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Abū Bakr (Arabic: ابو بكر الصديق) (c. 573–August 23, 634/13 AH)[1] was a companion of and the first Muslim ruler after Muhammad (632–634). Sunnis regard him as his rightful successor (caliph) and the first of four righteous Caliphs (Rashidun). The Shi'a believe he violated Muhammad's direct orders and orchestrated a coup d'état. Scholarly consensus lists him as the first Muslim Caliph.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

He was the foremost genealogist of the Quraysh and the best of them at interpreting dreams after Muhammad according to Ibn Sirin. `A’isha related that both he and `Uthman had relinquished drinking wine even in the Time of Ignorance. His caliphate lasted two years and three months in which he opened up the lands of Syria and Iraq for the Muslims, suppressed apostasy among the Arab tribes, fought the prophet claimants al-Aswad al-`Ansi, Tulayha al-Asadi who recanted and declared his prophethood in Najd, and Musaylima who was killed in the battle of al-Yamama.[10]

Contents [hide] 1 Full name 1.1 Regarding His Title As-Siddiq 2 Biography 2.1 Family 2.2 573 – 610: Early life 2.3 610 – 632: Muhammad's era 2.3.1 First adult man, fourth Muslim 2.3.2 Persecution 2.4 Appearance 2.4.1 Battles 2.4.2 632: Death of Muhammad 2.4.3 His First Address after The Prophets Death 2.5 632 – 634: His era 2.5.1 Succession to Muhammad 2.5.2 632 – 633: The Ridda wars 2.5.3 Expeditions to the north 2.5.4 The Qur'an 2.5.5 634: Death 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Full name Wazir Khan Mosque, (16th century) Sayings of the companions of Muhammad on the northern wall of the arched gateway of the central prayer chamber.Abū Bakr (ابو بكر) was his kunya. His full name was ‘Abdullah ibn Uthman, or ‘Abdullah. His father, Uthman, bore the kunya Abu Quhafah. Thus, Abu Bakr was also known as Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafah. His title As-Siddiq was given to him by Muhammad. Muhammad also used to call him by his patronyms of Abu Bakr and Ibn Abi Quhafa, and "Allah’s Freedman From the Fire" (`Atîq Allâh min al-nâr).

[edit] Regarding His Title As-Siddiq Traditionally, the title As-Siddiq has been attributed to the Night Journey Muhammad took while in Mecca to Jerusalem. When the Quraysh confronted Muhammad after the Night Journey, they turned to Abu Bakr and said: "Do you believe what he said, that he went last night to the Hallowed House in Jerusalem and came back before morning?" He replied: "If he said it, then I believe him, yes, and I do believe him regarding what is farther than that. I believe the news of heaven he brings, whether in the space of a morning or in that of an evening journey." Abu Bakr was thus named al-Siddîq, meaning "the truthful," "the upright," or "the one who counts true," due to his immediate belief in the journey.[11]

[edit] Biography

[edit] Family Main article: Family tree of Abu Bakr Abu Bakr was born in Mecca to the Banu Taim, a sub-clan of the Quraish tribe. During his life, he would have several wives and children, the most prominent ones being his daughter Aisha, who would marry Muhammad. Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr would be one of his prominent sons, born after Abu Bakr's demise and becoming Ali's adopted son, regarded by Shi'a as one of Ali's great partisans. Abu Bakr was also a distant relative of Talhah, a Muslim general and companion of Muhammad.

[edit] 573 – 610: Early life According to early Muslim historians, he was a merchant, and highly esteemed as a judge, as an interpreter of dreams of as one learned in Meccan traditions. He was one of the last people anyone would have expected to convert to the faith preached by his kinsman [[Muhammad]. Yet he was one of the first converts to Islam, and instrumental in converting many of the Quraish and the residents of Mecca.

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Timeline of Muslim history Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba Rashidun Caliphs · Shia Imams Texts & Laws

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Criticism of Islam · Islamophobia Glossary of Islamic terms view Originally called Abdu'l-Ka'bah ("servant of the Kaaba"), on his conversion he assumed the name of ‘Abdullah ("servant of God"). However, he is usually styled Abu Bakr (from the Arabic word bakr, meaning a young camel) due to his interest in raising camels.

[edit] 610 – 632: Muhammad's era Assuming Abu Bakr was born in 573, he was 37 years old when the 40 year old Muhammad proclaimed prophethood.

[edit] First adult man, fourth Muslim Main article: Identity of first male Muslim Muslim scholars agree that the first woman to adopt Islam was Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife. Ali, his nephew and future son-in-law who was 12 years, is the second person. Zayd bin Haritha, a slave who was freed by Muhammad and became one of the family, was after Khadija and Ali the third person to have embraced the Islam. After Zayd was Abu Bakr the fourth person.

[edit] Persecution Main article: Persecution of Muslims by the Meccans Abu Bakr, as one of the early and first converts, endured to the full the persecution of the Meccans who were at that time steeped in idolatory and paganism. This persecution fell hardest upon the slaves who had converted to Islam. Their owners could torment them at will, whereas the free Muslims were often protected by their kinsfolk. Abu Bakr is said to have impoverished himself buying the freedom of several Muslim slaves, including Bilal, Abu Fakih, Ammar, Abu Fuhayra, Lubaynah, Al-Nahdiah, Umm Ubays and Zinnira.

Bilal, from Abyssinia (al-Habash) was the slave of `Umayya bin Khalaf. Umayya 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, "Wahid! Wahid! Allah is one! Allah is one!" One day Abu Bakr passed by and was greatly moved by the sight. "Why are you so cruel to this helpless man?" he asked `Umayya. "If you feel for him, why don't you buy him?" retored `Umayya. So Abu Bakr at once bought Bilal at a heavy price and set him free. Bilal afterwards became the well-known "Muadhdhin" [ one who gives the call for prayer ] at Muhammad's Mosque.[12]

Abu Bakr was among those who Migrated to Abyssinia.[12][citation needed] When he returned, Umar had adopted Islam, so Muhammad declared Umar and Abu Bakr as brothers. This would last until the migration to Medina of 622, after which Umar would be paired with Utban ibn Malik [13]. During that migration, Abu Bakr alone accompanied Muhammad.

Abu Bakr was also linked to Muhammad by marriage; Abu Bakr's daughter Aisha married Muhammad soon after the migration to Medina.

[edit] Appearance Al-Suyuti relates through Ibn Sa`d’s report from `A’isha her description of Abu Bakr: "He was a man with fair skin, thin, emaciated, with a sparse beard, a slightly hunched frame, sunken eyes and protruding forehead, and the bases of his fingers were hairless."[14]

[edit] Battles Abu Bakr participated in all of the battles Muhammad led. These were the Battle of Badr (624 AD), the Battle of Uhud (625 AD), and the Battle of Hunayn (630 AD).

[edit] 632: Death of Muhammad Abu Bakr was included in the Usama's dispatchment on the orders of Muhammad, destined to go towards the Byzantian Empire which Abu Bakr postponed. During Muhammad's last illness, Abu Bakr was instructed by Muhammad to lead the prayers in his absence.

[edit] His First Address after The Prophets Death After giving praise and thanks to Allah (The One True God), Abu Bakr (ra) addressed the Muslims gathered at the Prophet’s mosque:

"I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Sincere regard for truth is loyalty and disregard for truth is treachery. The weak amongst you shall be strong with me until I have secured his rights, if God will; and the strong amongst you shall be weak with me until I have wrested from him the rights of others, if God will. Obey me so long as I obey God and His Messenger (Muhammad, pbuh). But if I disobey God and His Messenger, ye owe me no obedience. Arise for your prayer, God have mercy upon you."

[edit] 632 – 634: His era

[edit] Succession to Muhammad {{main|Succession to Muhammad)}

Soon after Muhammad's death (on 8 June 632, 10 AH), a gathering of prominent Ansar and some of the Muhajirun, in Medina, acclaimed Abu Bakr as the new Muslim leader or caliph. What happened at this meeting, called Saqifah, is much disputed. Abu Bakr's assumption of power is an extremely controversial matter, and the source of the first schism in Islam, between Sunni and Shia Islam.

[edit] 632 – 633: The Ridda wars Main article: Ridda wars Troubles emerged soon after Abu Bakr's succession, threatening the unity and stability of the new community and state. Various Arab tribes of locations of Hejaz and Nejd rebelled against the caliph and the new system. Some withheld the zakat, the alms tax, though they did not otherwise challenge Islam. Others apostasised outright and returned to their pre-Islamic religion and traditions, which revolved around idolatory and paganism. The tribes claimed that they had submitted to Muhammad and that with Muhammad's death, their allegiance was ended.[citation needed]

Abu Bakr insisted that they had not just submitted to a leader but joined the Muslim religious community, of which he was the new head. Apostasy is a capital offense under traditional interpretations of Islamic law, and Abu Bakr declared war on the rebels. This was the start of the Ridda wars (Arabic for the Wars of Apostasy). The severest struggle was the war with Ibn Habib al-Hanefi, known as "Musailimah the Liar", who claimed to be a prophet and Muhammad's true successor. The Muslim general Khalid bin Walid finally defeated al-Hanefi at the Battle of Akraba.

[edit] Expeditions to the north After suppressing internal dissension and completely subduing Arabia, Abu Bakr directed his generals towards the Byzantine and Sassanid empires. Khalid bin Walid conquered Iraq in a single campaign, and a successful expedition into Syria also took place. Fred Donner, in his book The Early Islamic Conquests, argues that Abu Bakr's "foreign" expeditions were merely an extension of the Ridda Wars, in that he sent his troops against Arab tribes living on the borders of the Fertile Crescent. Given that the steppes and deserts over which Arabic-speaking tribes roamed extended without break from southern Syria down to Yemen, any polity that controlled only the southern part of the steppe was inherently insecure.

[edit] The Qur'an Main article: Origin and development of the Qur'an Some traditions about the origin of the Qur'an say that Abu Bakr was instrumental in preserving it in written form. It is said that after the hard-won victory over Musailimah, Umar ibn al-Khattab (the later Caliph Umar), saw that many of the Muslims who had memorized the Qur'an from the lips of Muhammad had died in battle. Abu Bakr asked Umar to oversee the collection of the revelations. The record, when completed, was deposited with Hafsa bint Umar, daughter of Umar, and one of the wives of Muhammad. Later it became the basis of Uthman ibn Affan's definitive text of the Qur'an. However, other historians give Uthman the principal credit for collecting and preserving the Qur'an. Shi'as strongly refute the idea that Abu Bakr or Umar were instrumental in the collection or preservation of the Qur'an, rather that they refused to accept Ali's Qur'an. [15]

[edit] 634: Death Main article: Hadith of the succession of Abu Bakr Abu Bakr died in 634 in Medina. Shortly before his death, likely of natural causes (one tradition ascribes it to poison), he urged the Muslim community to accept Umar ibn al-Khattab as his successor. The community did so, without serious incident. However, this succession is also a matter of controversy. Shi'a Muslims believe that the leadership should have been assumed by Ali ibn Abi Talib, without any recourse to consultation (shura).

Abu Bakr initially served without pay. His followers insisted that he take an official stipend. At his death, his will returned all these payments to the treasury.[16]

Assuming Abu Bakr was born in 573, he was 61 years old when he died. Abu Bakr was buried and still lies in the Masjid al Nabawi mosque in Medina, alongside Muhammad and Umar ibn al-Khattab