ABU BAKR
SIDDIQ Radhia Allahu Anaha
Starting
Life
"No one has been a better companion to me than Abu
Bakr," said the holy Prophet in his last sermon.
A great reward indeed! Abu Bakr had earned it. All his life
he stood by the side of the Prophet. He did not care for his life. He did not
care for his riches. He did not care for what others said about him. His only
ambition was to serve the Prophet more than anyone else. The cost did not
matter. The ambition was fulfilled. And Abu Bakr got his reward in full. The
Messenger of Allah was well pleased with him. He gave him the first place among
the Companions. Abu Bakr was to be the first man to fill the place of the
Prophet. He was also to lie in eternal rest by the prophet's side.
Abu
Bakr was two years younger than the Prophet. His parents named him Abdul Kaaba,
which means the servant of the Kaaba. When he became a Muslim, the Prophet
changed his pagan name to Abdullah. Howevr, in early youth he had adopted the
surname of Abu Bakr. He had come to be known by this name among people. Even to
this day, the world generally knows him as Abu Bakr.
The name of Abu
Bakr's father was Uthman, but he was known as Abu Qahafa. Salma was Abu Bakr's
mother. She was also known as Umm-ul-Khair. Abu Bakr belonged to a branch of the
Quraish.
From early years, Abu Bakr was known for good and upright
nature. He was honest and truthful. He came of a noble family. These things won
him respect among the people. His goodness also won him the friendship of young
Muhammad (Peace be Upon him). The two became fast friends in early boyhood. The
friendship was to prove lifelong and history-making.
When he grew up,
Abu Bakr became a rich merchang. But he used to be very kind-hearted. When he
saw someone in trouble, his heart melted. He did his best to help him. If his
money could remove suffering, he did not care home much he had to spend. Once he gave away
thirty-five dirhams out of his total fortune of forty thousand. He was so honest
in his dealings that people kept their money with him. Above all, Abu Bakr had a
sincere heart and a firm will. Nothing could stop him from doing what he thought
was the right thing to do.
These great qualities were soon to serve the
noblest cause known to the world. Abu Bakr was to become the strongest supporter
of the Redeemer of mankind. He was to become the first among the Companions. He
was to make Arabia and thereby the world safe for Islam after the Prophet has
passed away.
Service
to the Prophet First among Men
Abu Bakr was always very close to the holy Prophet. He knew him better than
any other man. He knew how honest and upright his friend had always been. So he
was the first among men to believe in the Prophet's mission. He was the first
adult male to accept Islam. After the first revalation, the holy Prophet told
him what had happened at Mount Hira. He told him that Allah had made him His
Messenger. Abu Bakr did not stop to think. He at once became a Muslim. Once the
holy Prphet himself remarked, "I called people to Islam. Everybody thought over
it, at least for a while. But this was not the case with Abu Bakr. The moment I
put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation."
Abu Bakr
did more than that. As soon as he became a Muslim, he began to preach Islam to
others. He had many friends. The friends knew that Abu Bakr was sincere and
truthful. They knew he would never support a wrong cause. He called them to
Islam and they became Muslims. Among them were men like Uthman, Zubair, Talha,
Abdur Rahman bin Auf and Saad bin Waqqas. These men later became the pillars of
Islam.
The holy Prophet called at Abu Bakr's house every day. The two
sad down and thought out ways of spreading Islam. Together they went to people
and places and delivered the message of Allah. Wherever the holy Prophet went,
Abu Bakr went with him.
Risks His Life
The messge of Islam made
the people of Mecca very angry. The idols were their gods. The holy Prophet
openly mocked at these gods. He declared they could do neither any good nore
harm. Among the chiefs of Mecca was one Abu Jahl. He became the greatest enemy
of the holy Prophet. He was always on the lookout to hurt him or even kill him,
if he could. Abu Bakr kept an eye on this man, lest he should do a grave harm to
Islam.
One day the holy Prophet was saying his prayers in the Kaaba. He
was totally lost in the thoughts of Allah. Abu Jahl and some other chiefs of
Mecca were sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba. "I must finish with Muhammad
today," said Abu Jahl. So saying, he took a long piece of cloth. He put it
around the holy Prophet's neck. Then he twisted it hard. He was going to
strangle the Messenger of Allah to death. The other chiefs looked on and
laughed.
Abu Bakr happened to see this from a distance. He at once ran
to the help of the Prophet. He pushed Abu Jahl aside and took off the cloth from
around the holy Prophet's neck. Thereupon Abu Jahl and other enemies of Islam
came down upon Abu Bakr. They beat him very much. Indeed, the beating was so
severe that Abu Bakr fell down senseless. He was carried home. He could not
regain his senses till after several hours. And when he did come to himself, the
first question he asked was, "Is the Prophet un-hurt?" Abu Bakr did not care for
his own suffering. He was glad that he was able to save the Prophet's life. Abu
Bakr knew full well that if any harm came to the Prophet, the only hope of
mankind would be gone. This made him risk everything he held dear, for the
safety of the Prophet and for the spread of his message.
Liberation of Slaves
As years went by, the people of Mecca became more and more hard
upon the Muslims. They made life difficult for them. Muslim slaves who had
non-Muslim masters were the worst sufferers. They could not run away from their
cruel masters, nor would they give up their faith. The heartless masters tried
all kinds of torture to make them give up Islam. They made them lie, all naked,
on burning sand. Then they put big stones on their chests. The poor slaves
silently bore this all. They had no way of escape. Some of them found escape
only in death.
Abu Bakr's wealth came to the rescue of many helpless
Muslim slaves. He bought them from their inhuman masters and set them free.
Bilal, the negro, was one of such slaves. He was the slave of Omayya bin Khalaf.
Omayya was a heartless man. He would strip Bilal of all clothes, make him lie on
the burning sand at mid-day and then lash him mercilessly. Despite this torture
Bilal would go on saying, "Allah is one! Allah is one!" One day Abu Bakf
happened to pass by. He was greatly moved by the sight. "Why are you so cruel to
this helpless man?" he asked Omayya. "If you feel for him, why don't you buy
him?" retored Omayya. So Abu Bakr at once bought Bilal at a heavy price and set
him free. Bilal afterwards became the well-known "Muazzin" [ one who gives the
call for prayer ] at the Prophet's Mosque.
Migration to
Abyssinia
When Muslims found life difficult
at Mecca, they thought of going to some other land. With the permission of the
holy Prophet, a part of them went to Abyssinia. here they lived in peace. So
many more Muslims followed them.
Being the first man to go over to
Islam, Abu Bakr had brought upon himself the special anger and hatred of the
Meccan chiefs. Soon he felt hard pressed and asked permission of the Holy
Prophet to go to Abyssinia. The permission was granted and Abu Bakr set off on
his journey.
On the way he met the chief of Qara, Ibn-ud-Daghna. "What
place are you bound for, Abu Bakr?" he asked.
"The people of Mecca have
cast me out," replied Abu Bakr. "I am going to Abyssinia. There I will be able
to worship the Lord the way I want to."
"A man like you should not be
cast out," said Ibn-ud-Daghna. "You help the poor. You are kind to those in
trouble. You are so nice to your guests. I will take you back to Mecca on my own
responsibility."
So Abu Bakr ws back at Mecca. Ibn-ud-Daghna declared to
the people that Abu Bakr was under his protection, so no one was to harm him.
The Meccans said that they would let Abu Bakr alone, only if he did not preach
his faith publicly.
Abu Bakr could not act on this condition very long.
Soon he was preaching Islam as openly as ever. The Meccans complained to
Ibn-ud-Daghna. He requested Abu Bakr not to make his position difficult. To this
Abu Bakr replied, "I do not need your protection. Allah is enough for
me."
The
Title of "Siddiq"
In the tenth year of
his mission, the holy Prophet had the Miraj of Ascension. One night the angel
Gabriel came with the word that Allah the Almighty wanted the holy Prophet to
come all the way up to the highest heaven. The holy Prophet undertook the
journey.
In the morning, after the ascension had taken place, the holy
Prophet talked to people about the Miraj. This drew the jeers of his
enemies.
"Look!" the howled out, "what nonsense he talks! Surely, now
his followers too will laugh at him. Who is going to believe in such a midsummer
night dream?"
The talk was going on when Abu Bakr came up. "Do you know,
Abu Bakr, what news your friend has for you in the morning?" said one of the
mean. "He says he was on the highest heaven last night, having a talk with
Allah, the Almighty. Would you believe it?"
"I would believe anything
that the Messenger of Allah says," replied Abu Bakr
When the holy
Prophet learnt of this, he at once said, "Abu Bakr is the `Siddiq'." `Siddiq' is
a person so sincere of heart that doubts never mar his love. Abu Bakr earned
this title because of his faith was too strong to be shaken by
anything.
Migration to Medina
W hen the Meccans were intent on putting out, once and for all, the light of
Islam, Allah commanded the holy Prophet to move to Medina. In the burning heat
of the midday sun, there was a knock at Abu Bakr's door. He ran to the door and
found the Messenger of Allah standing outside. "I must leave for Medina
tonight," said he.
"Will I also have the honor of going with you?" asked
Abu Bakr eagerly.
"Of course," came the reply. "Set about getting things
ready."
Abu Bakr was beside himself with joy. "I have been looking
forward to this day for months," he exlaimed. "I have specifically kept two
camels to carry us to Medina."
It was Abu Bakr who made all the
arrangements for the historic journey. for three days he and the Prophet lay
hidden in the Thaur cave. Abu Bakr's slave tended the flocks of goats near the
cave all day and supplied them fresh milk for food. His son, Abdullah, brought
news about what the Meccans were doing.
The Meccans were searching for
the holy Prophet like mad hounds. Once they came right to the mouth of the cave.
Abu Bakr grew pale with fright. He feared, not for himself, but for the Prophet.
However, the holy Prophet remained perfectly calm. "Do not fear," he said to Abu
Bakr, "certainly Allah is with us."
Of all the companions, Abu Bakr had
the honor of being with the Prophet during the most critical days of his life.
Abu Bakr knew full well what this honor meant. And he did full justice to the
trust put in him.
Participation
in Battles
A bu Bakr took part in all
the battles that the holy Prohpet had to fight. All his life, he fought bravely
under the banner of the Prophet. At Ohud and Hunain, some of the men showed
weakness. They forgot to do their duty. But Abu Bakr's faith never wavered. He
always stood like a rock by the side of the Prophet.
At Badr, one of Abu
Bakr's sons, who had not yet embraced Islam, was fighting on the side of the
Meccan. Afterwards, when he became a Muslim, he one day said, "Father! at Badr
you were twice under my sword. But my love for you held back my hand."
"Son!" remarked Abu Bakr, "if I had got that chance only once, you must have
been no more."
When peace talks at Hudaibiya were going on, Abu Bakr sat
by the side of the Prophet. During conversation, the spokesman of the Quraish
ever now and then gave a jerk to the beard of the Prophet, after the Arab
fashion. This was too much for Abu Bakr. He took out his sword and looked
angrily at the man. "If that hand touches the beard of the Prophet again," he
warned, "it will not be allowed to go back."
This amazed the Meccan
agents. "What a change in Abu Bakr!" they whispered to one another. "He was
known for soft-heartedness. How strong and firm he is now become! He is no
longer the self-same Abu Bakr."
Tabuk was the last expedition of the
holy Prophet. He was keen to make it a great success. He asked people to help
the expedition with whatever they could. This time Abu Bakr beat all past
records. He took all his money and household articles and heaped them at the
Prophet's feet.
"Have you left back anything for your wife and
children?" asked the holy Prophet.
"Allah and His Apostle are enough for
them," replied Abu Bakr calmly. Those standing around were stunned. It was
impossible to outdo Abu Bakr in the field of service to Islam.
The holy
Prophet felt much pleased at this answer. He made Abu Bakr the standard-bearer of the
expedition.
Abu Bakr's closeness to the Prophet and his boundless
devotion to Islam won him universal respect. Not only was he the first man to
accept Islam, he was also the foremost among Muslims to uphold the cause of
Islam.
Agent to the Prophet
Mecca fell in the eight year of Hijra. Kaaba was, for the first time, in the
hands of Muslims. It had to be cleaned of the traces of idol-worship and the
silly practices of pagan days. Hitherto pagan Arabs had done absurd things at
the time of Hajj. They went around the House of Allah naked. They did many other
foolish and unclean things. All this had to be stopped.
The first Hajj
under Islam fell in the ninth year of Hijra. The holy Prophet was too busy at
Medina to lead the Hajj himself. So he sent Abu Bakr as his agent. He was to
lead the Hajj in place of the Prophet. Ali was also sent with Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr
read the Khutba (Sermon) of Hajj. Then Ali stood up and read out to the people
the commandments of Allah concerning the idolworshippers. From that year on,
they were forbidden to enter the Kaaba.
Ever since he came to Medina,
the holy Prophet himself led prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. It was an
unusually high office which the Messenger of Allah himself filled. During his
last illness, the holy Prophet could no longer lead prayers. He grew too weak to
go to the mosque. He had to appoint someone to act in his place. This honor also
fell to the lot of Abu Bakr. Aisha, who was Abu Bakr's daughter and a wife of
the holy Prophet, thought that the burden was too much for her tender-hearted
father. She pleaded with the holy Prophet to excuse here father from this duty.
But the holy Prophet did not change his mind.
Thus in the lifetime of
the holy Prophet Abu Bakr came to fill the highest office under Islam. One day
Abu Bakr was away on some business and Omar led the prayer in his absence. "This
is not Abu Bakr's voice," remarked the ailing Messenger of Allah. "No one but he
should lead prayers. He is the fittest person for this high office."
On
the last day of his life, the condition of the holy Prophet became suddenly
better for a while. It was early morning. Abu Bakr was leading the prayer in the
mosque. The holy Prophet lifted the curtain of his door and fixed his gaze on
the worshippers. They were busy in prayer under Abu Bakr's leadership. A smile
lite up on the pale face of the holy Prophet. He let go of the curtain, as his
weak hand could no longer hold it. But he was happy at the thought that he had
chosen the best man to fill his place.
Abu Bakr Elected
Caliph A Critical Moment
The holy Prophet
occupied a unique place among his people. He was everything to them. From
warring ignorant pagans, he had made them a nation of peaceful, God-fearing
people. They were "dead" as the Quran puts it and the holy Prophet had "raised
them to life." So they rightly came to look upon him as the giver of life. Life
without him seemed to be an empty thing.
The news of the Prophet's death
came as a stunning shock to everyone. How could it be? He had been ill for some
days, they all knew. But death was unbelievable. That simply could not be. A
huge crows gathered in the mosque. No one knew what to do. There was utter
confusion. Omar was so overcome with emotion that he drew his sword and
declared, "If anyone says that the Messenger of Allah is dead. I will cut off
his head!"
Things were in this state when Abu Bakr entered the mosque.
Finding the holy Prophet better that morning, he had gone a few miles outside of
Medina, earlier in the day, but had come back on hearing the sad news. He took
his stand in a corner of the courtyard and called out to the people. All eyes
were turned towards him. Then he began his famous address:
"O people! If
anyone among you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead. But
those who worship Allah, let him know that He lives and will never die. Let all
of us recall the words of the Qur'an. It says, `Muhammad is only a Messenger of
Allah There have been Messengers before him. What then, will you turn back from
Islam, if he dies or is killed?"
These words of Abu Bakr worked magic.
In no time the confusion was gone. The words of the Qur'an swept of all doubts
from people's minds. They got ready to face facts.
Election of Abu
Bakr
The first problem before the people was the election of a new
leader. There had to be a head of the State of things could not work. The need
was too urgent to allow delay. Delay might have meant disorder and the undoing
of all that the Messenger of Allah had done. The prophet of Allah had died but
the head of the state had to live on.
The two big groups among Muslims
were the Muhajirin (refugees from Mecca ) and the Ansar (helpers or the people
of Medina). The Ansar gathered together at Thaqifa Bani Saida, their meeting
place, near the house of Saad bin Abada. The talk naturally centered around the
election of a Caliph. Saad, the Ansar leader, stood up and said that the Caliph
must be from among them. Many voices seconded him. One man, however, stood up
and said, "But how about the Muhajirin? They have perhaps a better claim." "Then
let there be two caliphs," suggested someone, "one from among the Ansar and the
other from among the Muhajirin."
Someone told Abu Bakr what was going on
at this gathering. He saw the need to act quickly or confusion might set in
again. So taking with him a part of Muhajirin he went to Thaqif Bani Saida. He
addressed the gathering and said, "Both the Muhajirin and the Ansar have done
great services to Islam. But the former were the first to accept Islam. They
were always very close to the Messenger of Allah. So, O Ansar, let the Caliph be
from among them."
To this a man from the Khazraj tribe replied, "If you
don't want a Caliph from among us, let there be two Caliphs, one an Ansari and
the other a Muhajif."
"That won't work," said Abu Obaida bin Jarrah. "O
Ansar, you are the people who made Islam strong now, don't do anything that may
undo your work."
Hearing this, another man said, "O Ansar, if we did
anything for Islam, we did it to please Allah and His Apostle. We did not
thereby oblige anybody. This should not be made a plea to win office. Listen,
the holy Prophet belonged to the Quraish tribe. The Quraish have a greater right
to fill his place. By Allah, I do not think it right to quarrel with them over
this matter. Fear Allah, and do not oppose them."
This speach of a man
from among them silenced the Ansar. They agreed to have a Muhajif as the Caliph.
So Abu Bakr said, "Friends, I think either Omar or AbuObaida should be the
Caliph. Chose one of these two gentleman."
Hearing this both Omar and
Abu Obaida jumped to their feet, and exlaimed, "O Siddiq, how can that be? How
can anyone else fill this office as long as you are among us? You are the top
man among the Muhajirin. You were the companion of the holy Prophet in the Thaur
Cave. You led prayers in his place, during his last illness. Prayer is the
foremost thing in Islam. With all these qualifications, you are the fittest
person to be the successor of the holy Prophet. Hold out your hand that we many
pledge loyatly to you."
But Abu Bakr did not stretch out his hand. Omar
saw that delay might lead to the reopening of the whole question. That could
easily create difficulties. So he himself took Abu Bakr's hand and pledged
loyalty to him. Others followed his example. Men from all sides rushed to pledge
loyalty to the successor of the Prophet. Abu Bakr became Caliph by the general
consent of the people.
The
First Address
On the following day, Abu
Bakr went to the Prophet's mosque Here people took the general oath of loyalty.
When this was over, Abu Bakr mounted the pulpit as the Caliph of Islam. Then he
spoke to the gathering as follows:
"O people, I have been elected your
leader, although I am not better than anyone from among you. If I do any good,
give me your support. If I go wrong, set me right. Listen, truth is honesty and
untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes, as long as I
do not get them their due, Allah willing. The powerful among you are weak in my
eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others, Allah
willing."
"Listen, if people give up striving for the cause of Allah,
Allah sends down disgrace on them. If a people become evil doers, Allah sends
down calamities on them."
"Listen, you must obey me as long as I obey
Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey Allah and His Messenger, you are free to
disobey me."
Such was the Magna Carta granted by the first Caliph of
Islam to his people, on the first day of his rule, without their asking. Abu
Bakr showed by his example that in Islam government means government of the
people, by the people and for the people.
Ali's
Delay
Four or six months Ali and some of his relatives did
not pledge loyalty to Abu Bakr. That was because of a difference of opinion with
the Caliph. The holy Prophet had some land at Medina and Khaibar. His daughter,
Fatima, and his uncle, Abbas, laid claim to this land. But Abu Bakr set aside
the claim, in the light of what the holy Prophet himself had said. "We Prophets
cannot be inherited," was his saying; "whatever we leave behind is public
property."
Fatima new nothing of this saying of her father. She thought
she was perfectly right in her claim. This created a little bitterness in her
mind, and the mind of her husband, Ali. The hypocrites were quick to add to the
misunderstanding.
But Abu Bakr and Ali were equally unselfish. During
Fatima's illness, Abu Bakr himself went to see her and cleared away the
misunderstanding. After her death, Ali went to Abu Bakr and said, "O Siddiq, we
admit your superiority. We do not envy the position Allah has given you. But as
relatives of the holy Prophet, we thought Caliphate to be our right. You had
taken away this right of ours."
These words brought tears in Abu Bakr's
eyes and he said, "By Allah, the relatives of the Prophet are dearer to me than
my own relatives."
The assurance satisfied Ali. He went to the mosque
and publicly took the pledge of loyalty.
Usama's
Expedition
Some weeks before his death, the holy Prophet
has nominated Usama to lead an expedition against Syria. He was to avenge the
death of his father, Zaid, the freed slave of the holy Prophet. Zaid was killed
by the Syrians in the battle of Muta. The preparations of the expedition were
under way when the holy Prophet fell seriously ill and passed away. That help up
Usama's expedition for some weeks. As soon as Abu Bakr became Caliph, the first
thing he thought of was the sending out of the expedition.
The death of
the holy Prophet led some people to think that Islam was going to end with him.
Many tribes had entered the fold of Islam only a short time before. They were by
no means firm in the new faith. Many of them, now, showed signs of bolting out
of the fold of Islam. Abu Bakr was facing a difficult situation.
But Abu
Bakr had to carry out the commands of the Prophet at all costs. He was
determined to send out the expedition planned by the Messenger of Allah. Some of
the companions said that he had better drop the idea for the time being. Trouble
was brewing all around, they said. It was unwise to send troups out when they
were urgently needed at home. But Abu Bakr would not listen to them. "How can I
fold up the flag," he asked, "which the holy Prohet himself unfurled? It is
simply unthinkable."
Then someone suggested that Usama was too raw - he
was below twenty - to lead the expedition. It was wiser to put a more
experienced man in command. The suggestion made Abu Bakr angry. "What right have
I," he demanded, "to dismiss a man appointed by the Messenger of Allah?"
So the expedition left under Usama, about three weeks after the passing away of
the holy Prophet. Abu Bakr accompanied Usama some distance out of Medina. The
youthful commander was riding a horse, while the Caliph walked by his side.
Usama said, "O successor of the holy Prophet, you also get on a horse and allow
men to get down."
"By Allah," replied Abu Bakr, "I will agree to neither
of the two things. What harm is there is there if a little dust falls on my
feet, while I go some steps in the way of Allah? For every step one takes in
Allah's way, one gets the reward of seven hundred good deeds."
Omar was
also one of the men under Usama's command. But Abu Bakr needed him, at Medina,
for purposed of advice. So he made a request to Usama, to allow Omar to remain
in Medina. The request was granted.
Before the Caliph bade farewell to
Usama, he gave him much useful advice. Some of it was:
"Look! Be not
dishonest. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate
anyone. Do not kill the aged, the children and the women. Do not set fire to
date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a
camel, except for purposes of food. You will come across people who have give up
the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone."
Usama's
expedition proved very successful. He raided the frontier districts of Syria and
was back in Medina after forty days.
The expedition had another good
result. It proved an eye-opener to those who thought Islam was dying out. They
had a clear proof that Islam was still able to challenge one of the greatest
powers of the world. This overawed the wavering tribes. Some of the tribes which
had left Islam actually, rentered its fold.
The Imposters
A bu Bakr soon
found the country in the grip of a civil war. The outlying provinces, like Nejd,
were the first to create trouble. They had accepted Islam when it seemed to be
the only safest way to follow. They knew nothing of the true spirit of Islam.
For centuries they had known no outside authority. They were wont to be as free
as the winds that sweep across the desert. Islam put them under discipline. They
had to live by the moral laws of Islam. The drinking and gambling of the "days
of ignorance" were no more. The wild spirit of the desert rebelled against this
moral control. It saw its oppurtunity in the death of the holy Prophet. Now was
the time to throw off the yoke of Islam.
The one thing which was
especially irk-some to the chiefs of these tribes was the poor-rate. The
government at Medina took away from them, each year, two and a half per cent of
their total wealth. True, this money was spent on the poor of their own tribe.
But all the same, it was a burden on their pockets. If only Medina would stop
collecting the poor-rate, they could continue to be Muslims. Many chiefs made
this decision known to the Caliph.
A more serious trouble also raised
its head at the same time. People who had spent no time with the holy Prophet,
nor studied him closely, thought of him as a mere ruler. The more clever among
such people began to dream of a similar career. "All we have to do," they
thought to themselves, "is to claim to be prophets and get a following." Thus
they hoped to rise to power and fame. Many a cunning man fell prey to this
ambition. Presently, a host of imposters appeared in different parts of Arabia.
They all claimed to be apostles of Allah. Firm
Action
The situation was serious. Utmost care was needed
to handle it. Abu Bakr called a meeting of the Advisory Counsel and sought its
advice. Many of the members were for slow action. "It is not wise," they said,
"to start fighting on all fronts at one and the same time. Ignore those, for the
time being, who refuse to pay the poor-rate. We can settle with them when
imposters have been dealt with."
Abu Bakr would not listen to such
counsel. "By Allah," he declared, "even if a single kid is due from a man, he
must give it. If he refuses. I will wage war against him. If others do not
support me, I will fight alone. No one has the power to change a commandment of
Allah."
However, the situation was extremely difficult. Among the
non-payers of the poor-rate were the neighbouring tribes of Abs and Zabyan, Asad
and Toy. They thought of squeezing a concession from the Caliph before Usma's
army was back in Medina. They sent a deputation to the Caliph, offering to stay
withing the fold of Islam if they were exempted from paying the
poor-rate.
True to his mettle, Abu Bakr firmly turned down the proposal.
At the same time, he set about strengthening the defences of Medina, for he
expected a treacherous attack from the rebel tribes.
On the third night
the treacherous blow came. But Abu Bakr was ready for it. He hit back so hard
that the enemy fled back headlong.
In a few days Usama was back in
Medina. The Caliph decided to march in person against the treacherous tribes.
People begged him not to risk his life but Abu Bakr would not listen. Leaving
Usama in Medina as his deputy, the Caliph led an army against Abs and Zabyan and
utterly defeated these tribes. Their pastures were taken over for army
use.
This firm action on the part of the Caliph convinced many a waverer
that it was impossible to accept part of Islam and reject part of it. That saved
the integrity of Islam as a way of life. Abu Bakr's invincible faith helped
Islam keep its foundation in tact.
War on Imposters
It was now
time to strike at the imposters. Usama's army had rested and was ready to go
into action again. Abu Bakr marched the army about twelve miles along the road
to Nejd. Here he divided it into eleven battalions. Each battalion was put under
the command of an experienced commander. The commanders were then told to march
against different imposters.
Before these armies left, a general warning
was given to the imposters and their followers. They were assured of pardon if
they came back to Islam. The Caliph gave the following instructions to his
commanders:
"I request the soldiers of Islam to fear Allah, under all
conditions. They should do their best to obey the commandments of Allah. They
should fight against those who have left Islam and have fallen in the trap of
the devil. But before taking out swords, they must declare the message of Islam.
If the apostates accept it, they must at once hold back their hands. But if the
message is rejected, they must attack and fight till these people give up
disbelief. When the apostates re-enter the fold of Islam, the commander of the
Muslim army must explain to them their rights and duties under Islam. They
should be given their rights and should be made to do their duties. The
commander should keep his men from hasty action and mischief. He should avoid a
headlong plunge into enemy settlements. He should rather enter them after making
sure of all precautions, lest Muslims suffer a loss. Whether he is on the march
of in the camp, the commander should be kind and considerate towards his men. He
should look to their comfort and should be gentle in speech."
The Caliph
explained these instructions to the commanders. Then they led their battalions
against the several imposters.
Abu Bakr then came back to Medina. He had
already forced the waverers among Muslims to pay Zakat (the poor-rate). Now he
launched an all-out attack on imposters and their followers.
Talaiha
Taliaha was one
of the imposters. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Asad. On return from the last
pilgramage, he laid claim to prophethood. All his tribesman became his
followers. The tribes of Tay and Ghatfan were the allies of Banu Asad. They also
joined the imposter. With his huge following, Talaiha was encamping at the
Bazakha spring in Nejd. Khalid bin Walid defeated the imposter who fled to
Syria. Afterwards, he again became a Muslim. He served in the Muslim army during
the Iraqi campaign and tried to make amends for his past sins.
Malik bin
Nawirah
Khalid next marched against Malik bin Nawirah. He
was the chief of the trib of Banu Tamim. He had stopped the payment of the
poor-rate and had made war on the Muslims of his tribe. Hearing of Khalid's
approach, he disbanded his men. Khalid put him and his men under arrest. The
night happened to be unusually cold and the prisoners started shivering. The
matter was reported to Khalid who ordered that they be warmed up. But the Arabic
phrase for "warming up" also means "salying". Misunderstanding the order, the
guards put Malik and his men to the sword.
In the morning when Khalid
came to know of Maliks's fate, he felt very sorry. But there was nothing he
could do about it. "When Allah has ordained a thing," he said, "it does come to
pass." Complaints reached the Caliph that Khalid had not acted on his
instructions in this particular case. There was a demand that Khalid be punished
for the hasty act. Abu Bakr himself paid bloodmoney for Malik bin Nawirah.
"Khalid is the sword of Allah," he said. "This sword has flashed against the
disbelievers. Who am I to make it disappear?"
Musailma the Liar
Musailma
was the most cunning of all imposters. He belonged to Yamama. When he learnt of
the serious illness of the holy Prophet, he wrote him a letter, saying, "Allah
has made me your partner in prophethood. Let us divide the earth between
ourselves." To this the holy Prophet replied, "To Musailma the Liar! Surely the
earth belongs to Allah. He grants possession of it to those of His servants whom
He likes."
The death of the holy Prophet gave Musailma the oppurtunity.
He collected a large army. This army had first to deal with an impostress -
Sajah by name. She ws a Christian. After the death of the holy Prophet, she laid
claim to prophethood, "why should all prophets be men?" she said. "In me Allah
has now sent a woman prophet." She raised a big army and was marching towards
Medina. On the way she came across Musailma's forces. The shrewd imposter at
once saw that Sajah was a serious rival. He also felt that he could not defeat
her on the battlefield. So he started a love affair, Sajah easily fell into the
trap. The two were married. Now Musailma had a huge army, 4,000 strong, under
his command.
The battalion under Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was to attack
Musailma. The battalion under Shurjil was to reinforce it. Ikrama had orders to
wait for the reinforcement. But, hoping to get the whole credit for himself,
Ikrama did not wait for Shurjil. He attacked Musailma and was badly beaten. The
news made Abu Bakr sad. He at once wrote to Khalid bin Walid to deal with
Musailma. The combined battalions of Khalid and Shurjil now fell upon the
imposter. Musailma fought desperatley. Once his men reached the very tent of
Khalid. But Khalid kept his nerve. He rallied his men and himself led a final
attack. Confounded by the suddenness of the attack, Musailma's men took to
flight. The imposter and a few of his companions hid themselves in a fortified
garden but the Muslim warriors threw open the gates. The infamous imposter and
his friends were all put to the sword. Among those who killed Musailma was
Wahshi, the negro slave who had killed Hamza, the uncle of the holy Prophet at
Ohud. He had done this to win his freedom. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had
promised to buy him his freedom if he slew Hamza. After the fall of Mecca,
Wahshi became a Muslim. The Holy Prophet forgave him but said, "Please Wahshi,
keep out of my sight. You remind me of my dear uncle."
Wahshi had always
felt sorry for his sin. He wanted to wash it out. The battle against Musailma
gave him his chance. His javelin was in search of the imposter. With great skill
he sank the poisoned end of his javelin into the imposter. The wretch gave a
yell and fell to the ground. The next moment his head was cut off. "Thank
Allah!" exclaimed Wahshi, "I have been able to make some amends for my
sin."
Musailma belonged to the tribe of Banu Hanifa. Orders were
received from the Caliph that all mean of the tribe who had taken up arms
against Islam should be put to death. But Khalid had already promised to spare
their lives. So his wod was honored and the whol tribe re-imbraced
Islam.
Bahrain
The people of Bahrain
embraced Islam in the lifetime of the holy Prophet. After his death a powerful
tribe, Banu Bakr, threw off the yoke of Islam and started fighting against
Muslims. Abu Bakr sent a battalino under Ala bin Hadrami, to deal with the rebel
tribe. The Banu Bakr were defeated. Their leader, Hatim, was killed. Bahrain was
once again secure under Muslim rule.
Some tribes of Omman also gave up
Islam. The generals of Abu Bakr brought them all back into the fold of
Islam.
Thus in a few months Abu Bakr was able to put down the
country-wide rising caused by imposters. Khalid bin Walid did more than any
other man to make this possible.
The Era of Conquest Begins
The
kings of Iran had done all they could to crush Islam. In fact, the infamous
Khusro Parvez had ordered the arrest of the holy Prophet. But a few days after,
he was killed by his own son, Sharuya. Since that day, Iran had known no peace.
Abu Bakr had to take account of the ever-present danger on the eastern
frontiers.
In the first month of the year 12 A.H., Khalid bin Walid was
sent with an army to challenge the might of Iran. Another army under Qaqaa bin
Amr was to reinforce him. Khalid was to attack Kamla, the southern outpost of
the Iranian empire.
A second army, under Ayaz bin Ghanam, was to strike
at the norther boundary of Iraq.
According to the Islamic practice,
Khalid addressed the following letter to Hurmuz, the Iranian Commander: "Accept
Islam and you will be safe. If not, agree to pay the jizya or you will have to
repent. I am bringing against you a people who love death as you love
life."
The proud Iranian Commander paid no heed to the warning. He was
slain in the battle that followed. The Iranian army was utterly routed. After
this a number of well-known Iranian generals came to fight Khalid. Bahman and
Jahan were two of them. But they all met defeat. The Iranian losses were
heavy.
Hira, on the Iranian border, ws the stronghold of the Christian
Arabs. They had so far fought on the Iranian side. Khalid conquered Hira. Soon
after, the other frontier chiefs also submitted to Khalid.
After Hira,
Khalid conquered Anbar and Ain-ut-Tamr, two important outposts of the Iranian
empire. He now received a letter from Ayaz, calling him to his help in North
Iraq. Ayaz was hard pressed at Dumat-ul-Jundal. Khalid rushed to his help and
sent the following message to Ayaz:
"Wait for a while. Camels carrying
fierce lions are shortly reaching. Wave after wave of troops are on their
way."
One of the enemy generals, Akidar, knew from his own experience
how impossible it was to halt Khalid's attack. He advised the other generals to
stop fighting against the Muslims. When the advice went unheeded, he quietly
left. His friends saw the truth of his remarks when they met humiliating
engagement took place at Faraz. A huge force made of Iranians and Arabs crosed
the Euphrates. On the 15th of Dhul-Qaad, 12 A.H., Khalid routed this host at
Faraz. From here he went back to Hira.
Khalid's
Exploits
Abu Bakr had no more than ten thousand troops
when he took over as Caliph. With this small force, he had to put down a
country-wide revolt. To all appearance the task was hopeless. But Abu Bakr met
with amazing success. Much of this success was due to his unshakable faith in
Allah. "Islam is the path of truth revealed by Allah," he said, "so Allah must
defend it against enemies." It was not so much on troops as on Allah's help that
Abu Bakr depended. Results proved that he was right in his faith.
There
was, however, another important factor which helped Abu Bakr. This was Khalid
bin Walid, the greatest general of Islam. His tact and courage made the small
forces of Islam look ten times stronger. The results were simply astonishing.
With a handful of troops Khalid was able not only to overcome all internal
enemies but also to make Arabia safe for Islam. He was then able to jump on Iraq
and win it for Islam. From Iraq he marched against the Byzantine forces and put
them to rout. All this took place in the space of two years. Throughout the
campaign not even once did Khalid meet with a reverse. By forced marches, he
often gave a surprise to the enemy and did not rest till he overpowered them.
This made Khalid the dread of the enemy. The truth is that Khalid's exploits put
to shame the victories of an Alexander or a Napolean.
Allah's Sword
Khalid bin Walid
was born a general. At Ohud, he fought on the side of the Quraish. It was he who
turned the tide of that battle. Muslim victory was clearly in sight. Quraish
leaders were on the run. Suddenly Khalid saw the pass at the back of the Muslim
army undefended. At the head of a strong party, he dashed through the pass and
took the army of Islam by surprise.
After the peace of Hudaibiya Khalid
embraced Islam. His military talent soon began to outshine others. The Holy
Prophet at once saw his worth and gave him the title of "Saif Allah" or "Allah's
Sword." But it was not till Islam overleaped the boundaries of Arabia that the
world saw Khalid's unequalled military talent.
Abu Bakr was quick to see
Khalid's ability. So he put him in charge of the Iraqi campaign. Khalid's
exploits in this campaign have few equals in history. In about eleven months, he
over-ran the whole of Iraq and brought it under the banner of Islam. He had no
more than ten thousand men. With this small force he defeated hosts twenty times
as big. These hosts had superior arms and equipment. But Khalid knew how to win
with smaller numbers and inferior arms.
In Iraq Khalid fought fifteen
battles in all. He won complete victory in all of them. He never allowed the
standard of Islam to leave the battlefield until the enemy was completely
beaten. Towards the later part of the campaign, Khalid became the dread of the
enemy. The mere fact that Khalid commanded an army made the enemy
tremble.
A Good Administrator
Khalid was not only a great conqueror but also a first-rate administrator.
He saw to it that things were managed well in the cities and territories he
conquered. He never marched on until this had been done. He left behind a deputy
to look after things. He also appointed a judge to settle people's disputes.
Khalid was extremely kind hearded and just to the people. His
army had strict orders not to do any harm to farmers and other civilians. "They
are the real strength of society," he said. "They should always be treated with
kindness and respect." This was something new for the conquered people. The
Iranian and Byzantine officers had been very hard on them. Khalid's treatment
won their hearts. So much so that they came to hate their old
masters.
Hard on the Enemy
Khalid was very hard on people who took up arms against Islam. He believed that
such people should have only two choices. They should either give in or fight to
death. If they fled from the battlefield, he would not let them go. He followed
them wherever they went, until they either begged for mercy or were killed.
This policy of Khalid proved very sound. He dealt with the beaten enemy
once and for all. He did not allow them to take up arms a second time. Muslim
forces were too small to deal with repeated risings.
There is
hardly another general in history who combines as many qualities as Khalid.
Khalid is unquestionable the greates general produces by Islam.
War with
Byzantian
The need for military
operations against Byzantium began to be felt in the life-time of the Holy
Prophet. So Abu Bakr was bound to do something about this danger. In the year 13
A.H., he prepared a big army and divided it into four battalions. Each battalion
was put under a separate commander. Each of them was to strike at a different
point on the Syrian border. Abu Obaida bin Jarrah was to march on Hims, Amr bin
al-Aas on Palestine, Yazid bin Abi Sufyan on Damascus and Shurjil bin Hasna on
Jordan.
These battalions were to strike at the enemy at once and
the same time. The aim was to keep the enemy from hitting with full force on
anyone of the battalions.
Before these armies left, Abu Bakr gave the
following instructions to their commanders:
1. Always fear Allah.
He knows what is in men's hearts.
2. Be kind to the men under you and
treat them well.
3. Directions given should be brief. If too long,
they are likely to be forgotten.
4. Improve your conduct first;
others will improve when they see your example>
5. Honor the
representatives of the enemy.
6. Keep your own arrangement a
secret.
7. Be always truthful so you can get good advice.
8.
At night when you are free, sit among your men. This will keep you in touch
with them.
9. Make good arrangements for the watch and ward of the
army.
10. Keep away from untruthful men. Be intimate with truthful and
faithful companions.
11. Be sincere to all whom you have dealings.
12. Beward of cowardice and dishonesty.
13. You will come across
people who have given up the world and are spending their days in place of
worship. Leave such people alone.
The news of the Muslim invasion upset
Emperor Heracleus. He was in Jerusalem at that time. He sought the advice of his
nobles. He himself was in favor of coming to terms with the Muslims. "It is
better to give up half of Syria," he said, "than lose the whole of it." To this
the nobles did not agree.
So four huge armies were sent by the
emperor to fight the Muslims. His own brother was leading one of the armies.
Each army was several times more numerous than the Muslim army it had to fight.
This made the Muslim commanders give thought to the matter. They met together
for mutual counsel. One of them pinpointed the folly of fighting separately. "We
will be crushed under the sheer weight of numbers," he said, "if we fight
separately." The other generals saw the point. They agreed upon a plan to merge
the four battalions into a single army. Thus, they thought, the Muslim army
would stop looking too small in its own eyes. They informed the Caliph of their
decision. He approved of it and sent the following written message:
"Muslims can never be defeated because of small numbers. But
if their own sins overwhelm them, they will meet defeat. So let you all keep
away from sins of all kinds."
The Battle of Yarmuk
Heraclius learnt that the
four Muslim armies had merged into one. He also ordered a smiliar move. The four
Byzantine armies combined to fomr a gigantic mass of men. They dug up trenches
in the valley of Yarmuk. By the Caliph's orders the Muslim forces, too, took up
position on the opposite side. For weeks the two armies lay facing each other.
Neither of the two sides dared to touch on the fighting.
The
Byzantine forces had every advantage on their side. In addition to numbers, they
had the river in front and the mountains at their back. So the Muslim commanders
requested the Caliph for reinforcements. HE at once wrote to Khalid to rush to
Syria.
Khalid handed over the charge of affairs in Iraq to
Muthanna bin Haritha. He then hastened to Syria at the head of ten thousand men.
Despite all his haste, Khalid conquered many forts and cities on the way. At
last he reached Yarmuk. Almost at the same time, the Byzantine army received a
reinforcement. The brought their total strength to two hundred and forty
thousand. The Muslim army numbered just thirty-six thousand.
Khalid Reorganizes the Army
Khalid at once saw that he must properly organize the army, in order
to win. It meant a single command, in place of the four commands. So he called
the other commanders and said, "We are fighting for the sake of the faith. We
must all forget ourselves. We cannot afford to be split under many commanders.
That would be a help to the enemy. Let there be just one commander, by turns if
you please. If you agree to that let me be the commander for the first day of
the battle."
All liked the plan. Khalid took the chief command. He
divided the army into several sections. Each section was put under a commander.
It was further subdivided into many troops, each with a leader. Abu Sufyan was
appointed the fiery herald. He went about the army, speaking words of courage to
men.
As the two armies stood facing each other, a Muslim soldier
remarked. "How numerous the enemy is!" Khalid overheard the remark. "It is not
the numbers that matter," he exlaimed, "it is rather the final outcome of the
battle."
At long last the battle began. Khalid took some troops with
him. He made a wild charge and was soon in the heart of enemy forces. He
succeeded in driving a wedge between the enemy cavalry and infantry. The two
were cut off from each other.
Fighting
unto Death
Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was fighting at Yarmuk.
Soon after the battle began, the Muslim troops began to real under the weight of
numbers. Ikrama saw this. "Heretofore I fought all battles against the Apostle
of Allah," he shouted out. "This is the first time I am fighting for the cause
of Allah. In no casse will I turn my back on the battlefield. Now who are going
to fight unto death with me?"
Saying this, Ikrama held out his hand to
receive the pledge of others. His son, Amr, was the first go give the pledge. He
was followed by four hundred more. Like wild cats, these men pounced upon the
enemy hordes. They dealt such telling blows that the sea of man cleared before
them. Their desperate attack caused confusion among enemy ranks.
Rout of the Enemy
Soon the
enemy cavalry found itself walled between Khalid's troops and the main Muslim
army. Confusion spread and they fled. The Muslim army made was for them to
flee.
Now Khalid fell on the enemy infrantry. THe shield of the cavalry
being no more, the infantry was take by surprise. In utter confusion it fell
back. But the mountain blocked the way. In despair men ran back to the river.
Here a watery death awaited them. Most of the men had tied themselves with iron
chains to rule out the possibility of flight. The chains proved traps of death.
When a few of the men fell into the river, they also dragged their companions
into the watery grave. According to one estimate, one hundred and twenty
thousand of them were drowned in the river. The Byzantine rout was complete. The
Muslims loss was three thousand killed.
Women's Courage
Muslim women played a notable role in this battle. They formed a battalion
which stood at the back of the army. They supplied water to the men. They also
dressed their wounds. They shouted words of courage when the army showed signs
of weakness. These words put a new heart into retreating men. They dashed forth
like lightning and sowed death among enemy lines.
The Byzantine army at
first forced the Muslims to fall back. Muslim women stood on a bridge. Khalid
came to them and said, "O daughters of Islam, if anyone turns his back on the
battlefield, kill him at once."
The women did what Khalid bade them to
do. They stood at their post of duty. They had stones at their post of duty.
They had stones in their hands and their eyes were fixed on the battlefield. If
anyone fled for life, he was met by a shower of stones. Back he ran into the
thick of battle and fought to the last.
Many Muslim
soldiers had brought their families with them. The women stayed in tents at the
back of the troops. Their words of courage for the brave and their taunts for
the weak of heart, made a real difference in the tempo of fighting and in the
outcome of the battle. Victory of Yarmuk was in no small measure due to the
courage of Muslim women.
Two
Great Martyrs
On the following morning Khalid
took stock of his losses. Ikrama and his son, Amr, were brought to him. They
were seriously wounded. Their condition was grave. Khalid put their heads on his
lap. In a few minutes, the souls of both of them winged their way to heaven.
Ikrama was the son of Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam. When Mecca
fell, Ikrama fled away for fear of life. But hearing that the Prophet had
forgiven all enemies, he came back to Mecca. To his surprise, the Prophet ran
out to greet him. From that day on, Ikrama was a true son of Islam. He laid down
his life fighting for the glory of Islam.
Unparalleled
Selflessness of Khalid
The battle of Yarmuk was
on when a letter arrived from Medina. It was delivered to Khalid. It said that
Abu Bakr had passed away and Omar has succeded him as Caliph. IT also said that
the new Caliph had dismissed Khalid from his command and replaced him by Abu
Obaida bin Jarrah. Khalid read the letter. He then informed Obaida that the
command had passed to him. But the news was not made public, lest the army
should lose heart. The letter had no effect whatever on Khalid. He went on
fighting as desperatley as ever.
After the battle was over,
Khalid's dismissale became known. Someone said to him, "How is it that the news
did not damp your spirit at all?" "I was not fighting for Omar," replied Khalid,
"I was fighting for the cause of Allah."
Abu Bakr's Last
Illness
On the 7th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 13
A.H., Abu Bakr was taken ill. He had sever fever. Everything was done to bring
down the fever, but all in vain. It became clear to the aged Caliph that his end
was come.
Even in these last days, the thought that troubled Abu Bakr
was the future of Islam. He wanted to make sure that nothing would go wrong with
the affairs of Muslims, after he was no more. He had to spend every ounce of his
energy to put down the violent storms of unrest that broke loose after the
Prophet's death. He did not want this to happen after his own
death.
Omar's Nomination
Welfare of Muslims had always been the first care of Abu Bakr. He would allow
nothing that made Islam weak. The thing he feared most was division among
Muslims. He remembered what had happened after the death of the Holy Prophet. He
wanted to make sure that no differences should divide Muslims after he was no
more. Unity was the secret strength. Unity must be had at any price.
As his sickness grew, Abu Bakr gave more and more thought to the matter. Who
should be the Caliph after him? Should he himself name the best man? Or should
he leave the matter to the people? In the latter case, quarrels might arise.
These would certainly shake the very foundations of Islam. IT was too great a
risk. Abu Bakr was not willing to take that risk.
After careful
thought, he chose to nominate Omar. He put his proposal before the leading
Companions. Most of them liked the proposal. But someone said, "Omar is no doubt
the best man, but he is rather too strict."
To this Abu Bakr replied,
"As soon as the burden of Caliphate falls on his shoulders, he will become more
mild."
When all Companions agreed, Abu Bakr called Othman. He
dictated to him Omar's nomination. It was read out to the people. It said:
"This is the will of Abu Bakr, the Caliph of the Holy Prophet. He
is making the will when he is about to leave for the next world. This is the
time when even a non-believer begins to believe and even a sinner begins to
trust in Allah. I appoint Omar bin Khattab as your ruler. In appointing him, I
have kept your welfare fully in mind. I hope he will be truthful and just. But
if he leaves his path and becomes unjust, I know nothing about the unseen, I
have only the well-being of Muslims at heart. Everybody is responsible for what
he does."
The will was read out to the people. After this Abu
Bakr went to the top of his house, supported by two men. Addressing the people
he said:
"My brethren in-faith, I have not appointed any of my own
brothers and relatives as your Caliph. I have appointed a man who is the fittest
person among you. Do you approve of him?"
"Of course we
do," went up a shout from hundreds of men.
Next he called Omar to his bedside and spoke to him thus:
"Omar! I
have nominated you my successor. My parting advice is that you fear Allah and
work for the well-being of the Muslims. Remember, Omar, the duties you own to
Allah are to be discharged at the proper time. Some of these are to be
discharged at night and some during the day time. First things must come first.
On the Day of Judgment only those will come out successful whose good deeds are
weighty. Those whose evil deeds out-weigh the good deeds, will have a terrible
time. For success and salvation, you have to make the Qur'an and the truth your
guides. You know, Omar, that the verses of the Qur'an speak of good reward and
punishment side by side. This is to put the fear of Allah in the believer's
heart and to make him pray for forgiveness. Omar, when you read in the Qur'an
about the inmate of fire, pray to Allah not to make you one of them. But when
you read about the dwellers of Paradise, pray for being one of them Omar, if you
follow the path I have chalked out fo ryou, you will find me by your side."
When OMar had left the dying Caliph raised his
hands in prayer and said:
"Lord! I have taken this step in the
best interest of the Muslims. I feared disunion among them, so I took this step,
the consequences of which are best known to You. After careful thought I have
appointed a man who is the sinceristy and the most energetic worker for the
well-being of the people. I am at death's door now, so help the Muslims, Lord
after I am no more. THye are Your servants. Their future is in Your hands. Lord,
keep their rules on the right path. Make Omar one of the noblest Caliphs and
help the Muslims help him."
Abu
Bakr Passes Away
After an illness of two weeks,
Abu Bakr passed away. He was sixty-three at the time. He was buried by the side
of the Holy Prophet.
Before his death he said, "Do not use new cloth
to cover my dead body. The sheet of cloth I have on will do for me. Wash it
clean."
"But this is too old and
worn, father," said his daughter Aisha.
"This old and worn
sheet will do for me," he replied.
This parting wish was acted
upon. The second wish of the dying Caliphs was, "Sell my land and pay back in
the public treasury all the money I got as my salary." This was also done.
Before he became the Caliph, Abu Bakr was a well-to-day merchant. The affairs of
the Caliphate left him no time to look after his own business. The matter was
put before the Companions. They allowed the Caliph a salary of six thousand
dirhams a year. All this money was paid back to the Bait-ul-Mal (the Public
Treasury) after the Caliph's death.
Thus Abu Bakr, the first
Caliph, left behind a noble example of selfless service. He lived and worked for
Islam to the last breath. And for his tireless labors, he sought no worldly
reward.
Two Years of Abu Bakr's
Calpihate
Abu Bakr was Caliph for only two
years, three months and ten days. This was a relatively short period of time in
the life of people. But during this short period, Abu Bakr was able to do great
things for Islam. These achievements have made his name immortal. They have
placed him among the greatest men of all time.
When Abu Bakr too
over, Islam was confined to Arabia alone. And here, too its hold was rather
shaky. In many parts of the country, Islam was but a name. It was not a way of
life with most people. Scores of tribes had thought of the Holy Prophet has a
mere king. They tried to throw off his yoke as soon as he was no more. Abu Bakr
taught these people a lasting lesson. He taught them that Islam was a way of
life.
Abu Bakr was able to do this because of his unshakable faith.
No difficulties could take him off the path of the Prophet. Usama might be
youthful and inexperienced, but Abu Bakr would not hear a word against him. He
was appointed by the Prophet. There might be rising in the country, but Abu Bakr
would not put off the expedition to Tabuk. The Prophet had ordered it. Abu Bakr
stood unequalled in his love for Allah and His Apostle. This was the secret of
his unbending strength. It was this inner strength that carried him through the
darkest hours of his Caliphate.
Abu Bakr was as sincere as he was
firm in faith. He lived up to every word of what he said at the beginning of his
Caliphate. He was never anything but the faithful agent of Allah and His
Apostle, and the humblest servant of his people. It was this fact which won him
the deepest love and respect for all classes of his people. The result was that
Islam took an unshakable hold on the coutrny of its birth. Soon it gathered
enough strength to overlap its boundaries. It struck at the two most feared
powers of the time. And lo! it was successful. Abu Bakr had put Islam on the
road to worldwide expansion.
Islam means
total submission to the will of Allah. It means that utter absence of all
selfishness. The Holy Prophet showed by his example hwo that goal could be
reached. He showed how the power of the State should not be used for private
ends but for the public good. Abu Bakr was the first among his followers to live
up to the Prophet's example. He go tno personal gain out of the Caliphate. He
spent every minuted of the last two years of life in the service of his people,
but got not a penny as wages.
Abu Bakr had several sons and many near
relatives. For public offices, he did not choose anyone of them. He rather chose
other people who were more fit for public service. He had to nominate his own
successor to prevent quarrels. But his choice fell on none of his own relatives.
His choice was rather the man whom he honestly believed to be the best among the
Companions. All the same, he did not force his choice on people. He put his
proposal before the Companions. When they had agreed to it, he put it before the
people.
In short, Abu Bakr showed the
world what government of the people, for the people, and by the people really
meant. Neither the East nor the West had ever known such a form of government
before. The mighty empires of Iran and Byzantium were based upon naked
force.
In short Abu Bakr kept going the great work of the
Prophet. For that he had to fight hard. He fought with a will and with a faith
that amazed everyone. Islam is for ever gratefule to him for the great services
he rendered to it.
SIDDIQ Radhia Allahu Anaha
Starting
Life
"No one has been a better companion to me than Abu
Bakr," said the holy Prophet in his last sermon.
A great reward indeed! Abu Bakr had earned it. All his life
he stood by the side of the Prophet. He did not care for his life. He did not
care for his riches. He did not care for what others said about him. His only
ambition was to serve the Prophet more than anyone else. The cost did not
matter. The ambition was fulfilled. And Abu Bakr got his reward in full. The
Messenger of Allah was well pleased with him. He gave him the first place among
the Companions. Abu Bakr was to be the first man to fill the place of the
Prophet. He was also to lie in eternal rest by the prophet's side.
Abu
Bakr was two years younger than the Prophet. His parents named him Abdul Kaaba,
which means the servant of the Kaaba. When he became a Muslim, the Prophet
changed his pagan name to Abdullah. Howevr, in early youth he had adopted the
surname of Abu Bakr. He had come to be known by this name among people. Even to
this day, the world generally knows him as Abu Bakr.
The name of Abu
Bakr's father was Uthman, but he was known as Abu Qahafa. Salma was Abu Bakr's
mother. She was also known as Umm-ul-Khair. Abu Bakr belonged to a branch of the
Quraish.
From early years, Abu Bakr was known for good and upright
nature. He was honest and truthful. He came of a noble family. These things won
him respect among the people. His goodness also won him the friendship of young
Muhammad (Peace be Upon him). The two became fast friends in early boyhood. The
friendship was to prove lifelong and history-making.
When he grew up,
Abu Bakr became a rich merchang. But he used to be very kind-hearted. When he
saw someone in trouble, his heart melted. He did his best to help him. If his
money could remove suffering, he did not care home much he had to spend. Once he gave away
thirty-five dirhams out of his total fortune of forty thousand. He was so honest
in his dealings that people kept their money with him. Above all, Abu Bakr had a
sincere heart and a firm will. Nothing could stop him from doing what he thought
was the right thing to do.
These great qualities were soon to serve the
noblest cause known to the world. Abu Bakr was to become the strongest supporter
of the Redeemer of mankind. He was to become the first among the Companions. He
was to make Arabia and thereby the world safe for Islam after the Prophet has
passed away.
Service
to the Prophet First among Men
Abu Bakr was always very close to the holy Prophet. He knew him better than
any other man. He knew how honest and upright his friend had always been. So he
was the first among men to believe in the Prophet's mission. He was the first
adult male to accept Islam. After the first revalation, the holy Prophet told
him what had happened at Mount Hira. He told him that Allah had made him His
Messenger. Abu Bakr did not stop to think. He at once became a Muslim. Once the
holy Prphet himself remarked, "I called people to Islam. Everybody thought over
it, at least for a while. But this was not the case with Abu Bakr. The moment I
put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation."
Abu Bakr
did more than that. As soon as he became a Muslim, he began to preach Islam to
others. He had many friends. The friends knew that Abu Bakr was sincere and
truthful. They knew he would never support a wrong cause. He called them to
Islam and they became Muslims. Among them were men like Uthman, Zubair, Talha,
Abdur Rahman bin Auf and Saad bin Waqqas. These men later became the pillars of
Islam.
The holy Prophet called at Abu Bakr's house every day. The two
sad down and thought out ways of spreading Islam. Together they went to people
and places and delivered the message of Allah. Wherever the holy Prophet went,
Abu Bakr went with him.
Risks His Life
The messge of Islam made
the people of Mecca very angry. The idols were their gods. The holy Prophet
openly mocked at these gods. He declared they could do neither any good nore
harm. Among the chiefs of Mecca was one Abu Jahl. He became the greatest enemy
of the holy Prophet. He was always on the lookout to hurt him or even kill him,
if he could. Abu Bakr kept an eye on this man, lest he should do a grave harm to
Islam.
One day the holy Prophet was saying his prayers in the Kaaba. He
was totally lost in the thoughts of Allah. Abu Jahl and some other chiefs of
Mecca were sitting in the courtyard of the Kaaba. "I must finish with Muhammad
today," said Abu Jahl. So saying, he took a long piece of cloth. He put it
around the holy Prophet's neck. Then he twisted it hard. He was going to
strangle the Messenger of Allah to death. The other chiefs looked on and
laughed.
Abu Bakr happened to see this from a distance. He at once ran
to the help of the Prophet. He pushed Abu Jahl aside and took off the cloth from
around the holy Prophet's neck. Thereupon Abu Jahl and other enemies of Islam
came down upon Abu Bakr. They beat him very much. Indeed, the beating was so
severe that Abu Bakr fell down senseless. He was carried home. He could not
regain his senses till after several hours. And when he did come to himself, the
first question he asked was, "Is the Prophet un-hurt?" Abu Bakr did not care for
his own suffering. He was glad that he was able to save the Prophet's life. Abu
Bakr knew full well that if any harm came to the Prophet, the only hope of
mankind would be gone. This made him risk everything he held dear, for the
safety of the Prophet and for the spread of his message.
Liberation of Slaves
As years went by, the people of Mecca became more and more hard
upon the Muslims. They made life difficult for them. Muslim slaves who had
non-Muslim masters were the worst sufferers. They could not run away from their
cruel masters, nor would they give up their faith. The heartless masters tried
all kinds of torture to make them give up Islam. They made them lie, all naked,
on burning sand. Then they put big stones on their chests. The poor slaves
silently bore this all. They had no way of escape. Some of them found escape
only in death.
Abu Bakr's wealth came to the rescue of many helpless
Muslim slaves. He bought them from their inhuman masters and set them free.
Bilal, the negro, was one of such slaves. He was the slave of Omayya bin Khalaf.
Omayya was a heartless man. He would strip Bilal of all clothes, make him lie on
the burning sand at mid-day and then lash him mercilessly. Despite this torture
Bilal would go on saying, "Allah is one! Allah is one!" One day Abu Bakf
happened to pass by. He was greatly moved by the sight. "Why are you so cruel to
this helpless man?" he asked Omayya. "If you feel for him, why don't you buy
him?" retored Omayya. So Abu Bakr at once bought Bilal at a heavy price and set
him free. Bilal afterwards became the well-known "Muazzin" [ one who gives the
call for prayer ] at the Prophet's Mosque.
Migration to
Abyssinia
When Muslims found life difficult
at Mecca, they thought of going to some other land. With the permission of the
holy Prophet, a part of them went to Abyssinia. here they lived in peace. So
many more Muslims followed them.
Being the first man to go over to
Islam, Abu Bakr had brought upon himself the special anger and hatred of the
Meccan chiefs. Soon he felt hard pressed and asked permission of the Holy
Prophet to go to Abyssinia. The permission was granted and Abu Bakr set off on
his journey.
On the way he met the chief of Qara, Ibn-ud-Daghna. "What
place are you bound for, Abu Bakr?" he asked.
"The people of Mecca have
cast me out," replied Abu Bakr. "I am going to Abyssinia. There I will be able
to worship the Lord the way I want to."
"A man like you should not be
cast out," said Ibn-ud-Daghna. "You help the poor. You are kind to those in
trouble. You are so nice to your guests. I will take you back to Mecca on my own
responsibility."
So Abu Bakr ws back at Mecca. Ibn-ud-Daghna declared to
the people that Abu Bakr was under his protection, so no one was to harm him.
The Meccans said that they would let Abu Bakr alone, only if he did not preach
his faith publicly.
Abu Bakr could not act on this condition very long.
Soon he was preaching Islam as openly as ever. The Meccans complained to
Ibn-ud-Daghna. He requested Abu Bakr not to make his position difficult. To this
Abu Bakr replied, "I do not need your protection. Allah is enough for
me."
The
Title of "Siddiq"
In the tenth year of
his mission, the holy Prophet had the Miraj of Ascension. One night the angel
Gabriel came with the word that Allah the Almighty wanted the holy Prophet to
come all the way up to the highest heaven. The holy Prophet undertook the
journey.
In the morning, after the ascension had taken place, the holy
Prophet talked to people about the Miraj. This drew the jeers of his
enemies.
"Look!" the howled out, "what nonsense he talks! Surely, now
his followers too will laugh at him. Who is going to believe in such a midsummer
night dream?"
The talk was going on when Abu Bakr came up. "Do you know,
Abu Bakr, what news your friend has for you in the morning?" said one of the
mean. "He says he was on the highest heaven last night, having a talk with
Allah, the Almighty. Would you believe it?"
"I would believe anything
that the Messenger of Allah says," replied Abu Bakr
When the holy
Prophet learnt of this, he at once said, "Abu Bakr is the `Siddiq'." `Siddiq' is
a person so sincere of heart that doubts never mar his love. Abu Bakr earned
this title because of his faith was too strong to be shaken by
anything.
Migration to Medina
W hen the Meccans were intent on putting out, once and for all, the light of
Islam, Allah commanded the holy Prophet to move to Medina. In the burning heat
of the midday sun, there was a knock at Abu Bakr's door. He ran to the door and
found the Messenger of Allah standing outside. "I must leave for Medina
tonight," said he.
"Will I also have the honor of going with you?" asked
Abu Bakr eagerly.
"Of course," came the reply. "Set about getting things
ready."
Abu Bakr was beside himself with joy. "I have been looking
forward to this day for months," he exlaimed. "I have specifically kept two
camels to carry us to Medina."
It was Abu Bakr who made all the
arrangements for the historic journey. for three days he and the Prophet lay
hidden in the Thaur cave. Abu Bakr's slave tended the flocks of goats near the
cave all day and supplied them fresh milk for food. His son, Abdullah, brought
news about what the Meccans were doing.
The Meccans were searching for
the holy Prophet like mad hounds. Once they came right to the mouth of the cave.
Abu Bakr grew pale with fright. He feared, not for himself, but for the Prophet.
However, the holy Prophet remained perfectly calm. "Do not fear," he said to Abu
Bakr, "certainly Allah is with us."
Of all the companions, Abu Bakr had
the honor of being with the Prophet during the most critical days of his life.
Abu Bakr knew full well what this honor meant. And he did full justice to the
trust put in him.
Participation
in Battles
A bu Bakr took part in all
the battles that the holy Prohpet had to fight. All his life, he fought bravely
under the banner of the Prophet. At Ohud and Hunain, some of the men showed
weakness. They forgot to do their duty. But Abu Bakr's faith never wavered. He
always stood like a rock by the side of the Prophet.
At Badr, one of Abu
Bakr's sons, who had not yet embraced Islam, was fighting on the side of the
Meccan. Afterwards, when he became a Muslim, he one day said, "Father! at Badr
you were twice under my sword. But my love for you held back my hand."
"Son!" remarked Abu Bakr, "if I had got that chance only once, you must have
been no more."
When peace talks at Hudaibiya were going on, Abu Bakr sat
by the side of the Prophet. During conversation, the spokesman of the Quraish
ever now and then gave a jerk to the beard of the Prophet, after the Arab
fashion. This was too much for Abu Bakr. He took out his sword and looked
angrily at the man. "If that hand touches the beard of the Prophet again," he
warned, "it will not be allowed to go back."
This amazed the Meccan
agents. "What a change in Abu Bakr!" they whispered to one another. "He was
known for soft-heartedness. How strong and firm he is now become! He is no
longer the self-same Abu Bakr."
Tabuk was the last expedition of the
holy Prophet. He was keen to make it a great success. He asked people to help
the expedition with whatever they could. This time Abu Bakr beat all past
records. He took all his money and household articles and heaped them at the
Prophet's feet.
"Have you left back anything for your wife and
children?" asked the holy Prophet.
"Allah and His Apostle are enough for
them," replied Abu Bakr calmly. Those standing around were stunned. It was
impossible to outdo Abu Bakr in the field of service to Islam.
The holy
Prophet felt much pleased at this answer. He made Abu Bakr the standard-bearer of the
expedition.
Abu Bakr's closeness to the Prophet and his boundless
devotion to Islam won him universal respect. Not only was he the first man to
accept Islam, he was also the foremost among Muslims to uphold the cause of
Islam.
Agent to the Prophet
Mecca fell in the eight year of Hijra. Kaaba was, for the first time, in the
hands of Muslims. It had to be cleaned of the traces of idol-worship and the
silly practices of pagan days. Hitherto pagan Arabs had done absurd things at
the time of Hajj. They went around the House of Allah naked. They did many other
foolish and unclean things. All this had to be stopped.
The first Hajj
under Islam fell in the ninth year of Hijra. The holy Prophet was too busy at
Medina to lead the Hajj himself. So he sent Abu Bakr as his agent. He was to
lead the Hajj in place of the Prophet. Ali was also sent with Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr
read the Khutba (Sermon) of Hajj. Then Ali stood up and read out to the people
the commandments of Allah concerning the idolworshippers. From that year on,
they were forbidden to enter the Kaaba.
Ever since he came to Medina,
the holy Prophet himself led prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. It was an
unusually high office which the Messenger of Allah himself filled. During his
last illness, the holy Prophet could no longer lead prayers. He grew too weak to
go to the mosque. He had to appoint someone to act in his place. This honor also
fell to the lot of Abu Bakr. Aisha, who was Abu Bakr's daughter and a wife of
the holy Prophet, thought that the burden was too much for her tender-hearted
father. She pleaded with the holy Prophet to excuse here father from this duty.
But the holy Prophet did not change his mind.
Thus in the lifetime of
the holy Prophet Abu Bakr came to fill the highest office under Islam. One day
Abu Bakr was away on some business and Omar led the prayer in his absence. "This
is not Abu Bakr's voice," remarked the ailing Messenger of Allah. "No one but he
should lead prayers. He is the fittest person for this high office."
On
the last day of his life, the condition of the holy Prophet became suddenly
better for a while. It was early morning. Abu Bakr was leading the prayer in the
mosque. The holy Prophet lifted the curtain of his door and fixed his gaze on
the worshippers. They were busy in prayer under Abu Bakr's leadership. A smile
lite up on the pale face of the holy Prophet. He let go of the curtain, as his
weak hand could no longer hold it. But he was happy at the thought that he had
chosen the best man to fill his place.
Abu Bakr Elected
Caliph A Critical Moment
The holy Prophet
occupied a unique place among his people. He was everything to them. From
warring ignorant pagans, he had made them a nation of peaceful, God-fearing
people. They were "dead" as the Quran puts it and the holy Prophet had "raised
them to life." So they rightly came to look upon him as the giver of life. Life
without him seemed to be an empty thing.
The news of the Prophet's death
came as a stunning shock to everyone. How could it be? He had been ill for some
days, they all knew. But death was unbelievable. That simply could not be. A
huge crows gathered in the mosque. No one knew what to do. There was utter
confusion. Omar was so overcome with emotion that he drew his sword and
declared, "If anyone says that the Messenger of Allah is dead. I will cut off
his head!"
Things were in this state when Abu Bakr entered the mosque.
Finding the holy Prophet better that morning, he had gone a few miles outside of
Medina, earlier in the day, but had come back on hearing the sad news. He took
his stand in a corner of the courtyard and called out to the people. All eyes
were turned towards him. Then he began his famous address:
"O people! If
anyone among you worshipped Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead. But
those who worship Allah, let him know that He lives and will never die. Let all
of us recall the words of the Qur'an. It says, `Muhammad is only a Messenger of
Allah There have been Messengers before him. What then, will you turn back from
Islam, if he dies or is killed?"
These words of Abu Bakr worked magic.
In no time the confusion was gone. The words of the Qur'an swept of all doubts
from people's minds. They got ready to face facts.
Election of Abu
Bakr
The first problem before the people was the election of a new
leader. There had to be a head of the State of things could not work. The need
was too urgent to allow delay. Delay might have meant disorder and the undoing
of all that the Messenger of Allah had done. The prophet of Allah had died but
the head of the state had to live on.
The two big groups among Muslims
were the Muhajirin (refugees from Mecca ) and the Ansar (helpers or the people
of Medina). The Ansar gathered together at Thaqifa Bani Saida, their meeting
place, near the house of Saad bin Abada. The talk naturally centered around the
election of a Caliph. Saad, the Ansar leader, stood up and said that the Caliph
must be from among them. Many voices seconded him. One man, however, stood up
and said, "But how about the Muhajirin? They have perhaps a better claim." "Then
let there be two caliphs," suggested someone, "one from among the Ansar and the
other from among the Muhajirin."
Someone told Abu Bakr what was going on
at this gathering. He saw the need to act quickly or confusion might set in
again. So taking with him a part of Muhajirin he went to Thaqif Bani Saida. He
addressed the gathering and said, "Both the Muhajirin and the Ansar have done
great services to Islam. But the former were the first to accept Islam. They
were always very close to the Messenger of Allah. So, O Ansar, let the Caliph be
from among them."
To this a man from the Khazraj tribe replied, "If you
don't want a Caliph from among us, let there be two Caliphs, one an Ansari and
the other a Muhajif."
"That won't work," said Abu Obaida bin Jarrah. "O
Ansar, you are the people who made Islam strong now, don't do anything that may
undo your work."
Hearing this, another man said, "O Ansar, if we did
anything for Islam, we did it to please Allah and His Apostle. We did not
thereby oblige anybody. This should not be made a plea to win office. Listen,
the holy Prophet belonged to the Quraish tribe. The Quraish have a greater right
to fill his place. By Allah, I do not think it right to quarrel with them over
this matter. Fear Allah, and do not oppose them."
This speach of a man
from among them silenced the Ansar. They agreed to have a Muhajif as the Caliph.
So Abu Bakr said, "Friends, I think either Omar or AbuObaida should be the
Caliph. Chose one of these two gentleman."
Hearing this both Omar and
Abu Obaida jumped to their feet, and exlaimed, "O Siddiq, how can that be? How
can anyone else fill this office as long as you are among us? You are the top
man among the Muhajirin. You were the companion of the holy Prophet in the Thaur
Cave. You led prayers in his place, during his last illness. Prayer is the
foremost thing in Islam. With all these qualifications, you are the fittest
person to be the successor of the holy Prophet. Hold out your hand that we many
pledge loyatly to you."
But Abu Bakr did not stretch out his hand. Omar
saw that delay might lead to the reopening of the whole question. That could
easily create difficulties. So he himself took Abu Bakr's hand and pledged
loyalty to him. Others followed his example. Men from all sides rushed to pledge
loyalty to the successor of the Prophet. Abu Bakr became Caliph by the general
consent of the people.
The
First Address
On the following day, Abu
Bakr went to the Prophet's mosque Here people took the general oath of loyalty.
When this was over, Abu Bakr mounted the pulpit as the Caliph of Islam. Then he
spoke to the gathering as follows:
"O people, I have been elected your
leader, although I am not better than anyone from among you. If I do any good,
give me your support. If I go wrong, set me right. Listen, truth is honesty and
untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes, as long as I
do not get them their due, Allah willing. The powerful among you are weak in my
eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others, Allah
willing."
"Listen, if people give up striving for the cause of Allah,
Allah sends down disgrace on them. If a people become evil doers, Allah sends
down calamities on them."
"Listen, you must obey me as long as I obey
Allah and His Messenger. If I disobey Allah and His Messenger, you are free to
disobey me."
Such was the Magna Carta granted by the first Caliph of
Islam to his people, on the first day of his rule, without their asking. Abu
Bakr showed by his example that in Islam government means government of the
people, by the people and for the people.
Ali's
Delay
Four or six months Ali and some of his relatives did
not pledge loyalty to Abu Bakr. That was because of a difference of opinion with
the Caliph. The holy Prophet had some land at Medina and Khaibar. His daughter,
Fatima, and his uncle, Abbas, laid claim to this land. But Abu Bakr set aside
the claim, in the light of what the holy Prophet himself had said. "We Prophets
cannot be inherited," was his saying; "whatever we leave behind is public
property."
Fatima new nothing of this saying of her father. She thought
she was perfectly right in her claim. This created a little bitterness in her
mind, and the mind of her husband, Ali. The hypocrites were quick to add to the
misunderstanding.
But Abu Bakr and Ali were equally unselfish. During
Fatima's illness, Abu Bakr himself went to see her and cleared away the
misunderstanding. After her death, Ali went to Abu Bakr and said, "O Siddiq, we
admit your superiority. We do not envy the position Allah has given you. But as
relatives of the holy Prophet, we thought Caliphate to be our right. You had
taken away this right of ours."
These words brought tears in Abu Bakr's
eyes and he said, "By Allah, the relatives of the Prophet are dearer to me than
my own relatives."
The assurance satisfied Ali. He went to the mosque
and publicly took the pledge of loyalty.
Usama's
Expedition
Some weeks before his death, the holy Prophet
has nominated Usama to lead an expedition against Syria. He was to avenge the
death of his father, Zaid, the freed slave of the holy Prophet. Zaid was killed
by the Syrians in the battle of Muta. The preparations of the expedition were
under way when the holy Prophet fell seriously ill and passed away. That help up
Usama's expedition for some weeks. As soon as Abu Bakr became Caliph, the first
thing he thought of was the sending out of the expedition.
The death of
the holy Prophet led some people to think that Islam was going to end with him.
Many tribes had entered the fold of Islam only a short time before. They were by
no means firm in the new faith. Many of them, now, showed signs of bolting out
of the fold of Islam. Abu Bakr was facing a difficult situation.
But Abu
Bakr had to carry out the commands of the Prophet at all costs. He was
determined to send out the expedition planned by the Messenger of Allah. Some of
the companions said that he had better drop the idea for the time being. Trouble
was brewing all around, they said. It was unwise to send troups out when they
were urgently needed at home. But Abu Bakr would not listen to them. "How can I
fold up the flag," he asked, "which the holy Prohet himself unfurled? It is
simply unthinkable."
Then someone suggested that Usama was too raw - he
was below twenty - to lead the expedition. It was wiser to put a more
experienced man in command. The suggestion made Abu Bakr angry. "What right have
I," he demanded, "to dismiss a man appointed by the Messenger of Allah?"
So the expedition left under Usama, about three weeks after the passing away of
the holy Prophet. Abu Bakr accompanied Usama some distance out of Medina. The
youthful commander was riding a horse, while the Caliph walked by his side.
Usama said, "O successor of the holy Prophet, you also get on a horse and allow
men to get down."
"By Allah," replied Abu Bakr, "I will agree to neither
of the two things. What harm is there is there if a little dust falls on my
feet, while I go some steps in the way of Allah? For every step one takes in
Allah's way, one gets the reward of seven hundred good deeds."
Omar was
also one of the men under Usama's command. But Abu Bakr needed him, at Medina,
for purposed of advice. So he made a request to Usama, to allow Omar to remain
in Medina. The request was granted.
Before the Caliph bade farewell to
Usama, he gave him much useful advice. Some of it was:
"Look! Be not
dishonest. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate
anyone. Do not kill the aged, the children and the women. Do not set fire to
date-palms. Do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter a goat, or a cow, or a
camel, except for purposes of food. You will come across people who have give up
the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them alone."
Usama's
expedition proved very successful. He raided the frontier districts of Syria and
was back in Medina after forty days.
The expedition had another good
result. It proved an eye-opener to those who thought Islam was dying out. They
had a clear proof that Islam was still able to challenge one of the greatest
powers of the world. This overawed the wavering tribes. Some of the tribes which
had left Islam actually, rentered its fold.
The Imposters
A bu Bakr soon
found the country in the grip of a civil war. The outlying provinces, like Nejd,
were the first to create trouble. They had accepted Islam when it seemed to be
the only safest way to follow. They knew nothing of the true spirit of Islam.
For centuries they had known no outside authority. They were wont to be as free
as the winds that sweep across the desert. Islam put them under discipline. They
had to live by the moral laws of Islam. The drinking and gambling of the "days
of ignorance" were no more. The wild spirit of the desert rebelled against this
moral control. It saw its oppurtunity in the death of the holy Prophet. Now was
the time to throw off the yoke of Islam.
The one thing which was
especially irk-some to the chiefs of these tribes was the poor-rate. The
government at Medina took away from them, each year, two and a half per cent of
their total wealth. True, this money was spent on the poor of their own tribe.
But all the same, it was a burden on their pockets. If only Medina would stop
collecting the poor-rate, they could continue to be Muslims. Many chiefs made
this decision known to the Caliph.
A more serious trouble also raised
its head at the same time. People who had spent no time with the holy Prophet,
nor studied him closely, thought of him as a mere ruler. The more clever among
such people began to dream of a similar career. "All we have to do," they
thought to themselves, "is to claim to be prophets and get a following." Thus
they hoped to rise to power and fame. Many a cunning man fell prey to this
ambition. Presently, a host of imposters appeared in different parts of Arabia.
They all claimed to be apostles of Allah. Firm
Action
The situation was serious. Utmost care was needed
to handle it. Abu Bakr called a meeting of the Advisory Counsel and sought its
advice. Many of the members were for slow action. "It is not wise," they said,
"to start fighting on all fronts at one and the same time. Ignore those, for the
time being, who refuse to pay the poor-rate. We can settle with them when
imposters have been dealt with."
Abu Bakr would not listen to such
counsel. "By Allah," he declared, "even if a single kid is due from a man, he
must give it. If he refuses. I will wage war against him. If others do not
support me, I will fight alone. No one has the power to change a commandment of
Allah."
However, the situation was extremely difficult. Among the
non-payers of the poor-rate were the neighbouring tribes of Abs and Zabyan, Asad
and Toy. They thought of squeezing a concession from the Caliph before Usma's
army was back in Medina. They sent a deputation to the Caliph, offering to stay
withing the fold of Islam if they were exempted from paying the
poor-rate.
True to his mettle, Abu Bakr firmly turned down the proposal.
At the same time, he set about strengthening the defences of Medina, for he
expected a treacherous attack from the rebel tribes.
On the third night
the treacherous blow came. But Abu Bakr was ready for it. He hit back so hard
that the enemy fled back headlong.
In a few days Usama was back in
Medina. The Caliph decided to march in person against the treacherous tribes.
People begged him not to risk his life but Abu Bakr would not listen. Leaving
Usama in Medina as his deputy, the Caliph led an army against Abs and Zabyan and
utterly defeated these tribes. Their pastures were taken over for army
use.
This firm action on the part of the Caliph convinced many a waverer
that it was impossible to accept part of Islam and reject part of it. That saved
the integrity of Islam as a way of life. Abu Bakr's invincible faith helped
Islam keep its foundation in tact.
War on Imposters
It was now
time to strike at the imposters. Usama's army had rested and was ready to go
into action again. Abu Bakr marched the army about twelve miles along the road
to Nejd. Here he divided it into eleven battalions. Each battalion was put under
the command of an experienced commander. The commanders were then told to march
against different imposters.
Before these armies left, a general warning
was given to the imposters and their followers. They were assured of pardon if
they came back to Islam. The Caliph gave the following instructions to his
commanders:
"I request the soldiers of Islam to fear Allah, under all
conditions. They should do their best to obey the commandments of Allah. They
should fight against those who have left Islam and have fallen in the trap of
the devil. But before taking out swords, they must declare the message of Islam.
If the apostates accept it, they must at once hold back their hands. But if the
message is rejected, they must attack and fight till these people give up
disbelief. When the apostates re-enter the fold of Islam, the commander of the
Muslim army must explain to them their rights and duties under Islam. They
should be given their rights and should be made to do their duties. The
commander should keep his men from hasty action and mischief. He should avoid a
headlong plunge into enemy settlements. He should rather enter them after making
sure of all precautions, lest Muslims suffer a loss. Whether he is on the march
of in the camp, the commander should be kind and considerate towards his men. He
should look to their comfort and should be gentle in speech."
The Caliph
explained these instructions to the commanders. Then they led their battalions
against the several imposters.
Abu Bakr then came back to Medina. He had
already forced the waverers among Muslims to pay Zakat (the poor-rate). Now he
launched an all-out attack on imposters and their followers.
Talaiha
Taliaha was one
of the imposters. He belonged to the tribe of Banu Asad. On return from the last
pilgramage, he laid claim to prophethood. All his tribesman became his
followers. The tribes of Tay and Ghatfan were the allies of Banu Asad. They also
joined the imposter. With his huge following, Talaiha was encamping at the
Bazakha spring in Nejd. Khalid bin Walid defeated the imposter who fled to
Syria. Afterwards, he again became a Muslim. He served in the Muslim army during
the Iraqi campaign and tried to make amends for his past sins.
Malik bin
Nawirah
Khalid next marched against Malik bin Nawirah. He
was the chief of the trib of Banu Tamim. He had stopped the payment of the
poor-rate and had made war on the Muslims of his tribe. Hearing of Khalid's
approach, he disbanded his men. Khalid put him and his men under arrest. The
night happened to be unusually cold and the prisoners started shivering. The
matter was reported to Khalid who ordered that they be warmed up. But the Arabic
phrase for "warming up" also means "salying". Misunderstanding the order, the
guards put Malik and his men to the sword.
In the morning when Khalid
came to know of Maliks's fate, he felt very sorry. But there was nothing he
could do about it. "When Allah has ordained a thing," he said, "it does come to
pass." Complaints reached the Caliph that Khalid had not acted on his
instructions in this particular case. There was a demand that Khalid be punished
for the hasty act. Abu Bakr himself paid bloodmoney for Malik bin Nawirah.
"Khalid is the sword of Allah," he said. "This sword has flashed against the
disbelievers. Who am I to make it disappear?"
Musailma the Liar
Musailma
was the most cunning of all imposters. He belonged to Yamama. When he learnt of
the serious illness of the holy Prophet, he wrote him a letter, saying, "Allah
has made me your partner in prophethood. Let us divide the earth between
ourselves." To this the holy Prophet replied, "To Musailma the Liar! Surely the
earth belongs to Allah. He grants possession of it to those of His servants whom
He likes."
The death of the holy Prophet gave Musailma the oppurtunity.
He collected a large army. This army had first to deal with an impostress -
Sajah by name. She ws a Christian. After the death of the holy Prophet, she laid
claim to prophethood, "why should all prophets be men?" she said. "In me Allah
has now sent a woman prophet." She raised a big army and was marching towards
Medina. On the way she came across Musailma's forces. The shrewd imposter at
once saw that Sajah was a serious rival. He also felt that he could not defeat
her on the battlefield. So he started a love affair, Sajah easily fell into the
trap. The two were married. Now Musailma had a huge army, 4,000 strong, under
his command.
The battalion under Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was to attack
Musailma. The battalion under Shurjil was to reinforce it. Ikrama had orders to
wait for the reinforcement. But, hoping to get the whole credit for himself,
Ikrama did not wait for Shurjil. He attacked Musailma and was badly beaten. The
news made Abu Bakr sad. He at once wrote to Khalid bin Walid to deal with
Musailma. The combined battalions of Khalid and Shurjil now fell upon the
imposter. Musailma fought desperatley. Once his men reached the very tent of
Khalid. But Khalid kept his nerve. He rallied his men and himself led a final
attack. Confounded by the suddenness of the attack, Musailma's men took to
flight. The imposter and a few of his companions hid themselves in a fortified
garden but the Muslim warriors threw open the gates. The infamous imposter and
his friends were all put to the sword. Among those who killed Musailma was
Wahshi, the negro slave who had killed Hamza, the uncle of the holy Prophet at
Ohud. He had done this to win his freedom. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, had
promised to buy him his freedom if he slew Hamza. After the fall of Mecca,
Wahshi became a Muslim. The Holy Prophet forgave him but said, "Please Wahshi,
keep out of my sight. You remind me of my dear uncle."
Wahshi had always
felt sorry for his sin. He wanted to wash it out. The battle against Musailma
gave him his chance. His javelin was in search of the imposter. With great skill
he sank the poisoned end of his javelin into the imposter. The wretch gave a
yell and fell to the ground. The next moment his head was cut off. "Thank
Allah!" exclaimed Wahshi, "I have been able to make some amends for my
sin."
Musailma belonged to the tribe of Banu Hanifa. Orders were
received from the Caliph that all mean of the tribe who had taken up arms
against Islam should be put to death. But Khalid had already promised to spare
their lives. So his wod was honored and the whol tribe re-imbraced
Islam.
Bahrain
The people of Bahrain
embraced Islam in the lifetime of the holy Prophet. After his death a powerful
tribe, Banu Bakr, threw off the yoke of Islam and started fighting against
Muslims. Abu Bakr sent a battalino under Ala bin Hadrami, to deal with the rebel
tribe. The Banu Bakr were defeated. Their leader, Hatim, was killed. Bahrain was
once again secure under Muslim rule.
Some tribes of Omman also gave up
Islam. The generals of Abu Bakr brought them all back into the fold of
Islam.
Thus in a few months Abu Bakr was able to put down the
country-wide rising caused by imposters. Khalid bin Walid did more than any
other man to make this possible.
The Era of Conquest Begins
The
kings of Iran had done all they could to crush Islam. In fact, the infamous
Khusro Parvez had ordered the arrest of the holy Prophet. But a few days after,
he was killed by his own son, Sharuya. Since that day, Iran had known no peace.
Abu Bakr had to take account of the ever-present danger on the eastern
frontiers.
In the first month of the year 12 A.H., Khalid bin Walid was
sent with an army to challenge the might of Iran. Another army under Qaqaa bin
Amr was to reinforce him. Khalid was to attack Kamla, the southern outpost of
the Iranian empire.
A second army, under Ayaz bin Ghanam, was to strike
at the norther boundary of Iraq.
According to the Islamic practice,
Khalid addressed the following letter to Hurmuz, the Iranian Commander: "Accept
Islam and you will be safe. If not, agree to pay the jizya or you will have to
repent. I am bringing against you a people who love death as you love
life."
The proud Iranian Commander paid no heed to the warning. He was
slain in the battle that followed. The Iranian army was utterly routed. After
this a number of well-known Iranian generals came to fight Khalid. Bahman and
Jahan were two of them. But they all met defeat. The Iranian losses were
heavy.
Hira, on the Iranian border, ws the stronghold of the Christian
Arabs. They had so far fought on the Iranian side. Khalid conquered Hira. Soon
after, the other frontier chiefs also submitted to Khalid.
After Hira,
Khalid conquered Anbar and Ain-ut-Tamr, two important outposts of the Iranian
empire. He now received a letter from Ayaz, calling him to his help in North
Iraq. Ayaz was hard pressed at Dumat-ul-Jundal. Khalid rushed to his help and
sent the following message to Ayaz:
"Wait for a while. Camels carrying
fierce lions are shortly reaching. Wave after wave of troops are on their
way."
One of the enemy generals, Akidar, knew from his own experience
how impossible it was to halt Khalid's attack. He advised the other generals to
stop fighting against the Muslims. When the advice went unheeded, he quietly
left. His friends saw the truth of his remarks when they met humiliating
engagement took place at Faraz. A huge force made of Iranians and Arabs crosed
the Euphrates. On the 15th of Dhul-Qaad, 12 A.H., Khalid routed this host at
Faraz. From here he went back to Hira.
Khalid's
Exploits
Abu Bakr had no more than ten thousand troops
when he took over as Caliph. With this small force, he had to put down a
country-wide revolt. To all appearance the task was hopeless. But Abu Bakr met
with amazing success. Much of this success was due to his unshakable faith in
Allah. "Islam is the path of truth revealed by Allah," he said, "so Allah must
defend it against enemies." It was not so much on troops as on Allah's help that
Abu Bakr depended. Results proved that he was right in his faith.
There
was, however, another important factor which helped Abu Bakr. This was Khalid
bin Walid, the greatest general of Islam. His tact and courage made the small
forces of Islam look ten times stronger. The results were simply astonishing.
With a handful of troops Khalid was able not only to overcome all internal
enemies but also to make Arabia safe for Islam. He was then able to jump on Iraq
and win it for Islam. From Iraq he marched against the Byzantine forces and put
them to rout. All this took place in the space of two years. Throughout the
campaign not even once did Khalid meet with a reverse. By forced marches, he
often gave a surprise to the enemy and did not rest till he overpowered them.
This made Khalid the dread of the enemy. The truth is that Khalid's exploits put
to shame the victories of an Alexander or a Napolean.
Allah's Sword
Khalid bin Walid
was born a general. At Ohud, he fought on the side of the Quraish. It was he who
turned the tide of that battle. Muslim victory was clearly in sight. Quraish
leaders were on the run. Suddenly Khalid saw the pass at the back of the Muslim
army undefended. At the head of a strong party, he dashed through the pass and
took the army of Islam by surprise.
After the peace of Hudaibiya Khalid
embraced Islam. His military talent soon began to outshine others. The Holy
Prophet at once saw his worth and gave him the title of "Saif Allah" or "Allah's
Sword." But it was not till Islam overleaped the boundaries of Arabia that the
world saw Khalid's unequalled military talent.
Abu Bakr was quick to see
Khalid's ability. So he put him in charge of the Iraqi campaign. Khalid's
exploits in this campaign have few equals in history. In about eleven months, he
over-ran the whole of Iraq and brought it under the banner of Islam. He had no
more than ten thousand men. With this small force he defeated hosts twenty times
as big. These hosts had superior arms and equipment. But Khalid knew how to win
with smaller numbers and inferior arms.
In Iraq Khalid fought fifteen
battles in all. He won complete victory in all of them. He never allowed the
standard of Islam to leave the battlefield until the enemy was completely
beaten. Towards the later part of the campaign, Khalid became the dread of the
enemy. The mere fact that Khalid commanded an army made the enemy
tremble.
A Good Administrator
Khalid was not only a great conqueror but also a first-rate administrator.
He saw to it that things were managed well in the cities and territories he
conquered. He never marched on until this had been done. He left behind a deputy
to look after things. He also appointed a judge to settle people's disputes.
Khalid was extremely kind hearded and just to the people. His
army had strict orders not to do any harm to farmers and other civilians. "They
are the real strength of society," he said. "They should always be treated with
kindness and respect." This was something new for the conquered people. The
Iranian and Byzantine officers had been very hard on them. Khalid's treatment
won their hearts. So much so that they came to hate their old
masters.
Hard on the Enemy
Khalid was very hard on people who took up arms against Islam. He believed that
such people should have only two choices. They should either give in or fight to
death. If they fled from the battlefield, he would not let them go. He followed
them wherever they went, until they either begged for mercy or were killed.
This policy of Khalid proved very sound. He dealt with the beaten enemy
once and for all. He did not allow them to take up arms a second time. Muslim
forces were too small to deal with repeated risings.
There is
hardly another general in history who combines as many qualities as Khalid.
Khalid is unquestionable the greates general produces by Islam.
War with
Byzantian
The need for military
operations against Byzantium began to be felt in the life-time of the Holy
Prophet. So Abu Bakr was bound to do something about this danger. In the year 13
A.H., he prepared a big army and divided it into four battalions. Each battalion
was put under a separate commander. Each of them was to strike at a different
point on the Syrian border. Abu Obaida bin Jarrah was to march on Hims, Amr bin
al-Aas on Palestine, Yazid bin Abi Sufyan on Damascus and Shurjil bin Hasna on
Jordan.
These battalions were to strike at the enemy at once and
the same time. The aim was to keep the enemy from hitting with full force on
anyone of the battalions.
Before these armies left, Abu Bakr gave the
following instructions to their commanders:
1. Always fear Allah.
He knows what is in men's hearts.
2. Be kind to the men under you and
treat them well.
3. Directions given should be brief. If too long,
they are likely to be forgotten.
4. Improve your conduct first;
others will improve when they see your example>
5. Honor the
representatives of the enemy.
6. Keep your own arrangement a
secret.
7. Be always truthful so you can get good advice.
8.
At night when you are free, sit among your men. This will keep you in touch
with them.
9. Make good arrangements for the watch and ward of the
army.
10. Keep away from untruthful men. Be intimate with truthful and
faithful companions.
11. Be sincere to all whom you have dealings.
12. Beward of cowardice and dishonesty.
13. You will come across
people who have given up the world and are spending their days in place of
worship. Leave such people alone.
The news of the Muslim invasion upset
Emperor Heracleus. He was in Jerusalem at that time. He sought the advice of his
nobles. He himself was in favor of coming to terms with the Muslims. "It is
better to give up half of Syria," he said, "than lose the whole of it." To this
the nobles did not agree.
So four huge armies were sent by the
emperor to fight the Muslims. His own brother was leading one of the armies.
Each army was several times more numerous than the Muslim army it had to fight.
This made the Muslim commanders give thought to the matter. They met together
for mutual counsel. One of them pinpointed the folly of fighting separately. "We
will be crushed under the sheer weight of numbers," he said, "if we fight
separately." The other generals saw the point. They agreed upon a plan to merge
the four battalions into a single army. Thus, they thought, the Muslim army
would stop looking too small in its own eyes. They informed the Caliph of their
decision. He approved of it and sent the following written message:
"Muslims can never be defeated because of small numbers. But
if their own sins overwhelm them, they will meet defeat. So let you all keep
away from sins of all kinds."
The Battle of Yarmuk
Heraclius learnt that the
four Muslim armies had merged into one. He also ordered a smiliar move. The four
Byzantine armies combined to fomr a gigantic mass of men. They dug up trenches
in the valley of Yarmuk. By the Caliph's orders the Muslim forces, too, took up
position on the opposite side. For weeks the two armies lay facing each other.
Neither of the two sides dared to touch on the fighting.
The
Byzantine forces had every advantage on their side. In addition to numbers, they
had the river in front and the mountains at their back. So the Muslim commanders
requested the Caliph for reinforcements. HE at once wrote to Khalid to rush to
Syria.
Khalid handed over the charge of affairs in Iraq to
Muthanna bin Haritha. He then hastened to Syria at the head of ten thousand men.
Despite all his haste, Khalid conquered many forts and cities on the way. At
last he reached Yarmuk. Almost at the same time, the Byzantine army received a
reinforcement. The brought their total strength to two hundred and forty
thousand. The Muslim army numbered just thirty-six thousand.
Khalid Reorganizes the Army
Khalid at once saw that he must properly organize the army, in order
to win. It meant a single command, in place of the four commands. So he called
the other commanders and said, "We are fighting for the sake of the faith. We
must all forget ourselves. We cannot afford to be split under many commanders.
That would be a help to the enemy. Let there be just one commander, by turns if
you please. If you agree to that let me be the commander for the first day of
the battle."
All liked the plan. Khalid took the chief command. He
divided the army into several sections. Each section was put under a commander.
It was further subdivided into many troops, each with a leader. Abu Sufyan was
appointed the fiery herald. He went about the army, speaking words of courage to
men.
As the two armies stood facing each other, a Muslim soldier
remarked. "How numerous the enemy is!" Khalid overheard the remark. "It is not
the numbers that matter," he exlaimed, "it is rather the final outcome of the
battle."
At long last the battle began. Khalid took some troops with
him. He made a wild charge and was soon in the heart of enemy forces. He
succeeded in driving a wedge between the enemy cavalry and infantry. The two
were cut off from each other.
Fighting
unto Death
Ikrama bin Abu Jahl was fighting at Yarmuk.
Soon after the battle began, the Muslim troops began to real under the weight of
numbers. Ikrama saw this. "Heretofore I fought all battles against the Apostle
of Allah," he shouted out. "This is the first time I am fighting for the cause
of Allah. In no casse will I turn my back on the battlefield. Now who are going
to fight unto death with me?"
Saying this, Ikrama held out his hand to
receive the pledge of others. His son, Amr, was the first go give the pledge. He
was followed by four hundred more. Like wild cats, these men pounced upon the
enemy hordes. They dealt such telling blows that the sea of man cleared before
them. Their desperate attack caused confusion among enemy ranks.
Rout of the Enemy
Soon the
enemy cavalry found itself walled between Khalid's troops and the main Muslim
army. Confusion spread and they fled. The Muslim army made was for them to
flee.
Now Khalid fell on the enemy infrantry. THe shield of the cavalry
being no more, the infantry was take by surprise. In utter confusion it fell
back. But the mountain blocked the way. In despair men ran back to the river.
Here a watery death awaited them. Most of the men had tied themselves with iron
chains to rule out the possibility of flight. The chains proved traps of death.
When a few of the men fell into the river, they also dragged their companions
into the watery grave. According to one estimate, one hundred and twenty
thousand of them were drowned in the river. The Byzantine rout was complete. The
Muslims loss was three thousand killed.
Women's Courage
Muslim women played a notable role in this battle. They formed a battalion
which stood at the back of the army. They supplied water to the men. They also
dressed their wounds. They shouted words of courage when the army showed signs
of weakness. These words put a new heart into retreating men. They dashed forth
like lightning and sowed death among enemy lines.
The Byzantine army at
first forced the Muslims to fall back. Muslim women stood on a bridge. Khalid
came to them and said, "O daughters of Islam, if anyone turns his back on the
battlefield, kill him at once."
The women did what Khalid bade them to
do. They stood at their post of duty. They had stones at their post of duty.
They had stones in their hands and their eyes were fixed on the battlefield. If
anyone fled for life, he was met by a shower of stones. Back he ran into the
thick of battle and fought to the last.
Many Muslim
soldiers had brought their families with them. The women stayed in tents at the
back of the troops. Their words of courage for the brave and their taunts for
the weak of heart, made a real difference in the tempo of fighting and in the
outcome of the battle. Victory of Yarmuk was in no small measure due to the
courage of Muslim women.
Two
Great Martyrs
On the following morning Khalid
took stock of his losses. Ikrama and his son, Amr, were brought to him. They
were seriously wounded. Their condition was grave. Khalid put their heads on his
lap. In a few minutes, the souls of both of them winged their way to heaven.
Ikrama was the son of Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam. When Mecca
fell, Ikrama fled away for fear of life. But hearing that the Prophet had
forgiven all enemies, he came back to Mecca. To his surprise, the Prophet ran
out to greet him. From that day on, Ikrama was a true son of Islam. He laid down
his life fighting for the glory of Islam.
Unparalleled
Selflessness of Khalid
The battle of Yarmuk was
on when a letter arrived from Medina. It was delivered to Khalid. It said that
Abu Bakr had passed away and Omar has succeded him as Caliph. IT also said that
the new Caliph had dismissed Khalid from his command and replaced him by Abu
Obaida bin Jarrah. Khalid read the letter. He then informed Obaida that the
command had passed to him. But the news was not made public, lest the army
should lose heart. The letter had no effect whatever on Khalid. He went on
fighting as desperatley as ever.
After the battle was over,
Khalid's dismissale became known. Someone said to him, "How is it that the news
did not damp your spirit at all?" "I was not fighting for Omar," replied Khalid,
"I was fighting for the cause of Allah."
Abu Bakr's Last
Illness
On the 7th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 13
A.H., Abu Bakr was taken ill. He had sever fever. Everything was done to bring
down the fever, but all in vain. It became clear to the aged Caliph that his end
was come.
Even in these last days, the thought that troubled Abu Bakr
was the future of Islam. He wanted to make sure that nothing would go wrong with
the affairs of Muslims, after he was no more. He had to spend every ounce of his
energy to put down the violent storms of unrest that broke loose after the
Prophet's death. He did not want this to happen after his own
death.
Omar's Nomination
Welfare of Muslims had always been the first care of Abu Bakr. He would allow
nothing that made Islam weak. The thing he feared most was division among
Muslims. He remembered what had happened after the death of the Holy Prophet. He
wanted to make sure that no differences should divide Muslims after he was no
more. Unity was the secret strength. Unity must be had at any price.
As his sickness grew, Abu Bakr gave more and more thought to the matter. Who
should be the Caliph after him? Should he himself name the best man? Or should
he leave the matter to the people? In the latter case, quarrels might arise.
These would certainly shake the very foundations of Islam. IT was too great a
risk. Abu Bakr was not willing to take that risk.
After careful
thought, he chose to nominate Omar. He put his proposal before the leading
Companions. Most of them liked the proposal. But someone said, "Omar is no doubt
the best man, but he is rather too strict."
To this Abu Bakr replied,
"As soon as the burden of Caliphate falls on his shoulders, he will become more
mild."
When all Companions agreed, Abu Bakr called Othman. He
dictated to him Omar's nomination. It was read out to the people. It said:
"This is the will of Abu Bakr, the Caliph of the Holy Prophet. He
is making the will when he is about to leave for the next world. This is the
time when even a non-believer begins to believe and even a sinner begins to
trust in Allah. I appoint Omar bin Khattab as your ruler. In appointing him, I
have kept your welfare fully in mind. I hope he will be truthful and just. But
if he leaves his path and becomes unjust, I know nothing about the unseen, I
have only the well-being of Muslims at heart. Everybody is responsible for what
he does."
The will was read out to the people. After this Abu
Bakr went to the top of his house, supported by two men. Addressing the people
he said:
"My brethren in-faith, I have not appointed any of my own
brothers and relatives as your Caliph. I have appointed a man who is the fittest
person among you. Do you approve of him?"
"Of course we
do," went up a shout from hundreds of men.
Next he called Omar to his bedside and spoke to him thus:
"Omar! I
have nominated you my successor. My parting advice is that you fear Allah and
work for the well-being of the Muslims. Remember, Omar, the duties you own to
Allah are to be discharged at the proper time. Some of these are to be
discharged at night and some during the day time. First things must come first.
On the Day of Judgment only those will come out successful whose good deeds are
weighty. Those whose evil deeds out-weigh the good deeds, will have a terrible
time. For success and salvation, you have to make the Qur'an and the truth your
guides. You know, Omar, that the verses of the Qur'an speak of good reward and
punishment side by side. This is to put the fear of Allah in the believer's
heart and to make him pray for forgiveness. Omar, when you read in the Qur'an
about the inmate of fire, pray to Allah not to make you one of them. But when
you read about the dwellers of Paradise, pray for being one of them Omar, if you
follow the path I have chalked out fo ryou, you will find me by your side."
When OMar had left the dying Caliph raised his
hands in prayer and said:
"Lord! I have taken this step in the
best interest of the Muslims. I feared disunion among them, so I took this step,
the consequences of which are best known to You. After careful thought I have
appointed a man who is the sinceristy and the most energetic worker for the
well-being of the people. I am at death's door now, so help the Muslims, Lord
after I am no more. THye are Your servants. Their future is in Your hands. Lord,
keep their rules on the right path. Make Omar one of the noblest Caliphs and
help the Muslims help him."
Abu
Bakr Passes Away
After an illness of two weeks,
Abu Bakr passed away. He was sixty-three at the time. He was buried by the side
of the Holy Prophet.
Before his death he said, "Do not use new cloth
to cover my dead body. The sheet of cloth I have on will do for me. Wash it
clean."
"But this is too old and
worn, father," said his daughter Aisha.
"This old and worn
sheet will do for me," he replied.
This parting wish was acted
upon. The second wish of the dying Caliphs was, "Sell my land and pay back in
the public treasury all the money I got as my salary." This was also done.
Before he became the Caliph, Abu Bakr was a well-to-day merchant. The affairs of
the Caliphate left him no time to look after his own business. The matter was
put before the Companions. They allowed the Caliph a salary of six thousand
dirhams a year. All this money was paid back to the Bait-ul-Mal (the Public
Treasury) after the Caliph's death.
Thus Abu Bakr, the first
Caliph, left behind a noble example of selfless service. He lived and worked for
Islam to the last breath. And for his tireless labors, he sought no worldly
reward.
Two Years of Abu Bakr's
Calpihate
Abu Bakr was Caliph for only two
years, three months and ten days. This was a relatively short period of time in
the life of people. But during this short period, Abu Bakr was able to do great
things for Islam. These achievements have made his name immortal. They have
placed him among the greatest men of all time.
When Abu Bakr too
over, Islam was confined to Arabia alone. And here, too its hold was rather
shaky. In many parts of the country, Islam was but a name. It was not a way of
life with most people. Scores of tribes had thought of the Holy Prophet has a
mere king. They tried to throw off his yoke as soon as he was no more. Abu Bakr
taught these people a lasting lesson. He taught them that Islam was a way of
life.
Abu Bakr was able to do this because of his unshakable faith.
No difficulties could take him off the path of the Prophet. Usama might be
youthful and inexperienced, but Abu Bakr would not hear a word against him. He
was appointed by the Prophet. There might be rising in the country, but Abu Bakr
would not put off the expedition to Tabuk. The Prophet had ordered it. Abu Bakr
stood unequalled in his love for Allah and His Apostle. This was the secret of
his unbending strength. It was this inner strength that carried him through the
darkest hours of his Caliphate.
Abu Bakr was as sincere as he was
firm in faith. He lived up to every word of what he said at the beginning of his
Caliphate. He was never anything but the faithful agent of Allah and His
Apostle, and the humblest servant of his people. It was this fact which won him
the deepest love and respect for all classes of his people. The result was that
Islam took an unshakable hold on the coutrny of its birth. Soon it gathered
enough strength to overlap its boundaries. It struck at the two most feared
powers of the time. And lo! it was successful. Abu Bakr had put Islam on the
road to worldwide expansion.
Islam means
total submission to the will of Allah. It means that utter absence of all
selfishness. The Holy Prophet showed by his example hwo that goal could be
reached. He showed how the power of the State should not be used for private
ends but for the public good. Abu Bakr was the first among his followers to live
up to the Prophet's example. He go tno personal gain out of the Caliphate. He
spent every minuted of the last two years of life in the service of his people,
but got not a penny as wages.
Abu Bakr had several sons and many near
relatives. For public offices, he did not choose anyone of them. He rather chose
other people who were more fit for public service. He had to nominate his own
successor to prevent quarrels. But his choice fell on none of his own relatives.
His choice was rather the man whom he honestly believed to be the best among the
Companions. All the same, he did not force his choice on people. He put his
proposal before the Companions. When they had agreed to it, he put it before the
people.
In short, Abu Bakr showed the
world what government of the people, for the people, and by the people really
meant. Neither the East nor the West had ever known such a form of government
before. The mighty empires of Iran and Byzantium were based upon naked
force.
In short Abu Bakr kept going the great work of the
Prophet. For that he had to fight hard. He fought with a will and with a faith
that amazed everyone. Islam is for ever gratefule to him for the great services
he rendered to it.