;h*;iAbt' B"k'" Musaddad narrated it in
hls Musnad.A"d f" "id' 'I would love t9 be in the Garden in such
l position that I tJd;; aut' e'Lt'' Ibn Abi'd-Dunya and Ibn
'Asakir narrated n' R"d he said' 'Certainly the scent of Abu Bakr
wf,s sweeter af'"' tl'" '"ltt oirnt"tt" Abt' itlu'aym narrated'it'
Ibn "Asakir ""**a't'* tqJi t"tt"d upon Abu li\t *l:" n"
was shrouded and 'Ja'-N"-"ne who *ill *ttt Allah with his
peges (of th. ,""o'd' of his deeds) is more beloved to 'me than this
lhrouded one"
Ibn "Asakir narrated that "Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq
mid: The Prophet, rn'r'nif'tt bless him and grant him peace' said'
tUmar ibn al-KhattJtold me that he never *:ttt*pttd to'be before
Abu Bakr ir, "
goojT"tionbut thatAbu Bakrwastefore him in it"
Atjlabarani t'*'oitJl n aLAw'at that 'Ali said:jy the One in
Vhose hand is my self, we never strove to be firs1 in a good acdon
but that Abu Bakr was before us in it'
He also narrated ;";;;;;';from Juhavfah that 'Ali said: The
trest of manki.d "ftt"i"
*--.;t"S-t ofAlt"ft' mayAllah bless him
ond grant hi- pt""t,";;;Al;;ir.,1a "IJmar' Love of me will
never be united *iJ';;;;;f Abu Bakr and "Umar in the heart
'?::tflA d, in al-Kabir tharlbn 'umar said: Three of Quravsh
are the most hands;. ;:;i of Quraysh and the best of them in
character, and the ';;;; h*""d & tht*' If they were to tell you
something ,r,"v *o'itj;';;;;; vou' |f vou told them something
they would not callil;il;' Rd'g'k''"s-Siddiq' Abu "Ubavdah
ibn al-Jarrah and "Uthman ibn'Aftan'
41
THp Hrs:rony oF THE Knerrrerrs
Ibn Sa'd narrated that Ibrahim an-Nakha.i said: Abu Bakr was
il1ii:^?!:::!,, :,fp":.io,"t. (ri .,"ily, one saying ..Ah,,
ili ;f T:?. ;.r"^' dear ror p't ;; ; *pri:'#; :'#1*" ;,i
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
lhrr Abi Dawud narrated in Kitab al-Masahif that Ja'far said:
Abu tlakr used to listen to the intimate conversation ofJibril withthe l)rophet,.nay Allah bless him and grant him peace, withoutrcelng him.
Al-Hakim narrated that Ibn al-Musayyab said: Abu Bakrwas, inclation to the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
ln the position of a deputy and he would take his counsel in all his
lffairs. He was his second in Islam, and his second in the Cave,
hls second in the shelter on the Day of Badr, and his second in the
grave. The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeflce, would not prefer anyone over him.
The had;th and. ayatwhich indicate his hhilafab,and the words of the intarns on that
Atjlirmidhi narrated, and he declared it hasan, and al-Hakim, and
he declared it sahih, that Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased withhlm, said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant
hlm peace, said, 'Follow the lead of the two who come after me,
A[iu Bakr and 'LJmar.'At-Tabarani narrated it from a hadith ofAbu'd-Darda'and al-Hakim ina badith of Ibn Mas"ud, mayAllahbc pleased with him. i
Abu'l-Qasim al-Baghawi narrated with a good isnad that'Abdullah ibn "Umar, mayAllah be pleasedwith him, said: I heard
the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
saying, 'There will be twelve hhalifahs after me; Abu Bakr will onlylast for a little.'There is unanimous agreement on the authenticityo[ the first part of this hadith, as it is narrated by many differentpaths. Its explanation has been given earlier in the introduction ofrhe book. In the rwo sahih books in the preceding hadith there is
that he, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, when he gave a
khutbah close to his death, said, 'There is a slave whom Allah has
given a choice ...' and in the end of which there is, And let not adoor remain but that it is closed except for the door ofAbu Bakr.'
Ibn lA'sakir narrated that ar-Rabi'ibn Anas said: It is recorded inthe First Book, 'The likenesr "foo";;iirr-siddiq is the rikenessof rain, wherever it falrs ir i, "f
b;;iJ'u ao-uruLrr, rs tne IIKeI
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that a.-RabiJ iu, arr". said: I'e considered
Hm::Tj,:f^*:f::*.,: :lJ:i courdnt nnd a prophetwho had a companio" ,l,. tL "rau" s"i;;*dil:;:"rrl..::.j
that azZuhri said: one of the -.rtrr*oribu Bakr is that he neverdoubted about Allah for an hour.He narrated that az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: I heard one of thepeople of knowledge saying, ,The
orators lwho gave the bhutbah)
ffi:::h::ompanions of th. M.rr.r,g., ofAilaf;, -, ai[iir.*him and g'"r,, hi-, p.".., *.r. lqil^i;; ;:ffi['l#lili['jAbi Thlib, mayAllah be pleased *f,1, U.rf, of them.,
He narrated thatAbu Aurry, ,rid, fh.r. was nor born to Adamamong his descendanrs anyone berter rhan Abu Bakr, after theprophets and messengers. Abu B"k, took a stand on the Day ofar-Riddah (repudiation of Islam. by ,,,"rry "rrne Arab tribes on thedeath of rhe prophet t nafAllah tl.r, hi_ and grant him peace)which was ljke the stand of one "i;;;;;ph.r, "-*"'
r'rrrr yL(
Ad .Dinuri narrared, i, n Ltwoisnf)l)i,1r,d r b., .Asaki
r that ash-sha. bisaid: Allah singled out Abu "g"k,
fo, four quarities with which hedid not single our any oth., p.r.or, ff. ,r_.a him as_Siddiq andnamed no-one apart from him as_Siddiq;;;.;;;;;_r:r."of the Cave along with, rhe rra.rr., g., o};ll;h:;;; fi i oilll,n,,,and grant him peace; h,:,:l:r....oil;; on the Hijrah; and theMessenger ofAIIah, mayAllah bless hi'm ,rri gr".r,lrim peace, orderedhim to lead the prayerwhire the M;riil;*.re wirnesses to that.
42
43
THs Hrsrony oF THE Knarrrens Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
pclcc, said to her, 'Call your father (Abu Bakr) and your brother
l() rhat I can write somerhing, for I fear that some desirous Person
wlll covet, and someone will say, "I am more worthy," and Allah
rncl the believers refuse all except Abu Bakr.'
Ahmad and others narrated it by various routes from her in some
of which she said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him
pcace, said to me in his sickness in which he died, 'Call .Abd ar-
il*h-"., ibn Abi Bakr and I will write a restament for Abu Bakr so
that no-one will disagree about him after me.' Then later he said,,[,cave it. I seek refuge with Allah that the believers should disagree
strout Abu Bakr.'
Muslim narrated that "Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
was asked, ''Who would the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
$rant him peace, have left as hhalifah if he had left a bhalifaD?' She
raid, Abu Bakr.' It was said to her, 'Then who after Abu Bakr?' She
raid, tUmar.' It was said to heq ''W.ho after'LJmar?' She said, .Abu
' Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.''[he two Shaykhs narrated that Abu Musa al-Ash"ari, may Allah
be pleased with him, said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, became ill and his illness became severe' So he
said, 'Command Abu Bakr and let him lead the deopl. in prayer",A ishah said, 'Messenger ofAllah, he is a man whoihas a tender heart.
If he stands in your place he will not be able to lead the people in
prayer.' He said, 'Command Abu Bakr and let him lead the people
in pr"y.r.' She repeatedwhat she had said and so he said, 'Command
Abu Bakr and let him lead the people in prayer; truly you are the
fiemale companions of Yusuf.' So the messenger came to him (Abu
Bakr) and he led the people in prayer in the lifetime of the Prophet,
mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. this hadith is mutawatir
and it is also narrate din hadith of "A ishah, Ibn Mas"ud, Ibn "Abbas,
Ibn "Umar, "Abdullah ibn Zam"ah, Abu Sa"id, .Ali ibn Abi Talib
and Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, and I have classified
their routes of transmission among the mutawatir hadith.In some
And in a wording of the two of them (ar-Bukhari and Musrim),'Let there not remain T g. mosque a passageway except the
passageway of Abu Bakr., The men of kn"wledle s"y, ,Thii i, anindication of the khilafah because he would go J,r, b;it (til;oorand passageway) to take the lead in the prayer fo, tL. Muslims.,This has been narrated of a hadith of Anas, may Allah be preasedwith him, and its wording is, .Close
these doors which opl., irr,otl..-grqy. excepr for the door ofAbu Bakr., lt i. .rrrot.i U, fU,Adi. And it is recorde din hadithof ",{ishah, -"yall"i b. pll"r.d
with her, which atjrirmidhi and others narrated, an din a b)dith ofIbn "Abbas in Zauta'id al-Musnad, and in a hadlthof Mu"awiyahibnAbi sufyan which atrrhbarani narrared, and in ^i)r)i "ir*narrated by al-Bazzar.
. The two Shaykhs narrated rhat Jubayr ibn Mut.im , nayAllahbe pleased with him, related f.om hi, f"th.. that he.*id, A*o-"ncaln: to the PropheL may Allah bless him and grant him peace,and he told her to come back to him rater. She sald, ''what dio yo*think if I come and.dont find you?, as if she were r"yi"g,;J.rrlr.,He said, 'If you don't find me then come ro Abu Bakr.,
"Al-Hakim narrated, and he declared it sahih,thar Anas, may Allah
be pleased with him,said: Banu Mustaliq senr me to the Merr.rrg"rof Allah, may Allah bless him
".rd g."rrt him peace, f."rr.gi, Orf.
him, "To whom should y: pay our"sadaqat (rakalrf,., yo".,i,,, SoI came to him and asked him and he saii, ,To Abu Bakr.,
Ibn'Asakir narrated that Ibn'Abbas, mayAlrah be pleased withboth of them, said: Awoman came ro the prophet, _"yAll"h bl.r,him and grant him peace, to ask him aboui rom.thirrg. He saidto her, 'Return (another time).' She said, 'Messenger or"ei"lr, ir rreturn and I don't find you?, (referring to his a.":tt ). He said, .Ifyou come and don'r find me, then come to Abu Bakr, for he is thekhalifah after me.'
Muslim narrared that "lfishah, may Allah be preased with her,said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAilah bless him
""a gr"rr;lrr_
44 45
Tur Hrsrony oF THE Kaerrreus
of the versions of the hr/rrhof fiishah, mayAllah be pleased withhet she said, ,I oersisted i., ,1r".*i,lr*ri.'rr.rr".rg., oiAII"h t r,afAIIah bless him and grant him p."... arirhat carried me to do thatwas that it did not ot.r, ,o me in my heart that people could everIove a man who stood in h,r;;#r[* n,_. It was only that Iwas of the view that never wourd anyone stand in his posirion bur:ffi::.:i.":".:l*nt I *^:i.tiffi it, and so r wished that
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
lbrr 'Asakir narrated that he ["Ali] said: Truly the Prophet ordered
Atru Bakr to lead the people in prayer and indeed I was present,
&nrl I was not absent and was not ill; and we were pleased for our
worldly affairs with the one whom the Prophet, may Allah bless
hlnr and grant him peace, was pleased with for orr deen.'lhe men of knowledge say that Abu Bakr was recognised for his
Ftness for the imamah during the time of the Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace.
Ahmad, Abu Dawud and others narrated that Sahl ibn Sa"d said:
'lhcre was fighting among Bani'Amr ibn'Awf and it reached the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so he came
to them after the midday prayil in order to make peace between
thcm. He said to Bilal, 'If it is the time of the prayer, and I don't
€ome, then order Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer.' \When itwas time for the afternoon prayer Bilal announced the prayer (with
tl'te iqamah) and then ordered Abu Bakr, so he led the prayer.
Abu Bakr ash-Shaf i narrated, in al-Ghaylaniyyat, and Ibn tsakirtlrat Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, said to the Prophet,
rnayAllah bless him and grant him peace, ''When you were ill you
gave precedence to Abu Bakr.' He said, 'I am not the one who gives
precedence to him, but it is Allah'!V'ho gives him ffrecedence.'Ad-Daraqutni narrated, in al-Afrad, al-Khateeb and Ibn 'Asakir
that 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'I asked Allah togive precedence to you three times, but He refused me save to give
precedence to Abu Bakr.'Ibn Sa"d narrated that al-Hasan said: Abu Bakr said, 'Messenger of
Allah, I still see myself (in dream) treading in people's courtyards.'
He said, 'You will be, among men, on away (sabeel)l He said, AndI saw on my breast something like two small dark marks.' He said,'Tko years.'
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Abu Bakrah said: I came to "L]mar,
and there were people with him eating. He threw a look among
rbnZam'ah' mayA'ah be preased with him, said that the prophet,mayAllah bless him ,nd grrnt hi,";;;., ordered them ro performthe prayer and Abu B,!. 6;;il;;;;dH;ll ff *,.and he prave d (as tm17l_.3_. nrilc ,i"yarh bress him and granthim peace' said, 'No! No! No!Alilil;he Muslims refuse "rry
butAbu Bakr. LerAbu-Bakr lead il;.d in prayer.,Ibn .Umar said: .Umar ,^id,;i;;r-nlliriThe prophe t, mayAIIah bless him and grant lrim pr^.r, irua his Zlkhu Akiar,, raised,his head in anger an-dsaid, .#h;;;;[n
Abi euhafah?,The men of knowredg. rry, t"-tir^" il)"nthere is the clearest ofproofs that as-Siddlq *rr "trof*.fy rir. U.st of the Companions,
:i,r'.TH:,lil'J?fi:"'i'h';;;;ii)uza,;fi ."#f il,,r,vAl-Ash.ari said: It is known of necessity, that the propher, mayAIIah bless him and,grant hil;;.., o.a.r.a as-siddiq that heshould lead the p.oplJin prryl, ffi;0"r.r.r.. of the Muhaiirunand the Ansar. Along *ir'h hi; .;;,;;, t^. il;ffi
,r,iZ,{*6,
XT,,::T,,O.st readof them in rhe Boll ofaffrl,,il Droves.h". r-
*;il::f ffi flf ? "?:i;ffi ;,:fiil # ;1,i1'*'i.::::
:ffi.}"P,#'d|;ff ; " d ;i;r-*,Ililff ' JH:TiJH'T
The Companions rhemserves soughr ro prove by this thar he wasthe one with the most right ," ,t,!-in)irnh, amongrhem "Umar-.and his words will follJw i",;;,:;;;;;T:i:.r::T, ,rr.allegiance - rrJ;;;"g them AIi. r on the act of pledging
46
4/
T[re Hrsrony oF THE Knerrrerrs
the hindmost of the people to a man and said, .I7hat do you fi,:r:l::l.y
'.:d ir,m b""t* ?r.--LJr".. you?, He said, ,Tkhalifth of the prophet, mayA,ah bt.r, h;;;;;rJ";'n",_;.J:is his Siddiq.'
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Muhammad ibn az-Zubayrsaid: .umar
:nitj_i-"Aziz senr me to al_Hasan "l_B"rri
to ask him some)methings' So I came to him ands"id, 'S"ii.fy me regarding that about
:l:*rf:Ole disagree. Did.the p-ph.,,;ayAltah bless him andgrant him. p€ace, appoint Abu Bakr as it ntiynt r So al-Hasan whowas seated drew himself up and said., ,Is it in any doubt? you have
1 3rl* 6 Or,.I.rbjl Ar_abic .*pr.rrio.r) ByAllah, the One \rhom
from.ayat of the eurbn. Al_Hasan rl"J;;, #Jfr;H:words, exalted is He, ,O you who belieue, uthoeuer oyyo:u ffi, oo
there is no god but Him, le
de$iTly apiolnt d h im as hhalifah. Hewas cerrainly more knowing ofAllah, ".rd
_or. f.rrf"ff/.rUlai.r,of Him, and more rtrorrglyl."rful of Hi* than that he should dieupon it without making him take the command.,
Ibn 'Adi narrated thrtAb,, Bakr ibn Ayyash said: Ar-Rashid saidto me, Abu Bakr, h.y g,i the people appointAbu Bakr as *ilityrnfI said, Amir al-Mu,minin, aim *ri'ril.o,, ""J ffrrl,f.I.rg..
was silent and the mu'minunwere silent., He said, ,By Allah, youhave only increased me in confusion., He said, Zmir al_Mu,minin,the Prophet, rrxyAllah bless t,-,.ri frrr,, him peace, was sickfor eight days and Bira-r entereJ;ilffi and said, .,Messenger
ofAllah, who should lead the people'in pr^yrrl,, He said, ,,OrdeiAbuBakr to lead the people i, pr"y...,, d il" Bakr led the people inprayer for eight days whire the reveration was stilr desceffi. sothe Messenger of Allah, may Allah Uf.r, fri_ and grant him peace,was silent because of,the siLnce ofAlrah, and the rnu'minunweresilent because of the silence of the M;;;g., ofAllah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace.' so he (Ibn "Ayyash) astonished him(ar-Rashid), and he said, ,MayAll"h il;;you.,
*f :::r*lr'j::f 1".J1..9*.a.a,"yain.kh;tafahoras-Siddiq
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
hh deen then Allah utill bring a people whorn He loues and ulto loue
Hlnt, .. .' (Qur'an 5: 54) - 'It means Abu Bakr and his companions,
fur, when the Arabs reneged on their Islam, Abu Bakr and his
Eompanions waged jihadagainst them until they made them return
to lslam.'Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated that Qatadah said, '\7hen the Prophet,
mny Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, the Arabs reneged
(on their Islam).'Then he mentionedAbu Bakr's fighting them untilhe said, '\7e used to say that this ayahwes revealed aboutAbu Bakr
rnd his companions, "Then Allah will bring a people whom He loues
md who loue Him." (Qur'an 5:54)'Ibn Abi Hatim narrated thatJuwaybir said, concerning His words,
exalted is He, 'Say to those taho utere krt behind of the desertArabs,
"You will be called to (fiSht) a people of great power ..."' (Qurhn 48:
l(r),'They were Banu Hanifah.'IbnAbi Hatim and Ibn Qutaybahraid, 'This ayah is a proof of the hhildfdh of as-Siddiq, because he
was the one who called people to fight them.''the Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash"ari said: I heard Abu'l-"Abbas
lbn Shurayh saying, "Ihe khilafal of as-Siddiq is in the Qur'anln this ayah (above).' He said, 'Because the people of knowledge
unanimously agree that after its revelation there w53 not any fightwhich they were called to except for Abu Bakr's ialling them, and
the people, to fight those who reneged (on their Islam) and refused
the zakat.' He said, 'That indicates the necessity of the hhildfdh
of Abu Bakr and the obligation of obedience to him, since Allahinforms us that the one who turns away from that will be punished
painfully.' Ibn Kathir said: And whoever explains the 'people of great
power' as being the Persians and the Byzantines then as-Siddiq is
the one who equipped and prepared the armies to go against them,rnd the completion of their affair was left to'LJmar and'Uthmanwho are two branches of as-Siddiq. And Allah, exalted is He, says,
'Allah has promised the ones wlto belieae and do right actions that Hewill definitely appoint them as khulafa' in the land, ...' (Qrr'an 24:
4849
Ibn Abi Hatim narrared in his tafiir that"Abd ar-Rahman ibnAbd al-Hamid al-Mahdi said: ThJgranting of authority to AbuBakr and'[Jmar is in the Book ofAil"ah. AIr;h, exarted irh., ,"yr,-Allah
has promised the ones who believe and do right actions thatHe will definiteh appoint them as hhutafa' in th.i"rrJ, ...; trp ,othe conclusion of the ayah.
Al-Khateeb narrated that Abu Bakr ibn .Ayyash said: Abu Bakras-siddiq isthe hhalifahof the Messenger ofafi"h, -"yattJ ut.r,him and grant him peace, in the eur,Irr, because All"fr, .*"fr.a i,He,, s1).s, 'For the poar emigrants *ho *r* expelledfrom ihri, ho*r,aytd (e!r pyopnties seekin[ bountyfrom Attai and contentmrenitt, andthey help Allah and His Misenger.- iho* thry are tbe trutlful., (eurhn59: 8). The onesAllah-nameJ.truthful (siddlqun), rr. iot li"i, ,rrdthey said, 'Khalifah of the Messenger ofAilah.'Ibn Kathirr"ia, egood deduction.
Al-Bayhaqi narrared from azza'farani that ash-Shafi.i said: peopreare unanimously agreed.on the khirafah of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. Th".is because people were hard pr..r.i after the M.rr.rrg.r-of1{ilrh,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but they ?ra .ro, nrraunder the expanse of the iky o.r. b.it , than Abu B"kr, ,o theygave him authority over them.
Asad as-Sunnah narrated in his Fada'ir rhat Mu.awiyah ibnQurrah said: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, _"ryAllah. bless h11 1d grant him peace, never doubted that Abu Bakrwas the hhalifah of the Messenger of Ailah, may Ailah ti." r,rr1d.S1a1t him peace, and theyLuld not call iim
""y,lrrrg U*
the hhalifah of the Messenger of Allah, may Alrah blers him-andgrant him peace, and they rr.,o.,
"gr..d unanimously on , -irrlLfor a misguidance.
Tirs Hrsronv oF THE Kueupens
55) up to the conclusion of the ayah. This ayh fits the hhikfahas-Siddiq.
Al-Hakim narrared, and he decla red,it sahih,that Ibn Mas.ud, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: \Mhat rhe Musrims view
", good i,
50
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
wlth Allah good. And what the Muslims view as bad is with Allahbed. The Companions all held the view that they should appoint
Atrtr Bakr as the hhaffih.Al-Hakim narrated, and adh-Dhahabi declared it sahih, that
Murrah avTayyib said: Abu Sufyan ibn Harb came to Ali and
;uicl, ''W'hat is it with this authority that it is among the very least ofQuraysh and the humblest of them?'meaningAbu Bakr,'ByAllah,lf t had wished I would have filled it against him with horses and
men.' He said that "Ali said, 'How long you have been at enmitywith Islam and its people, Abu Sufyan, and that did not hurt it at
sll. We found Abu Bakr worthy of it (the hhilafah).'
The oath of allegiance to him'[he two Shaykhs narrated that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allahbe pleased with him, addressed the people upon his return fromthe Hajj and said in his khutbah: It has reached me that so-and-
so of you said, 'If "Umar were to die I would pledge allegiance toso-and-so.' Let no man deceive himself by saying, 'The pledge ofnllegiance to Abu Bakr was made suddenly and unexpectedly.' Itwas like that but Allah protected (u0 from the evil of it. There is
not among you today one behind whom the neckstf competitors
stop short (an Arabic expression) like Abu Bakr. He was one of the
best of us when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, died. Ali and az-Zubayr and those with themstayed back in the house of Fatimah. theAnsar all stayed away fromtrs in the roofed gallery of Bani Sa'idah. The Muhajirun gathered
around Abu Bakr, so I said to him, Abu Bakr, let us be offto ourhrethren, the Ansar.' So we went off until two good men met us
and mentioned to us what the people had done. They said, .Where
do you intend (going) Muhajirun?' I said, ''W'e want our brethrenthe Ansar.' They said, 'You must not approach them, but decide
your own affair, Muhajirun.'I said, 'ByAllah, we will go to them.'We went on until we came to them in the roofed gallery of Bani
51
THn Hrsronv oF THE KnaureHs
Sa"idah and there thel w;re all garhered, and right in the midd
*Tf :;fldr :"T,* .,p. r .Iid, ,\rh; is this?, rhey said, ,Sa,
ibn .Ubadah., I said, \yhat is yr;;; ffi;,;;i *.;;,j::;:lllj,lti:^Yj." *: ,1: d:I": their sleaker srood, praised Alrah aHe is worthy and said, And ro* *. ;;;r;;;;;;"?^L#""a:i:}:Tl:f *l,a- and you, urotnit*o,are a handful "f;::and a party of you have come at a leisurel)r pace wishing ,o .rrrolus and exclude us from the comma"d.,\il;;h;;;ril;il,wanted ro speak. I had prepared a speech that pleased me and whichL,:li:r,. *,,I..r in ihe pr.se".. of Aiu Bakr. I used to fear in
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
'Stretch out your hand, Abu Bakr,' and he stretched out his hand
trrd I swore allegiance to him, the Muhajiran swore allegiance to
hlm, then theAnsarswore allegiance to him. ByAllah, we did notfind in that for which we assembled a matter more fitting than the
pleclge of allegiance to Abu Bakr. \7e feared that if we separated
from the people and there was no pledge of allegiance that theywould conclude a pledge of allegiance after we had gone, and we
would have to pledge allegiance on a basis with which we were notpleased, or we would have to oppose them so that there would be
rtrife over that.An-Nasa'i, Abu Ya"la and al-Hakim, who declared it sahih,
narrated that Ibn Mas"ud said: \7hen the Messenger ofAllah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken, the Ansar said,
'[,et there be from us an amir and from you an Amir.'"Umar ibnel-Khattab, mayAllah be pleasedwith him, came to them and said,
Ansdr, do you not know that the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace, ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people (in
salah)? So which ofyou would be pleased to give himself precedence
over Abu Bakr?' The Ansar said, ''We seek refuge with Allah thatwe should give ourselves precedence oyer Abu Bakr.'
Ibn Sa"d, al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi narrated th"3t"Abu Sa"id al-Khudri said: The Messenger of Allah, may Aillh bless him and
grant him peace, died and the people assembled in the house ofSa"d ibn "Ubadah and among them wereAbu Bakr and'Umar, and
the public speakers of the Ansar stood up and one of them began tospeak, saying, 'You men of theMahajirun,whenever the Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant them peace,
appointed one of you to any position of authority, he paired one ofus with him; we think therefore that a man from us and a man fromyou should be appointed to this command.'The public speakers oftheAnsar followed each other on that same theme. Then ZaidibnThabit stood up and said, 'Do you not know that the Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, was one of the
ar lnhim a lack of incisiveness "rrd
h. was milder, _or. ArUJ"ra* rfr""me and more dignified. Then Abu Bakr said, ,Gently., r Jiriil.a ,"anger him, and he w,as,mole knowledgeable than _.. gyAiil, lr.did not leave a word.that hrd plearei _. in my prepared speechbut that he said it in his ,po.rrr.r.o.r; ,dk, the like of it and betterthan it until he was sileni. He said, ;*o*
as for that good whichyou have mentioned about yourselves, you are worthy of it, butthe Arabs will never recognise thi, .om-"nd except among this
f:,j:l:la"rarsh. lhey ar; the midmost (nobtest) of the Arabsby descent and by tribe, and I ",, ;;;;.nted for you with Ji:;of these rwo men, (so pledge rllegiance te whichever.i,h.; yo,,wish" He took hold olm/h".rd"".rd the hand of Abu "Ubavdahibn al-Jarrah (and he was seared berween ;ffi ii,i,r..a""*,"*he had seid aPart from that. It was, byAllah, such that if I were tobe put forward and my head struck
"C ,1r", "., ";;;;l;r; _.!*":r.. of
.^_ny guilt, it would have been more beloved to me thanthat I should assume command ou.,
" p.opte among whom was AbuBakr' Then a speaker from them ,"ij, 'I'",, of those by means ofwfiose counsel people seek relief and one having
" a,-ril rirr, *ffaid and defend me (literally, 'I am their m,r.h_rib.dtirri..,ruuing
post and their honoured little palm_tree,). L.;;i.; ;;;;;, ""amirandfrom you an.Amir,euraysh., fh.., th. confusion increasedand voices were raised untir I beca-. ,nlia ofdissension, so I said,
5253
THr Hrsrony oF THE KHarrreus
Muhajirun and his kharifah is one of the Muhajirunand we were
i!:1f*:".!the.Messenger of Allah ,rd *. shall be the Ansar oIy\e hhaltfah of the M.srJ,g.,
"f AIJ j;rt as we were his Arrnr.jHe took the hand of Abu iakr and ,"ii, ,Thi.
is your ;";,;;.,
Abu Bakr as-Stddtq
one of you is weak until I take what is due from him, inshaAllah.
No people forsake jihadin rheway ofAllah but that Allah deliversg humiliating blow to them. Nor does indecency ever spread among
e people but that Allah envelops them in trials. Obey me as long
es I obeyAllah and His Messenger, and if I disobeyAllah and HisMessenger then you do not owe me obedience. Stand up for your
prayer, may Allah have mercy upon you.'
Musa ibn'Uqbah narrated, inhis Maghazi, and al-Hakim, who
cleclared k sabih, that "Abd ar-Rahman ibn "Awf said: Abu Bakr
gave an address (khutbah) and said, 'By Allah, I was never eager
fbr a position of command for even as long as a day or a night,
and I never desired it, and I have never asked Allah for it in secret
nor openly. However, I was afraid of dissension. I will have no
rest in command. I have been invested with a mighty matter forwhich I have not the energy, nor the power, except it be by Allahtstrengthening.' "Ali and tz-Zubayr said, ''We were not angry except
that we were too late for the counsel, and we see Abu Bakr as the
person most fitted for it. He was the Companion of the Cave. \7e'know his honour and his excellence. The Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered him to lead the people
in prayer while he was yet alive.'
Itn Sa"d narrated that Ibrahim at-Tamimiisaid: \7hen theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grantthem peace, died,'LJmar came to Abu'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and
said, 'stretch out your hand so that I can pledge allegiance to you.
You are the trusted one of this ummah according to the tongue ofthe Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' So Abu
"Ubaydah said to "lJmar, 'I never thought you weak in your mindbefore this, since I became aMuslim. \flouldyou pledge allegiance tome when among you there is as-Siddiq, the "second of the two"?'
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr said that Abu Bakr said to "lJmar,'stretch out your hand so that I can pledge allegiance to you.' "LJmar
said to him, You are better than me.'Abu Bakr said to him, 'You are
'{.-Imar:y"r: allegiance to him ""a ,f,., ;;;"M;;;;rr""*, ,n.Ansar. Abu Bakr ascended the minbar"rd took.J
"r,p..pf.i a*,and did not find azZubayr,so he called for az_Zubayrand he came.He (Abu Bakr) said, ,you said, son of the
".rrrt of th. fr,.r.."g.r.fAllah' mayAllah bress him and grant rri- p.r.., and his dis-cipre,that you want ro break the ,r"ff#th. Muslims., So he said, ,There
is no. blame on you Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah,, and hestood and pledged ailegiance to him. Then he rooked at the facesof the people and courJ nor see ari.o h. summoned him and hecame. He said, 'you said, son of the uncle of the M.rr.;g;;;feffrUT:1,13i1,:::1,^-:_"0
grant him peace, and his ,.h;i; ,i,""gl,marriage to his daugtltg, thrt youLnt to break the staff;;i.Muslims.' So he said, .There is no blame on you, Khalifah of theM-essenger ofAIIah,,and he pledged allegiance to him.
_ Ibn Ishaq said in as-Sirahl.
^r_Zuhrinarrared ro me: Anas ibnMalik narrated ro me and he said: \7hen_Abu Bakr was pledgedallegiance in the assembly hall, then, or, ,h. morrow, h; ,;;;p.,the minbar and .{.Jmar stood and spoke before OU" Uri, O.rir.dAllah, and said, Allah has grth...d your aurhority to the best ofyou, the Companion of the Messenger ofAllah ani ,t r;iu"rA rythe,t1o .*hr:_they nto were in the iaue,, (eur,an 9, 4i7,r" ,ora
iid p].9g. allegiance to,him,,and the p.opli pl.dg.d rli.;;;. ,"Abu Bakr.with a generar and pubric "tLgi"rr.. after the aregiancemade in the assembly halr. Then Abu B'"k. rpok , pr"iJfiun,
and said, And now, people, I have been put in authority over youand I am not the b..t of you. So if I do iight ,t.r, lr.p L., "ra
,fI 10
wrorg then put me straight. Truthfurness is a sacred rrust andlying is a berrayal. The weak;". r-;;;yo,, i, srrong as far as I amconcerned until I resrore to him his rig}i,'inshaAllah,"and th..tro.rg
5455
TirB Hrsronv oF THE KHar,rpaus
stronger than me,' and he repeated it, but'LJmar said, 'Myshall be for you along with your merit,' and he swore allegiance tohim.
Ahmad narrated that Humayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn "said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, died while Abu Bakr was with some of the people
Madinah, so he came and uncovered his face and kissed him andsaid, 'May my father and mother be your ransom, how sweet youare in life and death. Muhammad has died, by the Lord of theKa"bah!' and he mentioned the rest of the hadith and then he said:
Abu Bakr and 'Umar went off in haste until they came to them.Then Abu Bakr spoke and he didn't leave out anything that Allahhad revealed about the Ansar nor anything that the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had mentionedabout them but that he mentioned it, and he said, 'You know that'the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
said, "If mankind were to travel in one valley and the Ansar'wereto travel in another valley, I would travel in the valley of the Ansar."You know, Sa"d, that the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, said while you were seated, "Quraysh are theauthorities of this matter, and the best of mankind will follow thebest of them and the worst of them will follow the worst of them."'So Sa'd said to him, 'You have told the truth.'We are the deputiesand you are the commanders.'
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Abu Sa"id al-Khudri said: 'When AbuBakr was pledged allegiance, he saw some dejection among peopleand so he said, '\7hat is holding you back? Am I not the one withthe most right to this command? Am I not the first to accept Islam?
Am I not ...? Am I not ...?' and he mentioned various qualities.Ahmad narrated that ar-Rafi'at-Ta'i said: Abu Bakr told me about
his pledge of allegiance and what the Ansar had said, and what"[Jmar had said, and he said, 'So they pledged allegiance to me andI accepted it from them. I was afraid that there would be dissension
56
Abu Bahr a"s-Siddiq
nnd, after it, reneging (from Islam)' Ibn Ishaq and Ibn'"Abid' in
l'tis Maghazl, from hiL"#nt hr-Rafi") said to Abu Bakr' ''!V'hat
made you take upon fot"'"lf tht governance of the people and you
forbade me taking colrr*rra of (.i.") rwo people?' He said' 'I could
not find any escape f;;;' i *"' "foia-of
division in the umrnah
of Muhamm"a, *"y"AllJ itt" him and grant him pt"tt: ,
Ahmad narrated t#a; tbn {bi H"'i- said' 'l sat with Abu
tlakr as-siddiq " ,"o*l' li"''ht death of the Messenger of Allah'
mav Allah bl"" hi* l"i g'""' him peace" and he mentioned
irir'r;;;;'6t" tl" crv went up.lmong people' "The praver is
summoned." Ptoplt gJtnt"a ""d ht
"Jttt'dtd the minbar then
said, "I would f""t tnL "*tl* *t"' than mewould take care of
this authori.y fo' *t' if you take me to taskby rhe Sunnah of your
Proohet I am not up to it' He was protected from the shaytan' and
Hffi;;r.;;;;.,"'nd uPon him rrom heaven'"'
Ibn Sa"d ,t"""ttj-li'ltll-fi""t al-Basri said: \7hen Abu Bakr
was pledged dttg;;h;"ooa "aattssing the people and said'
.Now, I have U*" j". ,";** of this aut-hority and I dislike it.
By Allah, I would lout th"t o"" of you would iake ""tt of it for
me. If you charge me with acting among you with- the like of the
action of the n"pt'* -"y nff"f'"Ult" hi- and graht him peace' I
cannor undertake;;-T# prophet, mayAlrah bfess him.and grant
him peace, was a 'i;;;* 'tu"r' ho"oo'ed with revelation and
orotected him by n Cro* error)' I am.only human' I am no.better
ffi;;;;;;li;il ";" oi-'' and if vou see me going straight
then follow -" ";;;;;;t t"t deviaiing then set me straight'
Know that I have a 'hoytonwho
seizes uPon me; w'hen fou-see me
becoming ,''gry i'"'^""t0-1' t1 1r'"'
I do not leave traces and
marks on your r'"otl"a y""*tt/t: . .,- -^--^.i^- ^fIbn Sa'd """""j'-'"i "irh*"tb'
in the narradon of Malik'
that "Urwatr ,"ia, *h , Abu Bakr was appoint:+'I addressed
people with a kh:";;;;' i praised Allah "t'd '"id' 'Now' I have
been appointed in comm""do't"' you and I am not the best of you'
57
Trrr Hrsrony oF THE KrrerrraHs
However, the eurhn was revealed, the prophet, may Allahl::::1 ::: him peace, r,id d;;;;.1,,,o_",y d iffercnt suand we-were taughl so we learnr. S., k;;;,;.Jr_;Tl:#f:;i::::::::'::l9t:: is th'.*19 h"'t il most rearrur obedience
Allah."Irmardidnotsito;t;ilff;';;'i;::::?;;:Hiiilland 'Uthman did not sit in "Umart pt".. urtil he met Allah.
(tuqa); that the most incapabt. (f.;i"fir:,ffi;XH[#l.J,hr:,r|. strongesr ofyou,
", a. ".lltlr..rr.d, is the weak oneuntil I take his right for him; and ,hail weakest ofyou, as far asI am concerned' is the strong "". ,rJiitake from him what he isdue (to give). people, I am Jrrty r;l];, I am not an innovator,so that if I do welr, help -. "rd tf i;;;;. then put me straight. Isay these words of mini and I seek ri. forgir.rress ofAIIah for me
;l[f:l1,#;1ff:ll.No_o,. *iii.".; b, ^n
ii*(i.,. ,**t
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
That which happened in his hhilafah'lhose weighty matters which happened in his days were the despatch
of Usamaht army; fighting against the people who reneged (on
lslam) and against those who refused the zahat; Musaylimah thel,iar; and the collection of the Qur'an.
Al-Isma"ili narrated that "Umar, mayAllah be pleased with him,said: 'W'hen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him andgrant him peace, died there reneged whoever reneged of the Arabs
arrd they said, '\7e will pray but we will not produce the zahat.' Iwent to Abu Bakr and said,'Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah,be conciliatory with the people and be gentle and mild with them,fbr they are only on the level of wild animals.' He said, 'I hopedfor your help and you have come to me holding back your help.'lyrannical in Jahiliyyah and granting licence in Islam! \7ith whatdid you think I should conciliate them? \7ith composed verses
and forged magic? Away, away!The Prophet, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, has gone and revelation is cut off. By Allah,I will fight them as long as the sword remains in my hand, even ifthey refuse me a hobbling rope (of a camel).' "LJmar said: I foundhim more penetrating on the matter than me, more resolute, andhe collected the people together on matters which*appeared littleand unimportant to many because of their incodvenience to themwhen I was appointed in command over them.
Abu'l-Qasim al-Baghawi, Abu Bakr ash-Shafi"i, in his Fawa'id,and Ibn'Asakir narrated that "Aishah, mayAllah be pleased withher, said:
'When the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, died then hypocrisy raised its head, the Arabsreneged and the Ans ar secluded themselves. If that which descended
on myf"therhad come down on the immovlle mountains itwouldhave broken them. They did not disagree'on a point but that myfather was prompt with its utility and its judgement. They said,'tWhere should the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, be buried?'\7e could not find anyone with knowledge of
Al-Hakim narrated in his Mustadrakthat Abu Hurayrah, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: vir." rL. uessenger ofAlrah, mayAIIah bless him ""d gr."1lhi-;eacq'i,.d, Makkah was shakenwith an earthquake
"rd ebu q"iraf, h.rrd that and said, .\'hatis this?' They said, ,lhe
\Ies11ig., ;Allrh, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, has died., ti..rid, ^A
*o_.rrous thing. x7hohas undertaken the command after him?, They said, ,yorr.In., Hesaid' Are Banu "Abd Manafand g"";li-Ia"ghirah
contented withthat?'They said, ,yes., He said,,il_.". *", put down what theyraise up and no-one may raise up what they put down.,Al-vaqidi narrated in'a variety'
"i*lir'rrr"t .A ishah, Ibn .umar,
Sa'id ibn al-Musa'vab and other, ..r"r.'** abu Bakr wa. pr.dg.datlegiance on the'd' av that h; ^;;;;i;il,, ;#i,fili._liT ,",,t:nr him p.".., died, on ivro'J"y the ,2th night of Rabi"al-Awwal in the eleventh year of the Uiirrfr.
At-Tabarani narrated in'ar-Awsat h";H".[./mar said: Abu Bakrnever sar on that olace upon which th. Messenger ofAIIah, mavAllahbless him and erant I .
All,h .rr*^__ri-, 1'- peace, sat upon the minbarunril ire met
5859
Tnr Hrsrony oF THE Krrarrrarrs
that. Then Abu Bakr said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah, maAllah bless him and grant him peace, saying, "No Prophet dies butthat he is buried beneath the bed upon which he died."' She said:They disagreed about his inheritance and could find no-one withknowledge on that point, thenAbu Bakr said, 'I heard the MessengerofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, "'We,
the company of the Prophets, we are not inherited from. \7hat weleave is sadaqah."'
Some of the men ofknowledge said: This was the first disagreementwhich happened among the Companions, mayAllah be pleasedwiththem. Some said, '\7e will bury him in Makkah, his city in whichhe was born', and others said, 'No, in his mosque,' and others said,'No, in al-Baqi"', and others said, 'In al-Bait al-Maqdis, the burialground ofthe Prophets', untilAbu Bakr told them ofthe knowledgethat he had. Ibn Zunjawayhsaid: This Sunnah was one which wasuniquely as-Siddiqt among all of the Muhajirun and Ansar andthey had recourse to him for it.
Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn 'Asakir narrared that Abu Hurayrah, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: 'By the One'$7'hom there is no godbut Him, ifAbu Bakr had not been appointed khalifih then Allahwould not have been worshipped.' Then he said it a second time andthen he said it a third time. Someone said to him, 'How so, AbuHurayrah?' So he said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, directed Usamah ibn Zaid, along withseven hundred men, to Syria. SThen they arrived at Dhu Khushubthe Prophet, nay Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, theArabs around Madinah reneged on their Islam and the companionsofthe Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granr him peace,
gathered around him and said, "Bring these back. Do you directthese against the Byzantines while the Arabs around Madinah have
reneged?" He said, "By the One S7hom there is no god but Him,even if dogs were dragging the wives of the Prophet, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace, by their feet I would nor rerurn an army
60
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
wlrich the Messenger of Allah had sent out' nor undo a-standard
which he had ti.dt" Ht sent lJsamah' and every tribe he would
puss by which *", *i'f ing !; r.:"tgt would say (to themselves)' "If
[il;. i,il;;"pr. "rrt'r'Jti"h) did
"not h"u' Power' th€ like of,these
(the army) would to'f'"" come out from among them' so let us
lcave them "lor..,"til thty -t"'the Byzantines'" They met them'
dcfieated them, ki[ti Jt- "d "tt""td safely' so that they (the
tribes) remained firm in Islam"
And he narrated tf'"i"Ut*"ft said: The Messenger ofAllah' may
Allah bless hi- ",'dg""t t"rn Peace' began t: sly in his illness'
,Despatch the army o[Ur"rrrrh,' .o th"t itiravelled until it reached
al-Jurf (three -it"'-f'o- Madinah on the road to Syria)' His
(Usamah's) wife, Fatimah bint Qais' sent a message to him saying'
'Donothasten,becausetheMessengerofAllah'malAllahblesshim and gr"r't him i;;i; heavily Imitttd" He did not proceed
until the tut.rr..rg."oiAitah' may A[[ah bless him and grant him
Deace, died. \When ilil' ht "tt""td to Abu Bakr and said' 'The
tM.;;;;;;;fAllah, mavAllah bless him and grant him peace' sent
me while we were ;;ff thi' tt"t" of yours' i ft"t that the Arabs
will reject itheir Islam)' and if they reject' they are the first to be
i""girJ. ir rL* a" "oi'";tt'' r wili carrv on' becaus€ with me are
rhe chiefs of the p;i. il;he best of t'h.-.'Ahnr Bakr addressed
the people ""a ,rii,t gy Ru"h' that birds (of prey) were to snatch
me away is more itrt'ia i" me than that I should give anything
precedence over the command of the Messenger ofAllah' mayAllah
Lless him and grant him peace'' Then he sent him'
Adh-Dhahabi "idt\ff* the death of the Prophet' may Allah
bless him "td g'""ihim peace' became well known in the districts'
many grouP, of tf" A"is reneged on their Islam ahd refused the
zd.kat soAbu Bakr as-Siddiq prepared to fight+#-.','lJrnar and
others counselled tttrn to "'oidfig:hti"g
tht*' so he said' 'ByAllah'
if they refused .". " t'"UUitt'g goia.ot "
yo"1s.t!1-goat which they
used to Pay to ,f,. rtf**ttgt' ifAtl"h' mayAtlah bless him and grant
6r
Tirs Hrsrony oF THE Kuarrraus
for the zakat is what *r:.:l,r*;;:;; firriii:il#{J;irs due."' .Umar said, .By Allah, i, *";;;;;;;il; in* [,r"nhad expanded the breast of Abu Bakr to fighting and I knew thatit was right.' The two shaykhs ,rrd oth.r" narrated it.'Urwah said: Abu Bakr wenr o", *irt ,t. Muhajirun ind.theAnsaruntil he reached a swa
with tt_^;* L *zt: - _ rmp opposite Najd and the nomadicArabs fled
and ordered him to fi ght people ; ;;;*;, ;;i::HJ#:abandoned one of ,t.-,, h:. yrr;" il; him just as he was tofight whoever abandoned a, five: tt r'rinlrnd*r that there is nogod but Allah and thar tvtuh"mm"dl"u* srave and messenget
with their families. 4 o:;e,:*;ilT;#";;?:H:iil:,t:back to Madinah, to the .hildrJ ,;;;men, and put a man incommand ofthe army,, and theypersisted until h. r.;;;;; iurrrr*Khalid ibn al-\Malid i., .omm"ri. ff.,"ia ,";;;, :;;.;]rillrn,,Islam and pay the sa(W! At r rrilri ien whoever of you wishesto return may rerurn,, and Abu Bakr went back to Uri""fr.Ad-Daraqutni narrated that Ibn'u-r-, said: \ThenAbu Bakr setout and was mounred on his camel, .efi iU, Abi Thlib took hold ofits reins and said, ,Where
"r.yougoi.r*, "fr"fraf, "fih; M;;rg.,ofAllah? I say to vou that which ,i'. fr,'.r...rger ofAllah, may AIIahbless him
"nd gr"r,r l,i,, p.r.., .;';;, on the Day of Uhud,"Sheath your sword, a.,d do
"o,'."ur. u1'griefand concern for yourperson," and rerurn to Madinah, for, Uf iUah, if we rr..r,rr.a"iigrl.J. ?...1ry. of you there will
"o, i.'".ry order in Islam ever.,
,^y::jl":ll,li 1'l al_Laythi *id;;; Abu Bakr sent Kharid
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
tlrc establishment of the prayer, the production of the zakat,thc fast of Ramadan and the pilgrimage of the House. Khalidend those with him went out in Jumada al-Akhirah and foughtBrrnu Asad and Ghatafan. They killed whomever they killed and
eaptured whomever they captured, and the rest returned to Islam.
In this event "Ukkashah ibn Mihsan and Thabit ibn Aqram were
ntartyred.In Ramadan of this year, Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with
her, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himend grant him peace, died, the Mistress (Sayyidah) of the world'swomen, and her age was twenty-four years old. Adh-Dhahabisaid: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, had no descendants but through her, because the issue ofhis daughter Zaynab became extinct, az-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said.
Umm Ayman died a month before her. In Shawwal Abdullah ibnAbi Bakr died. Then Khalid went with his army to al-Yamamah tofight Musaylimah the Liar, towards the end of the year. The twohosts met, the siege lasted some days, and then the Liar was killed,mayAllah curse him.'Wahshi, the one who killed Hamzah, killedhim. A great number of the Companions were martyred there: AbuHudhayfah ibn "Utbah, Salim the freed slave of AStr Hudhayfah,Shuja" ibn \7ahb, Zaidibnal-Khattab, tbdullah ibn Sahl, Malikibn tmr, atJirfayl ibn "Amr ad-Dawsi, Yazid ibn Qais,
.Amir ibnal-Bukayr, Abdullah ibn Makhramah, as-Sa'ib ibn "Uthman ibnMadh"un, Abbad ibn Bishr, Ma'an ibn "Adi, Thabiqibn Qais ibnShamas, Abu Dujanah Simak ibn Harb and a large nudrber totallingseventy (of the Companions). Musaylimah, on the dayofhis death,was one hundred and fifty years old, his birth having been before
the birth of tbdullah, the father of the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace.
In the twelfth year, as-Siddiq sent al-tla' ibn al-Hadrami toBahrain who had reneged. So they met atJawatha and the Muslimswere victorious. He sent "Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl to Oman who had
him peace, I wourd fight them over irs refusal., .L/mar said, .
;i: fti i:T,p:::! *r.n t!; {ey en ger of A I rah, m ay Alahh i m an d g."r,i h i - peace, r"id-.i;;;i;; ililrT:ffi':r*i
l^Tirl"Z:l1T.;.: is no god.uw ai"l-"nd that Muhammad ithe Messenger of Ailah, ""; ;;;;;;;;'#*#. ffi:iliffi iil
ll:T,::::11:T T-. *".p,,ro,, i,, a.i. (punishment ror crimes)
:"1 ht: reckoning is up to Aliah."?,Abu il[;;, ilffif:iT:ii
i:!::r: :;::,T: [.^,-,, 1, : t i nc r ion b.,*.* t h. p r ay er a nd, th e z a k a t,
62
63
Tnr Hrsrony oF THE Krrarrrens
Abi Jahl was martyred i, it and Hisham iU" "f_.a, "_;;;;;;.rp,
.11?^t|1- In th,alfear there was the battle of Marjut_Sufhr, theidolaters were defeated and al_Fadl tb; *.d;;:;;;;;;.r.,
was martyred.
reneged, and he sent al-Muhajir ibn Abi Umayyah to the people
I?it. ". ,s1ntliVadibn.Labid "l_Ansrri ro a group of those whad reneged. In thatyearAbu,l-.As iu" "r_n"iiJati;idffi*T
7::* : :!, "*S:ryl the?rophe t, m ay AIah bl.,, hl," ;"G;;him peace, also as-Sa"b ibn Jutham"r, "ili"r*;,; ffi ffir-Jrfral-Ghanawi. In that ye*, it:: finishinffighrrg *r. p."p1. *n"had reneged, as-Siddiq, mayAllah be pleired with him, sent Khalid
li::,-)]r1,|i*j:,,l.. tand of Ba,*
""g h.;ided Ubuilal,,-*p**a
it and took Mada'in Kisra, the one which,1 r,,f.rq, i;; ;;";"r,and-partry by force. In that year Abu Bakr as-S'i'd'diq l"i;.kthe Hajj, then returned and ,..rt "Am, ibn al_ A, and the army rosvria; the battle of Ajnadavn happened t"l";;;1i,,"'"i,n.thirteenth lear, and the Muslim. *.r. ,i.*rious. Abu Bakr was
i,J:? Il. good tidings when he was close to death. "Ikrimah ibn
Abu Bakr a"s-Siddiq
we have no doubts of you. You used to write the revelation for the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace;
learch out the Qur'an and collect it together.' By Allah, if he had
lnrposed on me the responsibility of removing one of the mountains
It would not have been heavier for me than what they ordered me
to do of collecting the Qur'an. I said, 'How can the two of you
do something which the Prophet, hxl Allah bless him and grant
him peace, did not do?' So Abu Bakr said, 'It, by Allah! is good,'
and he continued insisting on it until Allah expanded my breast to
that which he had expanded the breasts of Abu Bakr and'lJmar.I searched out the Qur'an to collect it all together, from scraps (of
paper), shoulder blade bones, palm branches and from the breasts
of men, until I found two dyat from Surah atTawbah (The Surah
of Repentance) along with Khuzaymah ibn Thabit which I found
with no-one else, 'Tltere has come to lou a messenger from among
yourselues...' (Qur'an 9: 128-129) to the end of the surah.
The pages upon which the Qur'an was collected were with AbuBakr until Allah took him, then they were with "LJmar until Allahtook him, then theywere with Hafsah the daughter of 'lJmar, may
Allah be pleased with her.
Abu Ya"la narrated that .Ali said: The one with th&greatest reward
for the written copies of the Qur'an is Abu Bakr.tAbu Bakr was the
6rst to gather the Qur'an between two boards.
The things in which he was first \He was the first to accept Islam, the first to collect the Qf-rr'antogether, the first to name it a mushaf(written copy) --ih-e proofof that has already been mentioned - and he was the first to be
named " hhalifah.Ahmad narrated that Abu Bakr ibn Abi Mulaykah said: It was
said to Abu Bakr, 'Khalifah ofAllah!' He said, 'I am the Khalifahof the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Iam content with that.'
The collection of the eurhnAl-Bukhari narrated that zaidibn Thabit said: Abu Bakr sent forme at the time ofthe_slaughter ofpeople ofal_yamam"h;;J"U-r,was with him. Abu Bakr said, ."Umar
came to me and said, ..Theslaughter of people was very extensive on the Day of ar-yamamahand I fear the killing wi, extlnd to the reciters in these engagemenrs,sot-'at a-lot of eurhn wi, disappear unress th.y grth., nG,ir*. rbelieve that the e"rbl rhouldbe g",i.r.a.,,,eU"u n"Ur"rj, i."rato "LJmar, "How can I do ro-.thing that the M.*.;;;"leffrn,mayAllah bless him,and g.r11, him ieace, did not doi,i U*r^rid,"It, byAllah! is good,,,"rrl.U-". ara "rimarter until AilIh expanded my breast ," ,ffi:ljTll}:?Ji:frthe view that .[Jmar held., Zaiirrid, "U_", was sitting with him,not talking. Abu Bakr said, ,you
are an intelligent yorig _;, "rra
6465
Tha Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrr.eus
head and his person.
He was the first:: .:f. the hhihfabwhile his father was alive.He was the first hha.lr{ahwhose Jubj..t, allocated him a sum.Al-Bukhari narrated ihat'A ishah, mayAlrah be preased with her,said: vhen Abu Bakr was appoin rri i'n,ayrnilICL^; i.opt.know that my profession i, not incapabre ofproviding for my famiry,and I have become occupied *ith ihe command and the affairs ofthe Muslims so thefamiiy ofAbu g"k, *iu eat from this propertywhile he yorks professionally for th. Mrrllm..,lbn sa'd narrated thar "Ata' ibn as-Sa'ib said: rfihen Abu Bakr waspledged allegiance he arose.in ,t. -o.rri.,f and upon his forearm therewere some garmenrs
"id T:rr going ro the market pl;.;.-^.U_",said, 'U7'here are vou going?, H. rid, .?o rt. market place., He said,''\il,'hat a:e.you goirg,-l g{ wr,.n y";;; been put in charge of theaffairs of the Muslims?,He said, ,Wi"rl,, f going to do to-f.ed myfamily?'He said, 'Ler us go-.-l{bu "ubaydah wi, arocate a sum for ,
you" So they went to Abu-"ub aydah";d; said, 'I arocare you thesupplies ofa man among.the Mibailru,o,Torthe best of them nor theIeast of them, and the Jlothing "i;i;;;;;"d summer. If you wearout something, return and take something in its place., The two of
l*"1':::ted him half a sheep.u.rrirrl'rd what would clothe his
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
Allah show mercy to you, Abu Bakr! You have exhausted the one
wlro comes after you.'lbn Abi'd-Dunya narrated that Abu Bakr ibn Hafs said: \7hen
hc was close to death, Abu Bakr said to 'Aishah, may Allah be
plcased with her, 'My little daughter, we were put in charge of theAffairs of the Muslims, and we didnt take for ourselves a dinar norn dirham, but we ate of the coarse four of their food in our bellies,
und we dressed with their rough clothing upon our backs. Nothingremains with us of the booty of the Muslims, neither a little nor alot, but for this Abyssinian slave, this camel for drawing water, and
this threadbare worn-out outer garment.'When I die, send themto "IJmar.'
He was the first one to make a bait al-mal (a building in whichzahat and other revenues were stored while they were beingdistributed).
Ibn Sa'd namated that Sahl ibnAbi Khaythamah and others said
that Abu Bakr had a bait al-rnalat as-Sunh which no-one guarded.Someone said to him, '\7ill you not put someone in charge of it toguard it?' He said, 'There is a lock on it,' and he used to give away
what was in it until it was empty. \7hen it was moved to Madinah,he changed it and put it in his house. Property canlB to him and he
used to divide it up among the poorest of the pe6pk and he woulddivide it equally among them. He would buy camels, horses andweapons
"rrd p.r, them th.re to be used in the way of Allah. He(
would buy outer garments which eame from the outlying desert
tracts and distribute them among the widows of Madinah.\tr7henAbu Bakr died and was buried, "(Jmar summoned the trustees,
amongst them "Abd ar-Rahman ibn "Awf and "Uthman ibn "Affan,and with them entere d the bait al-rnal of Abu Bakr. They opened thebait al-rnal and found nothing in it, neither a dinar nor a dirham.
I say that this tradition refutes the words of al-'Askariin al-Auta'il(Firsts), 'The first to take a bait al-rnal was "LJmar. The Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had no bait al-mal nor
Ibn Sa.d narrated. that Maymun said: \7hen Abu Bakr wasappointed khalfah they arocated him two thousand, so he said,'Increase me, for I have dependants "rra.you
have kept me busyso that I cannot engage in trade,, so they increased him fivehundred.Atlrhbarani narrarcd in his Musnadthat ar-Hasan ibn .AIi ibn AbiThlib said: 'when
Abu Bakr *,. ;;;;;ffij.;r,rl.olln"r,look to the milch camel whose -ilL *. ur.d to drink, the bowl inwhich we used to prepare food, and the orr., grr_.nrs we used towear, for we used to benefit from th"t *h." ;;;;;1" .ir* *the command of the Muslims. \fh.;l Jr., r.rrl., them to "(-Imar.,'\tr,'hen
Abu Bakr died she sent them,o lu-rr. "[-Imar said, May
5657
TLrn Hrsrony oF THE Knerrreus
had Abu B.akr, mayAilah be pleased with him., I had refuted thisin my book which I composed on ,firsts,, then later I saw that al_'Askari alluded to this. in ,noth., p"., of hr. book ,ryirr1g, ift Jnrr,j..r"F c]rarge of a bait al-*nl*^iAbu .Ubayd"f, iU"
"i_1".J .,behalf ofAbu Bakr.,AI-Hakim said: The first aflrectionate nickname in Isram was thenickname ofAbu Bakr, mayAllah be pl."..d with him, ,Rr..q.,
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
nomeone else had already beaten him to her and done what she
wrnted. He came to her more than one time so that the other mightnot beat him to her. 'LJmar lay in wait for him, and it was Abu Bakrwho had come to her, and he was at that time hhaffih.'Umar said,'You are he, by my life!'
Abu Nu"aym and others narrated that"Abd ar-Rahman al-Asbahani
said: Al-Hasan ibn'Ali came to Abu Bakr when he was upon theminbar of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, andsaid, 'Come down from my father's seat.' He said, 'You have told thetruth, it is your fathert seat,' and he placed him in his lap and wept.
'Ali said, 'ByAllah, this was not from my command.' He said, 'You
have told the truth. By Allah, I did not suspect you.'
SectionIbn Sa"d narrated that Ibn'LJmar said: The Messenger of Allah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appointed Abu Bakr tolead the Hajj in the first Hajj of Islam, then the Messenger ofAllah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed the Hajj thefollowingyear.'W.hen the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, died and Abu Bakr was appointed khalifuh,heput "(Jmar in charge of leading the Hajj, then AbpBakr performedthe Hajj the followingyear. 'I7'hen Abu Bakr di6d and "lJmar was
appointed khalifah, he put "Abd ar-Rahman ibn "Awf in charge ofthe Hajj, then "(Jmar continued to perform the Hajj everyyear untilhe died. "Uthman was then appointed khalifah, and he put "Abdar-Rahman ibn "Awf in charge of the Hajj.
His final illness, his death, his last testament and hisappointment of "(Jmar as hbaliftb
Saif and al-Hakim narrated that Ibn "lJmar said: The cause ofAbuBakr's death was the passing away of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. He was distressed and hisbody continued to waste away until he died.
SectionThe two shaykhs narrated that Jabir, may Alrah be preased withhim, said: The prophet, mayAlla'h bl.r, hi_ r;J g.J;;0.r..,said, 'If the wealth of Bahrain were to come, I would give you somuch and so much'' So when the wealth of Bahrain came after the*r{"f the prophet, mayAltah bless him ""d;;;;;,,J0.r".,Abu Bakr said, ,\fhoever
was owed anyth.ing by the prophei, mayAllah bless him ,"1.g:1T him peace, i., hir., come ro ,rr., I ."_.and told him. He said, 'Take.'I took and found it to be five hundred.Then he gave me one rhousand and firre hundred.
Some examples of his forbearance and humilityIbn'Asakir narrat dihatAnisah r"id, ab., Bakr was ,.ttr.d amongus for three years before he yas^appointed hbalifah and a yearafterwards, and the servanr girrs of tir. qua.er wourd come to himwith their focks and he *o,Ild milk thel for them.Ahmad narratd i1a.z_Zuhd that Maymun ibn Mihran said: Aman came to Abu Bakr and said, ,peace
be upon y""()r_)6*,I?.oh:.:hr.singular form of addr.,s) ihalifaf, .f ,f,l pr.* {g* otAllah.'And he said, .In
among "ll
oirh.r.., (The _", lrrJ g.?.r.ahim exclusively of those pr.sent).Abu Salih al-Ghifari r"id rh"rlu-ar ibn al-Khattab used to take
T1 olan elderly blind woman in one of the outskirts ofMadinah atnight' He would drawwarer for her to drink, and wourd undertakeher business' sometimes when he came to her he wourd find that
6869
Tirn Hlsrony oF THE Krreupens
Ibn Sa'd and al-Hakim na,ated withasahih isnadthatrbnshirelated that Abu Bakr and al_Harith ibn t<aladrh were ."riri,broth which Abu Bakr had b.., giu.r. Al-Harith said to ,qh,iBakr, 'Lift your hand (from the aisi; rnanfah of ,lr. tvt..r.rg.,ofAllah. By Allah, in it there i, , y."r,, foiron. I and you will die,on the same day.' He took his hand
"*ry +o_ it. Both of them
3::T:f:singly sick until th.y di.Jon the same day at theend ofthe year. uq/ GL
,j,"IXP_"i1."r:d that ash_Sha"bi said: \fhat can we expect fromthis awful world when the Messeng.r.re,rlr,--ryeii"f,[i.* ii."* *:::|l- p,."i.;y, poiror.i and Abu Brk; *"; ;.*1".a,Al-\Maqidi and al-Hakim narrared rh* *il;i,'_"ii,ii U.pleased with her, said: The beginning of Abu Bakrt ilrness wasthal he performed a ghTlo" Morrd"i the seventh of Jumada al_Akhirah which was a cold day. He h"d
" f.rr., Arnfr.." l"rl""radid not go out to the prayer.He died on the night of Tiresday eight
days before the end olJum"d, ar-AkhirJ in 13 AH, when he wassixty-three years old. ' -- -' r'rrvrr rr!
Ibn Sa.d and Ibn Abi,d_Dunya narrated that Abu,s_Safar said:lr7 eltered upon Abu Bakr during his irness and said, 'Khalifah i
:liT}.:':nger of Ailah, shalt we"not call "
do.,o, 6, ,"" il,"will take a look ar you?, He said, .H. h;;l;;J;.",f,; l;; *me.'Theysaid, '\flhat did he say?, He said, ,Truly, t ao *n".i*itt.,(seeQur'an 11: 108; g5: 16)
Al-\Taqidi narrated byvarious routes thatwhenAbu Bakr becameseriously ill, he called for "obd ar_Rahman ibn .Awf anJ."ra, Lffme abour "LJmar ibn al_Khattab., He said, ,you
do not ask meabout any matrer but that you are -or. krro*ledgeable of it thanme.' So Abu Bakr said, And even if ...?, .Abd ar_Rahman ibn"Awf said, 'He, byAllah, is better than your view of him., Then hesummoned'Uthman ibn Afhn ,.rd ,"id, .Tell
me about lu_"r.,He said, 'You of all of us know best about him., He r"id, ,,nii_.that,' so he said, "O Allah, my knowledge of him is that his inward
70
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
ls better than his exterior and that there is no-one like him amongus.' He included in his counsel, along with the two of them, Sa"id
lbn Zaid, Urryd ibn al-Hudayr and others of the Muhajiran andAnsar. Ur"yd said, 'O Allah, I know him to be the best after you.
He is pleased for the good pleasure (of Allah), and displeased forthe displeasure (ofAllah). \What he conceals is better than what he
makes public. No-one stronger for this command than him willever have authority over it.'
Some of the Companions entered upon him and one said tohim, '\7hat will you say to your Lord when He asks you aboutyour appointing'Umar as khalifah over us when you have seen his
toughness?' Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, are you trying to frightenme? I will say, "O Allah, I have appointed as hhalifah over them thebest of Your people." Convey from me what I said to those behindyou.' Then he called "Uthman and said, .Write, "In the name ofAllah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. This is the testament ofAbu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah at the end of his time in the world, as
he was leaving it, and at the beginning of his time in the Ahhirah,,as he was entering it, where the disbeliever will believe, the wickedwill be certain, and the liar will tell the truth. I have appointedafter me as bhalifuh over you'I]mar ibn al-Khattab,*so listen to himand obey him. I have not fallen short in my dut/to Allah and HisMessenger and His deen and to myself and you. If he is just, thenthat is my opinion of him and my knowledge of him. If he changes
things, then every man has that which he earned. I intended good,and I do not know the hidden things, '... and tlte ones who do wrongshall know what place of transformation they utill be transferred to.'(Qur'an 26:227) Peace be upon you and the mercy ofAllah and Hisblessings."' He asked for the writing and sealed it. Then he ordered
"lJthman, and he went out with the letter thus sealed, and people
pledged allegiance and were pleased with it. Abu Bakr summoned
'umar in private and advised him whatever he advised him. Thenhe left him and Abu Bakr raised his hands and said, 'O Allah, I
7r
TLrr Hrsronv oF THE Knarrrens
only meant by that their good and feared dissension for them, aI have done for them what you know best, and I have exemed rintellect for them in arriving at a decision, and have
"ppoi.r,.J ,
best of rhem over them, "rrl the strongesr of them, and the mr
eager of them for that which would g:uid. them. Ard ,i.r. I
::T. .,-e.of your. command wh"t L"s come to me (death),put another in my place over them, for they are your slaves, theilforelocks are in your hand. O Allah, put right their rulers, andmake him one of your hhalifihs-ho t"k th-e right *"y,
"rri p,r,right his subjects for him.,Ibn sa"d and al-Hakim narrated that Ibn Mas"ud said, The mostfrt:,.Slr:{ ofpeoplewere rhree: Abu Bakrwhen he appoinJ.r;*,
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
you as a gift twenty camel loads of fruit-cuttings of palm trees; ifyouItircl cut them and taken them theywould have been yours, however
today they are only the property of the ones who inherit, who are
your two brothers and your two sisters, so divide them up by thellook of Allah.' She said, 'Father, even if it had been so much andro much I would have given it up. There is only Asma' (her sister),
who is the other (sister)?' He said, 'The child who is in the wombof Kharijah's daughter; I think it is a girl.' Ibn Sa"d narrated it. In a
version he said, 'The child who is in the womb of Kharijah's daughter;
It occurs to me that it is a girl, so make her your concern.'Then she
gave birth to Umm Kulthum.Ibn Sa"d narrated that "Urwah said that Abu Bakr bequeathed
one fifth of his property (the rest being divided according to thesharf ah), and said, 'I take from my wealth what Allah takes fromthe booty of the Muslims.' He also narrated that he (Abu Bakr)said, 'That I should bequeath a fifth is preferable to me than thatI should bequeath a quarter, and that I should bequeath a quarterwould be preferable to me than bequeathing a third. 'Whoever
bequeathed a third leaves nothing.'Sa'id ibn Mansur narrated that ad-Dahhak said that Abu Bakr
and "Ali both bequeathed a fifth of their propertiSs to those whowere not entitled to inherit from them of their ctose relatives.
'Abdullah ibn Ahmad namated in Zau.,a'id az-Zuhdthx'Aisha,h,mayAllah be pleasedwith her, said: ByAllah, Abu Bakr left neithera dinar nor a dirham of which Allah had struck the die.
Ibn Sa'd and others narrated that "A ishah, may Allah be pleased
with her, said: 'When Abu Bakr became grievously ill I quoted thisverse:
'By your life! \Wealth does not avail the man,
\7hen one day it (the spirit) rattles in the throat and thebreast becomes constricted by it,'
and he uncovered his face and said, 'It is not like rhat. Rather say,
as khahfah' the woman companion ofMusa when she said, 'Hirel him!,(Qurbn 28:26), and the chief minister (of Fir"awn) when h. oid ,ohis wife, 'Honour his (yus_uf,s) dwettingpkrr., (eurhn tZ, iti.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that yasar ibi'Hamzah said: vhen AbuBakr's. illness grew serious he stood and looked o.r., ai. p.opU no-a small window and said, ,I have made a covenanr, so will you becontented with it?' So the people said, .I7e will be contenr *irh i.,Khalifah of the M.*sengeiofAllah.'Then.Ali stood and said, .'g7.e
will not be content unless it is "Umar., He said, ,Ir is "[.Jmar.,Ahmad narrated that .Aishah, may Allah b. pl."rJ *i,n fr.,,
said: \Mhen death came to Abu BaLi h. said, ,Vhat a"y i, ,lrirl,
They said,.'Monday.' He said, ,If I die tonight do not wait untittomorrow (toburyme), because the most beloied ofdays
"Jriglr,,to me is the closest to.the Messenger ofAllah, _"yAfi"l, Uf.*ir,,and grant him peace.'
Malik narrated that "Aishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, saidthat Abu Bakr made a presenr to her of the nuir_*rrir*, ;ip"l_trees, twenty camel loads, from al-Ghabah. \Mhe, d."ti ."*. ,ohim he said, 'My little daughter, byAllah, there is .ro h,rman i.i.rgthat I would more love to ,.. *."lihy than you, and there is no-onewhose poverty after me is mor. grie,oous to me than you. f fr"Jgir*
72/a
Tire Hrsrony oF THE Kuarrpens
'And the og?"! of death comes in *uth. That is uhat you used toturn awayfrom." (eur,an 50: 19)
_'Look our my two cloths and wash them, then bury me inThe- living has more need of the ,r.* ,hr' the dead.,
Abu Ya'la narrared that "Aishah, mayAlrah be preased with hesaid:-I entered upon Abu Bakr wtren h'e *", o, the point of deatand I said:
'\Thoevert tears are ceaseless in sufficiency,in bitterness they will be poured out.,
So he said, 'Do not say this; rather say,
,nd the nf"y of death comes in truth. Tbat is what you used toturn auayfrom.,,,
Then he said' 'on what daydid the Messenger ofA,ah, mayA,ahbless him and grant him peace, die?, I said, ,Monday.,
He said, ,Ihope that ir is between now and the night,, and he diej on ,t. rrig1r,bef.o1e.f1es day, andwas buried U.Ar? ,n. _o.rirg.
--- --^- 'i
Abdullah ibn Ahmad narrared in Zawa'id az-Zuhdthat Bakr ibnAbdullah al-Mazanisaid: \When death came toAbu Bakr,.,{ishah,may Allah be pleased with her, sat at his head and said:
'Every owner of camels must one day take them to drink,and every possessor of plunder musr be despoiled.,
Abu Bakr understood it and said, ,It is not like that, my daughter,rather it is as Allah said:
'And the agony of death comes in truth. Ihat is what you used toturn awayfrom.",
Ahmad narrated that .A ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, alsosaid that she quoted this verse while abu Bakr was dyi";, '
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
'And a pure one, free from faults,from whose face the clouds draw drinking water,
Orphans love (him), a protection for the widows.'
Abu Bakr said, 'That was the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace.'
'Abdullah ibn Ahmad narrated in Zauta' id az-Zuhd that'Ubadahlbn Qais said: \7hen death came to Abu Bakr he said to "Aishah,'\i(ash these two cloths of mine and wrap me in them, for yourfhther is one of two men: either dressed in the best way or strippedln the worst way.'
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya narrated that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said that Abullakr left as his last wish that his wife, Asma' bint'Umays, should
wash his body and that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr should help
her.
Ibn Sa'd narrated that Sa"id ibn al-Musayyab said that "LJmar,
mayAllah be pleased with him, prayed overAbu Bakr between the
grave (of the Prophet, mzy Allah bless him and grant him peace)
and the minbar, and said forr takbirs over him.He narrated that'lJrwah and al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said
that Abu Bakr left as his last wish to "Aishah tha?he should be
buried by the side of the Messenger ofAllah, maliAllah bless himrnd grant him peace. \When he died, they dug a gra''e for him and
put his head at the shoulder of the Messenger, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace, and the niche (wherein the body was laid)touched the grave of the Messenger, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace.
He narrated that Ibn "L]mar said: 'Umar, Talhah, 'Uthman and
'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr got down into Abu Bakr's grave (to
place the body in the niche). He narrated by many different routes
that he was buried at night.He narrated that Ibn al-Musayyab said that when Abu Bakr died,
Makkah was shaken by an earthquake, and so Abu Quhafah said,
7475
Tirp Hlsrony oF THE KuelrrRns
'Vl* is this?' They said, ,your son has died., He said, A sreai
misfortune! \7ho has undertaken the command after him?,said, "L]mar.' He said, ,His
companion.,He narrated that Mujahid saiJ that Abu euhafah returned
inheritance he received from Abu Bakr to th. ,o., ofAbu Bakrthat Abu Quhafah only lived six months and some d"y.
"rt.. ab,
Bakr. He died in Muharram of L4 AHwhen he *r, ,rirr.rr_r..r.i
The men ofknowledge said: No-one took the khirafahduring thrItt."lh^r: father."..piforAbu Bakr, and no father inherited frona hhalifah excepr for Abu Bakr,s.
Al-Hakim narrated that Ibn'(Jmar said: Abu Bakr rured for twoyears and seven months.
There is in the Tarihh of Ibn "Asakir with its isnad thatAsma"isaid: Khufaf ibn Nudbah as-Salami said, *.iur.rirgaffi;i;,
'No living thing, tell it! has permanence, and all of the world,its business is annihilation.
And_ property with the people is a deposit loaned and thecondition on it is repaymenr.
Man works and there is one lying in wait for him; the eye mournshim, and the fire (excessive grief) of the brain.
He becomes decrepit or he is slain or rhere overcomes him asickness which affiicts him and for which there is no cure. ,
Truly, Abu Bakr he is the succour (the rain) if orion did notmake vegetables to grow with warer.
ByAllah, the young wearer of a lower garmenr (common people)nor the wearer of an upper g"r-..rt lrhe 6lite) do., .rot ,.".hhis days.
76
Abu Bahr as-Stddtq
W'hoever works to reach his days, exerting himself, will isolate
himself in an empty land.
Vhat hadith with chains of transmission have been relatedfrom him
An-Nawawi said in his Thhdhib: As-Siddiq related of the Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, one hundred and
forty-two hadith. The reason for the small number of his narrations
given the precedence of his companionship and his staying close tothe Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was thathis death came before the spread of hadlth and the concern of the
lrollowers for listening to them, acquiring them and memorisingthem.
I say: "Uma\ may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned in theprevious hadith on the oath of allegiance thatAbu Bakr left nothingwhich had been revealed about the Ansar or which the Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, had said about
them but that he mentioned it. This is the best proof of the great
amount of material he had memorised of the Sunnah and thevastness of his knowledge of the Qurhn. "LJmar ibn al-Khattabtransmitted from him, as did'(Jthman ibn'Affan,o,3Ali, Ibn "Awf,I bn Mas"ud, Hudhayfah, Ibn "LJmar, Ibn az-Zub*yt Ibn "Amr, Ibn
'Abbas, Anas, Zaid ibn Thabit, al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, Abu Hurayrah,
'Uqbah ibn al-Harith, his son "Abd ar-Rahman, Zaid ibn Arqam,
'Abdullah ibn Mughaffal, "Uqbah ibn "Amir al-Juhani,'Imran ibnHusayn, Abu'l-Barzah al-Aslami, Abu Sa"id al-Khudri, Abu Musaal-Ash'ari, Abu't:Tirfayl al-Laythi, Jabir ibn "Abdullah, Bilal, 'A ishahhis daughter, Asma'his daughtet and of the Followers: Aslam thefreed slave of "Umar, \7asit al-Bajili and a number of others.
I have decided to enumeratehis hadith here concisely, explainingafter each hadithwho made it public. I will treat each of them singlyin their different paths of trans'mission in a musruad work devotedto that, inshaAllah.
77
THr Hrsronv oF THE Krrerrrerrs
1. The hadhh of the Hi.irah (the two Shaykhs [Al-Bukhari a
Musliml and others).
2. The hadith of the sea, 'ft is completely pure, its water (fo
purification and cleansing), permitted are its dead (to eat).'
Daraqutni).3. 'The siwak (toothstic$ cleans the mouth and pleases the(Ahmad).
4.'-Ihat the Messenger of Allah, mxI Allah bless him and gra
him peace, ate (meat of a) shoulder then later prayed and didperform wudu'(washing to prepare for the prayer).' (Al-Bazzar andAbu Ya'la).
5. 'Let none of you make wudu'because of the taste of his foodwhich is permitted for him to eat.' (Al-Bazzar).
6. 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, forbade striking people at prayer.' (Abu Ya"la and al-Bazzar).
7.'The last prayer which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, prayed was behind me in a single garment.' (Abu Ya'la).
8. '\7hoever it would please to recite the Qurbn freshly as it was
revealed, then let him recite with the recitation of Ibn Umm "Abd(i.e. Ibn Mas"ud).' (Ahmad).
9. He said to the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, 'Teach me a prayer with which I can supplicate in mysalah.' He said, 'Say, "O Allah I have wronged myself with a great
wrong and none forgives wrong actions but You, so forgive me witha forgiveness from You and show mercy to me. Truly, You are theAll-Forgiving, the Compassionate."' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).10. ''Whoever prayed the dawn prayer then he is in a covenant withAllah, so do not betrayAllahwith respect to His covenant.'Whoeverkills him, Allah will seek him out until He throws him in the Fireupon his face.' (Ibn Majah).11. 'No Prophet has ever died until a man of his ummalt led himin prayer.' (Al-Bazzar).
78
Abu Bakr as-Sidd'iq
12. 'No man makes a wrong action then perforyrs tludy',,and
docs his wud.u'well,then periorms two raka'at and seeks Allah's
t,,rg*.r.r, but that U. *fff forgive him" (Ahmad' the authors of
the four Sunan,and Ibn Hibban)'
13. Allah has not *rJ. ' prophet die but in the place in which he
would love to be buried'' (At:Tirmidhi)'
14.'MayAltah .,rrr. tht'Jtws and the Christians; they took the
gr*.t ,'f ,neir prophets as-places of prostration'' (Abu Ya"la)'
i5. 'th. derd p.rron h"s boili"g *"tt' sprinkled on him for the tears
ni,h. living'(i... th. t.",, of iu"iling and mourning' particularly
ritu"lis.d oi professional mournittg' Tht tradition is held not to
,.f.. ,o t.rrc of ,"dness and sorrow)" (Abu Ya"la)'
16..ProtectyourselvesfromtheFireevenifitwerewith(giving)thehalf of a date, b..",rr. it straightens that which is crooked' repels
nn evil death, and it stand, *ih the hungry one in its stead with
the satiated one.' (Abu Ya"la)'
l\.Thehad.ithof.f,.oUtig"io"'olsad'aqatinitsfulllength'(Al-tlukhari and others).
18. From Ibn Abi Mul"yk"h that he said: The reins fell from the
hands of Abu g"k, ,r-siadiq and he struck upon the foreleg of his
..-a and made it kneel down' They said to him' '\ffhy did you not
,dl ;t to give it back to you?' He said' 'My beloved' the Messenger
"iniirfr,"mayAllah bless him and grant him peace' told me that I
was not ro "rk
people for anything" (Ahmad)'
19. 'The M.rr.ng., of Allatu *'y-Att"t' bless him and grant him
p.*., ,.fa er*"Ybi.,t"U-'y' *ht" she brought !"1 Y:h.immadibn Abi Bakr to bathe herseli'"rrd to enter ihram (for the Hajj, as she
Stt bt"lr on the way to Makkah)" (Al-Bazzar and atllabarani)'
20. The Messenger of Rll't', may Allah bless him and grant him
;;; was asked],\o.hich part of Hajj is best?' He said, 'The raising
of the voice (with ,niO'ynA and the 'htddit'g
of blood (of animals
trr."gt, to sacrifice).' (Atjlitmidhi and Ibn Majah)' -
21. That he kissed the (Black) Stone and said' 'If I had not seen the
79
Trrn Hrsrony oF THE Krreurerrs
Ya'la and al-Bazzar).
Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,you I would not have kissed you., (Ad_Daraqutni).22. -Ihat the Messenger of Allah , may Allah' bless him and phim peace, sent an immunity to the;d[-;i;;il;,'tjan idolater perform
fil.i "ft. this year, "* f.r;'iI*il;;around the House.' (Ahmad).23. "Ihat which is between my house and my minbaris one of tmeadows of the Garden, and, my minbaris upon
". "i,ir. ilri*,of the Garden.' (Abu ya"la).
24. The full hadith of his-going, rnz)r Allah bless him and sr:him peace, to the home ofeU,r;i_Hayrfrr_li" *_f"yil",I. AYa'la).
25.'Gold, for gold, like for like. And silver for silver, like for li3: o"..*!o gives increase or seeks increase is in the Fire., (I
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
'llc only meant by that maintenance.' (Al-Bayhaqi).
l.l. 'W'hoever's two feet become dusty in the way of Allah, Allahwill forbid them from (entering) the Fire.' (.Pyl-Bazzar).
!4.'l have been ordered to fight men until ...'(Th. two Shaykhs
rnd others).
55. 'How excellent a slave of Allah and brother to his kinsfolkh Khalid ibn al-Valid, and (he is) one of the swords of Allah,nray Allah draw him against the disbelievers and hypocrites.'(Ahmad).
36. 'The sun has not risen over a man better than "Umar.' (At-f irmidhi).37. "S7'hoever is put in charge of any afhir of the Muslims and he
rppoints in command over them anyone out of favouritism, thenthere is the curse of Allah upon him, and Allah will not accept
from him either repentance nor a ransom until He enters him into
Jahannatn. 'W'hoever
gives anyone the sanctuary of Allah, and he
violates the sanctuary of Allah in any way without right then maythe curse of Allah be upon him.' (Ahmad).
38. The hadith of Ma"iz and his stoning. (Ahmad).
39. 'He is not persistent (in wrong action) who seeks forgiveness,
cven if he repeats it seventy times a day.' (At:Tirmidhi).40. 'That he, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, took counsel
on the command of war.' (AtlTabarani).
41. The hadith'\7hen "Vltoeuer does eail will be recomltensed it ..."(Qur'an 4: 123) was revealed ...' (AtrTirmidhi, Ibn Hibban andothers).
42.'You recite this ayalt, "O you who belieue, lou are responsiblefor
.yzur oun selues ..." (Qur'an 5: 105).' (Ahmad, the four authors ofbooks called Sunan and Ibn Hibban).43.'What do you think of two of whom Allah is the third?' (The
mo Shaykhs).
44.'O Allah, by spear-thrusts and by plague.' (Abu Ya"la).
45. '(Surah) Hud made me grey ...' (Ad-Daraqutni in al-'Ilal).
26. 'Cursed is whoever harms a believer or plots against him.Tirmidhi).27.'A mean person will not enrer the Garden, nor a deceiver,a treacherous one, nor one ofevil character. The first to enter rrl(Garden is the slave when he obeys Allah and obeys his master.(Ahmad).
28' 'The clientage (of a slave which includes inheriting from hiras a relative) is for the one who sers free., fAa OryJ
"fl"f"f"qarrr ial-Mukhtarah).29..'We,(prophets) are not inherited from; that which we leave issadaq a h.' (Al-Bukhari).30''\'fren Allah granrs a prophet a means of subsistence (such aland yielding an incom.)
""d th.n later makes him die, He wilappoint it for the one who undertakes it (the pniufrnl irtrir-.,(Abu Dawud).
?1' .H. is ungrateful (hafara) to Ailah who declares himserf free ofrhislineage,eventhoughitbein"-i.,..,t.*"y.,(Al-Bazzar)32''Youand that which is vours are for y"". d;:;iif,, iJir.",a,
BO
81
Tirr Hrsrony oF THE Klrer,rreHs
Jahannam.' (Abu Ya"la).
46. Associating partners (with Allah) among my ummah ishidden than the creeping of ants ..., (Abu yJt,
"ra others).47.'Messenger ofAllah, teach me something I can say in the morniand the evening ...' (Al-Haytham ibn kuhyb in his Musnt.and Atlrirmidhi and others have it among those ascribed toHurayrah).48. 'Take hold of "No god but Allah,, and seeking forgivenbecause Iblis said, "I desuoyed people with wrong actions and tdestroyed me with 'No god but Allah,
".rd ,.Jking forgiven
\When I saw that, I destroyed them with whims ro th"rt thly ththey are guided arighr."' (Abu ya"la).
49. ''W'hen, "Do not raise your uoices aboue the uoice of the propl(Qurhn 49:2) was revealed, I said, ,.Messenger
ofAilah, t wiUspeak ro you except as the decrepit do.,,, (AllBazzar).50. 'Each one is eased ro that for which he is created.' (Ahmad).51. '\Thoever forges a lie against me intentionalry or reje<something I have ordered, then let him take ,p hi, aboje i
52.'.what is the salvation of this maffer . . . in "No god but Allah,,(Ahmad and others)53.
*Go out and announce among peopre that whoever witnessethat there is no god butAllah, th. cr.d.n becomes a musr for him.So I went out and "{.Jmar met me . .., (Abu ya.la. It is recorded :
a hadlth ofAbu Hurayrah and is most unusual as a hadrth ofBakr).
54.'There are rwo types from my un-tmah who will nor enrer rG-.a1den, al-Murjihh and al-eadariyyah., (Ad_Daraqutni in _,
"Ilal).
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
17. 'The supplication of debt is, "O Allah, the dispeller of worry,,."' (Al-Bazzar and al-Hakim).!tl. 'Every bodywhich has grown from (the nourishment of) usury,
thc Fire is more appropriate for it,' and in another wording, A body
nourished on what is forbidden will not enter the Garden.' (Abu
Yu'la).
19. 'There is nothing in the body which does not complain of the
tharpness of the tongue.' (Abu Ya"la).
60. Allah descends on the midmost night of Sha"ban and in itforgives every human apart from a hafr or a man in whose heart
there is a grudge.' (Ad-Daraqutni).
61.'The Dqjal will emerge in the east from a land known as
Khurasan, and peoples will follow him whose faces are as if they are
chields formed of two hides, one sewn upon the other.' (At:Iirmidhisnd Ibn Majah).62. 'I have been given seventy thousand who will enter the Garden
without any reckoning.' (Ahmad).
63. The Hadith of Intercession in its full length with peoplet goingback and forward between prophet after prophet. (Ahmad).
64. 'Even if mankind were to travel in a valley a;nd the Ansar were
to travel in another valley, I would travel in the vallelFtf the Ansar.'(Ahma$.65. 'Quraysh are the masters of this authority, the best of themlbllowing the best of them and the worst of them following theworst of them.' (Ahmad).(16. The hadith that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
made a last testament about the Ansar at his death and said, Acceptfiom their one who behaves excellently well and overlook (the
lrehaviour of) their evildoer.' (Al-Bazzar and atlTabarani).(r7. 'I know a land which is called Oman whose shores the sea
sprinkles, and in which there is a tribe of the Arabs. If my messenger
were to come to them theywould not shoot him eitherwith arrows
or stones.' (Ahmad and Abu Ya'la).
55. Ask Allah for health and safety.' (Ahmad, an-Nasa'i and IbnM:j:lwho has it by many different chains of transmission).56. 'The_Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, when hewanted some mafter, used to say,
,lOAlla( do good
to me and choose for me."' (At:Tirmidhi).
8283
Trrr Hrstony oF THE Krreurarrs
68. The hadith that Abu Bakr passed by al-Hasan while heplaying with some boys and he put him upon his neck and'My father! A resemblance with the prophet and no resemto "Ali.' Ibn Kathir said: This is as if it were a hadith conto the Prophet, because it has the srrengrh of him saying, ,Tru
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant hi- p"r.., usedresemble al-Hasan.'ro 'TL^ l--J:-l- , t- - .\-t n t r69. The hadith that 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grahim peace, used to visit Umm Ayman.' (Muslim).70. The hadhh on the killing of the thief for the fifth theft.Ya"la and ad-Daylami).71.'Ihe hadith of the story of Uhud. (At:rbyalisi and at]rabarani).72.'][y'hile I was with the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless hiand grant him peace, I saw him pushing something away frohimself but I did not see anything, so I said, ',Mess.rrg., ofAl"h,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whar are you pushingaway?" He said, "The world. It extended itself towards me, so I sai'Get away from me!' So it said ro me, 'Vhy! you will not graspme!?"" (Al-Bazzar).
This is what Ibn Kathir narrared in Musnad as-siddzqof the hadhhwhich are connecred back to the Prophet, mayAllah bress him andgrant him peace, but there escaped him other hadithwhich we willfollow on with in order to complete the numberwhich an-Nawawimenrioned.
73.'Kill the rick (bloodsucker)'whatever he may be among men.,(AtlTabaran i in a l-Aw s a t).
74.'Look to whose houses you frequenr, whose land you inhabit
75.'Increase in sending blessings upon me, forAllah has appointedfor my grave an angel; so that when a man of ^y om*ih ,endsblessings, that angel will sayto me, "So-and-so the son ofso-and-sohas this very hour sent blessings upon you."' (Ad-Daylami).76. '-Ihe Jurnu'alt (Friday prayer) to the Jumu,ah is an expiation
84
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
lirr what is between them, and the ghusl (complete washing of the
entire body) on the day of the Jumu'alt is an expiation.' (A hadlth
of al-"Aqili in ad-Da'afa [weak traditions])'
77.'Theheat of Jahannarnwill only be for my ummah like the heat
of the hot baths.' (AtrTabarani).
78. 'Beware of lying, for lying is remote from iman.' (Ibn Lal in
Makarim al-Akhlaq).
79. 'Give the good news of the Garden to whoever took part in
tladr.' (Ad-Daraqutni in al-,4frad).
80. 'The deen is Allah's weighty banner. Vho is able to carry it?'
(Ad-Daylami).
81. 'Surah Yasin is called the one which encompasses people
generally in its goodness, which feeds and provides the means ofliving.' (Ad-Daylami, and al-Bayhaqi in Shxab al-Iman).
82. 'The humble and just ruler (suban) is the shade of Allah and
His spear in the land. There will be raised up for him (in the record
of his actions) every day and night the actions of sixty siddiqs.'
(Abuth-Shaykh and al- Aqili in ad-Du'afa, and Ibn Hibban in
Kitab ath-Thawab).
83. 'Musa said to his Lord, "\7hat is the recompense for whoever
consoles a mother bereaved of her child?" He said, "I tvill shade himin My shade."' (Ibn Shahin in at-Targheeb, and a&Daylami).
84. 'O Allah, strengthen Islam with "LJmar ibn al-Khattab.' (At-
Tabarani in al-Awsat).
85. 'Game is not caught, nor a thorny tree lopped, nor the root ofa tree cut except through insufficient glorification (ofAllah).' (Ibn
Rahwayh inhis Musnad).
86. 'If I had not been sent among you, 'LJmar would have been
sent.' (Ad-Daylami).
87. 'If the people of the Garden had traded, theywould have traded
in cloth.' (Abu Ya"la)
88. '\7hoever rebels, inviting (allegiance) to himself or to another,
while there is an irnam (amir or khalifah) over people, then the
85
Tirs Hrsrony oF THE Kuarrrerrs
curse of Allah, the angels and all men is upon him, so kill hi(Ad-Daylam i in at-Thri hh).89' '\Thoever records some knowredge or a haditb from me, rewaflyillnot cease being recorded for him as rong as that kro*l.dg. o,hadhh remains.' (Al-Hakim in at-Tarikh).90. ''\il7hoever walks barefoot in obedience of Allah, then Arwill not ask him on the Day of Resurrection about what He madcobligatory upon him.' (AttThbaran i in al_Awsat).91. '\Thoever it would please that Alrah should shade him fithe boiling of Jahannam, and, that He should place him inshade, then let him not be tough on the mu'minin,and let himcompassionate to rhem.' (Ibn Lal in Maharim al-Ahhlaq,Abuth-Shaykh, and Ibn Hibban in ath-Thauab).92. '\Thoever rises in the morning intending obedience towardsAllah, Allah will record for him the r.*ard Ir ni, day even if he,disobeys Him.'(Ad-Daylami). r --- -'
i
98. 'My palm and the palm of Ali ,r. .q,.r"l in justile., (Ad_Daylami I
and Ibn "Asakir).
86
93' A people do not abandon jihadbut thatAilah wilr envelop themin punishment.' (AtJTabarani in al_Awsat)94'.'one who forges a lie wilr not enrer the Garden.' (Ad-Dayramilwithout an isnad).
I9]..'Do not despise any one of the Musrims because the smalr one Iof the Muslims is, with Allah, great., (Ad-Daylami). j
96. Allah says, "Ifyou y:h gr My mercy then show mercy * fufy I
creation."' (Abuth-Shaykh, Ibn Hibban and ad_Daylami).97. 'I asked the Prophet, mayAlah bress him
".,d g."nt hi- p.r..,
1-b:"r the lower garmenr and he took hold of the ca-rf muscle. ; ,;rd;
"Messenger ofAllah, increase me!" He took hord of the ror.p".t ofthe muscle. I said, "Increase me,,, and he said, ..There i, ,ro gioa i.,what is lower than rhat." I said, ..\7e
are destroyed, Messelnger ofAllah!" He said, "Abu Bakr, aim for and take a middle
"o,r..". "rrdyou will be safe."' (AbuNu.aymin Hifuat al_Autliya). i
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
99. 'Do not neglect to seek refuge from the shaytan, for if you donot see him, he is not unaware of you.' (Ad-Daylami who did notquote a chain of transmission).
100. '\Whoever builds a mosque for Allah, then Allah will build a
house for him in the Garden.' (AtlTabarani in al-Autsat).
l0l. ''S7'hoever has eaten of this foul-smelling herb (garlic) then lethim not approach our mosque.' (Atllabarani in al-Autsat).
102. The hadith of the raising of the hands in the opening, thebowing, the prostration and the rising. (Al-Bayhaqiin as-Sunan).
103. 'That he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a
eamel as a gift to Abu Jahl.' (Al-Isma"ili inhis Mxjam).104. 'Looking at "Ali is an acr of worship.'8 (Ibn "Asakir).
That which is narrated from as-Siddiqin commentary on the Qurhn
Abdl-Qasim al-Baghawi narrated that IbnAbi Mulaykah said: AbuBakr was asked about an ayah and he said, ''What land would holdme or what sky would shade me if I were to say about an ayah ofthe Book ofAllah that which Allah did not wish?'
Abu "Ubaydah narrated that Ibrahim at-Taymi said: Abu Bakrwas asked about His words, exalted is He, Andfruitf*nd herbage,'
(Qurbn 80: 3l) and he said, .S7hich skywould shade me and what
land would sustain me if I were to say about the Book ofAllah thatwhich I do not know?'
Al-Bayhaqi and others narrated that Abu Bakr was asked aboutal-Kalalah and he said, 'I will say my view on it and if it is correctit is from Allah, and if it is wrong it is from me and from shaytan.
I think that it is the one who has no child nor parenr (surviving toinherit from him).'.$7'hen "umar was appointed khalifalt he said, 'Iam shy of rejecting something which Abu Bakr said.'
Abu Nu"aym narrated in al-Hilyah that al-Aswad ibn Hilal said:
8 Since the intelligent man derives from his glance at the creation, the greatness
of the Creator. And Allah knows best.
87
THs Hrsrony oF THE Knarrrarrs
Abu Bakr said to his companions, .\flhat do you say about thtwo alaL "Trob, the ones ,tho say, ,Our
Lord is Allai,, nrd thrnstraiglt, ..." (Qur'an 4l: 30) ^ri ,And
ilte ones who belieue and ,
:,ff_'l:r!: *e:r beli€{x: urongdoing..-"? (eur,a n 6: B2); 'I1r.l *r'P:" they go straight ".,dio ,,J, do ;;;;.;i;;"d;.''
clothe their belief in error., He said, .you have made it to caa meaning which ir cannot cary., Then he said, .They
,"y, .;CLord is Allah," and then th.y go straight, so they do not inclit-owlds a god other than Him and dJ ,rot clothe their belief ishilk
Qssociating others as parrners with Him).,,
Ibn Jarir narrated that "Amir ibn Sa"dal-Bajili rerated from ABakr.as-Siddiq about His words, exalted is He, ,For the ones wlto
excellently well there i1 t\ uerlt best and more,,(eur,an lO: 26) thesaid, 'Gazingon the fr.. ofAll"h, .ralt.d is He.,Ibn Jarir narrared that Abu Bakr said about His words, exalis He, 'Truly the ones who say, ,,Our
Lord is Allah,, ,"; ,h*';,straigbt, '..' (Qur'an 4r: 30), tlat he said, ,people have ,"iJ i,. sowhoever dies upon that is of those who go straight.,
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
slid: Abu Bakr said, 'Be shy beforeAllah. ByAllah, I enter the toiletnnd I lean my back against the wall out of modesty before Allah.'
Abu Dawud narrated in his Sunan that Abu "Abdullah as-
Sunabihi related that he once prayed the prayer after sunset behindAbu Bakr as-Siddiq and he recited in the first two sets of bowingand prostration the Fatihah and a surah from among the smallsurahs (at the end of the Qur'an) and that he recited in the third,'Our Lord, do not c*ase oar ltearts to deaiate arter You haue guidedzs.' (Qur'an 3: 8)
Ibn Abi Khaythamah and Ibn "Asakir narrated that Ibn "Uyaynahsaid: Abu Bakr used to say, when he was consoling a man for a
bereavement, 'There is no harm in patience, and no benefit inimpatience, and death is less serious than what comes before itand more severe than what comes after it. Remember the loss ofthe Prophet, nay Allah bless him and grant him peace, and youraffiiction will seem little to you, and Allah will magnify yourreward.'
Ibn Abi Shaybah and ad-Daraqutni narrated that Salim ibn'Ubayd, and he was a Companion, said: Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used
to say to me) 'Stand between me and the dawn so that I can takethe pre-dawn meal (preparatory to fasting).' trr'
And he narrated that Abu Qilabah and AbutlSafar both said:
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq used to say, 'Shut the door until we have eaten
the pre-dawn meal.'
Al-Bayhaqi and Abu Bakr ibn Ziyad an-Naysaburi, in Kitab az-Ziyadat, narrated that Hudhayfah ibn Urryd said: I observed AbuBakr and "IJmar and what they would make apparent (of theiractions), wishing to set sunnahs.
Abu Dawud narrated that Ibn tbbas said: I bear witness thatAbu Bakr as-Siddiq said, 'Eat the fish which foat (on the surface,
i.e. which have died naturally, as it is permitted to eat them).'Ash-Shaf i narrated in al-Umrn thatAbu Bakr as-Siddiq disliked
trading meat for live animals.
'w.hat is narrated from as-siddiq of traditions which stop short
.1t him, sayings, judgemeni s, hbutbabs,""d pr;;;;
Al-Lalika'i narrared in as-sinnahthat Ibn .LJmar said: A man cameto Abu Bakr and said, 'Do you see adultery as a decree (ofAllah)?,He said, 'Yes.' He said, 'So Ailah has decreed it for me and then laterHe will punish me for_it?' He said, .yes,
son of the uncircumcisedwoman. By Allah, if there were anybody with me, I would orderhim to cur offyour nose.,
. IbnAbi Shaybah narrated inhis MusannafthatazZubayr narrated
that Abu Bakr said, while he was deliveri.rg th. kbotbni to pr'oplr,'People, be shy and modest before Allah. By the One in \Whosehand my self is, I shade myselfwhen I go to the toilet in the opentP1...tl covering my head out of modesty towards Allah.,
"Abd ar-Razzaq naffated in his Musannaf that .Amr ibn Dinar
B889
TrrB Hrsrony oF THE Kneurerrs
Al-Bukhari narrated that he placed the grandfather in thestanding as the father, meaning in inheritance.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated inhis Musannafthaf Ata' narratedAbu Bakr that he said: The grandfather has the same degree as tfather as long as there is no father but him, and the son of the son
in the place of the son as long as there is no son apaft from him.He narrated that al-Qasim narrated that Abu Bakr was
a man who had denied his father and so Abu Bakr said, 'Hit thehead for the shaytan is in the head.'
He narrated that Ibn Abi Malik said: Abu Bakr, when he prayedover the dead, used to say, 'O Allah, [he is] Your slave, whose family,property and relatives have forsaken him; the wrong action is great,and You are all-forgiving, compassionate.'
Sa"id ibn Mansur narrated inhis Sunan that "(Jmar narrated thatAbu Bakr gave judgement that "Asim ibn "Umar ibn al-Khattabshould go to Umm'Asim fUmart ex-wife), and that he said (to
"IJmar), 'Her scent, her odour and her gentleness are better for himthan you are.'
Al-Bayhaqi narated that Qais ibn Abi Hazimsaid: A man came
to Abu Bakr and said, 'My father wants to take my property, all ofit and he will make an end of it.'Abu Bakr said to his father, 'You
can only have of his property that which will be sufficient for you.'He (the father) said, 'Khalifah of the Messenger ofAllah, did theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, notsay, "You and your property belong to your father"?' So he said, 'Yes,
and by that he only meant expenditure on maintenance.'Ahmad narrated that'Amr ibn Shu"ayb narrated from his father
from his grandfather that Abu Bakr and "IJmar would not kill a
freeman (in retaliation) for (the killing of) a slave.
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn Abi Mulaykah narrated from hisgrandfather that a man bit the hand of a man and so caused his(own) incisor to fall out, and Abu Bakr declared that there was noretaliation for it.
90
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
IbnAbiShaybahandal-Bayhaqinarratedthat"IkrimahsaidthatnU., g"L, gave judgement that thire were fifteen camels for (cutting
off or mutilating) ,,' t', and said' 'The hair and the turban will
conceal its disfigurement''
Al-Bayhaqi "r,d otht" narrated that Abu 'Imran al-Juni said
that Abu Bakr sent trooPs to Syria and put in command over
ih.- V"rid ibn Abi Sufyan and said' 'I counsel you with ten
q.rii.i.tt a. not kill " *o-"" nor a child' nor a feeble old man;
io ,roa cut down a fruitful tree; do not ruin cultivated land; do not
;;;il a camel or a sheep excePt for its owner; do not destroy
,t. i",.-p"lm, nor burn it; do "ot conceal plunder; and do not
be cowardlY. I
Ahmad, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i narrated that Abu Btzah
al-Aslami said: Abu Bakr was angry with a man and his anger
became very severe indeed, so I said' 'Khalifah of the Messenger
of AU"fr, ,trik off his head!' He said' ''Woe to youl Thal belongs
to no-one after the Mtt"t'gt' of Allah' qay Allah bless him and
grant him peace.'
Saif narrated in the Kitab al-Futuh from his shaykhs that al-
Muhajir ibn Abi U*"yy"h' *!o y': the Amir of al-Yamamah'
had two women tt;;# brought before him' oneqof whom had
,-ur,g "b.rr.
of the liophtt, T""y t["1, bless hirn and grant him
Deace, so he cut "tr
#t hand and pulled out her teeth; and the
ffi;;;;;fule of the Mustims, so he cut offher hand, and
pulled out her teeth' Abu Bakr wrote to him' 'It has reached me
that which you have done with the woman who sang abusing the
f-pt.,, may Allah bless him and grant him peace' and if it were
no,ifr"iyou had preceded me I wluld have told you to kill her'
because the had'd'ft'ni'h-tnt for the prophets does not resemble
other hadd. p,rrrirh*"n"' \Thoever of tLt Muslims dares to do that
;;;.;.g"i., "rd ilit is a non-Muslim who has a covenant with
theMuslimsthenheisatreacherousandhostileenemy.Asforthe one who sang ,iJi"t'ling the Muslims; if she was one of those
91
Tirs Hls:rony oF THE Krrarrr.errs
who claim to be Muslims, rhen she should be taught manners a
\i:::,:lj: ":, T":itT.d..rf she was one of tf," p.opt. ofr,(h.oy*r! (People of the Book living ;d;;;;;fi# ;iMuslims), then,.by my life, that shlihwhich you have turned a,from is grearer (as a crime than ridicule of the Muslims). If I Ipreviously commanded you in a case the rike of this (ana inenuyou had.dole what you did) you would have reached afliction,
[::Tjl-1t_wilt tet things be, and beware of mutilatin;;;;,
because it is a crime "rrd
riurt b. "rroid.i
iG;;;"#r:;a similar crime of mutilation).,
Malik and ad-Daraqutni narrated that Safiyyah bint Abi .Uba1
Tf ::.-r*:: i:i", h rd s exual, int:rc o.u rs : with a vi rgin sh; giand confessed it, so he ordered that he should b. *hip;J;;;;
he exiled him to Fadak.Abu Ya"la narrated that Muhammad ibn Hatib said: A man who
ll1:.1.," was brought to Abu n"U ".,Jltready all his hands andfeet had been cut off (fo, thefts), so Abu Bakr said, ,I cannot findanything for you excepr what the Messenger of Allah, _ry al"l
bless him and grant him pea.e, d..id.J "bout
you on the dav heordered that you be killed, and he certainf, f.".r li*;;;;;_,,and he ordered that he be killed.
Malik narrated that ar-easim ibn Muhammad said thar a manfrom Yemen, who had a hand "rd "
foot "ut
ofi came and stayedwith Abu Bakr. He complained to him ,h", ,h.;;;;r# .irfr.5T." had.wronged him, and he used to pray xnight. So Abu
i1},q1l-d,'^1ll'3, vour father, your night is nomh"., ;igk;i;
Aba Babr as-Siddiq
Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, his supplication against himself, for me
ls stronger and more severe against him than his theft.'Ad-Daraqutni narrated that Anas said that Abu Bakr would cut
(rffthe hand) for a shield whose value was five dirhams.Abu Nu'aym narrated in al-Hilyah that Abu Salih said: 'When
the people of the Yemen came in the time of Abu Bakr and theyheard the Qur'an, they began to weep. Abu Bakr said, 'Just likethis we used to be, then the hearts became hard.'Abu Nu"aym said,
'i.e. they became strong and tranquil with the ma'rifah (gnosis) ofAllah, exalted is He.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn'l]mar said: Abu Bakr said, 'Be
regardful ofMuhammad, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
in the people of his house.'
Abu 'Ubayd narrated in al-Ghareeb that,\bu Bakr said, 'Fragrant
good fortune to whoever dies in the time of weakness,' i.e. in the
very beginning of Islam before the stirrings of dissensions.
The Four and Malik narrated that Qabisah said: A grandmothercame to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asking him for her inheritance and he
said, 'There is nothing for you in the Book ofAllah and I have notlearnt that there is anything for you in the Sunnah of the Prophet ofAllah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so,go back untilI ask people.' He asked people and al-Mughirah tbn Shu'bah said,'I attended the Messenger ofAllah who gave her (a grandmother) asixth.'Abu Bakr said, 'Is there anyone else with you?' Muhammadibn Maslamah arose and said the like ofwhat al-Mughirah had said.
So Abu Bakr allocated her that.Malik and ad-Daraqutni narrated that al-Q-asim ibn Muhammad
said that two grandmothers came to Abu Bakr seeking theirinheritances, the mother of a mother and the mother of a fathetand so he gave the inheritance to the mother of the mother. "Abdar-Rahman ibn Sahl al-Ansari, who was one of thosewho had been
present at Badr and was a member of Bani Harithah, said to him,'Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah, you have given to the one
thief' Then later they missed .o-. ,.*.1'1.r, t;i;;;;;;;;;r_r,bint'Umays, Abu Bakrt wife. He b.g"., to go around with themsaying' Allah, You must take [to t"rki*ho.'o.r protted against thepeople of this righteo us house.' Th.r, ih.y a"ni rn. l.*.?r.ry *i l,a jeweller who claimed that the man *hlr. li_b, *lr.
"rrpir,rr.ahad brought it, and he confessed o, ,o-.one witnessed againsthim. Abu Bakr gave the commarrd ,rrJt i, left hand was cut off,
9293
Tkp Hrsrony oF THE Kuarrrens
from whom he would not have inherited if she had died!'Andhe divided it between the two of them.
'Abd ar-Razzaq narrated inhis Musannafrhat' Nishah, may Albe pleased with her, narrated rhe hadith of the wife of Rifa ahwas divorcedfromhim and married "Abd ar-Rahman ibnafter him but he was unable to consummate the marriage, andshe wanted to return to Rifa'ah. The Messenger ofAllah, mayAbless him and grant him peace, said to her, 'No, not until youthe sweetness of intercourse with him and he tastes theof intercourse with you.' This much is in the Sah;h. 'Abd ar-
added: She remained for a while and then she came to him ainformed him that he had touched her. He forbade her to returnher first husband and said, 'O Allah, if it was more expansive forthat she should return to Rifa'ah, then her marriage to him wounot be completed for her another time.' Then later she came to AbuBakr and "(Jmar in their hhilafahs and they both forbade her.
Al-Bayhaqi narrated that "Uqbah ibn "Amir said that "Amr ibnal-"As and Shurahbil ibn Hasanah both sent him as a messenger ro
Abu Bakr with the head of Bannan, the Byzantine general of Syria.'$7'hen
he came to Abu Bakr, he disapproved of that strongly and so
"Uqbah said to him, 'Khalifah of the Messenger ofAllah, they (the
Byzantines) do that with us.' He said, Are they following the Sunnah
of the Persians and the Byzantines? Don't carry the head to me; aletter and news are enough.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Qais ibn Abi Hazim said: Abu Bakrwent into a woman of Ahmas called Zaynab, and he saw her nottalking and he said, '\il7hat is wrong with her that she does nottalk?' They said, 'She performed the Hajj in silence.' He said toher, 'Speak, because this is not permitted. This is one of the acts of/ahiliyyah.'So she spoke and said, '\7ho are you?' He said, 'I am aman of the Muhajirun.' She said, .Which of the Muhajirun?' Hesaid, 'From Quraysh.' She said, 'From which group of Quraysh?'He said, 'You are a real questioner - I am Abu Bakr.' She said,
94
Abu Bakr as-Si'ddiq
'llow long will we remain on this right matter which Allah has
lrrought us after ignomn"e?' He said' iYot"
'""t"ining upon it will
be as long as your i*a*'stay uPstanding" She said' '\7ho are the
lmams?' He said, 'Oofo.r, p.opi. not have leaders and nobles who
order them and they'"ttyif"t?' She said' 'Of course'' He said'
"lhey are those PeoPle''Al-Bukharirr"rr"..d,h","Aishah,mayAllahbepleasedwithher'
said: Abu Bakr had "
rlru. who used to pay him his revenue' one
a":, fr. Uro,rght hi* J;thing and Rbu. gakr ate of it' The slave
said to him, 'Do y., ftnt**f'aithis is?'Abu Bakr said' ''What is it?'
He said, 'I used ro'o *t a foreteller of the future for a man in the
Jahiliyyahand how g;;" the foretelling' excePt that I deceived'
'[hen he met me,"ig'ut me that which you havt eaten from'' So
Abu Bakr thrust f it [""a in his mouth and vomited everything
in his stomach. AhmaJnarrated in az-Zuhdthat Ibn sirin said, 'I
know of no-on. *tto *ade himself vomit food which he had eaten
excePt for Abu Bakr,' and he told the-same story'
An-Nasa'i narrat; it'"'n't"t" said that "fJmar discovered Abu
Bakr grasping lri, .o";t, '"yi"g' 'This is the one which has brought
me to so many Places''
Abu "Ubayd n"r."ttd in al-Gharee& that Abu Bakfpassed by "Abd
ar-Rahmanibn.Awfwhilehewasquarrellingwlthhisneighbourand he said, 'Do not quarrel with your neighbour for he will remain
when peoPle have left You.'
Ibn "Asakir ,rr,."t"dihat Musa ibn "Uqbah related that Abu Bakr
as-Siddiq us"d,o d.ii"t' the khutbahsaying' Praisebelongs to Allah'
the Lord of the "'"'*'"', I praise Him and seek His aid' and \7e
ask Him for generosity for ihat which is after death' because my
term and yorrm h"* J'"*" near' And I witness that there is no god
but Allah alone, t'o p'*"tt with Him and that Muhammad is His
slave and *..r.,gti *ho- He sent with the Truth' as a bringer
;g;;J ,,.*, "til *"t"t' and an illuminating lamp so that he
might *"rr, *ho* i' 'li" and that the word would be realised on
95
Trrc Hlsrony oF THE Krrer,rrarrs
:::r**TjJ: %::ver obeys Ailah and His Messenger is truguided, and whoever disobeys th.- har g"". "r;;";l;;;;il;.;;;r.:::il*T:-hl,*:f:r"p:1,._"_..oiAu"h,,"e,;;;;;,.""*rto the command ofAllah which H. h", l"rd;;;;;-" ;;*lr:h He has guided you, becaus. ,h. .o-prehensive summatrof the guidance of Islam after the word o?rincerity Wr ri)tis 'hearing and obedience, to whom.uo eilrh t
"r'g;.n-".r,over your affairs, for whoever obeys AIIah and those"who o.a.,well-rss.*rised virtues and forbii *h", i. rejected, has succeeand prospered, and discharged that duty with which he is obiiged.Beware of.following th. whim of passion, to; il;;;::.rrr",.""aprospers who is protected from rhe whim ofpassiorr, gr..d,
"_il;,and anger. Beware of boasting, for what boasr can he have whois created from dust, and then wi1 rater rerurn to dust, then ratermaggots will eat him, and he is today alive and tomorrow dead? SoI:"* a lay by a day (the Last Dry)
"rJ "., hour by an hour (theHour of the end). protect yourselves from the ,uppti.riio, of .n.wronged one, and counr yourselves among rn. a.ra, ".rJ-i. f"o.",,for all action is by patien.., ,nd U. or, fo,i. guard, for watchfulnessis useful. And act, and action will be accepted. Guard yo*r.t r.,
1"": ,T:,*hnl
.ltt*..autioned you "Lou,
of His rorment, andhasten to that which Allah.pro-rr.f y", .riiil;; ffiilril;and you will be understood, harre f.arful obedience (taqwa;literally- selEprotec-ting) andy_ou will be guarded, for AIIah has made clearto you that for which He destroyj those who *.r. U.A* r"", ,"athat for which He saved whomever H. ,"*d before you. He hasmade clear ro you in His book His halal andHis haram,and whicha*ions He loves and which H^e deplores. I will no, r.gt..i;ou^rrrdmyself andAllah is the one ftom whom aid is sougf;t. aiJlrr...::1H:.'1r:I.**, evil) and strength (to do ,isda;;;;Ail"h.Know that as long as you are sinceri ,J; rir1i.ra"r,i;r, i
and guarded your portion, and you *iil ililJ;;;i#J;"r.96
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
Arrd that which you offer voluntarily for your deen, then make it afiee-will offering (which you send) before you and you will receive
lirll payment for your loan, and you will be given your permanentdaily allowance of food during your poverty and in your (time of)need of it. Then refect, slaves ofAllah, on your brethren and yourcompanions who have passed away. They have come to that whichthey sent before them and they are established upon that, and theyare alone in the grief and the happiness in that which is after death.
Allah has no partner, and there is no relationship between Him andany one of His creatures by which He will give him good or avert
evil, excepting by obedience to Him and following His command.'fruly, there is no good in a good after which comes the Fire, norany evil in an evil after which comes the Garden. I say this word ofmine and I seek the forgiveness of Allah, for me and for you. Send
blessings on your Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
and peace be on him, the mercy ofAllah and His blessings.'
Al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi naruated that "Abdullah ibn Hakim said:
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq addresseda hhutbah to us and in it he praisedAllahas He is worthy and then said, 'I counsel you with fearful obedience
of Allah, that you praise Him as He is worthy, and that you mixlonging with fear, because Allah, exalted is He, preised Zakariyya.and the people of his family sayrng, "Zbey used to basten competitiuely
in doing good actions, and they would supplicate U, foll of hngingandfear, and thel were humble to U." (Qur'an 2l:90). Then know,slaves of Allah, that Allah has taken, by His right, your selves as a
pledge, and He has taken on that basis your covenants, and He has
bought from you the transient little with the everlasting much. ThisBook of Allah is among you; its light does not become snuffed outand its wonders never end, so take illumination from its light, accept
the sincere advice of His Book, and seek light from it for the Day ofdarkness; for He has only created you for His worship and service,
and He has entrusted over you noble scribes who know what you are
doing. Then know, slaves of Allah, that you go out in the mornings
97
Tnn Hrsronv oF THE KrreureHs
and corine back in the evenings for a period of time (the life-span)
knowledge of which He has concealed from you; so if you are
that your life-spans should come to an end while you are on theofAllah, then do so, and you will only be able to by the permission
Allah. Race in your life-spans before they pass away and returnto the worst of your actions, for some people have given theirto others and forgotten themselves and I forbid you to be like them.,Make haste! Make haste! Be quick! Be quick! For behind you there is
a nimble pursuer whose command is very fast.'
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya, Ahmad in az-Zuhd, and Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah narrated that Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated that Abu Bakrused to say in his khutbah,'\7here are the handsome fair of face,
conceited with their youth? \7here are the kings who built the citiesand fortified them? Where are those who used to be given conquestsin battles? Their strongest were humbled when time betrayed themand they awoke in the darknesses of the graves. Make haste! Makehaste! Be quick! Be quick!'
Ahmad narrated in az-Zuhd.that Salman said: I came toAbu Bakrand said, 'Counsel me!' He said, 'Salman, have fearful obedienceofAllah, and know that there will be conquests, but I do not knowwhat your portion of them will be, that which you pur in your bellyor throw upon your back (clothing). Know that whoever prays thefive prayers enters the morning in a covenant with Allah, exalted is
He, and enters the evening in a covenant with Allah, exalted is He.Do not kill anyone ofthe people who is in a covenant with Allah andthus behave treacherously towards Allah concerning His covenant,for then Allah will throw you down in the Fire upon your face.'
He narrated thatAbu Bakr, mayAllah be pleased with him, also
said, 'The right-acting people will be taken away, the foremost andthen the next foremost until there only remain chaff, husks anddregs of people like those left over from dates and barley, for whomAllah will not be concerned or care.'
Sa"id ibn Mansur narrated in his Sunan that Mu"awiyah ibn
98
Abu Bakr as-sidliq
()urrah narrated that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq' may Allah be pleased
with him, used to say in his supplicatign' 1C Allah' make the best
of mv life the f"" tf it' ""J tnl tttt of my acdon its seals and the
i;.;, ;f my days the daY I m9e1.You'. ,.Ahmad narrated i^l'-Z'U'hat al-Hasan said: It has reached me
that Abu Bakr used tt t"y t" fris supplication' 'O Allah' I ask You
thatwhich is best m' 1" L tttt ""d
oitht affair' O Allah' make the
last that You give -t ;;; Yt;t good pleasure and the highest
ranks in the Gardens of Bliss''
He narrated,h"';;;h said: Abu Bakr' mayAltah be pleased
with him, said, ''Whoever is able to weeP let him weeP' and if not
let him endeavour to weeP''
He narrated.t'"t "'i'"J"""*ttdt Abu Bakr' mayAllah be pleased
with him, ,ria, .r*o ,JJr-h"rr. d.r.roy.d them (women): gold and
t"fltll;rr".ed that Muslim ibnyasar narrated thatAbu Bakr said,
'The Muslim i'"*"f,Jfo""rythi"g' !lt1a hurt (in the foot)
caused by a stone, tftt i""ftt"g o!ry''"'id"l't thong' or some'article
in his sleeve *hi"h;"";;;;;i"d ft"" for' then n"at it in the fold
(of his garment)"
He narrated that Maymun ibn Mihran saidi'Abu Bakr was
brought a crow;hffi;;i;t' llo he turndil it over and said'
'No game i, ."t'ght ;t' t?tt fpitd but because of the glorification
-li-i'"ffil;i narrated in at-Ad.ab,and.Abdutlah ibn Ahmad in
the Zawa'id ,'-Z;;d';;'as-Sunabihi narrated that he heard Abu
Bakr saying, '*";d;"tt"" "itLt brother for his brother for the
sake of Allih i' "*pttttd to be answered"
"Abdullah ibn ihm'd in the Zawa'id' az-Zuhd narrated from
"Ubryd ibn "Umayr that Labid' the poet said that he came to Abu
Bakrandsaid,'EverythingapartfromAllahisfalse"AbuBakrsaid''You have .td 't"
t"t"t''' "Ht
said' .And every bliss inevitably fades
away;He (Abu g'[Jt;td'lYou lie!Vith Aliah there is a bliss that
99
Trrs Hrsrony oF THE Kuerrrarrs
does not pass away.'\When he turned awayAbu Bakr said, ,
the poet said the word from wisdom., t
His words indicative of the strength of his fear of his LordAbu Ahmad al-Hakim narrated thrt'Mu"rdh ibn Jabar ,"ia, auuBakr entered a walled garden and there was a species ofpigeon in theshade ofa rree, so he sighed and then ,aid, ;Fragrar*
good"forr,rrr.,oyou, bird! You eat of the rrees, you find shade-i1 thJtr..., ,rrJ youOff:l*out reckoni"q w"."1d th"tAb,, s;;il;;;t
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that al_Asmn"i ,"iJ,Si;;;;;;; *",po1,.9 he used ro say, 'O Allah, you know my self better than I do, ,
and I know my self better than they do. o Ailah, make me betterthan what they think, and forgive me for what they aor,, L.roli,and don't take me to task fo, *Ir"t they say.,
Ahmad narrared in az-Zuhdthat Abu "Imran al_Juni said: Abu .
3;I:,r",0, 'I would love to be a hair in the side of a believing
Ahmad narrated in az-Zuhdthat Mujahid said: rbn azZubayr
l*::, be like a piece of wood, *h.r, h. stood in prayer,out of ,
reartul humility and he said, 'I have been told that Ab., B"k, *".like that.'He narrated that al-Hasan said: Abu Bakr said, ,ByAllah,
I wishthat I was this tree which is earen C"d;jl.ilo;;il]*".,"He narrated that eatadah said: It has rea.h.J;J;;Uu ur,.,said, 'I wish that I was herbage which carde ear.,He narrated that Damrah ibn Habib said: Death came ro a sonofAbu Bakr as-Siddiq. The young -"" U.g"., ;;il;rla, ,
Tllllf i -%en he died they.saiJ to Abu i"kr, .#. ,* yor, ,onglancing towards the -",,r.r.., t.y r.-o,,r.a lri- ,;;;.;;;
and found underneath it five or si* iinars. Abu Bakr struck his hand i
upon the other repeatedly^."nng, ,Trob, ue belong to ettri )il )rq
?::r, r:tarning,n^Him. So and so, I dont think your skin *ouli ,be ample enough for it.'
/ ver u^rrr vvul,(r i
r00
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
He narrated that Thabit al-Banani narrated that Abu Bakr usedto quote this poem as a proverb:
'You will conrinue lamenting the death of a beloved until youare him,
and the youth hopes a hope which he dies short of (attaining).'
Ibn Sa'd narrated that Ibn Sirin said: No-one after the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, was as much in awe of what hedid not know as Abu Bakr. No-one after Abu Bakr was as much inawe ofwhat he did not know as "(Jmar. Sometimes a case would comebeforeAbu Bakr forwhich he could find nosource in the BookofAllahnor any trace or tradition in the sunnah and so he would say, 'I willexert myself ro arrive ar my own conclusion. If it is right then it is fromAllah. If it is wrong it is from me and I seek forgiveness ofAllah.'
That which is narrated from him in interpretation of dreamsSa'id ibn Mansur narrated that Sa"id ibn al-Musayyab said: "Aishah,may Allah be pleased with her, saw in a dream as if three moonsfell in her room. She told it to Abu Bakr - he was one of the bestof men in interpretation - and he said, 'If your dream is true, thenthree of the best people on the earth will be burie&in your room.'\Mhen the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, died,he said, '"lfishah, this is the best of your moons.'
He also narrated thar'(Jmar ibn Shurahbil said: The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'I saw myselfherding black sheep, then herding white sheep after them, until theblack could not be seen among them.'Abu Bakr said, 'Messenger ofAllah, as for the black sheep, they are the Arabs who will becomeMuslims in great numbers. The white sheep are the non-Arabs whowill become Muslims until the Arabs.rrr.ro, be seen among thembecause of their huge numbers.'The Messenger ofAllah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, said, '[1 exactly the same way, theangel interpreted it before dawn.'
101
Tirn Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrpens
ofAllah and dont do it again.,
He has also narrared, that Ibn Abi Lafa said: The MessengerAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant hil pe".., said, ,I saw mys1r.r.*.11 drawing warer from ii ,nd blr.k ;h-..p;;;;;drink, then later dusty white coloured sheep.,Abu Bakr said, .Ime inrerprer ir,'and he mentioned the like of the prruiour-iiAi,Ibn Sa.d narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said: The mskilled in interpretation of dreams of this ummahafter itswas Abu Bakr.
Ibn sa"d narrated that Ibn shihab said: The Messenger ofA,amayAllah bless him and grant him peace, saw a dream and toldto Abu Bakr. He said, ,I Jr* r, if I hastened to be first, I and vo
[g:]i91.' ,*:hi r.*": yoy.by two and
" h;lf;;;;jH;,
'Messenger of Allah, Allah'will take y;;. fi;J#;;;mercy and I will live after you for two and a half yeai.,
----""
Abd ar-Razzaq narrated in his Musannaf that Abu eilabahi:::::i,1il_1Ti" ,il1:" Afy g_1k, as_Siddiq, ,r ,"* i,, ,rif1n",I was,urinating blood.,He said, .Vo" rr. "-_"1,}t;';;;lohis;r;f,,(]1::.:::I? white she is mensffuating, so ask forgiveness
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
cye and more perceptive about war.'
SectionKhalifah ibn Khayyat, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn "Asakir narrated
that Yazid ibn al-Asamm narrated that: The Prophet, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Bakr, Am I older (akbar
also: greater) or you?' He said, 'You are greater and more noble
and I have more years than you.' This is a rnursal and very unusual
tradition. If it is authentic this answer is counted as evidence of thehigh degree of his intelligence and courtesy. But it is well knownthat this reply was made by al-"Abbas, and that similarly it happened
fbr Sa"id ibn Yarbu" in this wording: That the Messenger ofAllah,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, .Sfhich ofus is older (ahbar)?' He said, 'You are greater and better than me
and I am older.'Abu Nu'aym narrated that it was said to Abu Bakr, 'Khalifah of
the Messenger ofAllah, will you not confer authority on the people
of Badr?' He said, 'I know their rank, but I dislike to sully themwith the world.'
Ahmad narrated in az-Zuhd from Isma"il ibn Muhammad thatAbu Bakr divided up some property equally amdtg the people.
'I-Imar said to him, 'Do you make the companircns of Badr and
other people equal?'Abu Bakr said to him, 'The world is only a
sufficiency and the best sufficiency is the vastest. Their merit is onlyin their wages.'
SectionAhmad narrated in az-Zuhd that Abu Bakr ibn Hafs said: It has
reached me that Abu Bakr used to fast in summertime and break
his fast in wintertime.Ibn Sa"d narrated that Hayan as-Sa'igh said: The engraving on
the signet ring ofAbu Bakr was, 'Blessed as the One \7ho Decrees
is Allah.'
Ar-Bavhaqi,*,^na,r,.)-pik;*tffitrahibnBuraydahsaid:The Messenger ofArah, mavArah bless him ""Jg;ri,ili."..,sent "Amr ibn al-i{s in a raiding party in which were Abu Bakr and'UT1r. I,^hen they reached th.[L. of ,h. war, "Amr told them notto light a fire. .L-Imar
lecame ^igry,and he wanted ro come to him,butAbu Bakr forbade him. rt. ,ji t i- that the Merr..,g.;oiAir"lr,
mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, only appoin*d f,;i;;*.of.hj$ngwledge ofwar. So he fUmar) became calm.. Al-Bayhaqi narrated that Abu Ma"shar narrated from one of hisshaykhs that the Messenger ofAllah, ,rrryehl bl.r, hi;;;;;;r",him peace, said, 'I put a man in charge of a people, among whomthere is one who is better rhan him, bl."rr. he is more arert of the
102103
Tkr Hrsronv oF THE Kner.rrens
Note: At-Tabarani narrated that Musa ibn "Uqbah said, ''We
know of four who reached the Prophet, may Allah bless him a
grant him peace, and their sons as well, except for these four:
Quhafah, his son Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, his son'Abd ar-RahmanAbu "Ateeq ibn "Abd ar-Rahman whose name was Muhammad.
Ibn Mandah and Ibn 'Asakir narrated that 'lt'ishah, may Abe pleased with her, said: None of the Muhajirun's fathers becaMuslims except for Abu Bakrt.
Note: Ibn Sa"d and al-Bazzar narratedwith a good isnadthatsaid: The oldest of the companions of the Messenger ofAllah, maAllah bless him and grant him peace, were Abu Bakr as-SiddiqSuhayl ibn "Amr ibn Bayda'.
Note: Al-Bayhaqi narrated in ad-Dak'il that Asma' bint Abisaid:'!7hen it was the year of the Opening (of Makkah to Islam),a daughter ofAbu Quhafah wenr out and the cava.lry met her.
was wearing a neck-ring of silver around her neck, and a man toreit offher neck. \(hen the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, entered the mosque, Abu Bakr stood and said, 'I adjureyou (the Muslims) by Allah and Islam, (to return) my sistert neck-ring.' ByAllah, no-one answered him. He said it a second time andno-one answered him. Then he said, 'Sister, hope for a recompense(from Allah) for your neck-ring, for, byAllah, ffusrworthiness thisday among people is very scarce.'
Note I have seen in the handwriting of al-Hafidh adh-Dhahabi:Those who were unique in their ages for their skills were: Abu
Bakr as-Siddiq in genealogy, 'LJmar ibn al-Khattab in srrength inthe command of Allah, "Uthman ibn "Affan in modestS "Ali injudgement, Ubayy ibn Ka"b in recitation, Zaid ibn Thabit in thelaws of inheritance, Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah in trusrworthiness,Ibn'Abbas in commentary (on Qur'an), Abu Dharr in truthfulness,Khalid ibn al-Walid in bravery, al-Hasan al-Basri in reminding,'!7ahb ibn Munabbih in stories, Ibn Sirin in interpretation (ofdreams), Nafi" in recitarion, Abu Hanifah in fiqh,Ibn Ishaq in
t04
Abu Bahr as-Siddiq
[history ofl the battles, Muqatil in allegorical interpretation' al-
Kalbi in the stories of tht qirr'an' al-Khalil in the measures and
,rr.".".f p"etry, Fudayl ibn "Iyad in worship' Sibawih in grammar'
Malik in knowledge, V'fty" ibn Ma"in in knowledge of men (i'e' the
irr.rr-i*.., of knowledge and hadlth)' Abu Tammam in poetry'
Ahmad ibn Hanbal in su"nnah, Al-Bukhari in criticism of the hadith,
.ij""+ in at-Thsawuuf; Mthamlad..ibn Nasr al-Marwazi in
;h;;; ;;,. rs of fiqh o" *hi"h there is disagreement' al-Jabani on
,rl-Ash"ari rtuaiii theology, Muhammad ibrt ztkxiyya ar-Razi
in medicine, Abu Ma"sha-r in astrology' Ibrahim al-Karmani in
i;,;;;;;;" (of dreams), Ibn Nabatah in khutbals' Abu l-Fari
-i-niirf,".i in public speaking' Abu'l-Qasim atlTabarani in
ad.iustments in cases of inheritance' Ibn Hazm in the apParent
;;;Gt 6dh-Dhahir), Abu'l-Hasan al-Bakri in lies' al-Hariri
inhisal-Maqarnat,Ibn'Mandahinthebreadthofhistravelling'al-Mutanabbi in poetry, al-Mawsili in singing' "t-l:li..tn
chess'
al-Khatib ,l-n"ghJ"Ji in twiftness of "'dit'g' "Ali ibrr Hilal
in ."lligr"pfty, *.ta' as-Sulaymi in fear' the Qadi al-Fadil in
composition, al-Ar-'"i it' ""t"iotts'
Ash"ab in ambition' Mu"abbad
in singing and Ibn Sina' in philosophy' ,
*...
105
cUmar ibn al-Khattabmay Allah be pleased with him
CT f mar ibn al-Khattab ibn Nufayl ibn "Abdu'l-"Uzza lbn
I I Riyah ibn Qart ibn Razah ibn "Adi ibn Ka"b ibn Lu'ayy,
\-/ Amir al-Mu'rninin,Abu Hafs, al-Qurashi, al-'Adawi, al-Faruq.
He accepted Islam in the sixth year of prophecy when he was
twenty-seven years old, says adh-Dhahabi.An-Nawawi says: "LJmar was born thirteen years after the
Elephant, he was one of the nobility of Quraysh, and he had therole of ambassador inthe Jahiliyyal; Quraysh, whenever war brokeout among them or between them and others, would send him as
an ambassador, i.e. a messenger, and when someone called them tojudgement - often over a matter of standing or lincage - then theysent him as a response to that.
He accepted Isiam rrery early on, after forty oih., -..r and eleven
women. Some say that it was after thirty-nine men and twenty-threewomen, and some say, after forty-five men and eleven women. Butit was only after he accepted Islam that Islam was shown openly inMakkah and the Muslims rejoiced in him.
He said: He was one of the outstripping first ones, one of the tenfor whom it was witnessed that they were for the Garden, one of thekhulafa'who took the right way, one of the inJaws of the Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, one of the great men ofknowledge of the Companions and one of their abstinent people.
There are related from him five hundred and thirty-nine badithfrom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Trm Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrerrs
"Uthman ibn .Affan narrated from him, Ali (ibn Abi TalTalhah (bg "Ubaydullah), Sa.d (ibn Abi Vaqqas), "Abd r.R"h;;iibn'Awf, Ibn Mas.ud, Abu Dharr, "Amr ibn "Abasah and his sorAbdullah, Ibn "Abbas, I.bnaz-Zubayr, Anas, Abu Huray rah,"Aibn al-'As, Abu Musa al-Ash"ari, ^l-8,^r^,ibn "Azib, Abu Sa.id
f,lrj:,, and a great number of the Companion, ,rrd orh.rr, rnolAllah be pleased with them. q's vl,!ro' I
I say: I attach here some secrions in which there arecollections of interest connected to his biography.
The reports on his acceptance of IslamAt:rirmidhi narrated that Ibn'u-ai narrated that: The prophet,mayAllah bless him and grant_him peace, said, ,O
AIl"h, ,;;;-gt.nIslam with whoever ir more b.rorred to you ofthese two men: .umaribn al-Khattab orAbuJahr ibn Hisham.'At-T"b"rani narrated thisfrom hadith of Ibn Mas"ud and Anas, may Alrah be pleased withthem.Al-Hakim narrared that Ibn'Abbas rerated that the prophet, may
** ii:::$i$ glTlhim peace, slid, .o aii,i, ,1."g,r,.,Islam by .L]mar ibn al_Khatr"b ^.rp..i"f f/ O,i"il"ffi ;r:;;,I:',:::\:1*,:., !":^ ho.d,rh orabu Bakr as_Sidjlq ""i ," ,1,.Kabir from hadith of rhawban
--- *u vrustY 4'tr ,r
Ahmad narrated that .Umar said: I wenr our to confront theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him ;;ace,and found that he had preceded me to the rnosque (of Makkah). Istood behind him and he 1..*" by reciting Sr.r"t,.r,l_Haqq;h. i *",
il::ll*:tr f;comqosition of the quihn, * r ,"iJJ,[,air"r,,
this is a poer as euraysh say.,Then h..;;;"ir-rriirtl,;ir:r;r;of a noble ril.essenger, */^::-is n.ot the saying;r';;;;,';:;';;;;/r*b1lieue..'(eurbn 69:40) to the rndif rk"oyoh,";Jiil;;r_.about in my heart.
Ibn Abi Jabir narrated that Jabir said: The beginning of .UmartIslam was that .Umar said, ,My
sistert time to give birth came ro
108
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
hcr at night so I went out of the house, and entered the precincts ofthc Ka'bah. Then the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant himpcace, came and entered the Hijr (rhe low-walled, semi-circular area
to one end of the Ka'bah) and on him there were rwo rough cloths.He prayed to Allah as much as Allah willed, then he turned away
nnd I heard something the like of which I had not heard. He wentout and I followed him and he said, "\7ho is this?" I said, ""LJmar."
He said, 'tlJmar, will you not leave me alone, either by night or[ry day?" I became afraid that he might supplicate against me, so Isaid, "I witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are theMessenger of Allah." He said, ""IJmar, keep it secret." I said, "No,by the One'S7'ho sent you with the ffuth, I will openly declare itjust as I openly declared idolatry."'
Ibn Sa"d, Abu Ya'la, al-Hakim, and al-Bayhaqi in ad-Dala'il,narrated that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Umarwent out wearing his sword, and a man from Bani Zuhrahmet himand said, ''W'here do you intend going,'(Jmar?' He said, 'I want tokill Muhammad.'He said, 'Howwillyou be safe from Bani Hashimand Bani Zuhrah if you have killed Muhammad?'He said,'I can
only believe that you have converted.' He said, 'Shall I show yousomething astonishing; your brother-in-law and yeur sister have
converted and abandoned your deen.' 'Umar walked on and came
to the two of them while Khabbab was with them. '!7'hen he heard
the sound of"LJmar he hid in the house, and then he ("Umar) entered
and said, ''What is this murmur of lowered voices?'They had been
reciting Taha. They said, 'Nothing but some conversation whichwe were holding.' He said, 'Perhaps you two have converted?' Hisbrother-in-law said to him, '"LJmar, what if the truth were outsideof your deen?' So "LJmar leapt upon him and struck him severely.
His sister came to push him away from her husband and he struckher a blow with his hand so that her face bled. Then she said, andshe was angry, And if the truth were outside ofyour deen? Iwitnessthat there is no god butAllah and that Muhammad is His slave and
109
Trm Hrsronv oF THE Kner-rrans
His Messenger.' "lJmar said, 'Give me the writing which youand I will read it,' - and "l]mar used to read. His sister said to hi'You are dirty, and no-one reads it but the purified (so stand a
bathe yourself or perform wudu).' He stood and performed wuduthen he took the writing and read Taha until it came to,'Thuly I,arn Allah there is no god except Me, so worship Me and establish
prayer for My remembrdnce.' (Qur'an 20: 14).'IJmar said, '
me the way to Muhammad.'\7hen Khabbab heard the words'tImar he came out and said, 'Rejoice, "I-Imar! Because I hopeyou are the (answer to the) supplication which the Messenger
Allah made for you on the night of Thursday, "O Allah, strengtIslam with "fJmar ibn al-Khattab or with "Amr ibn Hisham."'Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
in the lower part of the house which was at the foot of Safa and
"lJmar went off until he came to the house, at the door of whichwere Hamzah, Talhah and others. Hamzah said, 'This is "IJmar;If Allah wants good for him he will become a Muslim; and if Hewishes other than that, then killing him will be a little thing forus.' He said: And the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeace, was inside receiving revelation. He came out when 'IJmararrived, took hold of the folds of his clothes and the straps of hissword, and said, 'You wont give up, "LJmar, until Allah visits youwith disgrace andpunishmentlike he didal-\7alid ibn al-Mughirah.'"LJmar said, 'I witness that there is no god but Allah and that youare the slave ofAllah and His Messenger.'
Al-Bazzar, atllabarani, Abu Nu"aym in al-Hilyah, and al-Bayhaqiin ad-Dala'il narrtted that Aslam said: "Umar said to us, 'I was themost severe of people against the Messenger of Allah, fray Allahbless him and grant him peace. Then one hot day at midday I was
in one of the pathways of Makkah, and a man met me and said, "Iam amazed at you, Ibn al-Khattab. You claim that you are like thisand like this, and this matter has entered your own house." I said,"\7hat is that?" He said, "Your sister has become a Muslim." So I
110
'[Jmar ibn al-Khanab
wcnt back in a fury and struck the door' Someone said' "Vho is
It?" I said, ""LJmar." They hurried and hid from me' They had been
r..rd"g " page which they had and they abandoned it and forgot
It. My sister got,rp,o optt' the door'and I said to her' .E1emf
of her own self, t "u.
yot' converted?" I struck her upon the head
with something that i t'"a in my hand so that the blood flowed
lund she cried. 5he said, "Ibn al-khattab' whatever you are going
;;;., then do it, for i h""t converted"' I entered and sat down
on the couch. Then I glanced at the page and said' "\[hat is this?
Give it to me." She said, "You are not one of its people'.yoy dont
.l.rn yo.rrrelf after intercourse' and this is a writing whi{r1one
,"*t.. excePt for those who have purified themselves"' But I
wouldn't give up until she gave it * T:' I opened it and there in it
*^r,iin fr, name ofAllah,"the Merciful' the Compassiona'te'".\rhen
i plt*a iy ot. oi the names of Allah' exalted is He' I became
afraid of it and I p";;J; the page' Then I came back to myself
and picked up the page and tht" i" it was' "There ghrif'es Allah
that which l, lo thr'i'Z'uens and' the earthl'and I became afraid' I
r.ra "p until," belieue in Allah and His messeruger|" (Quran.57: 1-7)
and so I said, "I witness that there is no god but-Allah"' and so
they all came out to me hastily' saying, 'Allohu A&art"' and said'
"Rejoice!. Because .[" Mt"trrgt' of IJ["h' mapAllah bless him
and grant fri* p."*, 'upplicaied
on Monday and said' 'O Allah
;;;;;;i." Yotl, dreo*ithwhoever is the more beloved of the two
men to You, .ithe. Abt' Jaht ibn Hisham or "IJmar"" They directed
-.,o,h. Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant.himpeace' in a
house at the foot of "-S'f'' and I went to it and knocked on the
ir"r-ffr.y r"id, "*ho is it?" I said' "Ibn al-Khattab"'They knew
my severity ,g"i,'t the Messenger of Allah' may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, so nobodf moved to oPen the door until he
said, mayAffrn Uft"'fti- ""d g'"t't li* pt"::'"9Pt: it for him'"
Th;;;p:".d it for me, two mJn grabbed hold of me by the uPPer
arms and brought *t to the PrJphet' may Allah bless him and
111
Tnr Htsronv oF THE KuRrrrens
grant him peace, who said, "Leave him alone." Then he
me by my shirt and dragged me forcibly towdrds him and sa
'hccept Islam, Ibn al-Khattab. O Allah guide him," and Iwitness and the Muslims said,'Allahu Ahbarl" so loudly thatwas heard in the valleys of Makkah.
'They had been concealing themselves. I did not wish to see a
striking and being struck but that I experienced it myself and nolof that touched me. I went to my uncle Abu Jahl ibn Hisham,was one of the nobility, and knocked on his door. He said, "'Who
it?" I said, "Ibn al-Khattab, and I have converted." He said, "
do it," and slammed the door on me. I said, "This isn't anythand went to one of the great ones of Quraysh, called out to hand he came out to me. I said to him the same as I had said touncle, he said to me the same as my uncle had said to me,
in and slammed the door on me. I said, "This isn't anything, tMuslims are being struck and I am not being struck." A manto me, "'S7'ould you like your acceptance of Islam to be known?iI said, "Yes." He said, "\7hen people are seated in the Htjr go
so-and-so, a man who cannot possibly conceal a secret, and say
him, just between yourself and him, 'I have converted,' for it israre that he has ever concealed a secret." I went and people
already gathered in the Hijr.I said, just between me and him, "Ihave converted." He said, "Did you really do that?" I said, "Yes."
cried at the top of his voice, "Ibn al-Khattab has converted." Theyran up to me; I was hitting them, they were hitting me and people
gathered around me. Then my uncle said, "\fhat is this group?"Someone said, "'IJmar has converted." He stood upon the Hijrand indicated with the palm of his hand, "I have helped the son ofmy sister." They dispersed from around me. I did not want to have
seen any of the Muslims being struck and striking without seeing
it myself, so I said, "This which has happened to me is nothing."I went to my uncle and said, "Your help is returned to you," and Icontinued to hit and be hit until Allah strengthened Islam.'
112
'(JmAr ibn al'Khattab
Abu Nu'aym narrated in ad-Dala'il tnd Ibn 'Asakir that Ibn
-Abbas, -"yRll"h be pleased with both of them, said: I asked'umar'
;;;;ilhl. pl."r.i with him, 'For what reason were you called
f i-h"t"ql'He said, 'Hamzah accepted Islam three days before me' I
wcnt to the mosque, andAbuJahihurried up to abuse the Prophet'
oof nUrl, blers hi- ",,d
g'""t him peace' and Hamzah was told
,t "*, i.. He took his bow"and came to the mosque up to the circle
,i q"r"y.ft in which Abu Jahl was' He l"ant upon h1.bow faing
nUJi"hl ""d looked ,t hi-, and Abu Jahl recognised the-mischief
in frh f""., and said, "\7hat is wrong with you' Abu "Umarah?"
He raised his bow and with it strucklne of the veins in his neck'
.-rU"g n so that blood fowed' Quraysh rectified that from fear
of -irl.hief and trouble.' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may
Ittrtt Ut.r, him and grant him Peace' was concealed in the house of
;l;rqr- al-Makhzimi so Hamzah went offand accepted Islam'
i;; o.rt thr.. days after him and there was so-and-so son of so-
and-so al-Makhzumi, and I said to him, "Do you yearn to get out
of the drenof your ancestors and follow the deen of Muhammad?"
H. srid, "If I did, then one who has much greater right uPon you
has also done it." I said, "\rho is he?" He said, "Yout sister and
fo,r, bro,h.r in-law.' I went ofi found the door locfod and heard
,h. -,rrr.ror of lowered voices' Then the door wasiopened for me'
I entered and said, "\[hat is this I hear with you?" They said' "You
didnt hear anything," and the conversation continued between us
u"til f took hold "i^y brother in-law's head and hit him' making
him bleed. My sisterutood uP to me and took hold of my head
and said, "Th"t has happenei despite you'" I was ashamed when
I saw the blood, so I sat'dow" "ti said' "Show me this writing'"
My ,irt., said, "No-one touches it except for the purified',If you
are truthful then get up and bathe yourself"'I got up and bathed
myself, then L.,,rrr,.d and sat down' They broughl me a page in
which was,"In the name ofAllah' the Merciful' the CompassionAte'"
I said, "\Tholesom. "ttd it-ttt
names!" "Taha' Ve haue not reuealed
rt3
the Qurbn n-yoa for you to grieue, ..." up to His words, .,. ..
are the most beautiful numes.,, (eurbn 20: l_g). It became a emafter in my heart and I said, .,From this euraysh have flraccepted Islam and said, ','W'here is the M..r.rrgl, of Allah,Allah bless him and grant him peace?,, She said, ,,*He
is in th. hof al-Arqam." I went to the house and knocked on the door.people gathered and Hamzah said to rhem, ,,\7har i, *ro.rg *)r-ou." They said, ""IJmar." He said, ,And if it is .Umar? Of!",door for him. If he has accepted, then we will accepr that fr<him, and if he turns his back, we will kill him.. The-i;e;;Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard thaicame out. I pronounced the shahadah
"nd th. people of the h
said, Zllahu Akbar!" in such a way that the p.opl. of Makkrheard it. I said, "Messenger of Allah, are we not upon the truthHe said, "Of course." I said, "\Vhy do we .orr.."l it?,, \7eout in two ranks, in one ofwhich I was and in the other Hamzruntil we entered the mosque, and euraysh looked
", _. ,rrd
Hamzah. There came upon them gloom and depression the likewhich had never before.o-. upo, them. Th. il.rr.ng.,
"iAll,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named -.-o, that c"al-Faruq" because Islam had b..n ,l]o*r, openly and a separati
T[rr Hrsrony oF THE Krrarrrerrs
made between the truth and falsehood.,
him and grant him peace.'
Ibn Sa'd narrated that Dhakwan said: I said to "A,ishah, ,
named'IJmar "al-Faruq,,?, She said, .The prophet, mayAllah
"Umar ibn al-Khanab
you; and whoeuerfollows lou of the belieuers.' (Quran 8:64).Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with
him, said:'We continued to become mighty after the acceptance oflslam by'LJmar.
lbn Sa"d and atdabarani narrated that Ibn Mas"ud, nty Allahbc pleased with him, said: The Islam of "LJmar was an opening,his emigration was a help and his imamate was a mercy. I saw us
unable to pray towards the House until "Umar accepted Islam.
Vhen'IJmar accepted Islam, he fought them until they left us
alone and we prayed.
Ibn Sa'd and al-Hakim narrated that Hudhayfah said: \When
'Umar accepted Islam, Islam was like the man advancing towards
you, only increasing in nearness. 'When "LJmar was killed, Islam was
like the man backingaway from you, only increasing in distance.AtjTabarani narrated that Ibn tbbas, mayAllah be pleased with
them both, said: The first man to be open about Islam was'umaribn al-Khattab.
Ibn Sa"d narrated that Suhayb said: \fhen "lJmar, mayAllah be
pleased with him, accepted Islam, he was open about it, invitedpeople to it openly; we sat around the House in circles, we made
circuits around the House, we took our rights from*hhoever was
tough with us, and we retaliated against him for some of what he
brought us.
Ibn Sa'd narrated thatAslam the freed slave of"Umar said: "(Jmaraccepted Islam in Dhu'l-Hijjah of the sixth year of prophethoodwhile he was twenty-six years old.
His emigrationlbn "Asakir narrated that .Ali said: I dont know of anyone whodidnt emigrate in secret except for "Umar ibn al-Khattab; because
when he wanted to emigrate he strapped on his sword, put his
bow over his shoulder, carried his arrows in his hand, and came
to the Ka"bah where the nobles of Quraysh were in the courtyard.
Jibril descended and said, .Muhammad, the inhabitants of hea
rejoice in .Umart acceptance of Islam.,,Al-Bazzar and al-Hakim, who declared it sahih,narrated that Ibn
'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: 's7'hen .L]mar
-Ibn Majah and al-Hakim narrated that Ibn "Abbas, mayAllah
pleased with them both, said: '$7'hen '{.Jmar accepted Isram, t}
accepted Islam, the idolaters said, ,The people have been split in half
from us today,' and Allah revealed, ,ti p-phn, ethh lrTrr)iif*
tt4115
THB Hrsrony oF THE Kuer;rens
him, alongwith him.
He performed seven circuits, and then prayed two raka,at at tStation (of Ibrahim). Then he approach.a in.i,
"i..t. orr. .,.pa time and said, "\7hat ugly faces! \Thoever wishes to b.r.#mother orphan his children and widow his wife then ret him nme behind this valley." Not one of them followed him.
He narrated that al-Bara,, frayAllah be pleased with him,The fi-rst of the Muhajirunwho.r-. ,o us was Mus"ab ibn .Urthen Ibn Umm Maktum, then .Umar ibn al_Khattab mouamong twenty others.'we said, '\7hat has the Messenger ofAlramay Allah bless him and granr him peace, done?, HJsaid, ,Heright behind me.'Then later, the prophet, mayAllah bless him argrant him p.T.: came and Abu Batr, mayAllah be pleased wi
the ltaditlt on his merit, other than those
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
be pleasedwith him, said: I heard the Prophet, mayAllah bless himtnd grant him peace, saying, ''While I was sleeping I saw people
being shown to me and they had shirts on. Some of them reached
to the breast, and some of them reached lower than that. "(Jmarwas shown to me and he had on a shirt which he was draggingrlong.' They said, 'How did you interpret it, Messenger of Allah?'He said, 'The deen.'
The two Shaykhs narrated that Sa"d ibn Abi 'W'aqqas said: TheProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Ibn al-Khattab, by Him in'!7'hose hand is my sel[, the shaytan never metyou travelling on a road but that he would travel on a road otherthan your road.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'There were in thenations before you people who were inspired, and if there is one inmy ummah it is "LJmar.'
At:Iirmidhi narrated from Ibn'umar that the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, Allah has put the truthupon "lJmart tongue and (in) his heart.'Ibn'Umar said: No affairever happened among people and they spoke about it and'IJmarspoke about it but that the Qur'an was revealed co*frfirming what
'Umar said. "
At:Tirmidhi narrated, as did al-Hakimwho declared itsahih,that'Uqbah ibn "Amir said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and hisfamily and grant them peace, said, 'If there were to be a prophetafter me it would be'Umar ibn al-Khattab.'AtlThbarani narratedit from Abu Sa"id al-Khudri and'Ismah ibn Malik and Ibn "Asakirnarrated it from Ibn'Umar.
At:Tirmidhi narrated that 'Aishah, may Allah be pleased withher, said: The Prophet: may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, 'I am looking at the shaytans of the jinn and men who have
fed from "LJmar.'
Ibn Majah and al-Hakim narrated that Ubayyibn Ka"b said: The
An-Nawawi said: .(Jmar attended, along with the MessengerAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant hirn peace, all of the ba'ttland he was one of those *ho stood firm beside him on the DayUhud.
__ already quoted jn the chapter on as_Siddiq
ft: * Shaykhs narated thatAbu Hrirayrah, mayAlla'h bewith him, said: The prophet, may Allah bless him
".ra gr";hi
peace, said, 'Vhile I was asleep I saw myself in the Garder,"r.rd thewas a woman performingwudu,beside a palace. I said, .,.S7.hose
this palace?" They said, "Ir belongs ro "(Jniar.,, Then I remember,your jealousy and turned away.,.Umar wept and said, ,Could Ijealous of you, Messenger ofAllah?,
The two Shaykhs narrated that Ibn "L/mar narrated thatMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, r'\7hile I was asleep I drank - meaning milk _ until L,* rrrifowing in my nails, and then I passed it ro .umar., They said, ,
did you interpret it, Messenger ofAllah?, He said, .Krro*l.dge.,The two Shaykhs narrateJthat Abu Sa"id al-Khudri, may-iil,
tt6lt7
Ahmad and al-Bazzar narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: ThiP19fhet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ,Trul.l
Allah has placed the truth on the ,o.rg.,. of"umai and (in) his heaAt-Tabarani narrated this hadithfrom.(Jmar ibn al-Khattab, BilMu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and wishah, mayAlah be pleased wi.t.them,andIbn.AsakirnarrateditfromahadithofIbn"(Jmar,
Ibn Mani" narrated inhis Musnadthat'Ari, mayAilah be preasewith him, said: \7e, the Companions of Muhammad, .r..i.ror,.doubt that the sakinah (tranquiility or Divine presence) spoke b;the tongue of .LJmar. L t
Trrn Hrsroay oF THE KHerrreus
Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, ,The
one whom the Truth will shake hands with is .(Jmar, th. firrt Hwill_greet (with the greeting of peace), and the first,He will take dthe hand and enter into the Garden.,
Ibn Majah and al-Hakim narrared that Abu Dharr said:
him (or he speaks by it).'
P19nhet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ,TruljAllah has placed the truth upon theiorgr. of .IJ*ar, it speaks bi
Al-Bazzar narrated that Ibn '(Jmar said: The prophet, mayAilabless.him and grant him peace, said, ,"LJma. i, the lamp of thpeople of the Garden.' This hadlthwas narrared byAbu Firr"yrrh,
Al'Bazzar narrated from eudamah ibn Madh.un that his oaternal.,uncle 'Uthman ibn Madh.un said: The prophet, may Allah bles
lriT and grant him peace, said, 'This one is the lock upon thrflra,(sedition and trials),' and he indicated .L]mar with his hand. tTh.;will remain a door strongly locked berween you and the fitnah aslong as this one lives among you.,
At-Tabarani narrated in al-Awsat that Ibn .Abbas, may Alrahbe pleased with both him and his father, said: Jibril ."-. ,o ,h"lProphet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ,Greet
'umar with the greeting of peace and inform him that his anger is ;might and his good pleasure is judgement., "
,
118I
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
Ibn'Asakir narrated that'A ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her,
srid that the Prophet, maI Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said, 'The shaytan is afraid of '(Jmar.'Ahmad narrated bywayof Buraydah that the Prophet, mayAllah
bless him and grant him peace, said,'The shaytan is afraid of you,
'Umar.'Ibn'Asakir narrated that Ibn "Abbas, mayAllah be pleased with
both ofthem, said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeace, said, 'There is no angel in the heaven that does not respect
'Umar, and no shaytan on the earth but that is afraid of "LJmar.'
At-Iabarani narrated in al-Ausat thatAbu Hurayrah, mayAllahbe pleased with him, said: The Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, Allah glories in the people of 'Arafahgenerally and He glories in 'LJmar particularly.' He narrated the
same in al-Kabir in a hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased
with them both.Atllabarani and ad-Daylami narrated that al-Fadl ibn'Abbas
said: The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said,
'The truth, after me, is with "lJmar wherever he is.'
The two Shaykhs narrated that Ibn 'LJmar and Abu Hurayrah,may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: The-Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "While I was asleep Isaw myself at a well upon which was a bucket, so I drew from it as
long as Allah willed. Then later Abu Bakr took it and drew a fullbucket or two, and in his drawing there was some weakness, and
Allah will forgive him. Then'LJmar ibn al-Khattab came and drewwarer and ir became transformed in his hand into a large bucket,
and I have not seen a chief of the people do wonderful deeds such
as he did, until the people had satisfied their thirst and settled down(there by the water).'
An-Nawawi said in his Thhd.hih The men of knowledge say, 'This
points to the khikfahsofAbu Bakr and "Umar, and to the great number
of conquests and the victory of Islam in the dme of "(lmar.'
119
Trrc Hrsrory oF THE KHarrrerrs
_,1*3:T^l1i1r:d that sadisah said: rhe prophet, may Albless him and grant him peace, r^id,,,thr rh)i*;fi.; ;#since he,accepted Islam but that he fell upon his face.,Ad_Darznarrated this hadlth in a.r-Afradby way of S"ai."r, n"- ili}L.^lj3l::llna.aled
that Ubaryibnka.b r"id, Th. p;;;i.;,;,Allah bless him and grant hi- p.".., ."ia, lr-U"ri;;t;':Islam weep over rhe Jeath of .Um"r.ii ---
Atjrhbarani narrated in ar-Awsatthat Abu Sa.id ar-Khudri sa
HI- ,llr,- -ry AJI,"l-!t." hi- ".,J
grant him 0.".., ,l-fhoeyer
is angry with "Umar ,, ""gry-*?;;:'+f,;;;;-Y:::P:::l';.^'in gblb'i: th. p.Jf. on the **i,g or;generally, and He glories in "Umar p""i."r"af. offih%'#l"r;,f*: :11Wt
that,h. pu, ,-ong his ummah"., i.,rfi..aand if there is one such inmy
"**lrn rirr;;;ffi;;iti};,,l:::};i !"r"):\,,1.:inspired?'
H. ,"id. ,rh. ,,g.r, ;p."i'ur rtongue.' Its isnad is hasan (good) erv4\ u
sayings of the companions and first generations on himAbu Bakr as-Siddiq, -"y,Lllrh b. pl.ar.d with him, said: There isnor on the face ofthe earth a -", -or. beroved to me than.fJmar.Ibn Asakir narrated it.Someone said to Abu.Bakr during his (last) illness, ,\What willyou say to your Lord, when you have appointed.Umar?, H..r,a-,'I will say ro Him, ,,I have appointed orrlirn.,,, the besr of rhem.,,Ibn Sa'd narrated it.'AIi, may Allah be pleased with him, said: \'hen the right-acting
are mentioned then begin with "(Jmar. \7e did not think r, "Jif..fythat as-Sahinah (theD1v1e f5sen..) ,pok *ith the rongue of"Umar.AtlTabarani narrated h in al_Awsat.
' rv.6u! vl \Jr
Ibn .Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I have neverseen anyone after the lgh.l, mayAllah bl.* hi; ;rd f"". frr_peace, from the time he d,ed,.more perceptive a.rd _oi liberallygenerous than.Umar. Ibn Sa"d narrated it.
120
"Umar ibn al-Khattab
Ibn Mas"ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Even if theknowledge of'LJmarwere to be put in one scale of a balance and theknowledge of every living being on the earth were put in the otherscale, the knowledge of "Umar would outweigh their knowledge.'[hey used to hold the view that he had gone (i.e. died) with nine-tenths of knowledge. Atllabarani narrated it in al-Kabir, and al-Hakim narrated it.
Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: It is as if theknowledge of mankind was concealed in the understanding of'Umar.
Hudhayfah, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: ByAllah, I donot know a man whom the blame of the one who blames, for thesake ofAllah, does not overcome, except for'(Jmar.
"A ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, said - and she mentioned
'LImar - 'He was, by Allah! skilful in managing affairs, absolutelyunique.'
Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: As for AbuBakr, he did not want the world and it did not want him. As for'umar, the world wanted him but he did not want it. As for us, wehave rolled over in it (like an animal in the dust)'. AzZubayr ibnBakkar narrated it in al-Muwffiqiyat. qis
Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'Ali entered upon'(Jmar - and he was shrouded - and said, 'The mercy ofAllah uponyou! There is no-one I would prefer to meet Allah with that whichis in his page (the record of his actions), after the companionship ofthe Prophet, mal Allah bless him and grant him peace, than thisshrouded one.' Al-Hakim narrated it.
Ibn Mas'ud, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: \il7hen the right-acting ones are remembered, then begin with "LJmar. Truly "(Jmarwas the most knowledgeable of us of the Book of Allah, and themost understanding (literally: having the mostfqh) of us of the dcen
ofAllah, exalted is He. Atllabarani and al-Hakim narrated it.Ibn "Abbas was asked about Abu Bakr and he said, 'He was the
t21
Trm Hrs'rorv oF THE KHer-rrerrs
good, all of it.' He was asked about "tImar and said, 'He was lithe apprehensive bird which thinks that on every path there issnare to catch it.' He was asked about Ali and he said, 'He was
of resolve, sound judgement, knowledge and valour.' He nit in at-Tuyurfiyat.
AtjTabarani narrated from "Umayr ibn Rabi"ah that'LJmaral-Khattab said to Ka"b al-Ahba6 'How do you find my descriptionHe said, 'I find your description to be a horn of iron.' He'W'hat is a horn of iron?' He said, .A strong commander who,the sake of Allah, the censure of the one who blames does
overcome.' He said, 'Then what?' He said, 'There will be after youh h alifah whom a wrongdoing group will kill.' He said,'Then wHe said, 'Then there will be the trial (affiiction).'
Ahmad, al-Bazzar and at-Iabarani narrated that Ibn Mas'ud,Allah be pleased with him, said: 'Urnar ibn al-Khattab excel
people in four: the afhir of the prisoners on the Day of Badr, hoordered that they should be killed and Allah revealed, 'If it were not
for a decree ofAllah which hadpreceded...' (Qurhn 8: 68) to the endof the ayah; and in the marrer of the h4ab,he ordered the womenof the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to veilthemselves, so Zaynab said to him, And really you are responsible
over us Ibn al-Khattab, and the revelation descends upon us in ourhouses?' So Allah revealed, 'Then if you ask them for some item ...' .
(Qur'an 33:53) to the end of the ayah; and by the supplication ofthe Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'O Allah,help Islam with "Umari and in his view of.Abu Bakr, for he was
the first one to pledge allegiance to him.Ibn "Asakir narrated that Mujahid said: \7e used to say that the
shaytans were chained and shackled during the amirate of "LJmar,
then when he was struck they spread abroad.
He narrated that Salim ibn Abdullah said: News of 'I]mar was
slow in reaching Abu Musa so he went to a woman who had a
shaytan in het and asked her about him. She said, '\Vait unril my
722
'(Jmar ibrt al'Khattab
sltavtancomes to me.'Then he came and she asked him about him'
i[r"ra,'r left him dressed with a piece of cloth as a waistwrapper'
;;-g the camels of tht 'od'aqni
(rhe zaha.t)with tar (against the
;;;t;"ab). And that is " "'"'
whom a shaytandoes not see but
,i", i. r"rr, fat on his nostrils; the angel is between his two eyes'""ir*
n"n al-Qud,s (Jibril) speaks with his tongue"
Section
Sufyan athjfhawri said:'Whoever claimed that .Ali had more right
," J".fr.rny th"r, nbt' gakr and "Umar has made a mistake and has
accused Abu Bakr, "U-"' and all the Muhajirun arrdthe Ansar of
making a mistake.
Sharik said: No-one in whom there is any good advances "AIi
before Abu Bakr and'l]mar'Abu Usamah said:-Do you grasP who Abu Bakr and "Umar were?
They were the father and mother of Islam'
Ja'far as-Sadiq,"iJt i"* quit of whoever mentions Abu Bakr and
'Umar with anything but good'
The agreements of (the views of) "Umar
(with subsequent confirmatory revelations d-Qur'an)
Some of the- -rk them amount to more thanltwenty'
Ibn Mard'aw+ "";;d that Mujahid said: "Umar used to hold
a view and Qur'an *ot'ld be revealed with (confirmation o0 it'
Ibn tsakir narrated that "Ali said: In the Qur'an there are some
of the views of 'Umar'He narrated from Ibn'IJmar x a marfu'lhadithl:Ylt" people
said one thi.,g "td U-;r said another' the Qur'an would be revealed
with the likeof what'Umar said'
The two Shaykhs narrated that "Umar said: I agreed with my Lord
in three things; L"-it:Mttsenger of Allah' if only we were to take
the Station of rU,"hii "' " pl"i of prayet" and there was revealed'
,... and, take the Sinrion ofibrahlm-d; d pldce of prayer.' (Qur'an 2:
t23
Tne Hrsronv oF THE Kuarrr.arrs
revealed its prohibition.
_L25). .I said, 'Messenger ofAllah,
.b9rh good and bad people c
:i:X:::,I'l',"1'-irrvvouw:+dord;rthem'.;;;;;;;;*: rl:! ofthe h4ab was reveated. Th. ;;; ; r;;';l;; tr,iiljl3j::5':o g'i:l hiT p.".., ,,.,i..d in jearousy, and sosaid,' Perlt aps h is Lord, if
.b e diuorces ;";, ; o lt ;;; ;;;;'; :;
:::!::::, than you,...., and it *"J ..*"1.d just like thatexactly the same words, see eur,an ee, ii. '-- ''srL '\L LrraL \
Muslim narrated t[tt ;^^^. :_ -r, ,.. , .r
r.[Jmarsaid,,IagreedwithmyLordint
:lr,",g:' in the hijab, i2.t. priro.,.r.;;";;;;il;ffi::;il:
Ibrahim.' In this hadhhis a fourth il;;..ln at-Thhdhil of an_Nawawi, .Th. qur,"n was revealed
t:j..,.^T.: X11l]", on the prisoners at nadr, on the h;r;:;;Station of Ibrahim and on if,. pr"iriU,,;;f #., K';i[rlfifth instance and its hadith it i" ,i'i)"an and. the Mu.,t )*,of al-Hakim that he said, .O
Allah, ^;;";i'.;;';::;::(K::* * ::rll*".". which retieves ;, ft;- ail doubt., rh., Aili:
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
rose up until I stood up close to his chest and said, "Messenger ofAllah, is it over the enemy ofAllah, Ibn Ubayy, who said one dayruch-and-such?" Then, by Allah, it wasnt very long until it wasrcvealed, %nd do not pra! oaer lne of them euer ..." (Qur'an 9: 84)to the conclusion of the ayah.'
8.'Zhey ask you about utine ...' (Qurhn 2:2I9) to the end of theayah.
9.'O you who belieue, do not approach the prayer...' (Qur'an 4: 43)to the end of the ayah.I say that the two of them, along with theayah from Al-Ma'idah, are one insrance, and the three are in thepreceding hadith.
10. .!7'hen
the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, increased in seeking forgiveness for a people, "LJmarsaid, 'It is equal to rhem.' Then Allah revealed, 'It is equal to themwhether you seeh forgiueness for them ...' (Qur'an 63: 2) to the endof the ayh.I say that this hadlth has been narrated by atlTabaranifrom Ibn'Abbas.
11. \When he, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, soughtthe advice of the Companions about the expedition to Badr, "Umarwas in favour of the expedition and so it was revealed, Just as yourLord brought lou oilt ofyour hoase by the truth ...' (Qur'an 8: 5) tothe end of the ayah. i
12.'When he, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, soughrthe advice of the Companions with respecr to the story of the slander(of Aishah) '(Jmar said, ''Who married you ro her, Messenger ofAllah?' He said, Allah.' He said, 'Do you think that your Lordwould conceal a defect of hers from you? Glory be to You, this ishuge slander!' (Qur'an 24: 16). Then the revelarion came down justlike that.
13. His story in the fast when he made love to his wife after wakingfrom sleep (before the pre-dawn meal) - and that was forbiddenin the beginning of Islam - and so it was revealed, 'h is permittedt0 you on the night of the fasr . . .' (Qur'a n 2: 187) to the end of the
Ibn Abi Hatim narrated inhis ufiirthat Anas said: .umar said,,
.3::" ::':::::,y'111"v r",a i,, rour things : this ayah wasrevealed,
^nd certainly We iaue ,rrnrra il, j):il ,;";;;;;";;t9i'rr\?:'^n 23: t2) and when i, *r-..*"led I said, ,.So
blessedbe Allah the best of crearors,,, ".ra
,lr..r-it was revealed, .,S, b::;;:r)
b.e lllh the best of creators.,,,(eurhn 95: g). Here he mentioned asixth instance. The hadithh* Jroth., ihri, of ,."nsmission fromIbn Abbas which I have r"r.",.dir, )*n!r, al_Musnad.Then I saw in the book Fada'ir nr-I*o*ayrof Abu Abdurahash-Shaybani that he said, ,.LJmar
"gr..J*irh his Lord,, ;.#one situations,'and he mention.d tier. six (aforem.",a".il. H.augmented as a seventh the story of Abduriah ib;ul;*i'."r,Its hadlth is in the sahih tradito.r, fro_ him fUmar). He said,'I7hen Abdullah ibn Ubayy di.d, ;;M.ssenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and his famrlyr"Jg;;;;them peace, was invitedto perform the funeral pr^yri or., Iii.r, ,o he ,tood rp f., ,ir"r. ,
t24r25
THs Hrsrorv oF THE Krrer,merrs
alah.I say thar Ahmad narrated it in his Musnad.14. His words, Exalted is He, 'Whoeaer is an enernl to Jibril .,
(Qurhn 2: 97) to the end of the ayah. I say that Ibn Jarir and o
narrated it from many different narrators the best of which is fi"Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Layla that: A Jew met "IJmar and sai
Jibril, whom your companion mentions, is an enemy to ,rr.t"IJmar said,'rMhoeuer is an enern! to Alkh and His angek andrnessengers andJibril and Miha'il, then nuly Allah is an enerily to
disbelieuers.' So it was revealed on the tongue of 'Umar.15. His words, Exalted is He, '7ben no! By your Lord, they do
belieue...' (Qur'an 4: 65) to the end of the ayah.I say that itshas been narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn MardawayhAbu l-Aswad. He said: Two men brought a dispute to themayAllah bless him and his family and grant them peace, andgave judgement between them. The one who had judgement giagainst him said, 'Let us go to "Umar ibn al-Khattab,' and so ttwo of them went to him. The man said, 'The Messenger ofAllamay Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave judgement in myfavour against this man and he said, "Let us go to "LJmar."' "(Jmatr
said, 'Is it like that?' He said, 'Yes.' So "IJmar said, 'Stay where youare until I come out to you.'Then he came out to them wrappihis sword in his garment and struck the one who had said, 'Letus go to "LJmat' and killed him. The orher rerurned and said,'Messenger ofAllah, "IJmar killed - by Allah! - my companion.' So
he said, 'I wouldn't have thought that'fJmar would have venturedto kill a believer.' Then Allah revealed, 'Then no! By your Lord they
do not belieae .. .' to the end of the ayah. He declared, there was tobe no retaliation or compensation for the blood of the man anddeclared "lJmar free from anywrong in his killing. There is anotherconnected text that supports this story which I have related in at-Tafsir al-Musnad.
16. Seeking permission to enter. That was because his servantentered his room when he was sleeping and he said, 'O Allah,
126
'(JmAr ibn al-Khattab
tbrbid entrance.' Then the ayah of seeking permission to enter was
rcvealed. r -fZ ffi, saying about the Jews' 'They are a confounded people"
18. His words, .""Ltd is-He, 'Many of the fr* ones 1nd
rnany of
the latter ones.' (Qt/^n 56' 39'40)' Iiay that Ibn "Asakir narrated
ir in his Thrikhfro* i"Ui, ibn .Abdullrl, "nd
that it isinthe,4sbab
an-Nuzul.19. lh. lifting (abrogation) of the recitation of''The older rnan
and the old.er woman i'h'n they commit adultery " '' to the end of
the ayah.e
20. His words on the Day of Uhud when Abu Sufyan said' 'Is so-
and-so among the people?'; fUmal said) "\[e will not answer him"
and the Prophet, -"yiff"ft'Uless him and grant h:T ?:"tt'
agreed
with him. I^say that Ahmad narrated its story inhis M.usnad'
He said: And one joins to thiswhat"Uthman ibn Sa"id ad-Darimi
narrated in his booklr- Radd.'ala'l-Jahrni,ahby way-of lbnShihab
from Salim iUr, "eUj.,Uah that Ka'b al-Ahbar said' '\V.oe to the king
of the earth from the King of heaven" Then "Umar said' 'Except
for whoever takes himself"to "c"ot"'t'' Ka"b said' 'By the One in
\fhor. hand is my soul it is in the Tawrah' You have carried it on
(the words of the verse) consecutively'' lhen "Umag-fell -prostrate'
Thenlhaveseeni"-orro*ltoflbn.Adibytheqouteof"A.bdullahibnNafi"_andheis*."k_fromhisfatherfrom"I.JmarthatBilalused to say, when he called the adhan"I witness that there is no
god b,rt Allah. Come to prayer" Then 'Umar said to him' 'Say
after it, "I *i r,.r, th,t tvttlt'"-rnad is the Messenger of Allah'"'
The Prophet, may Altah bless him and grant him peace' said' 'Say
as "umar said.'
His miracles
Al-Bayhaqi andAbuNu"aym narrated' both of them in [books that
e An ayahwhose judgement remains valid although it is not in the mushaf
and is not recited.
t27
Trrc Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrans
they each calledl Dala'ir an-Nubuwwah,and ar-Lark a,iin sbarht?r:n!., ad-falraguli in his Fawa,id,Ibn al_A.rab iinhis Kar,
:::?!r!r.,^,nd at-Khateeb in Ruwat Matik,an Naf,,an lbn,L
that Ibn .LJmar said: "Umar sent an ,r-f "rrd
he put at the head
llT::"1called Sariyah. \M,ile "Umar'was delivering ,lr. iil)lhe began ro cry out,_;Sariyah, the -.";;;[;ff;;. X$e1
tlre messenger of the ,r-y."*. ,.rJfr. told..lJmar, AmirMu'minin,we were being defeated and in that situation we heardvoice crying out, "Sariyah, the mountain!,, ,t r.. ,i-.r. Wt prJ*mounrain to our rear, and thenAllah defeated rh._.,So_.#:;;;l:_Yl*
'You cried outwith those words.,That _o,rrr,"irr, *i.;iSariyah was, is close to Nahawand in the land of the non_Ara(n:ll 1'l! tln Hajar said in at-rsabah: ks isnad is good.
- Ibn Mardawavh narrated bvwavofMry-"; #,il?;;li*r
^YT:rr..r,O, "[-Imarwas delivering th e khutbah onrt , a^y of ju*o,
and then he turned aside duringi is khutbah".rd rrid, iS ul.rii, rtu
il::lji:liT In: l.u, the wolf to be a shepherd wiliu. *i""g.a.
People looked about, one ro another. Th."'.Ali ,"rJ,. ,ir._,la"|11, :t,l,l what he meanr.' \7hen h. h; fi nished,l,.y rrr..j r,i*and he said, 'Ir occurred ro me in my mind that the idolarer, ;;;defeating our brothers wh9 *.r. prr.ir gby a_our,rr,
""a ,fr*llYf:::::i,lj:*irds it, they,,oula hgl,, on one 6..,-.-,1,rtI/t
fl _lt rl* p":r..$ by it they would te d..t.oy.d. So there came ourlor me tnat which you_claim you heard., He said: Th. *.rr.rrg.,
came a month later and mentioned that they had heard th. rroi.. of"UTil:l that day, and he said, ,\fe turned towards the _"rr,"r",
and Allah gave us victory., r.v r.vurrl(
Ab-" Nu.aym said in ad_Dala,il that :Amr ibn al_Harith said:\While'L-Imar (ibn al-Khattab) was upon the *r"i* ari*r*f rt ,kh.".fr:! on the day of Jumu,ah sud.enlu t. t.ft offthe hhutbah and,said' 'Sariyah, the mounrain!' two or thre. times. some of rhose
l::-::", said, 'He has gone mad, he is insane., Abd ar_Rat rn"r,lUn
"Awf went in to see him _ and he had confidence in him _ and he
128
'Untar ibn al-Khattab
said, 'You give them room to talk against you. '!7'hile
you were givingthe khutbah, suddenlyyou ctied out, "Sariyah, the mountain!" \[hatsort of thing is this?' He said, 'By Allah, I could not control it. Isaw them fighting near a mountain and they were being attackedFrom in front of them and from behind them. I could not stopmyself from saying, "Sariyah, the mountain!" so that they wouldreach the mountain.' Then they waited some time until Sariyahtmessenger came with his letter, 'The people met us (in battle) onthe day of Juma'ah, and we fought them until, when it was timefor Jumu'ah, we heard someone cry out, "Sariyah, the mountain!"twice, so we reached the mountain. \7e continued victorious over
our enemy until Allah defeated them and killed them.' Then those
people who had accused him said, 'Leave this man alone, because
he is in collusion with him.'Abu'l-Qasim ibn Bishran narrated in his Fawa'id by way of
Musa ibn'Uqbah from Nafi'that Ibn'LJmar said: "Umar ibn al-Khattab said to a man, '\7hat is your name?' He said, 'Jamrah (alive coal).' He asked, '\flhose son?' He said, 'The son of Shihab(flame).' He asked, 'From what tribe?' He said, 'From al-Hurqah(a state of burning).' He asked, '\7here is your dwelling?' He said,
At al-Harrah ("the volcanic tract" from al-harr ruothe heat).' Heasked, 'In which of them?'He said, 'Dhat Ladha(the blazing one).'
'tJmar said, 'Go to your family for they have been burnt.' The manreturned to his family and found that they had been burnt. Maliknarrated the like of it in the Maruatta from Yahya ibn Sa'id, IbnDurayd in al-Akhbar al-Manthurah, Ibn al-Kalbi in al-Jami' andothers narrated it.
Abuth-Shaykh narrated in Ki ta b a l-' Adh am a h : Abut:f ib narratedto us: "Ali ibn Dawud narrated to us: "Abd al-Fattah ibn Salihnarrated to us: 'Abdullah ibn Salih narrated to us: Ibn Lahi"ahnarrated to us from Qais ibn al-Hgja1 from someone he relatedfrom, said: \When Egypt was conquered, its people came to "Amribn al-"As, when the first day of one of their months arrived, and
r29
Trrn Hrsronv oF THE Knerrregs
they said to him, hmir, this Nile of ours has a custo m (sun
without which it does not fow.' He asked, And what is that?'
said, ''W'hen eleven nights have elapsed of this month we seek
young virgin from her parents, we obtain the consent of the paren
then we dress her in the best possible clothing and ornaments, and
then we throw her in this Nile.' So'Amr said to them, 'This willnever be in Islam. Islam demolishes what precedes it.' They left,and neither did the Nile fow a little nor a lot, so much so that theyintended to emigrate. W'hen'Amr saw that, he wrote to "Umar ibnal-Khattab about it. He wrote back to him, 'You were right in whatyou said. tuly, Islam demolishes what precedes it.' He sent a sli
of paper inside his letter and wrote to "Amr, 'I have sent you a slip
of paper inside my letter, so throw it in the Nile.' 'When 'Umartletter reached "Amr ibn al-'As, he took the slip and opened it, and
there was in it, 'From the slave ofAllah'Llmar ibn al-Khattab Arniral-Mu'minin to the Nile of Egypt. Now, if you used to fow before,
then dont flow! If it was Allah who made you fow, then I ask the
Overwhelming One to make you fow'He threw the slip into theNile a day before (the Festival o0 the Cross. They woke up in themorning, and Allah, Exalted is He, had made it fow (and it rose)
sixteen cubits in one p-ight. Allah cut off this sunnah (custom) ofthe people of Egypt right up to this day.
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Tariq ibn Shihab said: A man was inconversation with'Ljmar ibn al-Khattab and told him a lie, and he
would say, '.Withhold this.'Then later he told him something else
and he said, ''$Tithhold this.' He said to him, 'Everything I told youwas true except for what you told me to withhold.'
He narrated that al-Hasan said: If therewas anyone who recognised
a lie when he was told it, it was'(Jmar ibn al-Khattab.Al-Bayhaqi narrated in ad-Dala'ilthatAbu Hudbah al-Himsi said:
'LJmar was told that the people of Iraq had pelted their arnir withpebbles and he went out angry. He performed the praye.r but was
forgetful in his prayer. \7hen he had completed the prayer, he said,
130
'(Jmar ibn al-Khaxab
'O Allah, they have made me confused, so make them confused' and
hasten with the youth of (the tribe o0 Thaqif who will pass judgement
among them *ith the judgeme nt of Jahiliyyah'who will not accePt
fro* Ih.i, good-doers and he will not Pass over their wrongdoers
with pardoi.' I say that this indicates al-Haijq' Ibn Lahi'ah said'
Al-Hajjaj was not yet born at that time"
Some Particulars of his biograPhY
Ibn Sa"d narrated thai al-Ahnaf ibn Qays said: \7e were sitting at
'Umar's door and a slave girl passed by, and they said' 'The.concubine
of theAmir al-Mu'minii.'A'said, ishe
is not the concubine of the
Amir al-Mu'minin,and she is not permitted to him' She is of the
property ofAllah.' So we said, 'Then what is permitted to him of the
O.**O ofAllah, .r"lted is He?' He said' 'Thtrt is only permitted
io U-". of the ProPerty of Altah two garments' a garm:1t for
the winter and a;"t-; for the summer' that with which I can
perform the Hajjln d the '[Jmrah (i'e' tn ihram)' my sustenance
and the sustenance of my family, as a man of Quraysh who is not
the wealthiest of them nor rhe poorest, then I am, after that, a man
among the Muslims"Khriraymah ibn Thabit said, ''W.henever 'u*tar appointed a
gou...ror, he wrote to him and made a condition on him that he
Ihould not ride a birdhaun (a large heavy non-Arabian horse from
Asia Minor or Greece), nor eat Jetcacies' nor dress in finery' nor
lock his door against ,i" ,r..dy' If he did that' it would be permitted
to punish him.'
"Ikrimah ibn Khalid and others said: Hafsah,'Abdullah and others
spoke to "fJmar and said, 'If only you were to eat wholesome food
it would strengthen you uPon the truth'' He asked' .Are you all of
this view?' They taid, 'Yes.' He said, 'I have learnt what your sincere
advice is. However, I have left my two comPanions on a highwap
and if I abandon their highway I will not reach them in the house"
He flkrimah) saiJ: Ar, ",fli"tion befell the people one year' and
131
Aslam said: "Umar said, 'There occurred to my heart a desire forfresh fish.' He (Aslam) said: yarfa, mounted his camel and rode
Tur Hrsrony oF TrrE Krrerrrarrs
that year he did nor ear clarified butter nor fat.
^ Ibn Mulaykah said: "utbah ibn Farqad spoke to "(Jmar about hi
for which he has an appetite.,
NIfood and he said, 'Mercy on you! Shouldl eat up -y *t ot.ro*sweet.things in my worldly life and seek to .rr;or'_/J*idthem?'
Al-Hasan said: 'umar entered in upon his son .Asim when he veating meat and he said, .'What is this?, He said, ,\7e had acravifo*.. He said, Every time you crave somerhing, do r."."* ,irl
::gf: wasteful exffavagance for a -"r, thrt"h. .*, .r.rrJir,*
'Umar ibn al-Khanab
lirll down (in a faint) until he revived after some days. Anas said: Icntered a walled garden and heard "umar saying, while there wasn wall between us, "I-/mar ibn al-Khatlab, Amir al-Mu'minin \7elldone! \[ell done! By Allah, you will fear Allah, Ibn al-Khattab orAllah will punish you.' tbdullah ibn tmir ibn Rabi.ah said: I saw'Umar take up a straw from the ground and say, 'I wish I was thisstraw. I wish I was nothing. I wish that my mother had not givenbirth to me.' "Abdullah ibn "LJmar ibn Hafs said: .Umar carrieda skin full of water upon his neck. Someone spoke to him aboutthat and he said, 'My selfwas filling me with conceit and I wishedto humble it.' Muhammad ibn Sirin said: An in-faw of "L]mar'scame to see him and asked him to give him something from thebait al-mal and "Umar refused him and said, 'Do you wanr me romeetAllah as a treacherous King?'Then he gave him from his ownproperty ten thousand dirhams. An-Nakha"i said: "(Jmar used totrade while he was hhaffih. Anas said: "Umart stomach rumbledfrom eating olive oil the year of the drought - he had forbiddenhimself clarified butter - and he tapped on his stomach with hisfinger and said, 'There is nothing else for us, until the people havethe means of living.' Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said: .fJmar ibn al-Khattab said, 'The person I like most is the one w?io points our tome my defects.'Aslam said: I saw'LJmar ibn al-Khattab taking holdof the ear of the horse, taking hold of his own ear with the otherhand, and leaping up on the back of the horse. Ibn .Umar said: Inever saw'LImar become angry, and then Allah was menrioned inhis presence or he was made to fear, or a person would recite anayah from the Qur'an in his presence, but that he stopped shortof what he meant to do. Bilal said to Aslam, 'How do you find'[Jmar?' He said, 'The best of people, excepr that when he becomesangry it is a mighty matter.'Bilal said, 'If I was with him when hebecame angry,I would recite Qur'an to him until his anger went.'Al-Ahwas ibn Hakim said, narrating from his father: "(Jmar wasbrought meat dressed with clarified butter and he refused ro eat
four miles there, four mires back, buying a basketfur and bringingit back. Then he went to his camel, *"rfr.d ir, il;;;;"".;;rr.He said, 'Let-us go and I will look at the camel., He said, .Did
youforget to wash this sweat beneath its ears? fr"rr. you .ir.I,la ""animal for the appetite of 'Umar? No! by Allah! .Llmar wilr not
raste of your basket.'
Qatadah said: 'Umar used to dress, while he was khalifth, witha garment of wool patched in parts with leather, and rr. *.,rra goaround in the markets with a whip over his shoulder *i,1, *t i"t,he would correc people.
.!e worlld pass bits .f ,;;; "Jfr."., ofdare-srones, which he wourd stumble o., un.*p..tedry, and he wourdthrow them into peoplet houses for them ro use.
Anas said: I saw between .(Jmar,s shoulder_blades, four patchesin his shirt. Abu .Uthman an_Nahdi said: I saw.LJmar *.'Jrg
"*l'ltyr.pper patched with leather. Abdulah ibn .Amir ib" n"Li."r,said: I performed the Hajjwith "Umar and he did not;;.i';*",of goar's hair nor of wool. He used to throw the upper'pr* of hi,ihram and his leather mar over a bush and seek rni*r r"i.rr."rr,it' Abdullah ibn "Isa said: There were rwo dark furrows in .umartfacl froy his weeping. Al-Hasan said: "Umar used to p".Jy
".,ayah in his wird (daily portion set aside to recite) and he wourd
r32r33
,t
Tns Hrsrony oF rHE Kne,rens }
the two of them. He said, 'Both of them are seasonings., eil of thJforegoing traditions are from Ibn Sa"d. il
Ibn Sa"d narrated that al-Hasan said: .IJmar said, .It i, ,, .rsrflthing by which I put right a people, that I exchange rhem
^, n*'ifl
in place of an amir." i
His description IIbn Sa'd and al-Hakim narrated thatzirr said: I wenr out with thJpeople of Madinah on the day of ,Eid and,I saw "LJmar walkinglbarefoot, an old man, balding, of a tawny colour, left-handed, ta[Ttowering over people as if he were on a riding beast. Al-r7'aqid{said: It is not known among us that "LJmar was tawny, urrr.* h{saw him in the year of the droughr, because his colour chr.rg.d{when he ate olive oil. -
,f,
Ibn sa'd narrated that Ibn "L]mar described'L]mar and said: A{man of fair complexion, with a ruddy tint prevailing, tall, balding{and grey-haired. -j
He narrated that "Ubaydah ibn "Umayr said: "LJmar ur.d toiovertop people in height.
I
He narrated that Salamah ibn al-Akwa'said: .(Jmar was left andlright-handed, meaning that he used both hands together. i
Ibn "Asakir narrated thatAbu Raja'al-'Utaridi said: .umar*a, , t"ll istout man, extremely bald, fair but extremely ruddy, in the two sides{ofhis beard a lightness, his moustache was large and at its extremities I
there was a redness at rhe roots of which rhere was black. lIn the Thrihh of Ibn tsakir by various roures there is that the ,
mother of "lJmar ibn al-Khattab was Hantamah the daughter of lHisham ibn al-Mughirah and she was the sister of Abu J"tt iunHisham, so that Abu Jahl was his marernal uncle.
His hhilafabHe took on the khi@h through the covenant of Abu Bakr inJumada al-Akhirah in the year 13 AH.
r34
t
'Urnar ibru al-Khattab
hz-Zuhrisaid, tUmarwas appointed hhalifah on the daythatAbu
llakr died which was Tuesday eight days before the end ofJumada
ul-Akhirah.'Al-Hakim narrated it. He undertook the command
nrost fully, and there were very many openings in his days.
In the year l4AH, Damascus was opened [to Islam] partly both
by treaty and force, and Homs (ancient Emessa) and Baalbek by
treaty, and Basra and Ubullah by force.'ln that year "(Jmar united people in one jamdah in salat at-
tarawih (the optional prayers said at night in Ramadan),' said al-
' Askari in Al-Awa' il (Firsts).
In the year 15 AH, all of Jordan was opened lto Islam] by force
cxcept for Tiberias which was by treaty. In this year there were the
battles of Yarmuk and Q-adisiyyah.Ibn Jarir said: In it Sa"d founded Kufa, and "(Jmar instituted
regular wages (for the fighting men), registers, and gave allowances
according to priority.ln the year l6AH, Ahwaz and Mada'in were opened, and in the
latter Sa"d established theJumu'ah in the great hall of Khosrau, and
this was the firstJumu'ah to be held in Iraq. That was in the month
of Safar. In it, was the battle ofJalula in which Yezdaiitdthe son ofKhosrau was defeated and he retreated back to Rryy. In it, Takrit
was opened, "IJmar travelled and took al-Bait al-l\'[aqdis (Jerusalem)
and gave his famous khutbah in al-Jabiyyah. Kinnasrin, Aleppo, and
Antioch were opened by force, Manbi; by treaty, and Saruj by force.
In that year, Qirqisiya' was opened by treaty. In Rabi" al-Awwal,
dating was begun from the Hijrah on the advice of .Ali.
In the year 17 AH, 'LJmar increased the size of the Prophett
Mosque. In it there was drought and famine in the Hijaz and itwas called the Year of Destruction, and "fJrnar prayed for rain for
people by means of al-"Abbas.
Ibn Sa"d narrated from Niyar al-Aslami that'Umar, when he came
out to pray for rain, came out with the cloak of the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him Peace, upon him.
t35
TirB Hrs:rony oF THE Ksarrrans
He narrated that Ibn .Awn said: "[Jmar took hold of the hand oflb,b^
*1 -r::9 it up, saying, ,O Allah, we approach Vou by -."iof the uncle of Your prophet (asking) that you drirre aw"y fromthe drought, and that you give us to"drink from the rain,,'and tldidnt leave before they were given to drink. The sky p;r;Jupon them for days. In that year Ahwazwas taken'by tr^ty.
In the year 18 AH, Jundaysabur was opened [to Islam] byand Hulwan by force. In it, was the plague ofEmaus; Urft (Iand Sumaysar were opened by force; H""rr"r, Nasibin and a part cMesopotamia by force,
".rd it has been said, by fieatyirrrJ'tutoroanditsenvironsbyforce. 'l r'-----"""'1
In the year 19 AH, Casarea was opened by force. .
In the year 20 AH, Egypt *", op.r.d by force. It is also said tall of Egypt_war op.r.d by tr."ty."".p, fo. Alexandria which ropened by force. Ali ibn Rabah said, ,The
whole of the iaghrl(northwestern Africa) was opened by force., In that year Trrrtr?*.opened, Caesar (Heracliu$, the great man of the Byzantines, di,In it also,.U-ii:p.Jled theJews from Khaybar
""d N+r;, ,
he apportioned Khaybar and \7adi,l_eurra, (between ,Lo.. *tlhad been presenr there at the originar battres of the prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him pJace).
- ^vr.v, 'rsJ(
In the year 2l AH, Alexarrdri" was opened by force, and
I*::::-* "ft:'yh"h, the persian. .o.rlino, -u.,., rr, "r_y,and Barqah and other places. Br! *rru,'
In the year 22 .LH, Azerbaijanwas opened by force, and, it has beensaid, by treaty, and Dinawr by force, M"r"bdh"n and H"madanfo_rce,.and Tripoli of North Afrir^,Rai, .Askar
"rd erm".-In the year 23 AH, there were the openings lto Islam] of Kirman,Sijistan, Makran in the mountainous l"rrdr, and also Isfahan andits environs.
In f3 end ofthis year there was the death of Sayyiduna.[Jma6may.A.l_lah be pleased with him, after his rerurn frtm th. Hajj; hewas killed as a martyr.
136
'Umar ibn al-Khaxab
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: '$7'hen'LJmar returned from Mina
(to Makkah), he made his camel kneel down in the watercourse,
rhen he threw himself down, raised his hands to the sky and said,
'O Allah! I am advanced in years, my strength has weakened, andnry subjects have increased, so take me to You without (my) beingwasteful or falling short.' Dhu l-Hijjah had not gone before he was
killed. Al-Hakim narrated it.Abu Salih as-Saman said: Ka'b al-Ahbar said to'LJmar, 'I find you
in the Tawrah killed as a martyr.' He said, 'How can I be a martyrwhen I am in the peninsula of the Arabs?'
Aslam said: "Umar said, 'O Allah provide me with martyrdom inYour way, and make my death to be in the city ofYour Messenger.'
Al-Bukhari narrated it.Ma'dan ibn Abi Talhah: 'LJmar gaye a khutbah and said, 'I saw
(in a dream) as if a cock pecked at me once or twice, and I can onlybelieve that it means that my term has come. There are people whotell me to appoint a successor, and Allah will not cause His deen togo to waste nor His khilafdh.If the matter is hastened for me, thenthe hhilafah is a matter of consultation between these six whom theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, was
pleased with when he died.'Al-Hakim narrated itt".AzZuhrisaid: "Umar would not permit a captirt who had reached
the age of puberty to enter Madinah until al-Mughirah ibn Shu"bah
wrote to him - and he was the governor of Kufa - mentioning tohim a slave who had a number of crafts and asking permission thathe enter Madinah, saying, 'He has many trades which are usefulto people. He is a blacksmith, engraver and carpenter.' He gave
permission to him to send him to Madinah. Al-Mughirah put ademand for revenue on him (the slave) of one hundred dirhamsper month, so the slave came to'LJmar to complain of the severityof that imposition. He ['Umar] said, 'Your demand for revenue
is not that much,' and he [the slave] turned away in anger andthreateningly. "Umar waited some days and then called him and
r37
ThE Hrsrony oF THE Knarrr.errs
said, 'Have I not been informed that you say, .,If I wished, I
make a mill which will grind by -.r.r, of the wind.,,, m.rlturned his face ro .(Jmar with a frown and said, ,I *ill _"iliI:-" "
mill which people will talk abour.,Vhen he turned'^"*:t"11,,":,t 1oLn11ions,
'The slave threat.r.d -.;r*After a while Abu ti'h,* y:"pf.d 1,.i, grr-.;r.;;;;H;;;gwith two heads (to the blade) *i,or. triat. *;. ;;;;#[it, hid in one of the corners of the mosque in the d"rkrr.r, of ,hlast part of the night, and there he *aited until "Umar came od**"q people up for the prayer. When he drew r.r, ,o hi_.stabbed him three times. Itn Sa.d narrated ;,
-..' Lv 'rr,'
- -"4T, ibn Maymun al-Ansari said: Abu Lu,luhh, the slave of aiMughirah, stabbed .Umar with a dagger which had ,*. h;;;;nl
he stabbed, along with him, twelve?her men of whom six dithen a man from Iraq threw a robe over him. \Mhen h. b..,tangled up in it, he killed himself
.^1!" *ll.':ld;
lby Lu'tu,ah, the slave of al_Mughirah, usedmake,mills. Al-Mughirah used to demand;, ;#;. d"_ i,tour,clrrhams a day. He met "umar and said, Amir al_Mu,minial-Mughirah is being very heavy on me, so speak to him., He saidrDenave well towards your master,, _ and .Umar,s intention was,o
:p.1\ to _al-Mughirah about it _ so he (the slave) became ansrl
and said, 'His justice encompasses a, of the people *..0, a. .i.i* I.*..etly decided to kiil him. He took, dagger, ,f,'"rf.".a i,and poisoned it. .Umar used to say,
,Straighr.., yII. ,"rrt ri i.Ar.he pronounced the takbir. He came rnd siood opposite him in therank, srabbed him in his shoulder and side, and.LJmar f.ll. Th.rr;;stabbed thirteen other men with him, ofwhom six died. .LJmarwascarried to his family. The sun was about to rise so .Abd ar_Rahmanibn'Awfled the people in prayerwith rhe rwo shortest surahs..L,mar
lwas broughr some nabrdh (a drink made from dates left,. ,."r.1" ,
water) and he drank it and it came out of his wound, b", i;;;;lyet distinct (from the blood). so they gave him some milk to d.i;;
138
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
Hrxl it came out of his wound and they said, 'Theret no great harm
with you.' He said, 'If there is any harm in killing, then I have been
killed.' People began to praise him, saying, 'You were such and such
&trd you were such and such.' He said, 'By Allah, I wish that I had
tone out of it, independent of others, with nothing against me and
nothing for me, and that the companionship of the Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace,
was secure for me.' Ibn tbbas praised him, so he said, 'Even if Ihrd that gold which would fill the earth, I would ransom myself
lry it from the terror of the rising. I have made it (the hhllafah) a
matter of consultation between 'LJthman, 'Ali, Talhah, az'Zttbayr,
'Abd ar-Rahman ibn'Awf and Sa'd.' He ordered Suhayb to lead
pcople in prayer, and gave the six a period of three (days in whichto decide). Al-Hakim narrated it.
Ibn Abbas said: Abu Lu'lu'ah was a Magian.
"Amr ibn Maymun said: 'Umar said, 'Praise be to Allah \Who
did not make my decree of death to be at the hands of a man who
claimed Islam.'Then he said to his son, "Abdullah, look and see
what debts I have.' They calculated it and found it to be eighty-sixthousand or thereabouts. He said, 'If the wealth of the family of'Umar is enough, then pay it. If it is not, then a& among Bani
'Adi, and if their wealth is not enough, then ask*among Quraysh.Go to the Mother of the Believers, 'A ishah, and say, ""lJmar asks
permission to be buried with his two companions."' He went to her
and she said, 'I wanted it'- meaning the burial plot -'for myself but
I will definitely prefer him over myself today.' tbdullah came and
said, 'She has given permission,' so he praised Allah. Someone said
to him, 'Make bequest,Amir al-Mu'rninin, andappoint a successor.'
He said, 'I see no-one with more right to this command than these
six with whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, was pleased when he died,' and he named the six, and said,
'Abdullah ibn'Umar will be present with them but he has no partin the command. If the office should fall to Sa"d, then he it is, and
r39
TrrB Hrsrony oF THE Klrerrpess
any incapacity or treachery.' Then he said, ,I counsel the kha,after me to have fearful obedience of Allah; I counsel him toparticular care ro the Muhajirun and, the Ansar,and I counser hito treat the people of the provinces well,, and other similar counse
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
tlrc Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying,
"l')very Prophet has a trustworthy (companion), and my trustworthy(c:ompanion) is Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah."' If my term overtakes
nre, and Abu'Ubaydah al-Jarrah has died, I would appoint Mu"adh
lbn Jabal as hhalifah. If my Lord asked me, '\Vhy did you appointhim as hhalifth?' I would say, 'I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, saying, "He will be raised up on the Daytf Resurrection a distance in front of the men of knowledge."'Theyhad both died during his khilafah.
Also in the Musnad there is from Abu Rafi" that someone spoke
to 'fJmar at his death about the appointment of a hhalifuh, so he
said, 'I have seen among my companions an unfortunate eagerness.
[[one of two men had reached me, and then I had entrusted thiscommand to him, I would have been sure of him: Salim the freed
slave of Abu Hudhayfah and Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.'
'(Jmar was struck on the 'W'ednesday, four days before the end
of Dhu'l-Hijjah, and he was buried on Sunday, the day of the new
moon of al-Muharram, the Sacred (month). He was sixty-threeyears old. It has also been said that he was sixty-six, sixty-one, sixty(which al-\Vaqidi considered the weightiest). It has been said thathe was fifty-nine, fifty-five and fifty-four. Suhayb,gerformed the(funeral) prayer over him in the mosque. l
In the Thhdhib of al-Mazini, there is that the engraving on the seal-
ring of "Umar was, 'Death is enough of an admonisher, 'lJmar.'Atllabarani narrated that Tariq ibn Shihab said: Umm Ayman
said, on the day'IJmar was killed, 'Today Islam has been rent.'
"Abd ar-Rahman ibn Yasar narrated. He said, 'I witnessed thedeath of 'LJmar ibn al-Khattab and the sun was eclipsed on thatday.'The men who transmitted (this hadith) were trustworthy.
The things in which he was firstAl-"Askari said: He was the first to be called Amir al-Mu'minin',the first to date events from the Hijrah, the first to take a bait
if not, then let whoever ofyou is appointed seek help from him, :
I did not remove him (from his office as amirof Kufa) because
\When he died, we went walking with him, Abdullah ibn .U.ill.d out the greeting and said,lUmar seeks permission to en"lfi.slah said, 'Bring him in., He was brought in and placedwith his rwo companions.
I(hen they finished burying him and had returned, thatgathered and .Abd ar-Rahman ibn .Awf said, ,Deiegate
authority to three among you., AzZubayr said, ,I d.i.gr..authority to "Ali.' Sa.d said, 'I delegate my authori y ,o "i.bdRahman.' Talhah said, 'I delegate my authori,y ro .iJrh-ro.; Icontinued: so there remained these three.'Abd ar-Rahman said,dont want it. 'lfhich ofyou two will be quit of this mafter andwill entrust it to him (the remaining one)iAnd Allah is his witrand Islam, let him consider in himserf who is the best of them aIet him be eager for the benefit of the ummah., The two Shavk."Ali and'Uthman were silenr. Abd ar_Rahman s"id, .Delegat.and, Allah is my witness, I will not fail you in choosing tie I
gf you.' They said, 'Yes.' Then he went apart with "Ali-and sai'You h11,9 that precedence in Islam and kinship with the n.ophrmayAllah bless him and grant him peace, which yo,, krro*. All.is. your wirness; if I give you authority, will you be just, and ifgive authority (to .Uthman) over you, will you h.r,
"rrd obey?, He
said, 'Yes.' Then he wenr apaft with the otirer and said to him thesame thing. \7hen h. l"i their agreemenr, he pledged allegianceto "Uthman and Ali pledged allegiance to him.
There is in the Musnad of Ahmad that "LJmar said: If my rerrnovertakes me, and Abu "Ubaydah ar-Jarrah is stilr arive, then I'wourdappoint him as khalifah.If my Lord asked me, I would say,
,I heard
r4r140
Tirn Hrsrony oF THE Knerrrens
al-mal,Gee the chapter on Abu Bakr), the first to establish ast:::rh, the standing 6or prayer) in the month of Ramadan, tnrsr wrro patrolled at night, the first who punished satire, the fiwho punished wine-dri"ki.rg with eighty (lashes), the firstdeclared al-muf,ah (temporary marriage) haram(rather the promav Allah bless him and grant him
"peace, f.ri;l;;; ,i."o,of Khaybar - see the Moiatta, of Imam Malik), the first to forhithe sale of female slaves who had borne chirdren to their ,.rrr..the first to assemble for prayers ou.. th. dead with forr- ubb;the first,to l*. 1
register, the first to make conquesrs, ,h.;;;,t^r*..I the Sawad (the cultivated Iand of Iraq), tL. firrt ,o "*,food^from Pgyp, upon theAylah Sea (Gufofdqabah) to fr,fra,""f
the first who dedicated, saiaqah 1p"ia/ ro. th. ."k. "f
Afii ;Islam, and the Grst who ad.lustedih. iirririo, of inheritancescases where the calcurated portions add up ro more than the tinheritance), the first ,o ,"L. the zahatoihorr.r, ,h. firri,o-r"y,'Mqy Allah.lengthen your rife,' (he said it to Ari) and the first toL L(,"sy].{af Allah help you,' (he said it to Ali). This is the end ofwhatal-'Askari mentioned.An-Nawawi said in his Tahdhibthat he was the 6rst to ,dopt ,hu,whip' Ibn sa"d mentions it in the Thbaqat, and.he said: It used tobe said' after him, 'The whip .f 'u;;;1 more terribre than your
::::,^_T:3:-I"**,0 continued: y: *, the 6rst,o ffit,,q adis in the
provinces, the fi rst who .rtrbliri.i rl* o;;;;;:ffi '
cities of) Kufa, Basra, and of Mesopotamia, Syria, Cairo (Egypt),and Mosul.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Isma"il ibn Ziyad said: Ari ibn AbiThlib passed by the mosques in Ramadan and in them there werelamps, so he said, 'May Allah illuminate "lJmar in his gr;u., ",
lr.has illuminated our mosques for us.,Section: Ibn Sa"d said: "Urnar appointed a meal (four) house andput flour.in it, parched_b"rl.y -."i dates, raisins and necessities, inorder to help the traveller *Lor. journey was inrerrupted (through
142
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
llecrl or other causes), and he established between Makkah andMndinah on the road that which would be useful to travellers
Whose journeys were interrupted. He demolished the Mosque of the
ltrophet, added to it, expanded it and foored it with pebbles. He was
tltc one who evicted theJews from the Hijaz (and sent them) to Syria,
ntrd evicted the people of Najran (and sent them) to Kufa. He was
thc one who moved the Station of Ibrahim back (from the Ka"bah)
to where it is today, and it used to be adjoining the House.
Some accounts of him and of his judgementsAl-'Askari narrated in al-Awa'il, atllabartni in al-Kabir, and al-Hakim by way of Ibn Shihab that "IJmar ibn "Abd al:Aziz asked
A[ru Bakr ibn Sulayman ibn Abi Hathamah what was the reason
that it used to be written, 'From the Khalifah of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,' in the time ofAbuBakr, then later "lJmar used to write at first, 'From the Khalifahof Abu Bakr'? Then who was the first to write, 'From the Amir al-Mu'minin (the Commander of the Believers)'? He said, Ash-Shifa,who was one of the women of the Muhajirun, told me that AbuIlakr used to write, "From the Khalifah of the Messenger ofAllah,"and'(Jmar used to write, "From the Khalifah of theKhalifah of theMessenger of Allah," until one day'Umar wrote so the governor oflraq, to send him two strong men whom he could ask about Iraqand its inhabitants. He sent to him Labid ibn Rabi"ah and "Adi ibnHatim, and they came to Madinah and entered the mosque wherethey found'Amr ibn al-'As. They said, 'Get permission for us (to
visit) the Amir al-Mu'minin.' "Amr said, 'You two, by Allah, have
hit upon his name!' Then 'Amr went in to him and said, 'Peace
[re upon you, Amir al-Mu'minin.' He said, '\(/hat occurred to youabout this name? You must explain what you have said.' He told himand said, 'You are the arnir (commander) and we are the rnu'minun(the believers).' Thus letters have continued to be written with thatfrom that day.
143
Tur Hrsrony oF THE Krreuress
An-Nawawi said in his Thhdhib: .Adi ibn Hatim and LabidRabi"ah named him thus when they came as a deputation fIraq. It has been said that al-Mughirah ibn shu"b"i n"-.dwith this name. It has also been said that .umar said to oe'You are the believers and I am your Amir,, and so h. *r,Amir al-Mu'rninin, and before that he was known as the Khaliof the Khalifah of the Me_ssenger ofAlah, but they changed frthat expression because of its length.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Mu"awiyah ibn eurrah said: It used
the believers, and I am your Amir., Then it became writtenal-Mu'minin-
be written 'FromAbu Bakr the Khalifah ofthe Messenger ofAllaand then when it was "LJmar ibn al-Khattab they *J.rt.d to ,,'The Khalifah of the Kharifah of the Messenger ofAllah.,.usaid, 'This is lengthy.' They said, 'No. But *.-h"rr. appointed
^: n?il over us, so you are our amir., He said, ,yer,
and you
'Umar ibn al-Khaxab
routes thatt 'LJmar said, 'I have placed myself in respect to Allah'sproperty in the same relation as the guardian of the orphan to his(the orphant) wealth. If I am in good circumstances, I will refrainfrom it, and if I dm in need I will eat of it in moderation, and if(ngain later) I am in good circumstances, I will repay."
lbn Sa"d narrated that Ibn "umar said that when "I]mar ibn al-
Khattab was in need, he used to go to the man in charge of the baitll-mal andseek a loan from him. Often he might be in difficulty and
the man in charge of the public treasury would come to him, seek
rcpayment of the debt and would oblige him to pay it, and "(Jmarwould be evasive to him. Then, often'Umar would receive his stipend
rnd so pay his debt.
Ibn Sa"d narrated that al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur said that "LJmar wentout one day until he came to the rninbar and he had been sufferingfrom a complaint. The good qualities of honey were mentioned tohim, and there was a receptacle (made of kidskin) of it in rhe baital-mal. He said, 'If you give me permission I will take it, but if notthen it is haram for me.' They gave him permission.' He narrated that Salim ibn Abdullah said that "(Jmar used tolnsert his hand into the saddle sore of his camel and say, 'I fear thatI will be asked about what is (wrong) with you.' ""'
He narrated that Ibn'LJmar said:'W.hen "Umai meant to forbidpeople from some wrong action, he would come to his familyand say, 'If I come to know of anyone who becomes involved insomething I have forbidden, I will double the punishment forhim.'
\i7'e have narrated in more than one way that "LJmar ibn al-Khattabwent out one night to patrol Madinah - and he used to do that alot - when he came upon one of the women of the Arabs whose doorwas bolted against her (locking her in) and she was saying:
'This night, whose stars creep slowly, is wearisome and makes
me sleepless,
Al-Bukhari narrated inhis Thrihhthat Ibn al-Musayyab said:first to write the date was'L]mar ibn al-Khattab two and a halfrinto his khilafah, and it was wrirten down as the sixteenth y.r, ofHijrah, through the advice of Ali.
As-salafi narrated in at-Tuyuriyyar with a sahih isnad from r'{Jmar from'(Jmar that he wished to record the sunan (custom:practices of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant hipeace, and of his companions), so he sought Allah,s chlice in t.marrer (through the supplication known as the istikharah) formonth' Then he arose one morning with a clear resorve and said,remembered a people who were before you who wrote a book,then they turned to it and abandoned ihe Book ofAllah.,
Ibn Sa'd narrated that Shaddad said: The first words that "Uwould saywhen he ascended the minbarwere, .O Allah, I am srso make me gentle, I am weak, so strengthen me, and I am miso make me generous."
Ibn sa'd and Sa"id ibn Mansur and others narrated by different
144t45
Trm Hrsrony oF THE Kner,rrerrs
Because I have no bedfellow with whom ro sporr,For, by Allah, if Allaht punishmenrs were not fear;d,
His rights would have been removed froin this couch.However, I fear a'Watchful One '\tr7'ho is in charge ofselves
And \7hose recorder is not negligent for an insranr.Fear of my Lord and modesry prevent me, and I honourhusband (too much),
That his noble station should be conferred (on
So he fUmar) wrote to his governors abour military expedthat no-one should be absent for more than four months.
Ibn Sa"d narrared fromZadan that Salman said that.{Jmarto him, Am I a king or a khalifal?' Salman said to him, ,Ifcollect a dirham from the land of the Muslims, or less orthen you put it to an improper use, you are a king, not a"{.Jmar took warning from it.
He narrated that Sufyan ibn Abi'l-.Arja' said: .Umar ibnKhattab said, 'By Allah, I do not know whether I am a khalifuhking, for if I am a king then this is a tremendous matter., Somesaid, Amir al-Mu'minin, there is a distinction between the twothem.' He said, ''What is it?' He said,'A hhalifahdoes nor take e:
what is due and he does nor use it except in the right way, andpraise be to Allah, are like that. The king treats people unjustly,takes from this one and gives to that one.' "LJmar was silent.
He narrated that Ibn Mas.ud, may Allah be pleased with hisaid: "Umar mounted a horse and his robe disclosed his thigh. ,
people of Najran saw on his thigh a blac.k mole and said, .This
isone whom we find in our Book will exile us from our land.,
He narrated from Sa.d al-Hari that Ka.b al-Ahbar said to.U'\(e find you in the Book ofAllah ar one of the gates ofpreventing people from falling into it. '!7'hen
you die, they willon plunging into it until the Day of Resurrection.,
He narrated that Abu Mash"ar said: Our shaykhs told us
r46
'Umar ibru al-Khattab
*Umar said, 'This matter will not be correct but with the severity
that has no haughtiness in it, and with the gentleness that has no
ileakness in it.'IbnAbi Shaybah narated in his Musannafthat Hakim ibn'Umayr
mid: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, 'Let not the arnir of an army or a
Iaiding party whip anyone for a hadd punishment until he arrives
It Darb (Derbe near the Cilician Gates, a mountain pass throughich the Muslims passed returning from raids into Byzantine
tcrritory) so that the rage of the shayan does not carry him to the
point that he joins with the huffar.'Ibn Abi Hatim narrated in his tafsir that ash-Sha"bi said: The
Byzantine Emperor wrote to "tImar ibn al-Khattab, 'My messengers
have come to me from you claiming that among you there is a tree
which is not like anything else among trees: it produces somethinglike the ears ofthe ass, it opens out (to reveal) something like a pearl,
It becomes green so that it is like the green emerald, it reddens untilh is like the red ruby, then later it ripens and matures so that itbecomes like the sweetest honey-cake ever eaten, then later it dries
until it becomes a defence (against want) for the house-dweller
lnd a provision for the traveller. If my messengers have told me
the truth, I can only imagine that this is one of tlie trees of theGarden.' 'I-Imarwrote to him, 'From the slave ofAllah, 'LJmar, the
Amir al-Mu'minin, to Caesar, the king of the Byzantines. Tiulyyour messengers have told you the truth. This tree, which is withtus, is the tree which Allah made to grow over Maryam when she
gave birth to "Isa her son. So fear Allah and do not take 'Isa as a
god apart from Allah, for truly, "Zhe liheness of'Isa with Alkh is as
the likeness ofAdam, He created hirnfrom dust, ..."' (Qur'an 3:59)to the endof the ayah.
Ibn Sa"d narrated from Ibn "(Jmar that "Umar ordered hisgovernors, so they recorded their properties, and among themwas Sa"d bin Abi'Waqqas. Then "Umar shared with them in theirproperties and took a half and gave them a half.
r47
TrrB HrsroRy oF THE Krrarrrens
He narrated that ash-Sha"bi said that when "LJmar used toa governor he would record his property.
He narrared that Abu Imamah ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf said: "remained some time not eating anyrhing at all from theof the bait al-mal, until poverty and consrriction
""-. oponin that. He sent for the Companions of the prophet, may tbless him and grant him peace, to seek their advice. He said,
,l
occupied myselfwith this command, so what is fitting for meit?''Ali said, 'The midday and evening meals.'"LJmar took that.
He narrated from Ibn "LImar that "LJmar performed the Hajjthe year twenty-three (AH) and spent sixreen dinars upon hisHe said, 'Abdullah we have been extravagant with this
"Abd ar-Razzaqnarrated in the Musannaf that eatadahash-Sha"bi said: A woman came ro "IJmar and said, 'Mystands at night (in prayer) and fasts during the day.' "lJmar'You have praised your husband excellentlywell.' Ka"b ibnsaid, 'She was complaining.' "LJmar said, 'How?' He said, 'Shethat she has no share in her husband (in his time).' He said, 'Ifunderstood that much, then you decide berween them.' He sa
Amir al-Mu'minin,Allah has permitted him four (wives). So sheone day of every four days, and one night of every four nights.,
He narrated that Ibn Jarir said: One I trust informed me"Umar, while he was parrolling, heard a woman saying:
'This night stretches out and is grievous,and that I have no intimate ro sporr with makes mesleepless,
For, if it were nor for fear ofAllah lWhom nothing is like,his rights would have been removed from this couch.'
"IJmar said, '\7hat is wrong with you?' She said, 'you senr
'Umar ibn al-Khattab
lx)sr to him.' He sent a message to him. Then he went to Hafsahnnd said, 'I want to ask you about a matter which concerns me, so
dispel it for me. How long does a woman long for her husband?' She
lowered her head and was shy. He said, 'Truly Allah is not shy of the
truth.' She gestured with her hand, indicating three months, and
lf that is not possible, then four months. "(Jmar wrote that armies
rnust not be kept on service for more than four months.
He narrated from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah that he came to "IJmar tocomplain to him of the treatment he received from his womenfolk.
'Umar said to him, '\7e also find that, so much so that when Iintend (going out for) some necessity, she says to me, "You are onlygoing to the girls of Bani so-and-so to look at them."' 'Abdullahitrn Mas'ud said to him, 'Has it not reached you that Ibrahim,peace be upon him, complained to Allah about Sarah's character
and it was said to him, "She has been created from a rib so have
the enjoyment of her company as long as you'dont see in her any
unsoundness in her deen."'
He narrated that "Ikrimah ibn Khalid said: One of "Umar ibnal-Khattab's sons went in to see him. He had combed and oiled his
hair and dressed up in the very best clothing. "LJmar struck him witha whip until he made him weep. Hafsah asked hirrq '\Vhy did youstrike him?' He said, 'I saw that his self had made him conceited,
and I wanted to make it (his self) small for him.'He narrated from Ma"mar from Layth ibn Abi Salim that'lJmar
said, 'Do not name yourselves with the name al-Hakam (the rulerand judge) nor Abu'l-Hakam (possessor of judgement) for trulyAllah, He is al-Hakam (the ruler) and don't call a road a sikkalt.'lo
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Shu'ab al-Iman that ad-Dahhak said:
Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, I wish that I were a tree by the side ofthe road by which a camel passed, and it took me into its mouth,
10 Sihhab is literally both a 'row' and a 'plough' and it is possible there is areference to the tradition that 'The sikhah (ploryh) has not entered the abode
of a people but that it humiliated them.'
husband on an expedition some months ago, and I long for himlHe said, 'Do you mean ro do wrong?'She said, '(I seek) the refugtofAllah!' He said, 'So resrrain yourself; it is only (a matter of)
t49t48
chewed me, swallowed me, passed me out as dung, and that I wnot a man.' "LJmar said, '\7ould that I were my fr*ilyt ram, whthey were fattening as much as seemed right io rhem, until whenbecame as fat as could be, some peopr. *f,o- they rove visit thei
Tirr Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrerrs
and they sacrifice me for them, make some of me into roastedsome of me into sun-dried meat, then eat me, and that I werea human being.'
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Abu,l-Bakhtari said: "Umar ibnKhattab used to give the hhutbah on the minbar.Ar-Hussein i
is the minbar of his father.'
"Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him, stood up before him and sa'come down from my fathert minbar.'"(Jmar said, llt is the rnintof your father and not the minbarof my father. \flho tord you to crhis?' 'Ali stood and said, 'By Allah, no-one told him to do this.will cerrainly cause you (al-Hussein) some pain, traitor.' He fumarsaid, 'Dont hurt the son of my brother, for h. has tord the truth, i
"Umar ibn al-Khattab
Muslims on the recording of a register. .Ali said to him, 'Divide up
cvery year what is collected for you of property, and don't keep any
oFit.'"Uthman said, 'I see much wealth, which is sufficient for the
people and if it is not counted so that whoever takes is distinguished
fiom whoever does not take, I am afraid that the matter willbecome confused.'Al-Valid ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah said,
'Arnir al-Mu'rninin,I went to Syria and I saw that its kings had
recorded registers and organised the uoops, so record registers and
organise the ffoops.' He took his advice, and he called "Aqil ibn
Abi Talib, Makhramah ibn Nawfal and Jubayr ibn Mut"im, who
were genealogists of Quraysh, and said, 'Record people according
to their ranks.'They recorded them beginningwith Banu Hashim,
then they followed withAbu Bakr and his people, then'Umar and
his people, according to the order of their hhilafahs. '$7'hen
"IJmarsaw it, he said, 'Begin with the close relatives of the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, the'closest, then the next
closest until you place "Umar where Allah placed him.'He narrated that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab said: "LJmar recorded the
register in al-Muharram of the year 20 AH.He narrated that al-Hasan said: '(Jmarwrote to Ffdhayfah, 'Give
the people their stipends and their provisions.' fle wrote back to
him, ''We have done that and a great deal remains.' '(Jmar wrote to
him, 'It is their spoils whichAllah has given them. It is not "umartnor "LJmart familyt. Divide it up among them.'
Ibn Sa"d narrated thatJubayr ibn Mut'im said:.While'fJmarwasstanding on the mountain of 'Arafah he heard a man calling out,
saying, 'Khalifah ofAllah!'Another man heard him, and theywere
taking provisions for the way, so he said, ''What is wrong with you,
mayAllah split your uvulas?' I went towards the man and shouted
at him. Jubayr continued: Then the next morning, I was standing
with'Umar at al-\abah (the major pillar of stones in Mina) and
he was stoning it, when there came a stray pebble and split (the
skin on) 'Umart head. I turned that way and heard a man from
Al-Khateeb narrated in Adab ar-Rawi from Marik by his rourfrom Ibn Shihab thatAbu Salamah ibn Abd ar-Rahman and Sa"iibn al-Musayyab narrated that'L]mar ibn ar-Khattab and "Uthmaibn_ Affan were arguing over a certain question until an onlooksaid, 'They will never reach an agreement.' yet they only separatedon the best and most beautiful terms. '
,
Ibn Sa"d narrated that al-Hasan said: The first khutbah wh"umar.delivered, he praisedAilah and then said, 'Right. I have beentested by you and you have been tested by me, and I have succeeded
_to the hh ilafah, among$ you, afrer my two companions. W.hoever is
here present, we will manage their affairs in person, and whoever isnot here with us, we will appoint over him ,irorrg and trustworthypeople. twhoever acrs excellently well, we will increase him inexcellent treatmenr, and whoever acts wronglywe will punish, andmayAllah forgive us and you.'
He narrated from Jubayr ibn al-Huwayrith that "{.Jmar ibn al-Khattab, mayAllah be pleased with him, sought the advice of the
r50r'51
Ths Hrsronv oF THE Kner,rrens
the mountain saying, 'I make it known, by the Lord of thethat "Umar will not stand in this place after this year,' and itthe one who had called out among us the day before, and tdisturbed me greatly.
He narrated that "lf ishah, mayAllah be pleased with her, said:
the time of the last Hajj which "LJmar performed with the Motof the Believers (the wives of the Prophet, mayAllah bless himgrant him peace), when we returned from'Arafah, I passed byMuhassab and I heard a man upon his camel saying, ''SThere
"(Jmar, the Amir a l-Mu'minin?' I heard another man saying,'was the Amir al-Mu'minin.'He made the camel kneel down uponits breast, then he raised his voice in a wail saying:
'Upon you peace from an irnam and may the hand of Allahbless that much-rent skin,
lVhoever hurries on or mounts the two wings of the ostrich,in order to overtake what you sent ahead the day before, willbe outstripped.
You decided marters, then after them you left behind trials andmisfortunes in their sleeves, not yet unloosed.'
That rider did not move and it was not known who he was, andwe used to say that he was one of the Jinn, for "LJmar came backfrom that Hajj, was stabbed by the dagger and died.
He narrated that .Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abza said that '(Jmarsaid, 'This authority is among the people of Badr as long as one
of them remains, then it is among the people of Uhud as long as
one of them remains, and among such and such, and such andsuch, and there is no part in it foia freed captive, nor rhe son of afreed captive, nor those who became Muslims ar the Opening (ofMakkah to Islam).'
He narrated from an-Nakha"i that a man said to "Umat '\Willyou not appoint "Abdullah ibn'Umar as hhalifah?' He said, 'May
r52
'(Jmar ibn al'Khattab
Allah fight you! By Allah, I never wanted this of Atlah' Shall I
,,;;i,,t?t ina;|ri* ,,''n*t'" did not know how to divorce his
wife properlY?'
He narrated from Shaddad ibn Aws that Ka"b said: There was
-.;;;;i;ibe of rtal " king whom' when we remember him
*. "r! reminded of "L]mar' ""d *httt we remember '(Jmar we
rre reminded of him. H. n"a by his side a prophet who received
rcvelation. Allah revealed to the prophet' peace be upon him' to say
' to him, 'Make your coven""' "'d write your testament to m^e' for
vou are dead after tf"tt J'yt: Tht p'ophtt informed him of that'
"il[*'n-*i
,ir. ,rrrti aay,hefefl iow" (dead) betweenthe wall
and the couch. Ht ;;;t tohi' Lo'd and said' 'O Allah' ifYoulnew
that I was just in ;t*itt that when matters differed' I followed
Your guidan.", ,"Ji *" ""tt and such' and such and such' then
in"r."'r. my life-span until my infant son gro)l: ",P '"d.
my-nation
increases.'All"h ,.'o.lttJto t(t prophet that' 'He has said such and
such - and it i, t"" - "'d I havsadded fifteen years to his life-
span. That i, .r,o,,gh for his infant t:1to gto* "!::-d his nation
,l i.r"r."r..''S7'h.,t:Umar was stabbed' Ka'b said' 'If "Umar were to
ask his Lord, Allah *."ia definitely let him stay' "umar was told
about that. He said, 'O e[^t take me back to You without (my)
ffi;;;;.rless and incapable or.blameworthy'' '" ., l
He narrated fro* i"t'y"tan ibn Yasar that tht Jinn wailed in
mourning for "I'Jmar'
Al-Hakim narrated that Malik ibn Dinar said: Avoice was heard
on the mountain of Tabalah when "(Jmar' may Allah be pleased
with him, was killed:
'Let whoever would weep, weep for Islam'
For they ",t
o" tht poi"t of being thrown to the ground
and (their) appointed time has not been exceeded'
And the world has declined and the best of it has gone' turning
its back,
r53
THB Hrsrory oF THE Krrauraus
Whoever is sure of the promise has become weary of it.,
Ibn Abi'd-Dunya narrated that yahya ibn Abi Rashid ar-Barsaid: "LJmar said to his son, 'Be economical with my shroud, forthere is good for me with Allah, He will exchange it for me for twhich is better than it. If I have been otherwise, He will stripand be very fast in stripping me. Be economical in the g.rrr. youfor me, for if there is good for me with Allah, He wilZ"f;Jr,me. as far as my sight can reach. If I have been otherwir., H.tighten it upon me until my-ribs interlace. Let not a woman gowith me (to the grave), and do not artribute ro me a purity thlt Inot have, for Allah has more_knowledge of me. Vir.rr;" ;. ,(with me t3 the grave) then hasten yol. pr"., fo, if there is"6For me with Allah, you will send me o, io *h"t is better for'tf t a1 otherwise, you will throw an evil you have been carryidown from your necks.'
'Umar ibn al-Khanab
ir man of the Ansar saying,'I asked Allah to show me "LJmar in mysleep, then I saw him after ten years, and he was wiping sweat fromhis brow. I said, Amir al-Mu'minin, what have you done?' He said,
'Right now I have finished, and if it were not for the mercy of myLord I would have been destroyed.'
Al-Hakim narrated that ash-Sha'bi said: Atikah bint Zayd ibn'Amr ibn Nufayl eulogised'LJmar, saying:
'Eye! let your tears and weeping be abundant,and do not weary over the noble imam.
The fate of the inspired horseman distressed me
on the day of combat and harsh reproach;
The protection of the deen, the helper against fate,
succour of the troubled and the distressed.
Say to the people of hardship and misfortune,"Die! since fate has given us to drink the cup of division
and disunion."'
Those of the Companions who died duringhis days
During the hhilafah of"Umar, mayAllah be pleasedwith him, those
of the notable companions who died were: "Utbah ibn Ghazwan,
al- Ala ibn al-Hadrami, Qais ibn as-Sakan, Abu Quhafah the father
of as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa'd ibn "Ubadah,Suhayl ibn tmr, Ibn Umm Maktum the mu'adhdhin, "Ayyashibn Abi Rabrah, "Abd ar-Rahman the brother of az-Zttbayr ibn al-
'Awwam, Qais ibn Abi Sa"sa'ah one of those who memorised all ofthe Qurbn, Nawfal ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib, his brotherAbu Sufyan, Mariyah the mother of the Sayyid Ibrahim (the son ofthe Prophet, haI Allah bless him and grant him peace, who diedin infancy), Abu "Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Mu'adh ibn Jabal, YazidibnAbi Sufyan, Shurahbil ibn Hasanah, al-Fadl ibn al-tbbas,AbuJandal ibn Suhayl, Abu Malik al-Ash"ari, Safwan ibn al-Mu"attal,
SectionIbn "Asakir narrated from Ibn Abbas that al- Abbas said: I aAllah, one year after "LJmar had died, to show me him in a drrI saw him after a year and he was wiping the swear from his brt: I :"id,
'May my father and my -orh., be your ransom, Ial-Mu'minin! How is it with you?, He said, lThis is the rimehave just finished. The house of .umar had almost been violenrdemolished if it had not been that I met a pitying, compassi,one (Ra'uf Rahim. Note that these are rwo ,"-.i that Allahto His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him pea.ithe penultima.e ayah of Surat atrrawbah. Ar--Raruf ar-iahim anames ofAllah).'
He also narrated from zaydibn Aslam that "Amr ibn ar-"As saw'Umar in his sleep and asked, ,How
have you done?, He asked,'\,hen did I leave you?' He answered, .Tr".lrr. years ago., H;;;;
'I have only finished my accounting now.,Ibn Sa"d narrated that Salim ibn dbdulrah ibn "Umar said: I heard
r54r55
Tirr Hrsrony oF THE Kneurens
Ubayy ibn Ka"b, Bilal the mu'adhdhin, Usayd ibn al-Hudhayr,Bara' ibn Malik the brother ofAnas, Zaynab bint Jahsh, "IyadGhanam, Abu'l-Haytham ibn atlfayythan, Khalid ibn al-\Wial-Jarud the chiefof Bani "Abd al-Qais, an-Nu.man ibn MuqaQatadah ibn an-Nu"man, al-Aqra" ibn Habis, Sawdah bintZar'lJwaym ibn Sa"idah, Ghilan ath{haqafi, Abu Mihjan athjand other Companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them.
cuthman ibn'Affanmay Allah be pleased with him
rY Tthman ibn "Affan ibn Abi'l-'As ibn Umayyah ibn'Abd" I I Sh"-, ibn "Abd Manaf ibn Q,,,ayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah
\-/ ibn Ka.b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib al-Qurashi al-Amawi (al-
Makki and then later al-Madani) Abu cAmr, and it has been said
Abu "Abdullah and Abu LaYIa.
He was born in the sixth ye ar after the Elephant, and he accepted
Islam very early on, being one of those whom as-siddiq called to
Islam. He emigrated on both emigrations: the first to Abyssinia and
the second to Madinah'He maried Ruqayyah the daughter of the Messenger ofAllah, may
Allah bless him "rrd
gt"ttt him peace, before prophethood, and she
died with him during the nights of the Battle of Badr. He was held
back from Badr, becalur. of ti., becoming ill, witffthe permission of
rhe Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him ind grant him peace,
who assigne-d a portion of the spoils to him and rewarded him, and
so he is .ourrt.d among the people of Badr because of that'
A messenger brought the good news of the victory of the Muslims
at Badr on the ,a-. d"y that they buried her in Madinah. The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
marriedlim to her sister Umm Kulthum after her, and she later died
[while married] with him in the ninth year of the Hijrah'
The men of knowledge said: \We dont know ofanyone who married
two daughters of a prophet apart from him, and for that reason he
is known as Dhuh-Nurayn - the Possessor of Two Lights'
He was one of the first outstrip perc (as-sabiqun al-Awwalun), rhe
r56
TnB Hrsrony oF THE KrrarrraHs
unless it was a man who was in awe of the hadith.
first of the Muhajirun, one of the ten for whom it was witrthat they were destined for the Garden, and one of the sixwhom the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him
"rrd g;
Peace, was pleased when he died. He was one of the Colrp",who memorised all of the eurhn, and indeed tbn "abbad'N:r:
:f fr. hhulafa'memorised all of the eur,an except forand al-Ma'mun.'
Ibn Sa"d said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless himgrant him peace, appointed him as his deputyin charge ofMadiduring the military expeditions to Ohrt
"._Riq"";;;G;;;"A*One hundred and forty-six hadlth of his ir"r. b..r, narralfrom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him ,rrd gr;peace.
following related hadhhfrom him: Zaid,ibnKharid ar-JuhaIbn azZubayr, as-Sa'ib ibn yazid, Anas ibn Malik, ZaidibnThalSalamah ibn al-Akwa", Abu Umamah al_Bahili, Ibn tbbas, I'(Jmar, Abdullah ibn Mughaffal, Abu eatadah, Ab,, H,rr"y.J,other Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,
^nd, ^number of others of the Followers (of theni Abban ibn .Uth'Ubaydullah ibn Adi, Humran and others).
Ibn sa"d narrated that Abd ar-Rdhman ibn Hatib said: I sawnoof the companions of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bl.r, hiand grant him peace, who, when he narrated a iadhh,narratedmore completely and more excellently than .LJthman ibn Affa
'Uthman ibn'Affan
arises other than 'Uthman, and for that reason he was called the
l)ossessor of Two Lights.'Abu Nu'aym narrated that al-Hasan said: "Uthman was only
called the Possessor ofTwo Lights because no-one is known ofwhoclosed his door upon two daughters of a prophet other than him.
Khaythamah narrated in Fada'il as-Sahabah and Ibn tsakir that
'AIi ibn Abi Talib was asked about "Uthman and he said: That was
0 man who is called in the Highest Assembly the Possessor of TwoLights. He was the son-inlaw of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, with two of his daughters.
Al-Malini narrated withan isnadinwhich there is some weakness
that Sahl ibn Sa'd said: It is said about "Uthman 'the Possessor of'lwo Lights' because he will pass from one abode to another in theGarden and therewill gleam forth for him two fashes of lightning,and it is for that reason that is said about him.
He said: He was given the kunyah ofAbu'Amr in theJahlllylah,then in the time of Islam, Ruqayyah gave birth to 'Abdullah forhim, and he took his kunyah from him (Abu "Abdullah).
His mother was Arwa bint Kurayz ibn Rabi"ah ibn Habib ibn "AbdShams (ibn 'Abd Manaf) and her mother was lJmm Hakim al-Bayda'
bint Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim and she was the tlrin sister of the
father of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeace. The mother of "Uthman was the daughter of the paternal auntof the Prophet, ffralAllah bless him and grant him peace.
Ibn Ishaq said: He was the first to accept Islam after Abu Bakr,
'Ali and Zaidibn Harithah.Ibn "Asakir narrated by various routes that "Uthman was of
middle stature - he was nor shorr, nor was he tall - with a beautifulface, a fair complexion tinged with red, on his face the marks ofsmallpox, with a full beard, largeJimbed, broad-shouldered, plumpin the shank, long in the forearms, hair covering both his forearms,
curly-haired but balding to the fore of his head, the most beautifulof people in the fore-teeth, his locks fell beneath his ears and he
after him, Ibn .Umar. D' ---- -' '
Al-Bayhaqi narrated inhis Sunan that Abdullah ibn "umar ibn
He narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said that "Uthm", *"r,the most knowledgeable of them in the rites of the Hajj, and then
Abban al-Ju.fi said: My maternal uncle Hussein al_Ju.fi said, ,Doyou realise why "Uthman was called the possessor of Two Lights?, Isaid, 'No.' He said, 'No-one has ever been united to two d",ight.rsof a prophet since Allah created. Adam (nor wilr be) until th."Ho.r,
r58 r59
He narrated that Musa ibn Thlhah said: "Uthman ibn .Affanthe most beautiful of people.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Usamahibnzaidsaid: The Messenrof Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ,;;;"Uthmant house with a dish in *t i""l was meat. I went in, arthere was
-Ruqayyah, may Allah be pleased with her, ,.rt.d.began to Iook at the face of Ruqayyah one time and anottime at the face of "Uthman. Vhen'I rerurned, the Messen 'iof Allah, may Allah.bless him and grant hi- p.".., q";;;me and asked me, 'Did you go in to-them?, I said, ,y..., H. r"'Have you seen a couple -or. b.",.tiful than them?, f ,"ii, ;
Messenger ofAllah.'Ibn Sa"d narrated that Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn ar-Ha
at-Taymi said: Ifhen "Uthman bin .Afhn became, tvtr,r.li*,paternal uncle, al-Hakam ibn Abi,l- As ibn Umayyah ,;.alof him, bound him with rope, and said, ,Do
you wish to leayereligion of your fathers for an innovated duoi ry r,"t,r*iiileLelou ultil you give up that which you are involved in., .Uthrsaid, 'ByAllah, I will not give it up nor abandon it., \7hen al_Hsaw his firmness in his deenheleft him.
Abu Ya'la narrated that Anas said: The first one to emirwith.his family to the Abyssinians was "(Jrhm"r, ib., ;tr";]Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, MayAlla
f?-P.l"y"the twoof tleg,
lUthman is the first to.-igr"r.;i,his family for the sake ofAllah since Lut.,
Ibn "Adi narrated that "Aishah, may Allah be pleased withsaid: rVhen the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him p.married away his daughter Umm Kulthum, h. ,i'id ,o h.r'.y
Tkr Hrsrony oF THE KnerrreHs
coloured them with yellow, and he had strengthened his teethgold.
Ibn tsakir narrated rhat "Abdulrah ibn Hazmar-Mazini saidisaw "[Jthman ibn "Affan and I have never seen a man or a womewith a more beautiful face than him.
'Uhman ibn'Affan
husband, ofall men, is the onewho most resembles your grandfatherlbrahim and your father Muhammad.'
Ibn'Adi and Ibn tsakir narrated Ibn "Umar said: The Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, '\fle findr resemblance in'Uthman to our father Ibrahim.'
The hadlth related on his merit apart from what have alreadybeen quoted
'[he two Shaykhs narrated from "A ishah, mayAllah be pleased withher, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
gathered his garments around him when "Uthman entered and said,'should I not feel shy of a man of whom the angels are shy?'
Al-Bukhari narrated from Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Sulami thatwhen'Uthman was besieged, he looked out over them and said, 'Iadjure you byAllah, and I adjure none but the Companions of the
Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, do you not knowthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, "'Whoever equips the Army of Difficulty (ofTabuk) then
there is the Garden for him"? And I equipped it. Do you not knowthat the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, "'Whoever has the well of Rumah dugrthen the Garden
is for him"? And I had it dug.' They affirmed urhat he said.
At:Tirmidhi narrated that "Abd ar-Rahman ibn Khabbab said: Iwitnessed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
urging (people tQ support theArmy of Difficulry and then "Uthmanibn "Affan said, 'Messenger of Allah, I will be responsible for one
hundred camels with their saddle blankets and their saddles, in theway of Allah.' Then he further urged people to support the armyand "Uthman said, 'Messenger ofAllah, I will be responsible for twohundred camels with their saddle blankets and their saddles, in theway of Allah.' Then he further urged people to support the armyand "Uthman said, 'Messenger of Allah, I will be responsible forthree hundred camels with their saddle blankets and their saddles,
160l6l
Tirr Hrsrony oF THE Krreupeus
in the way ofAllah.' Then the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah b
Ifl:t,flt*htT.r.ace, came do*i (from the minbar) sayi'T.t will be nothing at all againr, "d;h;;;';;;;;';:after thrc.'
Atrlirmidhi narrated that Anas said, and al_Hakim, whoit sahih, narrated that "Abd ar-Rahman ibn Samurah said: .came.to the Propher, mayAllah bless him and grant lrr* f.*.,-:::":1"::i1, .o*"i,. 1n* * .1ri po.d the Aimy
"f Diffi;;;
poured them into his lap. [. fvfo.."g., of Affi;;;;,l!3:"1 saying, 'Nothing "Uthman io.,
"ft , this dfr fu lrunlm, fwlce.
At:Tirmidhi narrated that Anas said: \,hen the Messeng.r ofi/,:},:21],* btess himand gra.nt him peace, ordered tl,. rf .alclof Allegiance of Ridwa.,,1at fi.,d"yUiryilrl "Uthman ib, "Afr;,*r: :!. messenger of the M.srerrg., ofail"h, mayAllrhil., frrrn,,and his
{a1ilf_and grant them pJ.., to the people of Makkah. Sop:Tt +.dg* allegiance. The-propher, may Allah bless him and
'Uthman ibn'Afan
AtrTirmidhi and al-Hakim narrated that "lt'ishah, mayAllah be
pleased with het related that the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and
grant him peace, said, tUthman, perhaps Allah will robe you in a
Barment, so if the hypocrites wish to strip it offyou, do not take itoffuntil you meet me.'
At:Tirmidhi narrated that "Uthman said, on the day of the house
(the site of his siege), 'The Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, made a covenant with me and I will be patient withlt.
Al-Hakim narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "Uthman boughtthe Garden from the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant himpeace, twice: when he had the well of Rumah dug and when he
equipped the Army of Difficulty.Ibn "Asakir narrated that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased
with him, said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, tUthman, of my companions, most resembles mein character.'
At-Tabarani narrated that "Asmah ibn Malik said: \7hen the
daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his
family and grant them peace, died under (the roof of) 'Uthman,the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and $ant him peace,
said, 'Get "Uthman married. Even if I had a third (daughter) Iwould have got him married, and I did not get him married except
through revelation from Allah.'Ibn'Asakir narrated that "Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him said:
I heard the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, say
to'lJthman, 'Even if I had forty daughters I would marry them toyou, one after anothet until none of them remained.'
Ibn tsakir narrated that ZaidibnThabit said: I heard the Prophet,
mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, saying, '"uthman passed
by me while one of the angels was with me, and he said, 'A martyrwhose people will kill him. \We are shy of him."'
Abu Ya"la narrated from Ibn 'LJmar that the Prophet, may Allah
his familyand granrthem peace, ,"id, .Urh-an ibn.Affan i, *ponthe business ofAllah rndihe business of His M.rr.rg.f l"a fr.struck one ofhis two hands upon the other, so that the hand of theMessenger ofAllah, mayAilal bless him and grant h;;;;;,,"",better for "Uthman than their hands were for them themserves.
At:Tirmidhi narrated that Ibn '(Jmar said: The rta.rr."g., "r,Allah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned aftnah
(a trial or sedition) and said, .di, or. *ill b. [iff.a *r""g firitr r,it,'about "Uthman.At:Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, who declared it sahih, and Ibn Majah
narrated that Murrah ibn Ka"b said: I heard the proph.t, _rraff"f,bless him and grant himpeace, mentioning a trial wirich he tiroughtto be near. A.man prrr.d by, muffied up in his garmenr, and he (theProphet) said, 'This o.ne on that day,"itt U. ,i"" ,fr. g"iJ"r..., fstood up and went to him and it was "uthman ibn tflhn. I turned,faced him (the prophet) and said, ,This
one?, He said, ,yes.,
162
t63
TuB Hrsrory oF THE Kneurens
bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The angels are shy of .Uthjust as they are shy ofAllah and His Messenger.'
lbn "Asakir narrated from al-Hasan rhat the modesty of "Uwas mentioned in his presence. He said, 'If he were in the miof the house - and the door locked - then he put offhis clothesorder to pour warer over himself, modesty would prevent himraising (straightening) his backbone.'
His hhilafahHe was pledged allegiance as khalifah three nights after the burial"LJmar. It is related that people got rogether, during those days, wi"Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf, advising him and talking confidentialwith him. Not one person of judgement who sat alone with hisaw any to equal "Uthman. \7hen "Abd ar-Rahman sat to pledgeallegiance, he praised Allah and said, during his speech, 'I sawpeople refuse anybody but "Uthman.' Ibn tsakir narrated ital-Miswar ibn Makhramah. In anorher narration, 'Now! "Ali, Iresearched among people and I don't see them regardingequal to "Uthman. Therefore, do not make a way against yourself.lHe took the hand of "Uthman and said, '\7e pledge allegiance toyou according ro rhe Sunnah ofAllah, the Sunnah ofHis Messengerand the Sunnah of the two hhaffihs afrcr him.'"Abd ar-Rahpledged allegiance to him andrhe Muhajirun andtheAnsarpledgedallegiance to him.
Ibn Sa"d narrated that Anas said: 'Umar sent for Abu Talhah al-Ansari an hour before he died and said, 'You be among fifty of theAnsaralongwith this group, the companions ofthe counsel, becausethey, as I believe, will gather in a house. Stand at that doorwith yourcompanions, allow no-one ro enter, and do not leave them to allowthe third day to pass without their appointing one of themselves tothe command.'
There is in the Musnad ofAhmad that Abu \7a'il said: I said to.Abd ar-Rahman ibn "Awf, 'How could you have sworn allegiance ,
'[Jthrnan ibn'Affan
to "Uthman and neglected cAli?' He said, '\(/here was my wrong
nction? I started with cAli and I said, "Shall I swear allegiance to you
according to rhe Book ofAllah, the sunnah of His Messenger and
the condict ofAbu Bakr and "Umar?" He said, "In what I am able'",Ihen later I offered the same to "Uthman and he said, "Yes."'
It has been related that "Abd ar-Rahman said to'Uthman in
private, ,If I don't pledge allegiance to youwho would you point out
to m.?' He said, tAli.' He said to "Ali, 'If I dont pledge allegiance
to you who would you point out to me?' He said, '"Uthman'' Then
he called for az-zttbzlyr and said, 'If I don't pledge allegiance to you
who would you point out to me?' He said, '"Ali or "I'Jthman'' Then
later he called for Sa.d and said, ''\yhom would you indicate to me?
because, as for me and you, we don't want it" He said, tl'Jthman''
Then "Abd ar-Rahman sought the counsel of all the notables and
saw that most of them were inclined to "Uthman'
Ibn sa"d and al-Hakim narrated that Ibn Mas"ud, may Allah be
pleased with him, said, when "Uthman was pledged allegiance, '\7e
ir"',r. .h"rg.d with command the best of those remaining and we
'have not been negligent.'
In this y.rt of hiJ hhildfah, Rayy was opened [to Islam], and it
had been opened previously and subsequently lCIt' In that year
-rty .ro..bleeds occurred among people, so thdt it was known as',The year of the nosebleeds.' "Uthman was affiicted by nosebleeds
,o ,rr"h an extent that he stayed away from the Hajj and deputed
someone in his place. In that year many Byzantine fortresses were
taken. In it "uthman appointed Sa"d ibn Abi \Taqqas as governor
of Kufa and removed al-Mughirah.
In the year 25 AH, "Uthman removed Sa"d from Kufa and
appointei al-\7alid ibn "Uqbah ibn Abi Mu"ayt - and he was a
io-p"rior, and a brother of "Uthman on his mothert side - and
that was the first thing for which he was disliked; because he
appointed his relatives ro posts of authority. b has been told as a
taie thatal-'Walid led them in prayer for the dawn prayer with four
r64 r65
Thr Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrens
rahdatwhen he was drunk, and that then he turned ro themsaid, 'Shall I do more (rahxat) for you?,
An observation
In the year 26 AH, "Uthman enlarged and extend ed. al_Maal-Haram, and b_ought sites (adjoinin! it) for the enlargement.the same year Sabur (possibly Shahpur) was opened.
In the year 27 AH, Mu"awiyah went on " -ili rry expedition
Cyprus, taking rhe armies by sea. "Ubadah ibn as_6ami, *r.,them and his wife, Umm Haram bint Milhan al_Ansariyah (ofAnsar). She fell from her_riding beast, and died there as a marryr,the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, h"d fo..this army for her. He had supplicated"for her that she should bethem. She was buried_in Cyfrur. In that same year Arrqan aDarabjird were opened. .Uthman removed Am, ib, al_ A, fiPqyp, and appointed Abdullah ibn Sa"d ibn Abi Sarh over ir, wled an expedition against northern Africa and opened it [to Islarboth on the plains and in rhe mountains, and every man inarmy received one thousand dinars, and it has also been said, ththousand dinars. Then Andalusia was opened in rhis same year.
'Uthrnan ibn'Affan
ln the year 29 AH, Persepolis was opened by force of arms, andlrasa and other places. In thatyear, "Uthman added to the mosque ofMadinah, extended it, and rebuilt it with sculpted stone, making itspillars ofstone and its roof of teak. He made its length one hundrednnd sixty cubits and its breadth one hundred and fifty cubits.
In the year 30 AH, Jur was opened and many provinces of theland of Khurasan; Naysabur was opened by treaty, and it has been
said, by force. Tirs and Sarkhas were both opened by treaty, and
similarly Marw and Bayhaq. 'When
these extensive provinces were
taken, "Uthmant revenues became abundant, and wealth came
to him from every direction, until he established treasuries and
made provisions to fow abundantly. He would order for a manone hundred thousand purses in each of which there were fourthousand ounces (of silver).
In the year 31 AH, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, the father of Mu"awiyah,
died, and also al-Hakam ibn Abi'l-"As the paternal uncle of'Uthman, mayAllah be pleased with him.
In the year 32 AH, al-"Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal
.uncle of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, died,and'Uthman led the (funeral) prayer over him. In that year "Abdar-Rahman ibn'Awf died, one of the ten from the first outstrippers
who had once given away as sadaqah forty thousand and an entirecaravan which had come from Syria, just as it was. In that year,
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud al-Hudhali died, one of the four reciters,
one of the earliest in Islam, and one of the men of knowledgeamong the Companions who were famous for the vast extent oftheir knowledge. In that year the wise and abstinent Abu'd-Darda'al-Khazraji died; he had been appointed to the position of Qadi ofDamascus under Mu'awiyah. In that year Abu Dharr Jundub ibn
Jinadah al-Ghifari, the truthful in speech, died. In thatyear,Zaidibn tbdullah ibn "Abd-Rabbihi al-Ansari died, the one who was
shown the adhan in a dream.In the year 33 AH, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad died at his land at
"Amr ibn al-'As, 'Describe the sea to me and the one who traon it.' He wrore to him, 'I have seen a great creation, which a sm:creation mounrs. If it is still, it pierces the hearts, and if it moves,
I\ju"awryah had pressed "I_Jmar ibn al-Khattab very persisterabout raiding Cyprus and doing so by sea, so .LJmar wrote
awes the intellects. In it the intellects grow in littleness, ".rd
r"ro,actions in muchness, and in it they are like grubs upon a timber.
'By Allah I will never convey a Muslim upon ir., Ibn Jarir sai'Mu'awiyah carried out the expedition agai.,rt cyprus iuring tJtime of 'LJrhman, and its people -"d. a fieaty with him oibasis of their paying the jizyai)
it leans over, it sinks, and if it is swift, it enters into the wave anddives therein.''til7.hen'LJmar read the letter he wrote to Mu."*iy"h,
t67t66
THB Hrsrony oF THE Knerrrans
al-Jurf and he was carried to Madinah (for burial). In thatAbdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh mounted a military expedagainst Abyssinia.
In the year 34AH, the people of Kufa ejected Sa.id ibn al_tswere pleased with Abu Musa al-Ash.ari.
In the year 35 AH, there occurred the killing of .Uthman.AzZuhrisaid:'uthman ruled the hhilafahfor twelve years. For
years he ruled without people criticising him at all. To eurayshwas preferable to "Umar ibn al-Khattab, because "(Jmar wasagainst rhem, but when .Uthman ruled over them he waswith them and made his connections close with them. Ther]he fagged in their affair, and appointed his relatives and familythe last six (years of his rule). He decreed for Marwan the kh,u(the fifth share of the spoils of jihadthat goes to the ruler) of NAfrica, and he gave his relatives and family wealth. In that he
that from him. [It was his ijtihad).Ibn Sa"d narrated it.Ibn "Asakir narrared by another route that azZuhrisaid: I
to Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, 'can you tell me how was the killing"Uthman? \7hat were people up to and what was he up to? And wdid the Companions ofMuhammad, mayAllah bless-him andhim peace, fail to help him? Ibn al-Musayyab said, ,"Uthmari
lilled unjustly, whoever killed him was wrongdoing, and whofailed to help him is free of blame.' I said, ,Ho* wa, that?,said, '\flhen "Uthman was appointed, a group of the Companidisliked his appointmenr, because'uthman used to love hi. .r..,He ruled people for twelve years. He used to appoint p.opLBani Umayyah who had not kept company with the piophet,Allah bless him and grant him peace. His amirs used tomatrers which the Companions of Muhammad, may Ail;h
'Uthman ibn'Affan
him and grant him peace, would repudiate. 'Uthman used to ask
people to have good will for them and he would not remove them.'lhat was in the year 35 AH. During the six last years he chose inpreference the tribe of his paternal uncle. He appointed them and
did not let anyone share with them. He ordered them to fearAllah,he appointed Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh in charge of Egypt and he
remained in control there for years. The people of Egypt came tocirmplain of him and to complain of his wrongdoing. There had
been slights before from'Uthman to'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abuf)harr and tmmar ibn Yasir. Banu Hudhayl and Banu Zuhrah had
what they had in their hearts because of the state of Ibn Mas"ud.
Banu Ghifar, their allies and whoever was angry because of AbuDharr, had in their hearts what they had in them. Banu Makhzumwere furious at'l]thman because of the condition of 'Ammar ibnYasir.
'The people of Egypt came to complain of Ibn Abi Sarh, so he
wrote a letter to him in which he threatened him, but Ibn AbiSarh refused to accept what "Uthman forbade him, he struck one'of those of the people of Egypt who came to him from '(Jthman,one of those who had gone to'lJthman, and he killed him. Seven
hundred men left Egypt and dwelt in the -orq,r8'1of Madinah).They complained to the Companions at the tiries of the prayers
about what Ibn Abi Sarh had done. Talhah ibn "Ubaydullah stood
and addressed 'Uthman very severely. "A'ishah, may Allah be
pleased with her, sent a message to him saying, "The Companionsof Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came
to you and they asked you to remoye this man and you refused?
This one has killed a man from among them so treat them withjustice (in their complaint) against your governor." "Ali ibn AbiTalib came to him and said, "They are only asking you for a manin place of (in retaliation for) a man and they have claimed fromhim (retaliation for the spilling o0 blood. Remove him from over
them and give a (just) decision between them. If there is anything
interpreting the 'making close connecrions (with family), whiAllah has ordered. He said, Abu Bakr and "LJmar gaye up ajabandoned what of that was theirs (by right), and I have-t"k.rritdivid-ed it among my relatives,' but people rejected and repudi
168r69
appoint over you in his (Ibn Abi Sarht) place.,, The people indito him Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. They said,
..Appo1nt Mrhrnibn Abi Bakr over us." He wrore his covenant and appointedA number of the Muhajirun and Ansar went with them tointo that (dispute) which was between the people of Egypt andAbi Sarh. Muhammad went and those with him. \ftr-en they.,about three days' journey from Madinah they came upon a bl:slave on a camel beating the camel so much that it was as ifwas pursuing or being pursued. The Companions of Muhammamay Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, ,.\7hat
TrrB Hrsrony oF THE Knerrrerrs
due against him, be just to them." He fUthman) said to themEgyptians), "Choose from amongst yourselves a man whom I
your story? 'S7-hat is your business? It is as if you were feeingpursuing someone." He said to them, "I am the slave of the Aral-Mu'minin and he has directed me ro the governor of Egypt.,,man said to him, "This (Muhammad ibnAbi Bakr) is th. nor.rnofEgypt." He said, "It is not this one I want.,, MuhammaJibnBakr was told of his affair and so he sent a man in search of hiwho took him and brought him to him. He said, .,Slave,
whoyou?" He began to say, one rime, "I am the slave of the AmirMu'minin," and another dme, "I am the slave of Marwan,,, uone man recognised that he was the slave of"Uthman. Muhamsaid to him, "To whom are you sent?" He said, ,,To
theof Egypt." He said, "\With what?" He said, ..'With
" -.rrig..,,said, "Do you have a letter with you?" He said,
..No.,, Th.y rJ"rchim and didnt find a letter with him. He had with him anwhich was dry, in which was something which moved about,they moved it about to bring it out but it didnt come out.broke the ewer and there was a letrer in it from "Uthman to IbnSarh. Muhammad gathered those with them of the Muhajirun,Ansar and orhers, then he opened the letrer in their presen.e. Th,was in it, "\7hen Muhammad, so-and-so, and so-and-so comeyou, then find a way ro kill them, and declare his letter to be
"Uhman ibn"Affan
(lonsider yourself confirmed in your governorship until my advice
on it comes to you, and imprison whoever tries to come to me tosccuse you of wrongdoing. My advice on that will certainly come
to you, ifAllah wills."'tW'hen they read the letter they were terrified. Then they became
resolved and returned to Madinah. Muhammad sealed the letterwith the signet rings of the group who were with him, and thenentrusted the letter to a man who was with them. Then they wentto Madinah. There they gathered together Talhah, az-Ztbayr,"Ali,Sa"d, and whoever there was of the Companions of Muhammad,may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace. Hebroke (the seals of) the letter in their presence, and told them of thestory of the slave. They read out the letter to them, and none of thepeople of Madinah was left who was not enraged at 'Uthman. Itonly increased those who were angry because of Ibn Mas"ud, AbuDharr and tmmar ibn Yasir in fury and rage. The Companionsof Muhammad rose and kept to their houses. There was no-one
among them who was not incoherent when he read the letter. Thepeople besieged "Uthman in the year 35 AH, and Muhammad ibnAbi Bakr raised Bani Taym and others against him.
''When "Ali saw that, he sent for Talhah, azZubafrSa"d, "Ammarand a group of the Companions, all ofwhom wett at Badr. Then he
went in to "Uthman, with him the letter, the slave and the camel.
'Ali said to him, "This slave is your slave?" He said, "Yes." He said,'And the camel is your camel?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Thenyou wrote this letter?" He said, "No," and he swore an oath, "ByAllah I did not write this lettet I did not order it, and I had noknowledge of it." "Ali said, "The seal is your seal?" He said, "Yes."
He said, "How does your slave go out on your camel, with a letterupon which is your seal, and you know nothing about it?" He swore
again, "By Allah, I did not write this letter, I didn't order it, and Inever directed this slave to go to Egypt." As for the handwriting,they recognised that it was that of Marwan, and they came to doubt
770 171
THn Hlsronv oF THE KrleureHs
as to 'Uthman. They demanded that he should give them Maand he refused, while Marwan was with him in the house.Companions of Muhammad, mayAllah bless him and grantpeace, left him in anger, and in doubt about his affair. They kthat "Uthman would not swear an oath that was false, butsaid, ""LJthman will never be free of guilt in our hearts unlesshands Marwan over ro us for questioning, so rhat we knowsituation of the lettet and how he could order the killing of aofthe Companions ofMuhammad, mayAllah bless him andhim peace, without right. If "Uthman wrore ir, we will rehim from office. If Marwan wrore it as if it had been written'LJthman, then we will have to look seriously at what we shallin the case of Marwan."
'They stuck to their houses, and "Uthman refused to send Maout to them, for he feared that he would be killed. people contilaying siege to "LJrhman, and they prevented water (from reachhim). He looked over the people (from an upper foor) and said,"Ali among you?" They said, "No." He said, "Is Sa.d amongTheysaid, "No." Hewas silent and then he said, "'!7ill no-one"Ali and ask him to ger us water to drink?" That reached "Ali,he sent him three warer-skins full of water, but they almost direach him. Because of them a number of the freed slaves ofHashim and Banu Umayyah were wounded in rhe course ofwater gerring to him.
'It reached Ali that it was intended to kill.Uthman, and he sai"\fle only want Marwan from him. As for the killing of .Uthmno!" He said to al-Hasan and al-Hussein, "Go with your twoand stand at the door of"Uthman and allow no-one to reach hithen az-Zubayr sent his son, Talhah senr his son and a numberthe Companions of the Propher, may Allah bless him andhim peace, senr rheir sons to prevent people getting to .lJthmaand to demand the surrender of Marwan. \7hen people saw rhithey shot arrows against the door of .Uthman until al-Hasan
'Uthrnan ibn'Affan
'AIi was reddened with blood at his door, an arrow struck Marwanwhile he was in the house. Muhammad ibn Talhah was smeared
with blood and also Qanbar, the freed slave of "Ali, was wounded
in the head.'Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was afraid that Banu Hashim would
become angry because of the state of al-Hasan and al-Hussein and
provoke a tumult. He took the hands of two men and said to them,"If Banu Hashim come and see blood on the face of al-Hasan they
will remove these people from around "Uthman and what we wanted
will be rendered useless. Let us go and scale the wall of the house
and kill him, without anyone knowing about it." Muhammad and
his two men got over the wall from the house of a man of the Ansar
and entered "LJthman's house, without any of those who were withhim fUthman) knowing, because everyonewith himwas up above
the houses (on the roofs). There was no-one with him but his wife.
Muhammad said to the two of them, "staywhere you are, because
his wife is with him, until I first enter.'When I have taken hold ofhim, then you come in and strike him until you have killed him."Muhammadwent in and tookhold of his beard, and "Uthman said
to him, "By Allah, if your father could see you, your behaviour to
me would cause him great distress," and so his hard slackened (and
he held back), and then the two men entered and struck him untilthey had killed him.
'They went out in flight by the same way that they had come in,
and his wife cried out, but her crywas not heard in the house because
of the commotion in the house. His wife went uP to the people and
said, "The Amir al-Mu'minin has been killed!" The people entered
and they found him slaughtered. The news reached "Ali, Talhah, az'
Ztbayr, Sa"d and whoever was in Madinah and they went out - and
their intellects had gone, because of the news which had come to
them - until they came in to'LJthman and found him killed. They
repeated again and again, "Truly we belong to Allah and truly we
are returning to Him." "Ali said to his two sons, "How wastheAmir
t73172
Trm Hrsronv oF THE Krrerrrarrs
al-Mu'minin killed while you two were at the door?" He raised
hand and slapped al-Hasan, struck the chest of al-Hussein,Muhammad ibn Talhah and "Abdullah ibn azZlubaiyr, andout - enraged - until he came to his house.
'The people came rushing to him, saying to him, "W'e willallegiance to you, so stretch out your hand, for there must be
arnir." "Ali said, "That is not your business. It only belongs topeople of Badr.
'W'hoever the people of Badr are pleased with is t
khalifah." Not one of the people of Badr remained without comito "AIi and they said to him, "'W'e see no-one who has more rightit than you. Stretch out your hand and we will pledge allegianceyou." They pledged allegiance to him. Marwan and his son fed.
'"Ali came to the wife of "Uthman and said to her, "\7ho killr'LJthman?" She said, "I don't know. Two men I don't know came
to him, and along with them was Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr." S
told "Ali and the people ofwhat Muhammad had done, so "Alifor Muhammad and asked him about what the wife of'Uthmansaid. Muhammad said, "She did not lie. ByAllah, I did come ihim, I did want to kill him, then he reminded me of my fatherI stood back from him, turning in penitence to Allah, exalted is
ByAllah, I did not kill him, and I did not hold him." His wife"He has told the truth. But he did bring the two of them in."'
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Kinanah, the freed slave of Safiand others said: An Egyptian, who was blue-eyed with a ruddycort'rplexion, called Himar killed'Uthman.
Ahmad narrated that al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah said that he
entered upon'Uthman while he was besieged and said, 'You are theimam of the people, and what you see has happened to you. I offeryou three courses; one of them, that you come out and fight them,for there are numbers (of men) and strength with you; you are inthe right and they are in the wrong; or we should cut a door foryou other than the door over which they stand guard, then sit onyour mount and take yourself to Makkah, for theywill not consider
174
"(Jthman ibn'Affan
it lawful to kill you when you are there; or else you should take
f"*r.ii,. Syria, for they are the^people of Syria and.alngng them is
'Mu""wiyah.""IJthman said, As fot t* going out and fighting' I will
;";;.,1r. firrt hhalifuhof the Messenger ofAllah' mayAllah bless
ii- rnd grant him peace, in his uniahto spill Gheir) blood; and
,, fo, -Jgoing to Makkah, I heard the Messenger of A-llah' maY
Allah bless him and grant him peace' saying' 'lA man of Quraysh
*iii*r"r,gte and disfrute in Malkah; there will be upon him half
,t. pr",rfu"rr. of t'h. world," and I shall not be him; and as for
.. i"kirrg myself to Syria, then I will.never seParate myself from
theAbod"eoftheHijrahandtheneighbourhoodoftheMessengerof e["tt, may Allah bless him and grant him peace''
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Abu Th"*' al-Fahmi said: I entered
uior, "Urt -an while he was besieged andhe said' 'I have hidden ten
ltt ingr) with my Lord: I was the 6utth of four in Islam; I equipped
;h;d;y qf Difficulty; the Messenger ofAllah' mayAllah bless him
and grant hi- p.".., married rnt-hit daughter and then later she
Ji.J, ""a
he mairied me his other daughter, and I did not court (her)
,na t aiarr, wish (for it); I have never placed my right hand upon
my private parts since I pledged allegiance with it to the Messenger
oddfUf,, -rynU"t, bt... t iti ""d g'-"'t him peace;thdno Jurnu'ah
has passed me by since I accepted islam without nry freeing-a slave'
unless there was something *ith rnt (of debt)' then I would free him
(or her) after that; and I riever committed ardultery in Jahil'iyyah or
Islam; and I never xoleinJahili5yah ot Islam; and I memorised the
..rtir.Q,rirn in the time of the Mt"t"gt'ofAllah' mayAllah bless
him and grant him Peace''.Uthmin was kilLd in the middle of the Days of Thshriq (he
ary, "f the'Eid.of Hajj) in the year 35 AH; and it has been said
that h. was killed o., ,(. day of jumu"ah,the 18th of Dhu'l-Hijjah.
He was buried on the night before Saturday' between the sunset
and night Prayers, in Uai'sh Kawkab in al-Baqi" (the cemetery of
Madin"ah) ,rri U. was the first to be buried in it (Hawsh Kawkab)'
175
Thr Hrsrony oF THE KHerrreHs
It was said that his killing was on'Wednesday, and it was saidit was Monday six days before the end of Dhu'l-Hijjah. On thehe was killed, he was eighty-two years old. It has also been saidhe was eighty-one years old, eighty-four, eighty.six, eighty-eighteighty-nine, and it was said that he was ninety. eatadah said: IZubayr prayed the funeral prayer over him and buried him andhad requested him to do that.
Ibn 'Adi and Ibn "Asakir narrated from Anas in a marfu, haditAllah has a sword sheathed in its scabbard as long as "Uthmanalive. Then when he is killed, that sword will be drawn and itnot be sheathed until the Day of Resurrecrion.'
Ibn'Asakir narrated thatZaidibn Abi Habib said: It has reacme that all of the mounted group who went to .LJthman
mad.
He narrated that Hudhayfah said: The first of the trials waskilling of'Uthman, and the last of the trials is the emergence ofDajjal. By the One in \7hose hand is my self a man will notin whose heart there is the weight of grain of love for the killiof 'Uthman, but that he will follow the Dajjal if he reached hi(his time), and if he did not reach him he would affirm him ingrave.
He narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: If people had not(retaliation) for the blood of "Uthman they would have beenwith stones from heaven.
He narrated that al-Hasan said: .Uthman was killed while "was away in some land he owned. \When it reached him he said,Allah, I did not approve (of it) and I did not abet (it).'
Al-Hakim narrated, and he declared it sahih,that eais ibn "said: I heard'Ali on the Day of the (battle of the) Camel saying,Allah I am clear before You of having taken part in the (sheddof the) blood of 'Uthman. My intellect was shaken on the day'Uthmant killing, my soul was repulsed, and they came to mepledge allegiance ro me and I said, "ByAllah, I am ashamed to
'Uthman ibn"Affan
the allegiance of a people who killed "IJthman, and I am ashamed
before Allah to be sworn allegiance while "Uthman is not yet buried,"
so they went away. \7hen the people returned and asked me to
accept their allegiance, I said, "O Allah, I am afraid of what I am
proceeding to do." Then the determination (of the people) came,
I was sworn allegiance, they said, 'Amir al-Mu'rninint" and it was
as if my heart was rent asunder. I said, "O Allah, take from me forthe sake of "Uthman until You are contented."'
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Abu Khaldah al-Hanafi said: I heard
'Ali saying, 'Banu Umayyah claim that I killed "Uthman. No, by
Allah \[hom there is no god but He! I did not kill him, I did not
abet it, I forbade it but they disobeyed me.'
He narrated that Samurah said: Islam was in awell fortified fortress,
and they made a breach in Islam with the killing of "Uthman which
will not be closed until the Day of Resurrection. The khilafah was
among the people of Madinah and they drove it out and it did not
feturn to them.He narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said: The piebald horses
(of the angel$ were never missing from the battles and the armies
until the killing of "Uthman. There was no disagreement on the
new moons until the killing of "Uthman. This redress which is on
the horizons was never seen until the killing of al-Hussein.
'Abd ar-Razzaq narrated inthe MusannafthatHumayd ibn Hilalsaid: 'Abdullah ibn Salam came upon those who were besieging
'Uthman and said, 'Do not kill him, for, by Allah, any man ofyou who kills him will meet Allah without a hand. The sword ofAllah will remain sheathed, and by Allah, if you kill him, Allahwill draw it out and He will never sheathe it again. A prophet was
never killed but that seventy thousand were killed because of him,nor a" hhalifal but that thirty-five thousand were killed because ofhim before they were again united.'
Ibn "Asakir narrated that'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: There
were two qualities that "Uthman had which neither Abu Bakr nor
176 177
Tire Hrsrony oF THB Krrer,rrarrs
"Umar had: his self-collectedness until he was killed, and his unitithe people upon a single mushaf (writren copy of the Qur'an).
Al-Hakim narrated that ash-Sha.bi said: I have not heard a
elegy upon "Uthman than the words of Ka"b ibn Malik whensaid:
Then he restrained his hands and closed his door,And he was certain that Allah is not forgetful,
He said to the people of the house, 'Do not kill them!MayAllah pardon every man who does not fight."
So how you have seen Allah pour our upon rhemEnmity and hatred after harmony with each other!
And how you have seen the good turning back from peopleAfter him, the way the driving winds turn (the clouds)back!'
SectionIbn Sa'd narrated that Musa ibn tlhah said: I saw.Uthman soiout on the day of Jumu'ah, upon him two yellow garmenrs.would sit on the rninbar, then the mubdhdhinr would call toprayer while he would talls asking people about their prices atheir sick.
He narrated that Abdullah ar-Rumi said: "Urhman wouldcare of his wadu'(water for uadu) at night himselfl Someone sato him, 'If only you would tell one of the servanrs then they woutake care (of it for) you.' He said, 'No! The night is for them toin.'
Ibn'Asakir narrated that "Amr ibn.Uthman ibn.Affan said:engraving on rhe seal-ring of"Uthman was, 'I trust in the Onecreated and completed (His creation).'
Abu Nu"aym narrated in ad-Dala'il from Ibn "Umar that Jahjal-Ghifari stood up against "Uthman while he was (upon the mi
"(hhman ibn'Afan
delivering the hhutbah,and he took his stafffrom his hand and broke
it over his knee. The year did not Pass undl Allah sent gangrene in
his foot and he died from it.
The things in which "Uthman was firstAl-tskari said in al-Awa'il (The Firsts): He was the first to grant
lands (taken in jihad), and the first who enclosed Pastures (for the
animals paid in zdkat and for the horses and camels for jiltad),
the first to lower his voice in the tahbir, the first to perfume the
mosque (of Madinah), the first to command the first call to prayer
on the Jumu'ah, the first to provide for the mu:adhdhins, the first
to be speechless in the hhutbah, and then he said, 'People, the first
rime of mounting is hard, after today there are other days, and if Ilive you will have the khutbah in its proper manner. \7e were never
public speakers and Allah will teach us.' He was the first to place
rhe khutbahon the 'Eidbeforethe prayer, the first to entrust to the
people the payment of their own zakat, the first to take charge of the
hhitafahduring the life of his mother, the first to appoint a chief ofpolice, and the first to set aPart an enclosure in the mosque from fear
that there should happen to him what happened to "umar' This is
what al-"Askari mentioned and he also said: The firfrdisagreements
in the ummab in which some would accuse otliers of errors were
in his time, concerning things for which they blamed him. Before
that they used to disagree about fiqh and no-one would accuse
others oferrors.I say: Of his firsts there remain that he was the first of this urnmah
to emigrate with his family for the sake of Allah, as has preceded,
and he was the 6rst to unite people on one manner of recitation.
Ibn tsakir narrated that Hakim ibn "Abbad ibn Hanif said: The
first reprehensible thing that appeared in Madinah when the world
was overfowing (with wealth) and the fatness of people reached a
limit, was the fying of pigeons and archery with crossbows (firing
clay bullets, for bets), so "(Jthman appointed a man from Banu Layth
179t78
Trrr Hrsrony oF THE Knarrrerrs
in the eighth year of his khilafah who clipped them (the wingsthe pigeons) and broke the crossbows.
The notables who died during the time of "Uthman
lhere died duringthe time of.Uthman the followingnotable peSuraqah ibn Malik ibn Jushum, Jabbar ibn Sakhr, Hatib iLn
the one who spoke after death, Labid the poet, al-Musayyab tfather of Sa"id, Mu"adh ibn "Amr ibn al-Jamuh, Ma"bad ibn ,
"Abbas, Mu"ayqib ibn Abi Fatimah ad-Dawsi, Abu LubabahAbd al-Mundhir, Nu"aym ibn Mas"ud al-Ashja"i and others ofCompanions.
Apart from the Companions there were Hutayhh the poer aAbu Dhu'ayb the poet of the tribe of Hudhryl.
Balta"ah, "Iyad ibn Zuhayr,Abu Usayd as-Sa"idi, Aws ibn as-Saal-Harith ibn Nawfal, "Abdullah ibn Hudhafah,zaidibn Kharii
'AIi ibn Abi Talibmay Allah be pleased with him
C A li ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him - and the
A name of Abu Talib was "Abd Manaf - ibn 'Abd al-
I LMuttalib - and his name was Shaybah - ibn Hashim -and his name was "Amr - Ibn "Abd Manaf - and his name was
al-Mughirah - ibn Qusayy - and his name was Zild- ibn Kilabibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Luhyy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn
Nadr ibn Kinanah. He was Abu'l-Hasan and he was Abu Turab,
a hunyah which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, gave him.
His mother was Fatimah bint Asad ibn Hashim and she was the
first Hashimi woman to give birth to a Hashimi child. She accepted
Islam and emigrated.
"Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him, is one o?'the ten for whom
it is witnessed that the Garden is for them, he was the brother ofthe Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and
grant them peace, by the act of taking brothers (undertaken between
the Muhajirun and the Ansar in Madinah); he was his son-in-law
through (marriage to) Fatimah, the mistress of the women of the
worlds, may Allah be pleased with her; he was one of the first toembrace Islam, one of the lordly learned ones, one of the famously
courageous ones, one of those mentioned for being abstinent, one
of the recognised deliverers of the hhutbah, one who memorised
the entire Qur'an and recited it before the Prophet, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace, and Abu'l-Aswad ad-Du'ali and "Abdar-Rahman as-Sulami, in turn, recited it before him. He was the
lB0
Tne Hrsronv oF THE Knerrreus
frrst khalifah from Bani Hashim, the father of the two gra
(of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
accepted Islam very early on; rather, Ibn "Abbas, Anas, Zaid,
Arqam, Salman al-Farisi and a whole group of others said thatwas the first to accept Islam, and some of them relate that there
a consensus on that.Abu Ya'la narrated that "Ali, may Allah be pleased with hi
said, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
him peace, \Mas sent (on his prophetic mission) on Monday and
accepted Islam on the'Wednesday.' His age when he accepted
was ten years old. It has been said that it was nine, eight, and iteven been said that it was less than that. Al-Hasan ibn Zaidal-Hasan said: He didn't ever worship idols, because of his
Ibn Sa'd narrated it.'When he, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, told him
remain some days behind after him in Makkah, in order tosome things entrusted to and deposited with the Prophet,
Allah bless him and grant him peace, and for him then to joinfamily, he did that.
Hewas presentwith the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless h
and his family and grant them peace, at Badr, Uhud and all the
ofthe battles except forThbuh because the Prophet, mayAllahhim and grant him peace, made him his deputy in Madinah. Inof the battles there are famous stories about him, and the
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him the sta
on many occasions.
Sa"id ibn al-Musayyab said: On the day of Uhud, "Ali recei
sixteen wounds.It is well established in the two Sahih collections, 'That he,
Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave him the standard on the
day of Khaybar and told that victory would be at his hands.'
accounts of his bravery and stories of him in the wars are famous.
"Ali, as an old man, was stout, balding over the forehead, with
'Ali ibnAbiTalib
much hair, of middle srarure inclining to shortness, full-bellied,
*t,t "r, extremely full beard which filled between his two
shoulders aird was white as if it were cotton' and he was very tawny
complexioned.-l;iltb, "Abdullah said: "Ali carried the gate upon hisback on the
a"y "irh+ar until the Muslims ascended upon it and conquered
tr.-h.y tri.d to drag it afterwards and it was only possible for forty
men to carry it. Ibn tsakir narrated it'
ibr, t.fr"q in al-Maghazl and Ibn 'Asakir narrated from Abu
Rafi" that: "Ali took Lita of the gate of the fortress, the fortress of
ff,ryU"r, he used it as a shield 'o f*ttt
himself' and it continued in
his handwhile he fought untilAllah gave us thevictory. I certainly
saw eight of .r, ,tr,rg[[ing to turn that gate over and we were not
able to turn it.Al-Bukharinarratedinal.Ad,abthatSahlibnSa"dsaid:Thename
that "Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him' loved the most was Abu
f.rr"b ('Dusiy O.t.' o,'littrally'Father of Dust')' and he rejoiced
irrU.irrgcalledbyit.No-onenamedhimAbuTirrabexceptforthe Pro[het' mryAllah bless him and grant him peice' That was
L..",rr.'on. day, when he was angry with Fatimah' he went out and
laid down against the wall of tht "'o'qot' and tSen the Prophet'
-"y Aff"ft bT.r, hi- and grant him.peace' canie and his back was
.o*r.d in dust. The PropLt, mayAllah bless him and grant him
;;;;.,l;grn to rub the dust from his back saying' 'Sit down Abu
Turab.'He related five hundred and eighty-six hadlth from the Prophet'
may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace' ..
His three sons, al-Hasan, al-Hussein and Muhammad ibn al-
Hanafiyyah, related from him, and Ibn Mas"ud' Ibn "Umar' Ibn
"ebb"r, ibn azZub ay r,Abu Mus a, Abu S a"id' Zaid rbn Atqtm' Jabir
ibn'Abdullah, Abu Imamah, Abu Hurayrah' and a gr:at number
of other Companions and Followers' may Allah be pleased with
all of them.
r82183
Tnr Hrstonv oF THE Krrer,rrerrs
the hadi.tb related on his meritImam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: Those merits which have
related about "Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him, have notrelated about any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allamay Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Hakim nait.
The two Shaykhs narrated from Sa"d ibn Abi'W'aqqas that:Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family andthem peace, deputised "Ali ibn Abi Talib (as his hhaffih in Madinahin the Battle ofThbuk. He said, 'Messenger ofAllah, will you leave
me behind with the women and children?' He said, 'Are you not,pleased to be in the same relation to me as Harun was to Musa,except that there is no prophet after me?' Ahmad and al-Bazzarnarrared it in hadith of Abu Sa"id al-Khudri, and atlTabaraninarrated it in a hadith from Asma' bint Qais, Umm Salamah,Habashi ibn Jinadah, Ibn "Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, Jabir ibn Samurah,al-Bara' ibn .Azib andZaid ibn Arqam.
They both narrated from Sahl ibn Sa"d said that the Messenger of,
Allah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant them peace,
said on the day of Khaybar, 'I will give the standard tomorrow to aman at whose hands Allah will give victory, who loves Allah and His,Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love.' The peoplespent the nightwondering about and discussingwho would be givenit.'!7'hen people awoke in the morning theywent to the Messenger
ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant them peace,
and all of them were hoping that they would be given it. He said,''Where is "Ali ibn Abi Talib?'They said, 'He is complaining of anailment in his eyes.' He said, 'Send for him.' They brought him.The Messenger of Allah, hx)r' Allah bless him and his family andgrant them peace, spat in his eyes and supplicated for him and he
was healed to such an extent that it was as if he had not had a pain.Then he gave him the standard.
Atjlabarani narated this hadith from Ibn "IJmar, "Ali, Ibn Abi
r84
'Ali ibn Abi Talib
L^yl^,.Imran ibn Husayn and al-Bazzat natrated it from Ibn
"Abbas.Muslim narrared that Sa"d ibn Abi \Taqqas said:
'w'hen this ayah
was reveale d,'Let us call oar sons and your sons "'' (Qur'an 3: 6L)
then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family
and grant them peace, called for"AIi, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Hussein
and iaid, 'O Allah, these are my family"
AtrTirmidhi narrated from Abu surayhah ot zaid ibn Arqam
that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace' said',He for whom I am his masrer (mawla), then "Ali is his master.'
Ahmad narrated it from Ali, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Zaid lbn
Arqam and "Amr ibn Dhi Murr, Abu Ya"la narrated it form Abu
Hrrrryrah, atllabarani narrated it from Ibn'Umar' Malik ibn
Huwayrith,,Habashi ibn Jinadah, Jarir, Sa"d ibn Abi \Taqqas' Abu
Sa"id al-fhudri, Anas, and al-Bazzar narrated it from Ibn'Abbas,
tmmarah, and Buraydah, and in most of them there is the addition,
'O Allah, befriend whoever befriends him and be an enemy to
whoever is his enemY.'ll
Ahmad narrated that Abut:Tirfayl said: cAli gathered people
together in the yeat 35 AH in the court (of the mosque) and said
to"th.-, ,I adlure you by Allah, of every Muslirne,.r.nan who heard
the Messengei ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace'
saying on tf,e day of Ghadir Khumm what he said when he arose.'
lhirt] *.r, ,rooi up and bore witness that the Messenger ofAllah'
-"y ill"h bless him and grant him peace, said, 'He for whom I
arnhis masrer, then cAli is his master. o Allah, befriend whoever
befriends him and be an enemy to whoever is his enemy''
At:Tirmidhi narrated, as did al-Hakim who declared it sahih tha't
Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and
grrrri hi- peace, said, Allah has told me to love four and informed
ir. th"t He lorr., them.' Itwas said, 'Messenger ofAllah' name them
il The Arabic equally rranslates as, 'o Allah befriend whomever he befriends
and be an enemy to whomever he is an enemy"
185
Trrs Hrsrony oF THE Kuer,meHs
for us.' He said, tAli is of them,'- saying that three times -'AAbu Dharr, Miqdad and Salman.'
Atjlirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah narrated that Habashi i
Jinadah said: The Messenger ofAllah, may Allah bless him andhim peace, said, '"Ali is from me and I am from'Ali.'
AtrTirmidhi narrated that Ibn "LImar said: The Messenger
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made
of brotherhood between his companions, so .Ali came with hieyes full of tears and said, 'Messenger of Allah, you made
of brotherhood berween your companions and you did not ma
brotherhood between me and anyone.'The Messenger ofAllah,Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'You are my brother inthe world and in the hereafter.'
Muslim narrated that "Ali said: By the One \7ho split the grainand created the soul, the Unlettered Prophet promised me thatno-one would love me except for a believer and that no-one wouldhate me except for a hypocrite.
Atjlirmidhi narrated that Abu Sa"id al-Khudri said: 'We used torecognise the hypocrites by their hatred of "Ali.
Al-Bazzx narrated as did atjTabarani in al-Awsat from Jabir ibntbdullah and atlTirmidhi and al-Hakim narrated from "Ali thatboth of them said: The Messenger of Allah, ral Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, 'I am the Madinah of knowledge andAli is its (the Madinah's) gate.' This is a good (hasan) hadith as is
the correct position, not sahih as al-Hakim said, nor fabricated as'a
group of them said including Ibn al-Jawzi and an-Nawawi. I have
explained its status in at-Td aqqubat' ala' l-mawdu' at.
Al-Hakim narrated and he declared sahih thar .Ali said: TheMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, sent
me to the Yemen, so I said, 'Messenger ofAllah, you have sent me, r
and I a youth, to judge between them, and I dont know what thenature ofjudgement is.' He struck my chest with his hand and said,'O Allah, guide his heart and make firm his tongue.' ("Ali said), 'By
'Ati ibn Abi Thlib
the One'\7ho split the grain, I have not had any doubt about passing
;uig"*.rr. 1in a dispute) between two (people)"
'--if,., S"'a nrrr",.d from'Ali that someone said to him''\Why is it
,h".yo., have the most haditbof the companions of the Messenger
;;ihi, may Allah bless him and grani him peace?' He said' 'I
was such thai when I asked him, he informed me' and when I was
silent, he began (to teach) me"
Ftre narrated th"tei'l Hurayrah said: "Umar ibn al-Khattab said'
'"Ali is the best of us in judicial decision"
Al-Hakim ,r"rrrr.diiat Ibn Mas'ud, mayAllah be pleased with
hi*, ,"id, \U(/'e used to say among ourselves that the best of the
O..rr. of Madinah in judicial decision was "Ali'' Ii., S""d ,"r."t d th"t Ibn "Abbas said: \7hen a trustworthy Person
relates to u afatuaof "Ali, we do not go beyond it'
He narrated that Sa"id ibn al-Musayyab said: Y-." ibn al-
Khattab used to seek refuge with Allah from every difficult question
or case for which there is no Abu Hasan (in which he was not
present).
He narrated that he (Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab) also said: None of
the Companion. would say, Ask me (about anything you like)!'
excePt for "Ali. , n"
Ibn'Asakir narrated that Ibn Mas"ud said: Themost knowledge-
able of the people of M"di""h in the laws of inheritance and in
judicial decirions is Ali ibn Abi Talib'
He narrated about "Aishah' may Allah be pleased with her' that
"Ali was mentioneJ in her p"""it and she said' 'As for him' he is
,h. -o* knowledgeablt, of those who remain' in the Sunnah"--
tut"r.rrq said: ThJknowledge of the Companions of the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah btt" hi- atd g'ani him peace'- culminated
in 'LJmar, "Ali, Ib;Mas"ud and "Ablulah' may Allah be pleased
with them.
'Abdullahibn"AyyashibnAbiRabi"ahsaid:"Alihadwhateveryou will of "
.,r,ri'.,g tooih i" knowledge' he had excellence by
186t87
Trrn Hrsronv oF THE Krrer,rrerrs
reason of his family relations, priority in (accepting) Islam,
acquaintanceship with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and his family and grant them peace, discernment (fiqh) inthe Sunnah, courage in war, and liberality with property.
AtlThbarani narrated in al-Ausatwith a weak isnadthatJabir ibnAbdullah said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, 'People are from all sorts of different stocks, and I and
"Ali are from one stock.'AtjTabarani and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn "Abbas said:
Allah did not reveal an ayah beginning, 'O you who belieue ...'but that 'Ali is its arnir and its eminence. Allah reproached theCompanions of Muhammad in more than one place but He never
mentioned .Ali but with approval.Ibn tsakir narrated that Ibn Abbas said: There has not been
revealed about anyone in the Book ofAllah what has been revealed
about "Ali.Ibn "Asakir narrated that Ibn tbbas said: Three htnd,red ayat'
were revealed about "Ali.Al-Bazzar narrated that Sa"d said: The Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said to'Ali, 'It is not permitted for anyone
to be in astate of junub (requiring the completewashing of the bodyknown as ghusf in this mosque apart from me and you.'
At-iTabarani narrated as did al-Hakim who declaredir sahih th*Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 'S7hen theMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grantthem peace, became angry, none dared to speak to him except for"Ali.
AtlTabarni and al-Hakim narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, mayAllahbe pleased with him, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, 'Looking at "Ali is an act of worship.' Itsisnad is hasan.
AtlTabarani and al-Hakim narrated it in hadith of "Imran ibnHusayn.
188
'Ali ibn Abi Talib
Ibn "Asakir narrated ljin had.ith ofAbu Bakr as-Siddit' llrltfrlanibn "Affan, Mu'adh tilil;iAt'"" Th'*ban' Jabir ibn "Abdullah
,"a "n"t "h, mayAllah be pleased with-them'
Atllabarani ,,*,'"ttfi'-oij*to'that Ibn "Abbas said: "AIi had
eighteen excellences ttt'nft no-one else of this umrnah had'
Abu Ya"la narrated til"t nU" Uurayrah said: "IJmar ibn al-Khattab
said, '"Ali was given 'f"tt q"Atties the gift of any one of which I
,n."rip*i"t .i., nigrt-u"i ""-th" Ht *"t asked' 'And what are
they?'He said,'H. t""""lJ t'i- hit daughter Fatimah; his dwelling
at the mosque, whe'J *hat is not permitted to me in it is permitted
to him; and the rr"";;;;; in a"y of Khaybar.'Ahmad narrated
the like of it is from Ibn "fJmar with a sahih isnad'
Ahmad arrd Abu Ya"l* ""'"ttd * ith a sah ih isnad rh*"Ali said: I
have not be.r, "ffii...d
*i h swelling of the eye no-r a headache since
;; Ni;";"ger of Aliah, mayAllahlless,him and grant him peace'
drew his hand over -rrl.l*a spat rrghtty in my eyes on the day
;Khryb"t when he gave me the standard
AbuYa"la and, il-\T'zar narrated that Sard ibn Abi \flaqqas said:
The Messeng., ofAlLi, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace'
,"ia,'Wtt""i'.r harms "Ali' harms me''
AtjTabarani ,r"'o'"Awith a sahih isnad' from*LImm Salamah
that the tut"rr.r,g.' oiLit"tt' -"y Allah bless l'im and grant him
peace, said, ''Whoever loves "Ali' loves me' and whoever loves me'
loves Allah. 'W'hoever hates "Ali' hates me and whoever hates me'
hates Allah.'Ahmad and al-Hakim' who declared it sahih'narrated that Umm
Salamah heard .ftt pttpf"t' t"t, Allah bless him and grant him
;;,:;y;g, .\r'hoever reviles "Ali' reviles me"
Ahmad "rd "lff"ii-
t'"""td with a sahih isnadfrom Ibn Abi
Sa"id al-Khudri that the Prophet ' may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, ,"ia ,oin"iilvot *ilt figk for the sake of the Qurhn'
"t-irl"ghi for the sake of its revelation"
Al'Blzz,r.,Ab* Y;"1" and al-Hakim narrated that "Ali said: The
189
TnB Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrerrs
Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grantthem peace, called me and said, tAli, there is in you a resemblance to
"Isa; the Jews hated him so much that they slandered his mothel andthe Christians loved him so much that they gave him a degree whichwasn't his.' Now surely, two (sorts) will be destroyed because of me:,
a lover who goes beyond the limits, who praises me immoderatelyfor what is not in me, and one who hates (me), whose hatred of mebrings him to slander me.
Atjlabarani narrated in alAwsat and as-Saghirthat Umm Salamah
said: I heard the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
saying, tAli is with the Q"r* and the Qurhn is with "Ali; theywillnot separate until they come to me to drink from the Pool.'
Ahmad and al-Hakim narratedwith a sahih bnadfrom "Ammaribn Yasir that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said to tli, 'The most grievous of people are two men: thefair-complexioned one ofThamud who hamstrung the female camel,
and the one who will strike you, "Ali, upon this' - meaning hiscranium above the forehead - 'until this becomes moistened fromit (from the blood)' - meaning his beard. This has been narrated inhadlth of "Ali, Suhayb, Jabir ibn Samurah and others.
Al-Hakim narrated, and he declared it sahih, that Abu Sa"id al-Khudri said: People complained about'Ali so that the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose amongus delivering an address and said, 'Do not complain about "Ali for,
byAllah, he is somewhat rough for the sake ofAllah, or in the wayofAllah.'
The pledge of allegiance to "Ali for the hbildf'ahand what came about from that
Ibn Sa"d said: 'Ali was pledged allegiance as hhatifah the morningafter the killing of "Uthman in Madinah. All of the Companions,mayAllah be pleased with them, who were there pledged allegiance.
190
'Ali ibnAbi Talib
[tissaidthatTalhahandaz-Zubaytpledgedallegiancewithdispleasure "rrd
.r,,*i1li"g1y' Th":t tttty *t* to Makkah' and
"At"i;h,'*ay Allih bt pltl*ttd with her' was there' They took her
and went with her ,o i"t'" seeking retaliation for the blood of
.U;;"". That reached "Ali so he went to Iraq and- at Basra met
Talhah, az'Zubayr,"Aishah and whoever was with them' which is
known as rhe g",,f" "fii.
Camel, and which occurred in Jumada
at-Akhirah of the y,at 36AH' Talhah ' azZttbayr and others were
killed there, ,h. a.Jr*ching thirteen thousand. "Ali spent fifteen
nigt r, at Basra and then he went to Kufa'-ii.r, Mu"awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and those with him in Syria
""*. orra "gainrt
him' That reached Ali and he went out to meet
ii"r- tt"y"met at ffin in Safr of the year 37 AH' The fighting
conrinued .h.r. ro, .orn. days, until ih. ptoptt.of syria raised
rhe mushafscalling,;;h; *(i"h is in them' which was a trick of
.Amr ibn al-"As. People hated the war and they called each other
," ".go,i",. "rd "ppoit'ted
two arbi511' "Ali appointed Abu Musa
al-Ash"ari ".rd
U*"ffi"h "ppoi""d "Amr ibn al-"As' They signed
adecreebetweenth.*th"ttheyshouldmeet'atthebeginningoftheyearltal-Adhruhwheret'h.y*ou[dconsiderseriouslythecommand of the urnmah,People separated, Mu"arriyah returning
to Syria and "Ali to Kufa' r'
Then (a grouP f.,,o*" as) the Khawarij (the seceders - literally
'those who go o.r.i f'o* among his.companions and those with
him, went oor rg"i,,"ii-' ru| said' 'There is no judgement but
(tt ai) ofAtah', Jnd they set up amilitary camP at Harura' He sent
Ibn'Abbas.,fr.-,*io *'gt"a with them and convinced them'
," it ",
many of them "tt"t'-td' A group of them stayed firm' went
to an-Nahr"*rr, *d obstructed ihe 'o'dw"y' Al! Ynt to them
there and kill.d tfr.* "i"rr-Nahra*an, killing Dhuthjfhudayyah't2
12 Literaly, .the possessor of the littre breasr', a man who had been foretold
to be among A, rn'i'4if tht P'ophtt' mayAllah bless him and grant him
Peace' l9l
Thn Hrsrony oF THE Krrer,rpeHs
That was in the year 38 AH.
ibn Bukayr atjramimi. They gathered in Makkah and made a
^ Pgode gathered in al-Adhruh in Sha'ban of this year, among thern,
S,1'd ib,nAbi-\Waqqas, Ibn "IJmar and other Co-p".riorrl.e_,allowed Abu Musa al-Ash"ari to go 6rst, as a trick he had devised.He.(Abu_Musa) spoke
"nd re-or.d'Ali from office. fh.r, "A-,
spoke and confirmed Mu'awiyah in office andpledged at.gi"rr.. tohim. P.eople rplit up over this. "Ali disagre.a *i t ii, ."rripr"i".rrto such an exrenr that he began to bite his fingers sayrn;, i "_disobeyed and Mu.awiyah is obeyed?,
Three men ofrhe Khawarijhari.ned ro act: Abd ar-Rahman ibnMuljam al-Muradi, al-Burk ibn Abdullah atjrhmimi and "A*,
'Ali ibn Abi Talib
the prayer!' Ibn Muljam stood before him, struck him with thesword, and it hit the top of his forehead reaching the brain. People
rushed upon him from every side, and he was held and bound. 'Alilingered for the Juruu'alt rnd Saturday, and died the night before
Sunday. Al-Hasan, al-Hussein and "Abdullah ibn Ja'far washed
his body, al-Hasan led the pruyer over him, then he was buried inthe house of the Amirate in Kufa at night. Later they cut off thelimbs of Ibn Muljam, he was put in a reed basket, and they burnthim in a fire.
All of the above are the words of Ibn Sa"d. He summarised all ofthese events and battles excellentlywell, and he didnt expand on themgreatly as others did. This is more befitting to this occasion. He said,
mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, '\7hen my companions
are mentioned, restrain yourselves (from speaking)', and he said, 'Itis sufficient for my Companions (to mention) their killing.'
There isin al-Mustadraktharas-Suddi said: "Abd ar-Rahman ibnMuljam fell passionately in love with a woman of rhe Khawarij called
Qatam, and he married her and gave her as a dowry three thousand
dirhams and the killing of Ali. Al-Farazdaq said about that:
'I have not seen a dowry sent by a liberally generous one,
Like the dowry of Qatam, of human beingt\laves) and
beasts:
Three thousand, a slave, a maidservantAnd the striking of Ali with the penetrating sword.
There is no dowry dearer than "Ali even if it were veryexpensive,
And no assassination but that it is less than theassassination by Ibn Muljam.'
Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash said: The grave of "Ali was concealed so
that the Khawarij would not dig up his body; and Sharik said: Hisson al-Hasan carried him to Madinah. Al-Mubarrad said from
covenanr with each other that they three would kill Ali ibn AbiTalib,-Mu'awiyah ibnAbi sufran and "Amr ibn ar-"As, and that theyyould give the slaves (ofAllah) rest from them. Ibn Muljam said,'I will take "Ali for you.'Al-Burk said, 'I will take vtu"a#iy* aryou" "Amr ibn Bukayr said, 'I wilr suffice you for Amr ibn ar-.As.,They made a covenant on that one night, either the ereventh or thesevenreenth of Ramadan, and then each of them directed himselfto the land in which his intended victim was. Ibn Murjam went toK:t, -.-, his companions of the Khawarij and told them secretlyof what they intended to do.
* On the night preceding the Jumu,ah of the seventeenth ofRamadan of the year 40 AU, .Ah woke up before dawn. He saidto his son al-Hasar,, 'Ti: night I ,r* ,h. Messenger oi eU"Umay Allah bless him yd his family and grant th.m-p.r.., and Isaid, "Messenger ofAllah, what distress
"id "rgrr-.rrirtioolh"r.received from your ummah!,, He said ,o -.,-,,Supplicate Allahagainst rhem." I said, "o Allah, give me in exchange'for them whatis better for me than they
"r., "rrd give them i., I*"hrrg. L, _.
what is worse for them than I am.,,,Then the mu'adhdhinlbn adh-Dhabbah came in to "Ali and said,
'The prayer.' "Ali went out the door crying our, .people, the prayer,
192193
Trrr Hrsrony oF THE Krreurens
Muhammad ibn Habib: The first to be transferred from one graveto another was "Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him.
Ibn'Asakir narrated that Sa.id ibn Abd al:Azizsaid: Vhen "Aliibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was killed, theycarried him to bury him with the Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace. Vhile they were journeying with him atnight, the camel on which he was bolted. No-one knew where ithad gone, and they couldnt overtake it. For that reason the peopleof Iraq say, 'He is in the clouds.' Others say, 'The camel arrivedinthe lands of Tayy, where they took him and buried him.,
'!7'hen'Ali was killed he was sixty-three years old. It has been said
that he was sixry-four, sixty-five, fifty-seven and fifty-eight. He hadnineteen women slaves.
Some fragments of accounts of "Ali,his ludgements and his words
Sa"id ibn Mansur said in his Sunan: Hushaym narrated to us:Hajjaj narrated to us: A Shaykh from Fazarah told me: I heard"Ali saying, 'Praise belongs to Allah \fho made our enemy ask usabout something that had occurred to him in the matter of hisdeen. Mu'awiyah wrote to me, asking me about the ambiguoushermaphrodite.r3 I wrore to him that he should make him inheritaccording to how he urinates.' Hushaym said the same fromMughirah from ash-Sha'bi from "Ali.
Ibn "Asakir narrated that Al-Hasan said: \[hen .Ali came toBasra, Ibn al-Kawwa' and Qais ibn tbbad stood before him andsaid to him, '\Will you nor inform us about this course which youare set upon, taking charge of the ummalt, so that some of themare striking others; is it a covenant of the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, which he made with you?Tell us, for you are the trusted one in whom we have confidl.rceabout that which you have heard.'
13 i.e. does the hermaphrodite inherit property as a man or as a woman?
194
'Alt tbnAbtTaltb
He said, 'As for my having a covenant about that from the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then no. By Allah, if Iwas the first to affirm him, I will not be the first to attribute a lie
to him. If I had had a covenant from the Prophet, mayAllah bless
him and grant him Peac€, about that, I would never have allowed
the brothir of Bani Taym ibn Murrah (Abu Bakr) and "Umar ibn
al-Khattab to stand upon his rninbar; I would have fought them
with my own hand, even if I could find nothing but this garment
of mine. However, the Messenger of Allah was not killed, and he
did not die suddenly, rather he lingered in his illness for days and
nights, with the muadhdhin coming to him to announce the time
oflhe prayer to him. He would order Abu Bakr, who would lead
the people in prayer, while he knew my standing. One of his wives
wanted-to turn him away from Abu Bakr, and he refused and
became angry. He said, "You are the female companions of Yusuf!
Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer!" \(hen Allah took His
Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, we considered
or, "ff"irc
and we chose for our worldly affairs he whom the Prophet
of Allah, may AIIah bless hirn and grant him peace, was satisfied
with for our deen. The prayer is the root of Islam and it is the amir
of the d.een, rnd the support of the deen, so we pledged allegiance
to Abu Bakr, for he was worthy of that, no two of us disagreed
about him, none of us bore testimony against others, and nor did
we deny his privilege. I discharged what was due to Abu Bakr,
acknowledged the obedience that was his right, went on military
expeditions with him in his troops. I would take when he gave me,
goon military expeditions when he sent me on them, and I would
lash with my whip for the hadd punishment for him.''When he died, "LJmar undertook it (the hhildfdh) and he took
it according ro the sunnah of his companion (Abu Bakr) and that
which he knew of his affair. \(/e pledged allegiance to "I-Jmar, no
two of us disagreeing about him, nor any of us bearing testimony
against anyothers, nor didwe denyhis privilege. I dischargedwhat
195
Tnr Hrsrony oF THE Krreurelrs
was due to "LJmar, acknowledged the obedience thar was his right,and went on military expeditions with him in his armies. I wouldtake when he gave he, go on military expeditions when he senr meon them, and I would lash with my whip for the hadd punishmentfor him.
'\7hen he died, I recalled within myself my close relationship (tothe Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace), mypriority,my precedence and my merit, thinking thar no-one would holdanother equal to me. However, he ("Umar) was afraid that, if thekhalifah after him would do a wrong action, it would attach to himin his grave. He withdrew himself and his son from it, for if therehad been any partiality in him he would have preferred his son forit (the khilafah). He quit himself of it, passing it on to a group of sixfrom Quraysh ofwhom I was one. \7hen the group mer, I thoughrthat theywould not consider anyone equal to me. .Abd ar-Rahmanibn "Awf took a compact from us that we would listen to and obeywhomeverAllah gave authority over us. Then later he took the handof "Uthman ibn "Afhn and put his hand in his.
'I considered my affair, and (saw that) my obedience had precededmy oath of allegiance, and my covenant had'been taken for another.\il7e therefore pledged allegiance to "uthman. I discharged what wasdue to him, acknowledged the obedience that was his right, andwent on military expeditions with him in his armies. I would takewhen he gave me, go on military expeditions when he sent me onthem, and I would lash with my whip for the hadd punishmentfor him.
''W'hen he was struck down I considered -y afhir. The twokhalifahs, who had taken hold of it through the covenant of theMessenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, tothe two of them regarding [or in respect ofl the prayer, had gone.This one, with whom the covenant had been taken, had been t irca.The people of the rwo Harams (Makkah and Madinah) pledgedallegiance ro me, and the people of these two provinces (Kufa and
196
'Ali ibn Abi Talib
Basra). One sprang into it who.is not the like of me, his relationship
not as my relationship, nor his knowledge like my knowledge, nor
does he have priority like my priority, and I have more right to itthan him.'
Abu Nu'aym narrated in ad-Dala'ilfromJa"far ibn Muhammad
that his father said: Two men were brought before "Ali in a dispute,
and so he sat at the base of a wall. A man said to him, 'The wall
will fall down!? "Ali said, 'Carry on. Allah suffices as a guardian.'
He passed judgement between them, stood up and then the wall
fell down.There is in at-Thyuriyyat with its isnad fromJa"far ibn Muhammad
that his father said: A man said to "Ali ibn Abi Talib, '\7e hear you
saying in the khutbah, "O Allah, set us right with that which You set
right the hhalifahswho followed the right course and were guided,"
so who are they?' His eyes filled with tears and he said, 'They are
my two beloveds, Abu Bakr and "LJmar, the two imams of guidance,
the two shaykhs of Islam, the two men of Quraysh, who are to be
taken as exemplars after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace. \Thoever takes them as exemplars willbe protected (from error), and whoever follows their footsteps willbe guided on the straight path, and whoever clings to them is ofthe party ofAllah.' :
1Abd ar-Razzaqnarrated that Hujr al-Madari said: Ali ibn AbiTalib said to me,
.W'hat will you do when you are ordered to curse
me?'I said, ''S7ill that happen?'He said, 'Yes.'I said, ''W'hat should
I do?' He said, 'Curse me, but do not forsake me.' He (Hujr) said:
Muhammad ibn Yusuf, the brother of al-Haljaj - and he was the
amir ofYemen - ordered me to curse "Ali, so I said, 'The arnirhas
told me to curse 'Ali, so you curse him! may Allah curse him!'No-one understood it except for one man.
Atllabarani narrated in al-Autsat and Abu Nu"aym in ad-Dala'ilfrom Zadhan that "Ali was relating a had;th and a man accused
him of lying. Ali said to him, 'Shall I supplicate against you if you
197
Tns Hrsrory oF THE Krrer,rpens
are lying?' He said, 'supplicate!' He supplicated against him andhe did nor leave before his eyesight went.
He narrated thatzirr ibn Hubaysh said: Two men sat eating themorning meal, one of them having five small loaves and the otherthree small loaves. \7hen theyhad placed the meal in front of thema man passed by them and greeted them. They said,
.Sit down and
eat.' He sat down, ate with them and they ate equally of the eightloaves. The man srood, tossed down eight dirhams and said, 'Takethem in place ofwhat I have eaten from you two, and what I haveconsumed ofyour food.'The two of thernquarrelled. The man whohad the five loaves said, 'I have five dirhams and you have three.'The man who had the three loaves said, 'I will not be contenr unlessthe dirhams are divided in two halves between us.'They raised itbefore rheAmir al-Mu'rninin.Ali, and told him their story He saidto the man who had the three loaves, 'your companion has of[eredyou what he offered you. His bread was -or. th"., your bread, sobe content with the rhree.' He said, 'By Allah, I will not be contenrwith him except with the bitter truth.' "Ali said, 'There is nothingfor you, in bitter trurh, except for one dirham and he has sevendirhams!'The man said, 'Glorybe toAllah!, He said,
,Thatt it!, Hesaid, 'Show me the reason in the bitter truth so that I can accept it.''Ali said, 'Do the eight loaves nor have twenty-four third partsiyouate. them and you were three persons, not knowing *ho ate moreor less, so we will assume that you ate equally., He continued, ,you
ate.eight thirds but you only had nine thirds. your companion areeight thirds and he had fifteen thirds, ofwhich he ate eight leavingseven which the man who had the dirhams are, and h. ate one ofyour nine. You have one (dirham) for your one (third of a loaf) andhe has seven.' The man said, 'I am now content.,
Ibn Abi shaybah narrared in the Musannafthat'Ata' said: A manwas brought to'Ali and two men bore wirness against him that hehad stolen' He took up (another) thing from people's affairs andthreatened false witnesses, saying, 'If I am b.oughf a false witness,
198
'Ali ibnAbiTalib
I will do such and such with him.' Then he sought for the twowitnesses but could not find them, so he let the man go.
"Abd ar-Razzaqnarrated in the Musannaf, Ath-Thawri narrated
to us from Sulayman ash-Shaybani from a man that a man was
brought to "Ali. Someone said, 'This man claims that he had a wetdream about my mother.' He said, 'Go and stand him in the sun
and strike his shadow.'
Ibn tsakir narrated by way of Ja'far ibn Muhammad from hisfather that the seal-ring oftli was silver and that its engravingwas,'Blessed as the One'Who Decrees is Allah.'
He narrated that "Amr ibn "Uthman ibn "Affan said: The engraving
on the seal-ring of "Ali was, 'Sovereignty belongs to Allah.'He narrated that al-Mada'ini said:'W'hen "Ali entered Kufa, one
of the wise men of the Arabs came to see him and said, 'By Allah,Amir al-Mu'rninin, you have ornamented the hhikfdh and it has
not ornamented you. You have raised it up and it has not raised youup. It was in more need ofyou than you were of it.'
He narrated from Mujammi" that "Ali used to sweep outthe baital-malandthen perform aprayer, hoping that itwould be evidence
for him that he had not stored wealth within (keeping it) away fromthe Muslims.
Abu' l- Qasi m az-Zujali said in his Am a li: Abu J;f far Muhammadibn Rustum at-Tabari narrated to us: Abu Hatim as-Sijistaninarrated to us: Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Hadrami narrated to me: Sa"id
ibn Salim al-Bahili narrated to me: My father narrated to us frommy grandfather from Abu'l-Aswad ad-Du'ali - or he said: from mygrandfatherAbu l-Aswad from his father that he said: I entered upontheArnir al-Mu'minin Ali ibn Abi Talib, mayAllah be pleased withhim, and saw him with his eyes lowered, deep in thought. I said,.W'hat
are you thinking aboutAmir al-Mu'rninin?' He said, 'I have
heard in this city of yours mistakes (in the use of Arabic), and Iwant ro make a book on the principles ofArabic.'I said, 'If you do
this, you will give life to us, and this language will remain among
199
THt Hrsrony oF THE Krrer,rrerrs
us.' Later, after three days I came to him, and he gave me a page inwhich was, 'In the name ofAllah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.The word is noun, verb and particle. The noun is that which tells youabout the named thing. The verb is that which tells you about themovemenr of the named thing. The particle is that which tells you ofa meaning which is neither a noun nor a verb.' He said, 'Follow thisup and add to itwhat occurs ro you. Know, Abu'l-Aswad ad-Dubli,that things are threefold: a substantive, a pronoun, and a thing whichis neither a substantive nor a pronoun. The men of knowledge onlyhave difFering degrees ofexcellence in recognition ofwhat is neithersubstantive nor pronoun.'Abu'l-Aswad said: I compiled some thingson it and I showed them to him. The particles oi oarb (which putthe noun governed by them in the accusative) were in it. Of themI mentioned inna, anna, kita, la,alla, and hahnna but I did notmention lakinna. He said to me, '\Vhy did you leave it out?' I said,'I did not reckon it to be one of rhem.' He said, 'It is one of themso add it in among them.'
Ibn tsakir narrated that Rabi"ah ibn Najid said: "Ali said, ,Be
among people as the bee is among birds, for there is no bird thatdoesnt regard it (the bee) as insignificant. If the birds knew whatblessing there is in its belly, they would not do that to it. Mix withpeople with your tongues and your persons, and be separate fromthem in your actions and your hearts; because a man has what heearns, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be with whomeverhe loves.'
He narrated that "Ali said: Be more concerned for the acceptanceofyour action than you are for the action; for a, action with fearfulobedience will not be little. How could an action which is acceptedbe little?
He narrated that Yahya ibn Ju"dah said: "Ali ibn Abi Thlib said,'Carriers of the Qur'an (memorisers of it)! act according to it! forthe knowledgeable man (alim) is only one who knows, then actsaccording to what he knows, and whose knowledge is in accord
200
'Ali ibn Abi Thlib
with his action. There will be people whose knowledge will notpass below their collarbones (i.e. to their hearts), whose inner selves
are at variance with their appearances, and whose actions are atvariance with their knowledge. They will sit in circles competingfor superiority with each other, to such an extent that a man willbecome angry at the man who sits beside him because he sits beside
another and leaves him. Those, their actions in these assemblies oftheirs will not rise up to Allah.'
He narrated that "Ali said: At-tawfiq (being directed by Allahro the right course) is the best leader, good character is the best
associate, the intellect is the best companion, courtesy the best
inheritance, and there is no loneliness worse than conceit.
He narrated that al-Harith said: A man came to "Ali and said,'Tell me about the decree.' He said, 'It is a dark path; do not travelit.' He said, 'Tell me about the decree!' He said, A deep ocean;
do not enter it.' He said, 'Tell me about the decree!' He said, 'The
secret of Allah which is concealed from you; do not investigate
it!' He said, 'Tell me about the decree!' He said, 'Questioner! DidAllah create you for what He wills or for what you will?' He said,'Of course, for what He wills.' He said, 'Then He will make use
of you for what He wills.' 6r"
He narrated that "Ali said: Calamities have endings. \Thoeversuffers misfortune must go to the end of them. It is only right foran intelligent man, when some misfortune occurs to him, thathe should submit to it until its time ends, because in trying torepulse it before the natural ending of its time there is increase inits unpleasantness.
He narrated that it was said to "Ali, '\7hat is generosity?' Hesaid, 'That which comes from the man as an initiative. As for thatwhich comes in response to a request, it is onlyshame and feigninggenerosity.'
He narrated from "Ali that a man came to him, spoke well ofhim, praised him excessively, and something about him had already
20t
Tire Hrsrony oF Tr{E Krrer,rrerrs
reached him ("Ali) before that. He said, ,I am nor as you say.I am better than what you believe within your self.,
He narrated that Ali said: The recompense of disobedience isweakness in worship, constriction in livelihood and shortcominsin pleasure.' Someone asked, ''W'hat is a shortcoming in pleasureiHe said, 'vhen one obtains the fulfilment of a permitteJ appetitesomething intervenes which prevents one having the jesirefulfilled.'
He narrated from "Ali ibn Rabi'ah that a man said to "Ali, andthe man used to hate him, 'MayAllah establish you!, .Ali said, ....
upon your heart.'He narrated that ash-sha'bi said: Abu Bakr used to speak poerry
(i.e. compose it), "Umar used to speak poetry "Uthman ur.d tospeak poerry but'AIi was more poetical than the three.
He narrated that Nabit al-Ashja.i said: "Ali ibn Abi Thlib, mayAllah be pleased with him, said,
'\il7hen hearts enclose despairAnd the wide breast is constricred with their worry,
And calamities take up their abode and are ar resr,And misfortunes rake up residence in their places,
And no way is seen to remove the harm,And the cunning one does not gain freedom by histrickery
A helper comes ro you, right upon your despair,'Whom
the Near, the Answerer brings,
And all misfortunes, when they reach their limit,Near deliverance is joined with them.'
He narrated that ash-Sha"bi said: Ali ibnAbi Tarib said to a manwhom he disliked keeping the company of anorher man,
'Do not accompany an ignorant brother;
"Alt ibnAbtThltb
Beware of him!
How many an ignorant man has destroyedA forbearing man when he took him as his brother.
A man is measured by another manIf he walks along with him.
One thing has measures and
Similarities for another thing.
The measure of a sandal is another sandal,'\tr7'hen it is placed beside it.
For the heart there is an indicationOf the heart when it meets it.'
He narrated that al-Mubarrad said:'Written on the sword of Aliibn Abi Talib, mayAllah be pleased with him, was:
'People have an eagerness for the world and (want) to manage
it,And its purity is mixed for you with impurity.
They are not provided it with intelligence aftellit had been
But rather they are provided it in measured portions.
How many a courteous and intelligent man it does not help!A fool attains his world through (his) shortcoming.
Ifit had been from strength or conquest,Then hawks would have flown offwith the sparrows'
provisions.'
He narrated that Hamzah ibn Habib uZtyyttsaid: "Ali ibn AbiTalib used to say:
'Do not disclose your secret except to yourself
203
The Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrens
For every sincere one has a sincere advisor.
I have seen deviating men\7'ho do nor leave alone an unblemished skin (without
trying to attack it).'
He narrated that'Uqbah ibn Abit-Sahba' said: 'r7hen
Ibn Muljamstruck "Ali, al-Hasan went in ro see him, weeping. Ali said to him,'Myson, memorise from me four and four., He r"Id, ,\trh",
are they,father?' He said, 'Intelligence is the wealthiest of riches, the greatestpovemy is folly, the loneliest solitude is conceit, and the ,ro-bl.m ofnoble qualities is good character.' He said, And the other four?,He said, 'Beware of keeping the company of a foor, for he wanrs robenefit you and he harms you; beware of befriending a liar, for hewill make the remote seem near ro you and the.r.rr-r..- remore;beware of befriending a mean person for he will sit inactivelyhowever much you are in need of him; and beware of befriendinian immoral person, for he will sell you for a trifling sum.,
Ibn tsakir narrared from 'Ali that a Jew came to him and saidto him, '\7hen did our Lord come into exisrence?, tli,s facefushed with anger and he said, 'He was nor, and then He was? Hezs, without existence. Hb iJ, without cause. He zs, without anythingbefore Him nor any end. All ends fall short of Him, for He is theend of every end.' Then the Jew accepted Islam.
Ad-Darraj narrared in his well known Juz'with an unknownisnad from Maysarah that the eadi Shurayh said:
'w.hen "Ali was
setting out ro Siffin, he found that he was missing a coat of armourof his. '!7"hen
the war was over and he .etu.nedl Kufa, he cameacross rhe armour in the hands of a Jew. He said to the Jeua
,The
armour is mine; I have not sold it or given it away., The Jew said,'It is my armour and it is in my hand., He said, ,Ler
us io to th.qadi.' 'Ali went first, sat beside Shurayh, and said, ,If it was notbecause my opponent is a Jew, I would have sat beside him in thegathering, but I heard the Prophet, mayAllah bress him and grant
204
"Ali ibnAbi Talib
him peace, sayrng, "Humiliate them, since Allah has humiliatedthem."' Shurayh said, 'Speak, ,4 mir al-Mu'minin.' Hesaid, 'Yes. Thisarmour, which this Jew has, is my armour; I did not sell it and I didnot give it away.' Shurayh said, ''W'hat do you say, Jew?' He said,'It is my armour and it is in my possession.' Shurayh said, 'Do youhave any evidence, Amir al-Mu'minin?'He said, 'Yes. Qanbar andal-Hasan will witness that the armour is mine.' Shurayh said, 'Asont witness is not acceptable on behalf of his father.' 'Ali said, Aman from the Garden, and his testimony is not acceptable? I heardthe Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, saying, "Al-Hasan and al-Hussein are the two lords of the youth of the peopleof the Garden."' The Jew said, 'The 14 mir al-Mu'rnininbrought mebefore his qadi, and his qadi gavejudgement against him. I witnessthat this is the truth, and I witness that there is no god but Allahand I witness that Muhammad is the messenger ofAllah, and thatthe armour is your armour.'
His commentary on the QurhnAs for his words in commentary on the Qurbn, there are many.
Ibn Sa"d narrated that "Ali said, 'By Allah, an ayah has not beenrevealed without me knowing about what it was revcaled, where itwas revealed, and about whom it was revealed. My Lord has givenme a very intelligent heart and a true and articulate tongue.'
Ibn Sa"d and others narrated thatAbu'tjTufayl said:'Ali said, Askme about the Book of Allah, because there is no ayah but that Iknow whether it was revealed at night or in daytime, on the plainor in the mountain.'
Ibn Abi Dawud narrated that Muhammad ibn Sirin said: \fhenthe Prophet, rxl Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, "Aliwas slow to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr met him andsaid, 'Do you dislike my (having the) authority?' He said, 'No, butI have sworn not to don my mantle, except for the pruyer, until Ihave collected together the Qur'an.'They claimed that he wrote it
205
Tirr Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrens
in the order of its revelation. Muhammad (ibn Sirin) thus said, 'Ifthat book were come across, there would be knowledge in it.'
Some fragments of his astonishingly concise words.Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, 'Precaution is badopinion.'
He said, 'The close one (i.e. the near relative) is the one whomaffection renders close even if his kinship makes him distant. Thedistant one is the one whom enmiry makes far even though hiskinship makes him a near relative. There is nothing nearer to thebody than the hand, and yet the hand, if it is corrupr, is cut offandif it is cut off, then it is cauterised.'Abu Nu"aym narrated it.
He said, 'Take five things from me: Ler none ofyou fear anythingbut his wrong action; let him hope for nothing but his Lord; letsomeone who does not know, not be shy oflearning; and let someonewho does not know, not be shy of saying, 'Allah knows best"; andpatience has the same relationto imanas does the head to the body:when patience goes then iman goes, for when the head goes, thenthe body goes.' Sa"id ibn Mansur narrated it in his Sunan.
He said: 'Ihe rcalfaqih is the one who does not make people despairof the mercy ofAllah; who does nor granr them licence to disobeyAllah; who does not make them feel secure from the punishmentofAllah; who does not abandon the Qur'an longing for somethingother than it; because there is no good in worship in which there isno knowledge, there is no knowledge unless there is understandingalong with it, and there is no recitation if there is no reflection init. Ibn ad-Daris narrated it in the Fada'il al-Qurhn.
He said: The coolest thing for my liver, when I am asked aboutwhat I don't know, is to say, Allah knows best.' Ibn "Asakir narraredit.
He said: \Thoever wanrs to give people what is due from him, lethim love for them what he loves for himself. Ibn tsakir narratedit.
206
"Ali ibn Abi Thlib
He said: Seven things are from the shaytan: strong anger, strong
sneezing, strong yawning, vomiting, nosebleeds, secret discourse,
and falling asleep during dhihr (remembrance ofAllah).He said: Eat the pomegranate with its pulp for it is rle stomachic
(literally: the tan of the stomach). Sa"id ibn Mansur narrated it.
He said: A time will come to people in which the believer will be
more humiliated than a female slave. Sa'id ibn Mansur narrated it.
Abu'l-Aswad ad-Du'ali said, eulogising "Ali,
'Eye, woe to you! Come to our aid;
Do you not weep for the Arnir al'Mu'minin?
Umm Kulthum (the daughter of'Ali and Fatimah, and the wife
of 'Umar) weeps over himVith her tears, and she has seen death.
Say to the Khawarij wherever they are
- and may the eyes of the envious not find rest -"Is it in the month of fasting that you have distressed us,
Through the best of men altogether?
You have killed the best of those who mounted steeds
And tamed them, and of those who rnor'rr,[6d ships,
Of those who wore sandals and cut them to measure,
And who recited the Mathani (the Fatihah) and the
Clear (Book).
All the qualities of good were in him,And the love of the Messenger of the Lord of the'Worlds."
Quraysh knew, wherever they were,
That you ("Ali) were the best of them in standing and
in deen.
'When I looked towards the face ofAbu Hussein
207
Tirr Hrsrony oF TrrE Knerrrans
I saw the full moon orrer rhe onlookers.
Before his killing we were in good;\7e would see rhe rnaulaof the Messenger ofAllahamong us.
was establishing the truth without doubting concerning
And he was just ro enemies and close relatives.
He would nor conceal any knowledge that he had,And he did not have the.haracter of the haughty ones.
It is as ifwhen people lost "Ali,They were ostriches bewildered in a land for years.
Do not rejoice at our affliction Mu"awiyah ibn Sakhr,For the rest.of the hhulafa'arefrom us.
Those notable people who died during his timeThe following notable p.op1. died during the iays of .Ali, eithernatural deaths or by being killed: Hulhayfatr ibn al_yaman,az'zubayr ibn al-'Awwam, Talhah, Zaid,ibn Suhan, Salmanal-Farisi, Hind ibn Abi Halah, (Jways al_earani, ffrrUUai iUnal-Aratt, tmmar ibn al-yasir, Sahl ibn U.rrr"],6 S"f.yU
"r+"_i,Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr as-Siddiq, Thmim ad-Dari, Khawwat.ibnJubayr, shurahbil ibn as-Samt, Abu Maysurah al-Badri, Safivanibn "Assal, "Amr ibn "Anbasah, Hisham lb., Hrki-, Abu Rafi.the freed-slave of the prophet, mayAllah bress him
".ri grr.r, hi-peace, and others.
Al-Hasan ibn'Alimay AIlah be pleased with him
A l-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, mayAllah be pleased with
A him, Abu Muhammad, the grandson of the Messenger ofI lAll"h, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, hisdedcendant and the last of the hhukfa'by his (the Prophett, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace) explicit words.
Ibn Sa'd narrated that "Imran ibn Sulayman said: Al-Hasan andal-Hussein are two of the names of the people of the Garden. TheArabs did not use these names in the Jahiliyyah.
Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, was born in themiddle of Ramadan in the third year of the Hijrah. Hadith have
been related from him from the Prophet, mayAllah bless him andgrant him peace. "Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, relatedhadith from him, and a great number of the Follbwers, of them hisson al-Hasan, Abu l-Hawra' Rabi'ah ibn Sinan, Ash-Sha"bi, Abu\7'a'il and Ibn Sirin.
He resembled the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace. The PropheL may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
named him al-Hasan, slaughtered a sheep for him on his seventh
day, shaved off his hair and ordered that the weight of the hair insilver should be given away as sadaqah. He was the fifth of the familyof the mantle (when the Prophet, rol Allah bless him and granthim peace, said, 'O Allah, these are my family.').
Abu Ahmad al-"Askari said: This name was not known in the
Iahiliyyah.Al-Mufaddal said: Allah veiled the names of al-Hasan and al-
Heit,
208
TnB Hrsrony oF THE KHeuress
Hussein until the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, used them to name his two grandsons.
Al-Bukhari narrated that Anas said: No-one more resembled theProphet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, than al-Hasanibn Ali.
The two Shaykhs narrated that al-Bara' said: I saw the Prophet,mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, with al-Hasan upon hisshoulder, saying, 'O Allah, I love him, so love him.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Bakrah said: I heard the Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, upon the minbar, withal-Hasan by his side looking at the people one rime and looking athim one time, saying, 'This son of mine is a chief and it is likelythat through him Allah will make peace between rwo parties ofthe Muslims.'
Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn "LJmar said: The Prophet, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, said, 'They are my two descendants(literally'my two sprigs of basil' or 'my rwo sweer-smelling plants[or flowers]') in the world,' meaning al-Hasan and al-Hussein.
AtrTirmidhi and al-Hakim narrated that Abu Sa.id al-Khudrisaid: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace, said, Al-Hasan and al-Hussein are the two lords of the youthof the people of the Garden.'
At:Tirmidhi narrated that Usamah ibn Zaid said: I saw theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and al-Hasanand al-Hussein were upon his hips (one on each), and he said, 'Theseare my two sons and the rwo sons of my daughter. O Allah, I lovethem, so love them and love whoever loves rhem.'
He narrated that Anas said: The Prophet, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, was asked, '\fho of the people of your houseare most beloved to you?' He said, Al-Hasan and al-Hussein.'
AI-Hakim narrated that Ibn'Abbas said: The Prophet, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, approached carrying al-Hasan onhis shoulder. A man met him and said, '\7hat a blessed mount you
210
Al-Hasan ibn'Ali
have, boy!'The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
replied, And what a blessed rider is he.'
ib., S""d narrated that 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayt said: The one
most like the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
of his family and the most beloved to him is al-Hasan ibn 'Ali' Isaw him come while he was prosrrate and mount his shoulders - or
he said, 'his back' - and he did not make him get down until he
himself got down. I saw him while he was bowing in prayer and
he woulJ separate his legs for him so that he could pass through
the other side.'
Ibn Sa"d narrated that Abu Salamah ibn cAbd ar-Rahman said:
The Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, used to put
forth his rongue for al-Hasan ibn "Ali, then when the infant saw
the redness of the tongue, he would be merry with him'
Al-Hakim narrated thatZuhayr ibn al-Arqam said:Al-Hasan ibn
"Ali stood to deliver the khutbah' and a man from Azd Shanu'ah
stood up and said, 'I witness that I saw the Prophet, mayAllah bless
him and grant him peace, place him in his lap (hubwal denotes
sitting on rhe haunches with the legs drawn in to the belly, often
with a cloth wrapped around the legs and the back in support),
saying, "\fhoever loves me, let him love him, and lcs the one who
is preient conyey it to whoever is absenr," and if it $/ere not for high
regard for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, I would not have related it to anyone.'
Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, had many virtues: he
was lordly, forbearing, possessing tranquillity, gravity and modesty;
he was liberally generous, much praised; he disliked seditions and
the sword; he married a great deal; and he would bestow uPon a
single man as much as one hundred thousand.
Al-Hrki.r, narrated that tbdullah ibn "Ubryd ibn "Umayr said:
Al-Hasan performed the Hajj twenty-five times walking, and the
high-bred, riding beasts were led along with him.
ib' Sr'd narrated that'Umayr ibn Ishaq said: No-one ever spoke
211
Tirs Hrsrony oF THE Krrarrrans
in my presence who it was more preferabre, when he talked, thathe should not be silent than al-Hasan ibn "Ali. I never heard fromhim an improper word except for one time. There was a disputebetween al-Hasan and "Amr ibn .Uthman about some land. AI-Hasan proposed somethingwhich Amr did not like. Al-Hasan said,
.T*.. is nothing for it with us but ro act in spite of him (riterally'that his nose cleave to the dust').' This was th. Lrst improper wordI ever heard from him.
Ibn sa"d narrated that "umayr ibn Ishaq said: Marwan was theamir over us, and he used to abuse .Ali every Jumu,ab from theminbar, while al-Hasan would listen and ..rrk. ro reply. Then hesent a man to him saying, 'I swear by "Ali, by "Ali, Uy dti, and by).ou, by you! I dont find any likeness for you .r...pi the mule, towhich it is said, ".W'ho is your father?,,
"rri i, ,.pIi.., .,My
motheris a mare."'Al-Hasan said to him, ,Return
to him and say to him,"ByAllah, I will not efface for you anything of what you'have saidbyabusingyou. However, you and I have an appointment togetherbefore Allah. Then, if you are truthfur, may^Allah ,..o-!.rrr.you for your truthfulness. If you are a liar, then Allah is worse inrevenge."'
Ibn Sa"d narrated thatzurayqibn Sawwar said: There were somewords between al-Hasan and Marwan, then Marwan approachedhim, became very tough on him - and al-Hasan wrs sileni.-Marwanblew his nose using his right hand. Al-Hasan said to him, '\7oe toyou! Do you nor know that the right hand is for the face, and theleft for the private parts (and for uncrean marters generalry)? I amdisgusted with you (literally'filth to you')!'Marwai b."r-. silent.
Ibn sa"d narrated from Ash"ath ibn sawwar that a man said: Aman sar down with al-Hasan and he (al-Hasan) said, 'you havesat down with us at the momenr we were going to stand. 's7ill youpermit?'
Ibn sa"d narrated that 'Ali ibn Zaidibn Juda"an said: Al-Hasangave forth his property twice for the sake ofAlrah, and Allah divided
212
Al-Hasan ibn'Ali
up his property and shared it with him three times, to such an extent
that he used to give a sandal and keep a sandal with him, or giveaway a leather sock (known as khffi and keep another sock.
Ibn Sa"d narrated that .Ali ibn al-Hussein said: Al-Hasan was
given to divorcing women, and he did not separate from a womanbut that she loved him. He married ninety women.
Ibn Sa'd narrated fromJa"far ibn Muhammad that his father said:
Al-Hasan used to marry and divorce so much that I was afraid he
would cause enmity towards us among the tribes.Ibn Sa"d narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad that his father
said: "Ali said, 'People of Kufa, do not marry (your womenfolk) toal-Hasan because he is a man much given to divorce.'A man fromHamadan said, 'ByAllah, we will marry him (to our womenfolk).\Thosoever pleases him he can keep, and whosoever displeases himhe can divorce.'
Ibn Sa"d narrated that'Abdullah ibn Hasan said: Hasan was a
man who used to marry women a great deal, and they very rarely
found favour with him. There were very few women he married whodid not love him and were not passionately attached to him.
Ibn 'Asakir narrated that Juwayriyyah ibn Asma' said: 'S7'hen al-
Hasan died, Marwan wept at his funeral prayet AlHussein said
to him, 'Do you weep when you forced him to swallow that whichyou did?' He said, 'I used to do that to one more forbearing thanthis,' and he pointed towards the mountain. (The mountain was
proverbially the epitome of forbearance).
Ibn'Asakir narrated that al-Mubarrad said: Someone said to al-
Hasan ibn 'Ali, Abu Dharr says, "Poverty is more beloved to me
than wealth, and illness more beloved to me than health."' He said,'MayAllah show mercy to Abu Dharr. As for me, I say, "\(hoeveris absolutely dependent on the goodness ofAllaht choosing for himdoes not wish to be in any state other than the one which Allahhas chosen for him."' This is the limit in research into the subject
of contentment with that which destiny turns about.
213
Trrn Hrsrony oF THE KrrerrraHs
, ll-T:.t, may.Allah be pleased with him, took charge of thehhlhfah after the death ofhis father through the predge ofaflegianceof the people of Kufa, and he remained in it for six months andsome days' Then Mu'awiyah came out against him -and the matterbelongs to Allah - and so al-Hasan ,.rr, "
message to him to offerro surrender the hhilafah to him, on.conditio.r"thrt ,t, in;Uynt,should be his after him, rhat no-one of the peopre orrur"airr*u a-Hijaz and Iraq should be sought out for revenge or retariation foranything which had h"pp.rr.Ji, the time of his father, and that hewould pay offhis debrs r"i nim.rvtu"awiyah agreed to what he asked,they concluded a treaty upon that basis, and the prophetic miraclebecame evident in his words, may eif"f, b1.., hii, ,'nJgr*, lrr_peace, Allah will rnake p."".^throrlgh lim between ,*o'g;up, ofthe Muslims.' He abdicated rro^ rf- ilildfahA, r,i_. ei_ialqinisought to prove from his abdication from the hhikfah -;hiJ'i, ,rr.greare$ rank - that it is permitted to abdicate from and ..rrorrrr..
offices and positions. His abdication from itwas in the year 4l AH,in the month of Rabi" al-Awwal. It has also been said that it wasin Rabi" al-Akhir, orJumada al_Ula. His companions said to him,'O disgrace of the mu,minin!, and he *."fa ,"y, ,Oirgr"". i, b..,..than the Fire.'
A man said to him, ,peace be upon you, humiliator of thebelievers!' He said, 'I am no*t. t,rriiti"tor of the believers, but Idisliked to kill you for the sovereig"C
fhen al-Hasan moved from K.rd to M"di.rrh and resided there.Al-Hakim narrated thatJubayr ibn Nufayr said: I said ro al-Hasan,'P^1rl1are saying that you want the khitafah.' He said, 'The chiefsof the Arabs were with me, ar war wiah *t o_.r.r I was at war with,and at peace with whomever I was at peace with. I abandoned thatdesiring the Face ofAIIah, and to p.;;;spilling the blood of theummah ofMuhammad, mayAllrh b1"., him anigrarrt him p."...Now later, shall I take it by force with Jehetp oi,i. t.rd";i;r,,of the people of al-Hijaz?;
214
Al-Hasan ibn'Ali
Al-Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him, died in Madinahthrough poisoning. His wife, Ja"dah bint al-Ash.ath ibn eaispoisoned him. Yazid ibn Mu"awiyah suggested secretly to her thatshe should poison him and that then he would marry her, and shedid so.
'When al-Hasan died, she sent a message to Yazid asking him
for the fulfilment of what he had promised her. He said, ''We werenot pleased with you for al-Hasan, so should we then be pleasedwith you for ourselves?' His death was in 49 AH.II has also beensaid that it was on the fifth of Rabi. al-Awwal in the year 50 AH.And it has been said that it was in 51 AH. His brother argued withhim to get him to tell him who had given him the (poisoned) drink,but he would not tell him. He said, Allah is most severe in revengeif it should be the one I suspect. If not, then no innocenr personmust be killed in retaliation for me.'r4
Ibn Sa"d narrated that'Imran ibn Abdullah ibn Talhah said:Al-Hasan saw as if there were wrirten between his eyes, 'Say, *He
Allah is One,"' (Qur'an Ll2 l) and his family rejoiced at that. Theytold it to Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and he said, 'If his dream is rrue,then he has very few days left to live.' He only lived a few days morebefore he died.
Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn "Asakir narrated by way of Abu l-MundhirHisham ibn Muhammad that his father said: Al-Hasan ibn .Aliwas consfficted (in his provision), and his stipend was one hundred
ta Contrary to his usual practice, as-Suyuti gives no source for this story.In Defence Against Disaster, Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi says concerning theallegation that the Amir al-Mu'minin Mu"awiyah, may Allah be pleased withhim, poisoned al-Hasan, '...ir was an unknown business. Only Allah knowsabout it. How can you assume it withour proof and ascribe it to one of Hiscreatures in a disrant time when we do not have any sound transmissionabout it?' 1p.203) The same applies to this story. In the same book, the eadiexonerates Yazid of a great deal of the slander levelled at him and says, '[Ahmadibn Hanball included him among the men of zuhd (doing without the world)of the Companions and Followers... Indeed, he included him in the group ofCompanions before he proceeded to mention the Followers.'.
2t5
Tne Hrsronv oF THE Krreurens
thousand ayear. Mu"awiyah withheld it from him one year, andhe was extremely constricted. He said, 'I called for an ink-pot so
that I might write to Mu'awiyah to remind him about myself, andthen I controlled (myself). I sawthe Messenger ofAllah, mayAllahbless him and grant him peace, (in a dream) and he said, "How are
you, Hasan?" I said, '\7ell, father."And I complained to him aboutthe withholding of the property from me. He said, "Did you callfor an ink-pot to write to a creature like yourself to remind himof that?" I said, "Yes, Messenger ofAllah.'!7hat should I do?" Hesaid, "Say:
;#"i, i:u" y, # ,4t :xO Allah, cast into my heart hope in You, and cut offmy hopein everything other than You, until I dont hope for anyone
other than You. O Allah, that for which my strength is tooweak, and my action falls short o[ my desire does not attain,my supplication does not reach, and what does not fow uponmy tongue, of that certainty which You have given anyone ofthe ancients and the later peoples, then single me out for it,Lord of the \7orlds."'
He said, 'Then, by Allah, I had not persisted in it for a week before
Mu"awiyah sent me one million and five hundred thousand, and Isaid, "Praise be to Allah'Who does not forget whoever remembers
Him and doesnt disappoint whoever supplicates Him." I saw theProphet, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant them peace,
in sleep and he said, "Hasan, how are you?" I said, *S7'ell,
Messenger
of Allah," and I told him my story. He said, "My son, that is how
2t6
Al-Hasan ibn'Ali
it is for whoever hopes for (something) from the Creator and does
not hope for (something) from the creature."'
There is in at-TqturiYyat that Sulaym ibn "Isa, the Qur'an reciter
of the people of Kufa, said: \rhen death came to al-Hasan he was
overcome with agitation and grief. Al-Hussein said to him, 'My
brother, what is this agitation and grief? You are going to the
Messenger of Allah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant
th.- pJ".., and .Ali and they are your two fathers, and to Khadijah
and Fatimah and they are your rwo mothers, and to al-Q-a.sim and
atllahir and they are your two maternal uncles, and to Hamzah
and Ja.far and they are youf two paternal uncles.' Al-Hasan said
to him, 'Brother, I am entering into a matter ofAllah's, exalted is
He, the like of which I have never entered, and I see a creation of
Allah's the like of which I have never seen.'
Ibn "Abd al-Barr said: From various sources we relate that when
his time came, he said to his brother, 'My brother, your father raised
his eyes to this authority andAllah averted him from it and putAbu
Bakr in charge of it (the khitilfah). Later, he raised his eyes to it, but
ir was turnedlway from him to 'fJmar. Later again, he had no doubt
at the time of the Council that it would not pass him by, but it was
turned away from him to.Uthman.'s(/'hen "Urhman was killed, then
"Ali was pledged allegiance. Then we were resrraiftd until swords
*... u.rrlh.athed anJso it (the khiwh) was nrjver undisturbedly
his. ByAllah, I don't think that Allah will combine prophecy and
hhilafah in us. I dont know but that the fools of Kufa will try to
appoint you as hhalifah and drive you out. I have asked "A ishah,
may Altah be pleared with her, that I should be buried with the'
Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and his family and grant
th.- p.".., and she said, "Yes'" \rhen I die, ask her about that'
but I only anticipate that people will try to prevent you. If they do,
don't bandy words with them.' 'S?-hen
he died, al-Hussein came to
the Mothei of the Believers, "Aishah, may AIIah be pleased with
her, and she said, 'Yes, and it is an honour,'but Marwan Prevented
217
Tnn Hrsrony oF THE Krrerrrans
them. Then al-Hussein and those with him donned their swords,until Abu Hurayrah prevented them, and so he was buried in al-Baqi" by the side of his mother, mayAllah be pleased with her.
Clossary of ArabicTerms
adhan - the call to prayer. muhdhdhin - the one who calls to
Prayer.Akhirah - what comes later, the next life.'alim pl.'ulnmA'- a man of knowledge. 'The 'qalim is only someone
who knows, then acts according to what he knows, and whose
knowledge is in accord with his action,' Sayyiduna "Ali.amir - commander. Amir al-Mu'rninin - the Commander ofthe Believers, a title of respect given to the khalifuh. Imarah -amirate.Ansar -lit. Helpers, the people of Madinah who welcomed and
aided the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant himpeace. See also Muhajirun.'aqiqah - at the birth of a child when the head* shaved and the
hairt weight in silver given away as sadaqah, arid a sheep sacrificed
and the meat shared with others and given away,
'Arafah -the plain upon which the pilgrims stand during the pivotalday of the Hajj in pruyer and supplication.ayah pl. alat - a sign, miracle and a verse of the Qur'an.al-Bait al-Maqdis - lit. The Purified Dwelling, i.e. the mosque ofJerusalem or all ofJerusalem.bait al-mal - lit. House of Property, where the collected zakatof the Muslims and other revenues are stored while awaitingdistribution.al-Baqi' - the graveyard of Madinah where many of the Companions,
may Allah be pleased.with them, are buried.Dajjal - lit. Liar, the false Messiah whose appearance marks the
2TB
TkE Hrsrony oF THE KrrelrreHs
imminent end of the world.deen-the life-transacion, lit. the debt(dayn) of exchange betweentwo parties, in this usage between the Creator and the created.dhikr - lit. remembrance, menrion. In a general sense all acts ofworship are dhihr.In common usage it has come ro mean invocationofAllah by repetition of His names or particular formulae.dhimmah - obligation or contract, in particular a treaty ofprotectionfor non-Muslims living in Muslim territory.dinar - a gold coin of approximare value $107/f,57.4 (2005).dir h am - a silver coin of approximare value $3.18 I Ll.7 6 (20 0 8). Notethat for zahat purposes only, 10 dirhams equals 1 dinar.Dunya- what is lower and closer to hand, rhe 'world'. The word ismost often an adjective of 'life', thus meaning the 'lower life'.'Eid- the celebration at rhe end of Ramadan and also at the endof the Hajj, marked by a general public prayer, dhlhr and mutualvisiting and hospitality.
fnq;h pl.f"qaha'- a man learned in knowledge of fqh (see below).
fatraa - an authoritative legal opinion or judgement madeby afaqihwho is a Mufti authorised by an amir.
fqh - science of understanding the shari'aD in terms of theobligations, recommendations, sunnahs, permitted matters,disapproved and forbidden marters.
fitnah - a trial or affiiction whereby one is tried or proved, atemptation, civil war and strife, faction and slaughter. Originallyderived from a root meaning'burning', with the sense of the burningof a metal such as gold to remove the dross.ghusl - a washing of the entire body in order to enter Islam, aftersexual intercourse or ejaculation, or prepararory for the weeklyJumu' ah and' Eid prayers.hadd pl. hudud - lit. the limits, Allaht boundary limits for thehalal and the hararn.T,he hadd punishments are the specific fixedpenalties laid down by sharfah for specified crimes.hadith pl. ahadith - reported speech, particularly of the ProphetMuhammad, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace. Not to be
220
Glossary
confused with Sunnah.
H"jj - the yearly pilgrimage to Makkahhahl- permitted by the sharfahharam - forbidden by the shari'ah; also an inviolable place orobject.hasan - lit. good, beautiful, and thus a category of hadith,which is
reliable, but whose isnadis not perfect.
hawd - the 'pond' of the Prophet Muhammad, moI Allah bless
him and grant him peace, on the Last Day, which is replenished byrivers from the Garden and from which he will give the believers todrink. \Thoever drinks from it will not thirst again.
hijab - veil, the covering by adult women of their hair, and all oftheir bodies excepting the face and hands.
Hia, - the western area of Arabia which includes Makkah and
Madinah.Hrj, - the semi-circular un-roofed enclosure at one side of theKa"bah, wtose wall outlines the shape of the original building builtby the Prophets Ibrahim and Isma"il, pe?ce be upon them.hijrah - emigration in the way of Allah. Islam takes its dating(indicated byAH 'After Hijrah') fromthe Hijrah ofthe Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Makkah to Madinah.ihram - state entered to perform Hajj or '[Jrnrab, w]iich includes,
for males, wearing two pieces of cloth also known as ihram.irnam - the one who leads, often a term for the amir or hhaffih.'Leaders and nobles who order them (the people) and they obey
them.' (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr). It is now more often restricted toone who leads people in prayer.
imamah - imamate, the office of imam.
iman - belief in the heart and affirmation on the tongue.
inshaAllah - if Allah wills.iqamah - the act of establishing the prayer, and also the call made
immediately prior to pryer in order to summon the people in themosque.
isnad - chain of transmission of a hadith.
221
Tnn Hrsrony oF THE Krraurerrs
Isra'- the Ni'ghtJourney of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him andgrant him peace, from Makkah toJerusalem from whence he wenton the Mfraj (the ascension through the heavens).
f tizal - lit. withdrawal or secession, and thus the theology of thatgroup which withdrew from the circle of Hasan al-Basri, whobecame know es Mu'tazilah-
Jahiliyyah - the Time of Ignorance, before the coming of Islamjamdah - the group, particularly referring to rhe group of peopleperforming the prayer rogerher.jihad - struggle, particularly warfare to defend and establishIslam.jinn- unseen beings created ofsmokeless fire who cohabit the earthwith mankind.jiryrh - a tax levied on people of previous revelations who make acontract to live under Muslim rule (see dhimmah). The tax was fourdinars per adult male per year. It is interesting to note that this sumin present terms (2008) is approximat+ $4281L230.Jumada al-Ula- a monrh of the Muslim lunar calendar.
Jumada al-Ahhirah - a monrh of the Muslim lunar calendar.
Juma'ah - Friday, and particularly the prayer performed on rharday which it is necessary for all adult males to attend if they areable and if its conditions are fulfilled.junub - condition after sexual inrercourse or ejaculation, requiringthe complete washing of the body known as ghusl.kafara - he covered over the truth, he showed ingratitude, hedisbelieved, tfui,s kufr disbeliefl, kafr disbeliever pl. hafirun/hffir.hakm - lit. speech, but also the science of investigating the tenetsof iman.khalifuh pl. khulafa'- lit. successor, both the rank of Adamicman, one who stands in for Allah in His crearion, and a Caliphor successor of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant himPeace.hhilafah - the ofHce of the hhalifah.Khawarij - asect who believed that committing major wrong acrions
222
Glossary
turns a Muslim into an unbeliever.
al-Khulafa' ar-Rashidun - (see khalifah above) the hhulafa' who
took the right way.
hhutbah - public address, particularly in the mosque on Friday or
one of the 'Eid prayers.
hunyah - a respectful and affectionate way of calling, such as the
'father of so-and-so', the'mother ofso-and-so' or the'son or daughter
of so-and-so'.
rna'rifuh - lit. recognition, which in its first level is a rational
knowledge of what is necessary to know about Allah and His
Messengers, peace be upon them, and which can then deepen to
become gnosis rather than scholastic knowledge.
Maghrib - the Weit, specifically northwest Africa.al-Magid al-Hararn- the Inviolable Mosque of Makkah.
mdrfu; - a tradition ascribed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace.
mauth-'a master', the freed slave but also his former master.
rninbar- steps on which the imam stands to deliver rhe hhutbah
on the day of Jumu'ah.Muhajirun - Companions of the Messenger of Allah, mol Allahbless him and grant him peace, who accepted Islam outside Madinah
and emigrated to Madinah, particularly those whouame with him
from Makkah. i
Muharrarn - the first month of the Muslim lunar year.
mu'rnin, pl. mu'minun and mu'minin - a believer (see iman
above).
at-Marji ah- asectwhichwas characterised byan indulgent attitude
to*rrd, *rorg action in the sense that they felt that'believers'would
not be diminished in their imanby the wrong actions they did.
rnursal- a. hadith attributed directly to the Prophet, mayAllah bless
him and grant him Peace, by one of the Followers or Followers ofthe Followers when it is not known from which Companion it was
transmitted.nushaf- a written copy of the Qur'an.
223
Tirr Hrsronv oF THE Krrerrrans
musnad - a book containing ahadlth arranged according to theirisnad, e.g. the author mentions the Musnad as-Siddiqwhich containsahadith narrated byAbu Bakr, mayAllah be pleased with him.muf,ah - a temporary form of marriage common among pre-IslamicArabs which was prohibited by the Prophet, ndy Allah bless himand grant him peace.
rnutaudtir- the strongest i.snadpossible for a hadlth. This is when anumber of Companions have narrated the text of the lladithto largenumbers ofknowledgeable Followers who each in turn transmittedit to numbers of later studenrs, etc., so that there is no possible doubtabout rhe hadith.al-Qadariyyah - secr of Muslims who believe more in mant free-will than in predestination.qadi - a judge.
ar-Rafdah - a group of the Shf ah known for rejecting Abu Bakrand'(Jmar as well as "IJthman (as opposed to the Zaydiyyah Shf ahwho accept them).rakah pl. raka'at - a complete unit of salah consisting of standing,bowing and two prostrations.ar-Riddah - the reneging or apostasy of the desert Arabs after thedeath of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace.Ruh al-Quds - the Spirit of Purity, the angel Jibril.sabeel - away, often jihad,'the way of Allah'.as-Sabiqun al-Awttalun - the First Foremost ones, i.e. thoseMuhajirun and Ansar who accepted Islam before the conquest ofMakkah and strove with their lives and their wealth in jihad.sadaqah pl. sadaqat - giving in the way of Allah, often usedsynonymously with zahat.sahih - authentic or sound. A technical term of the science of hadithwhich indicates the strength of the isnad.as-Sahinah - lit. tranquillity. The presence ofAllah sometimes madeclear by a sign, also the feeling oip."". of mind and security.salah - the prayer consisting of standing reciting Qur'an, bowing,prostrating and sitting.
224
Glossary
salat at-tarawih - the prayers performed after the 'Isha' (night) Prayerduring Ramadan.as-Saqifab -roofed building, particularly the roofed gallery of Bani
Sa"idah in which the Ansar and some of the Muhajirun met after
the death of the Prophet, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace,
to choose a hhalifth.shahadah - witnessing and bearing witness that there is no god butAllah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, may Allahbless him and grant him peace, i.e. the first pillar of Islam.
sharfah - lit. a road, and in particular the pathway leading down
to drinking water at an oasis. It is the legal modality of a people
based on the revelation of their Prophet. The last sharf ah in history
is that of Islam, which abrogates all previous sharfabs.
Shawutal - the month of the Islamic lunar calendar immediately
following Ramadan.
Shayhh - lit. an old man. Title of respect used for a man of great
knowledge or a leader among his people
shaytan - a devil, particularly Iblis.Shi:ah - the sect which differed from the Muslims over theirallegation of the prior right of"Ali, mayAllah be pleased with him,to the hhikfdh.shirh - the unforgivable wrong action of associating something
in partnership with Allah and worshipPing it or them along withHim.sidq - truthfulness and thus sadiq - a ruthful one and siddiq - one
eminently truthful and affirmative of the truth.siuah and miswah - toothstick cut from the"araq tree.
Suhan - the ruler.
Sunnah pl. sunan - lit. a form, the customary practice of a person
or group of people. It has come to refer almost exclusively to the
practice of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, but also comprises the customary practice
of al-Khulafa'ar-Rashidun and of the first generation of Muslims
in Madinah. Sunan is also a title often used for certain collections
225
Tirp Hrsrony oF THE Kqeurerrs
of hadtth.sumh - a large unit of eur'an linked by thematic content, composedof ayat. There are ll4 surahs in the eur,an.takbir - the declarationAllahu Ahbar -Ailah is Greater',/!:lr! - the cry of the pilgrim to Makkah ,Labbayk
Allahumrnalabbayk. ..'- Ar Your serviie, O Allah, at your ,.rri.. . ..,tdqw? or tuqa - lit. self,protecting, fearful obedience of Allah inavoiding all that is forbidden and urdertaking all that is obligatory.Higher degrees then involve avoiding that *f,i.h is disappr&ed ofand undertaking that which is recorimended, and ro o..at-Tasautwuf- Sufism. k is held by the ,ularna to be afard,ayn _ ascience which is an individuar obligation on every Muslim man,and woman.
1r1r1*fq - being directed to the right direction, rhe grace ofAllah.ummah - a narion. The (Jmmah of the prophet, may Allah bresshim and grant him peace, are the Muslims.'Umrah - the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah which may be undertakenat any time of the year.uirdor
-hizb-rwo synonymous terms for a set portion of dhikr, ayatof Qur'an and supplications to be recited ..g,rl"rly at any ti-. ofthe day or night. The latter often more partiJuhrly i. ,r.i to referto a portion of one sixtieth of eurbn.wudu' - the minor washing of the face and limbs in preparationfor the salah.
zakat - a wealth tax. It is an acr of worship ofAlrah and one of thearhan (indispensable pillars) of Islam. It is revied on certain storablecrops, cattle and other livestock, gold and silver, items of trade, etc.and distributed among a numbeiof categories including the ne.dyand the bereft, travellers, the indebted, fo--r the freeing of"slaves, andin the way ofAllah (jihad).
226
Appendix: On the Imamate
llah, exalted is He, said: "You who belieue! obey Alkh and obey the
Messenger and those in command arnong you." (Qu/an 4:59) Al-,Qurtubi narrates in commentary on this ayaht
\7hen He, glorious is He and exalted, had previously addressecl
himself to those in authority in the previous ayh and had begun
with them and ordered them to discharge trusts and to judgc justly
between people, then He proceeded in this ayah to addresc Hlmsclfto their subjects, and He ordered obedience to Himself, mlghty ls
He and majestic, first of all, which means obeying His eommencls
and avoiding His prohibitions, and then obedience to Hlc Merrengcrsecondly in that which he ordered and forbadc, and then thlrdlyobedience to the amirs, according to the position of the domlnentmajority and Abu Hurayrah, Ibn "Abbas and othcm. Srhl lbn
"Abdullah at-Tustari said, 'Obey the suhan inseven thlnp rnlntlngdirhams and dinars, measures and weights, judgementr, htll,Jtn*''ah,the two "Eids and jihad.'(Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jamf li ahham al-Qarhn, Dar Ihya at Turrth rl.Arahl,Beirut, Libanon, 1405 I 1985)
Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi said:
Concerning the Imamate there are two issues.
l. An affirmation of the Imamates of the Fow Khul4fli mryAllah be pleased with them.ofthem has three aspects:
a. Each of them unitedcompletely;
The proof of the Imemrtsr oF ell
the conditions of the Imlmets
Tirr Hrsrory oF THE Kger,rrens
b. The Muslims who lived in the time of each one of themwere unanimous in pledging allegiance to him and in comingunder obedience to him, and consensus is a proof;c. That companionship (with the Prophet, mayAllah bless himand grant him peace) which each of them had, emigration,magnificent deeds, Allah's praise of them, and the TruthfulOnet bearing witness of the Garden for them.
Moreover the Messenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and granthim peace, indicated the hhlkfah ofAbu Bakr and.(Jmar, andhe commanded that people model themselves on them. He putAbu Bakr in charge of the Farewell Hajj and made him leadthe prayer in his final illness which is an indication of his beingappointed Khaffih. Then Abu Bakr appointed "Umar Khatifah,then "LJmar made the matter the business of consultation amongsix [people] and they agreed on putting "Uthman forward. Hewas wrongfully killed, for which there is the testimony of theProphet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and hispromise to him ofthe Garden for that. Then the man with mostright to it was "Ali because of his noble rank and his sublimevirtues.As for that which happened between Ali and Mu"awiyah andthose Companions with each of them, then the most fittingthing is to withhold oneself from mentioning it, and that theyshould be remembered in the best way, and that one shouldseek the best interpretation for them, because it was a marterof ijtihad. As for Ali and those with him, they were in rheright because they exercised ijtihad andwere correct fin it] andso they will be rewarded. As for Mu"awiyah and those withhim, they exercised ijtihad and were mistaken, and they areto be excused. It is required that one respect them and all ofthe Companions and love them because of the praise of themthat occurs in Qurbn and because of their accompanying rheMessenger ofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace.
228
ApPendix
He, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, said, "[Beware
ofl Allah! [Beware ofl Allah!concerning my companions. Do
not make them a target after me.'Whoever loves them, then it is
for love of me he loves them.'\7'hoever hates them, it is because
of hatred of me that he hates them.'Whoever harms them has
harmed me, and whoever harms me has harmed Allah."
2.lhepreconditions of the Imamate are eight:
Islam, maturity (puberry), intellect (sanity), maleness, justice,
knowledge, competence, and that his descent should be from
Quraysh, but on this [last] there is a difference of opinion, so
that if people agree [on pledging allegiance] to one who does
nor meet all of the conditions then it is permitted, from fear ofcausing dissension and sedition.
It is not permitted to rise up against PeoPle in authority even ifthey are tyrannical, unless they openly display clear disbelief.
It is obligatory to obey them in whatever a man loves and
dislikes, unless they order disobedience [to Allah] for thcre is
no obedience due to a creature it if involves disobedience to
the Creator.(Ibn Jupayy al-Kalbi, al-Qawanin al-Fiqbiyyah, The Opcning(Fatihah) concerning what principles of 'qid,ah of the
fundamentals of the deen arc obligatory, chapter 8)
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
Al-Hasan said about amirs, "They take charge of 6ve of our
affairs: rhe Jumu'ah and the congregational prayer liamdahJ,the "Eid, the frontiers, and the haddpunishments. ByAllehl thc
deenwillonly be straight and effective by them, even lf thcy rre
tyrannical and wrongdoing. By Allah! that which Allah putr
right by means of them is more than that which thcy corrupt'
although, byAllah!obedience to them is tough, but sepantlng
oneself from themis hufr."
At-Khalal narrated in the "Kitab al-Imarah-Book ofAmlrltco
229
THr Hrsrony oF THE KHel,rrens
from the hadith of Abu Umamah that he said, "The Prophet,may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded hiscompanions when they had prayed'Isha', Assemble, becauseI have need of you.' 'W'hen they finished the morning prayer,he asked, 'Have you assembled as I told you?' They answered,'Yes.' He said three rimes, '\(rorship Allah and do nor associareanything with Him! Have you grasped this?' '$7'e
answered,'Yes.' He said three times, 'Establish the prayer and producethe zahah! Have you grasped this?'\7e answered, 'Yes.' He saidthree times, 'Hear and obey!' He said three times, 'Have yougrasped this?"' He said, *We had thought that the MessengerofAllah, mayAllah bless him and grant him peace, was goingto give a long discourse, but then lwe saw] that he had collectedtogether the entire affair for us."(Ibn Raj ab al-Hanbali, Jam f a l-' u lurn w a' l- h i k am r anslated byAbdassamad Clarke and published by TLrath Publishing Ltd.,as Tlte Cornpendiurn (of hnow ledge and wisdom). In commenraryon hadith no.28, p.707)
Bibliography
Al-'Awasim min al-Qataasim, published in translation as Defence
Against Disasterby Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-"Arabi. Madinah Press,
Cape Town, South Africa. 1416 A}i.I 1995. ISBN 0-620-19688'2.
Tbe Return of the Khalifara Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi. MadinahPress, Cape Town, South Africa. I4l7 AIHI 1996. ISBN l-874 216
215
Osmanli history, 1289-1922: based on Osmanli sources by Professor
Mehmet Maksudoglu.
Al- Muqaddima h, lbn Khaldun.
Al- Qawanin a l-Fiq hiyy a h, Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi.
History of the Caliphs, Jalalu'ddin as Suyuti, translated from the
original Arabic by Major H. S. Jarrett, Karirgpons (Pakistan).t
1 It was originally our intention to edit this work and republish it, but it was
soon found to be easier to make an entirely fresh translation, However, thcre
were one or two points for which having access to this book was very useful,
230
lsBN r 84200097 7
, ll[l[[lulilililillllll
