Notes

Human heritage project

Abu Bakr (b. 573–d. 634) was born in Mecca. His father was Uthman, also known as Abu Quhafah, and his mother, Salma, was known as Umm al-Khayr (“mother of goodness”). Three years younger than Muhammad, Abu Bakr was the closest friend of the Prophet of Islam. Like the Prophet, he never worshipped idols, even before Islam; he followed the religion of Abraham, known in Arabia as Hanif. He was an honorable and wealthy businessman, yet he avoided vices common to pre-Islamic Arabian society. After his conversion, he spent his wealth in the service of Islam by giving alms, freeing slaves, and supporting the work of Muhammad, fully parting with his riches when he was elected caliph. He and his wife, Zaynab, had six children: Aisha, Abdullah, Asma, Abd Al-Rahman, Umm Kulthum, and Muhammad. Well known and respected even before Islam, Abu Bakr was amoung the first Muslims and companions of the Prophet. The Prophet bestowed the title al-Siddiq (“the righteous one”) on him for his affimation of the Mi’raj, the Prophet’s night journey and ascension to heaven. In praising him, the Prophet said, “Whomever I invited to Islam at first hesitated except Abu Bakr” (al-Tirmidhi, Al-Jami al-Sahih, al-Manaqib [Cairo: Maktabat Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi, 1975], p. 18). Being very persuasive, Abu Bakr convinced several other people to convert to Islam after his own conversion, including Uthman bin Affan, the third caliph. Abu Bakir is considered the Prophet’s companion during the migration. It is known that when Meccan pagans surrounded the cave in which the Prophet was resting prior to his migration, Abu Bakr was afraid that the pagans would capture and torture them. The Prophet said to him, “Don’t be afraid, God is with us” (Qur’an 9:40). When the Prophet died in 632 CE, Abu Bakr had a crucial role in calming the Muslim community. Quoting a verse from the Qur’an (3:144), he reminded the community that Muhammad was a messenger of God and that, like all God’s messengers, he would pass away. Although Abu Bakr nominated others for the caliphate, the community of the companions of the Prophet asked him to be the caliph, and he reluctantly accepted. After the election he gave the famous speech “I am elected not because I am the best of you. . . If I do my job thoroughly, follow me and help me. If I deviate from the right path to corruption, bring me back to the right path.” He died in Medina and is buried next to the Prophet.