Biography of the First Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Part 5 last

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00:00Since the beginning of the Islamic message and its spread in the world, we continue to

00:08narrate a stage in the life of the rightly guided Caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.

00:13Ridda Wars Troubles emerged soon after Abu Bakr's succession,

00:18with several Arab tribes launching revolts, threatening the unity and stability of the

00:22new community and state.

00:24These insurgencies and the Caliphate's responses to them are collectively referred to as the

00:29Ridda Wars, wars of apostasy.

00:32The opposition movements came in two forms.

00:35One type challenged the political power of the nascent Caliphate as well as the religious

00:39authority of Islam with the acclimation of rival ideologies, headed by political leaders

00:44who claimed the mantle of prophethood in the manner that Muhammad had done.

00:49These rebellions include, that of the Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah headed by Tulayya ibn Khuwaylid

00:55that of the Banu Hanifa headed by Musaylimah.

00:58Those from among the Banu Taghlib and the Banu Tamim headed by Sayyidah.

01:03That of the Al-Ansi headed by Al-Aswad Al-Ansi.

01:07These leaders are all denounced in Islamic histories as false prophets.

01:12The second form of opposition movement was more strictly political in character.

01:17Some of the revolts of this type took the form of tax rebellions ennaged among tribes

01:22such as the Banu Fazarah and Banu Tamim.

01:25Other dissenters, while initially allied to the Muslims, used Muhammad's death as an

01:30opportunity to attempt to restrict the growth of the new Islamic state.

01:34They include some of the Rabia in Bahrain, the Azd in Oman, as well as among the Qinda

01:40and Qalan in Yemen.

01:42Abu Bakr, likely understanding that maintaining firm control over the disparate tribes of

01:47Arabia was crucial to ensuring the survival of the state, suppressed the insurrections

01:51with military force.

01:54He dispatched Khalid ibn Walid and a body of troops to subdue the uprisings in Najd

01:58as well as that of Musaylimah, who posed the most serious threat.

02:03Concurrent to this, Shirabil ibn Hassanah and Al-Alaa al-Hadrami were sent to Bahrain,

02:09while Ikrimah ibn Abi Jal, Hudhaifa al-Bariki and Arfeysha al-Bariki were instructed to

02:14conquer Oman.

02:16Finally, Al-Muhajir ibn Abi Umayyah and Khalid ibn Asid were sent to Yemen to aid the local

02:22governor in re-establishing control.

02:25Abu Bakr also made use of diplomatic means in addition to military measures.

02:30Like Muhammad before him, he used marriage alliances and financial incentives to bind

02:35former enemies to the caliphate.

02:38For instance, a member of the Banu Hanifa who had sided with the Muslims was rewarded

02:42with the granting of a land estate.

02:45Similarly, a Qinda rebel named al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, after repenting and rejoining Islam,

02:51was later given land in Medina as well as the hand of Abu Bakr's sister Um Farwa in

02:56marriage.

02:58At their heart, the Rida movements were challenges to the political and religious supremacy of

03:02the Islamic State.

03:04Through his success in suppressing the insurrections, Abu Bakr had in effect continued the political

03:10consolidation which had begun under Muhammad's leadership with relatively little interruption.

03:15By war's end, he had established an Islamic hegemony over the entirety of the Arabian

03:20Peninsula.

03:22Expeditions into Persia and Syria, with Arabia having united under a single centralized state

03:27with a formidable military, the region could now be viewed as a potential threat to the

03:32neighboring Byzantine and Sasanian empires.

03:35It may be that Abu Bakr, reasoning that it was inevitable that one of these powers would

03:39launch a pre-emptive strike against the youthful caliphate, decided that it was better to deliver

03:44the first blow himself.

03:47Regardless of the caliph's motivations, in 633, small forces were dispatched into Iraq

03:52and Palestine, capturing several towns.

03:56Though the Byzantines and Sasanians were certain to retaliate, Abu Bakr had reason to be confident.

04:02The two empires were militarily exhausted after centuries of war against each other,

04:07making it likely that any forces sent to Arabia would be diminished and weakened.

04:12A more pressing advantage, though, was the effectiveness of the Muslim fighters as well

04:16as their zeal, the latter of which was partially based on their certainty of the righteousness

04:20of their cause.

04:22Additionally, the general belief among the Muslims was that the community must be defended

04:27at all costs.

04:29It was certainly good policy to turn the recently subdued tribes of the wilderness towards an

04:33external aim in which they might at once satisfy their lust for booty on a grand scale, maintain

04:39their warlike feeling, and strengthen themselves in their attachment to the new faith.

04:44Had started these initial conflicts which eventually resulted in the Islamic conquests

04:48of Persia and the Levant, he did not live to see those regions conquered by Islam, instead

04:53leaving the task to his successors.

04:56Preservation of the Quran Abu Bakr was instrumental in preserving the

05:00Quran in written form.

05:02It is said that after the hard-won victory over Musaylimah in the Battle of Yamama in

05:07632, Umar saw that some 500 of the Muslims who had memorized the Quran had been killed

05:12in wars.

05:14Fearing that it might become lost or corrupted, Umar requested that Abu Bakr authorize the

05:19compilation and preservation of the scriptures in written format.

05:24The Caliph was initially hesitant, being quoted as saying, How can we do that which the Messenger

05:29of Allah, may Allah bless and keep him, did not himself do?

05:33He eventually relented, however, and appointed Zayd ibn Thabit, who had previously served

05:38as one of the scribes of Muhammad, for the task of gathering the scattered verses.

05:44The fragments were recovered from every quarter, including from the ribs of palm branches,

05:48scraps of leather, stone tablets and, from the hearts of men.

05:53The collected work was transcribed onto sheets and verified through comparison with Quran

05:57memorizers.

05:59The finished codex, termed the Masahaf, was presented to Abu Bakr, who prior to his death,

06:05bequeathed it to his successor Umar.

06:08Upon Umar's own death, the Masahaf was left to his daughter Hafsa, who had been one of

06:13the wives of Muhammad.

06:15It was this volume, borrowed from Hafsa, which formed the basis of Uthman's legendary prototype,

06:21which became the definitive text of the Quran.

06:24All later editions are derived from this original.

06:27Death

06:28On the 23rd of August 634, Abu Bakr fell sick and did not recover.

06:34He developed a high fever and was confined to bed.

06:37His illness was prolonged, and when his condition worsened, he felt that his end was near.

06:43Realizing this, he sent for Ali and requested him to perform his ghusl since Ali had also

06:48done it for Muhammad.

06:50Abu Bakr felt that he should nominate his successor so that the issue should not be

06:54a cause of dissension among the Muslims after his death, though there was already controversy

06:58over Ali not having been appointed.

07:01He appointed Umar for this role after discussing the matter with some companions.

07:07Some of them favored the nomination and others disliked it, due to the tough nature of Umar.

07:13Abu Bakr thus dictated his last testament to Uthman ibn Affan as follows, in the name

07:18of Most Merciful God.

07:21This is the last will and testament of Abu Bakr bin Abu Khafa, when he is in the last

07:25hour of the world, and the first of the next.

07:28An hour in which the infidel must believe, the wicked be convinced of their evil ways,

07:33I nominate Umar ibn Al-Khattab as my successor.

07:37Therefore, hear to him and obey him.

07:40If he acts right, confirm his actions.

07:43My intentions are good, but I cannot see the future results.

07:47However, those who do ill shall render themselves liable to severe account hereafter.

07:53Fare you well.

07:55May you be ever attended by the divine favor of blessing.

07:58Umar led the funeral prayer for him and he was buried beside the grave of Muhammad.

08:03Appearance.

08:04The historian Al-Tabari, in regards to Abu Bakr's appearance, records the following interaction

08:10between Aisha and her paternal nephew, Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr.

08:16When she was in her hauda and saw a man from among the Arabs passing by, she said, I have

08:20not seen a man more like Abu Bakr than this one.

08:24We said to her, Describe Abu Bakr.

08:27She said, A slight, white man, thin bearded and bowed.

08:32His waist wrapper would not hold but would fall down around his loins.

08:37He had a lean face, sunken eyes, a bulging forehead, and trembling knuckles.

08:43Referencing another source, Al-Tabari further describes him as being, white mixed with yellowness,

08:49of good build, slight, bowed, thin, tall like a male palm tree, hook-nosed, lean-faced,

08:56sunken-eyed, thin-shanked, and strong-thighed.

09:00He used to dye himself with henna and black dye.

09:03Assessment and legacy.

09:05Though the period of his caliphate covers only two years, two months and fifteen days,

09:10it included successful invasions of the two most powerful empires of the time, the Sassanid

09:15Empire and Byzantine Empire.

09:17He is known as al-Siddiq, a teak and companion of the cave.

09:22Abu Bakr had the distinction of being the first caliph in the history of Islam and also

09:26the first caliph to nominate a successor.

09:30He was the only caliph in the history of Islam who refunded to the state treasury at the

09:34time of his death the entire amount of the allowance that he had drawn during the period

09:38of his caliphate.

09:40He has the distinction of purchasing the land for al-Masjid al-Nabawi.

09:44Sunni view.

09:46Sunni Muslim tradition considers Abu Bakr the best man after the prophets in Sunni Islam.

09:52They also consider Abu Bakr as one of the Ten Promised Paradise, al-Ash'ara al-Mubashara,

09:58whom Muhammad had testified were destined for Paradise.

10:02He is regarded as the successor of Allah's Messenger, Khalifa Rasulullah, and first of

10:07the rightly guided caliphs, i.e. Rashidun, and as the rightful successor to Muhammad.

10:14Abu Bakr had always been the closest friend and confidant of Muhammad throughout his life,

10:19being beside Muhammad at every major event.

10:23It was Abu Bakr's wisdom that Muhammad always honored.

10:27Abu Bakr is regarded among the best of Muhammad's followers.

10:31As Umar ibn al-Khattab stated, if the faith of Abu Bakr was weighed against the faith

10:35of the people of the earth, the faith of Abu Bakr would outweigh the others.

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