Abu Bakr (RA) - The First Ruler of The Rashidun Caliphate

-
Abu Bakr (RA) was a companion and father-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He was also the first Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. His real name was Abdullah bin Abu Quhafah. His popular name, Abu Bakr (father of a young camel), was due to his love for young camels during childhood. He was a close friend of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) even before the arrival of Islam and among the first ones to embrace Islam. Muslims regard him as the grand companion among the companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet (PBUH).

Early Life

Abu Bakr (RA) was born around 573 AD in Makkah (Saudi Arabia) in the clan of Banu Taym (Quraysh tribe). Usman Abu Quhafah was the name of his father, while Salma bint Sakhar was his mother.

During his teens, he adopted the occupation of a cloth merchant and became a wealthy and prominent merchant after some time. Abu Bakr (RA) was among the few literate persons of Makkah. He was fond of poetry and Arab genealogy.  Even before Islam, he disliked alcohol drinking and idolatry.

Acceptance of Islam

Abu Bakr (RA) was among the first to accept Islam. Ha later showed his love for Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) his whole life. His preaching persuaded several prominent people of Quraysh to convert to Islam, including Usman bin Affan (third Caliph of Islam), Zubayr bin al-Awam, Saad bin Abi Waqqas, Abdur Rahman bin Awf, and several others.

He also freed several converted Muslim men and women slaves by purchasing them from their infidel masters to save them from the cruelty of their masters [1]. These slaves include Bilal bin Ribah (the first muazzin of Islam), Ammar bin Yasir, Lubaynah, and others.

He was the first to accept the Prophet’s (PBUH) miracle voyage to the skies (Meeraj-un-Nabi). Consequently, he was given the title of Siddique (the True person) by Muhammad (PBUH).

Migration to Medina

During the Muslims’ migration to Medina, Abu Bakr accompanied Muhammad (PBUH) on a dangerous journey. At that time, the Quraysh were in a vigorous chase to prevent them from going to Medina. They initially took refuge in Jabal Thawr (cave of Thawr) for three days. They then resumed their journey toward Medina and arrived there after a few days. Due to this companionship, Abu Bakr (RA) is also famous as Companion of the Cave. 

Life in Medina

During his life in Medina under Islamic society, Abu Bakr (RA) remained the right-hand man of the Prophet (PBUH) and served Islam with his wealth and physical contribution. Abu Bakr paid the price to buy land for the central mosque in Medina, Masjid al-Nabawi. [2] He took part in all the major battles during this era, including battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Hunayn, and battles against Jewish tribes. During the Battle of Tabouk, Abu Bakr gave his whole wealth for the service of Islam. In 7 AH (Hijra), Abu Bakr (RA) led the Muslim Army to conquer the central Nejd area of Arabia.

Role During Caliphate

In 9 AH, Muhammad (PBUH) appointed Abu Bakr (RA) as the first Ameer-ul-Hajj (leader of the pilgrimage) after the conquest of Makkah in 8 AH. Later, the Prophet (PBUH) also ordered him to lead the salaah (prayer) during his illness before death. Both these events indicated that the Prophet (PBUH) wanted Abu Bakr (RA) to lead the Muslims after his departure. After the death of the Prophet (PBUH), Abu Bakr (RA) became the first Caliph of Muslims with their consensus in 632 AD. 

It was a critical time for Islam and Muslims. Many tribes refused to pray and give Zakat (obligatory religious tax). Several people claimed prophecy, and their related tribes accepted their claim. On the other hand, the Roman and Sassanid empires were eager to end this new threat (Islam) before it could gain momentum. At that time, Abu Bakr (RA) proved his appointment from Prophet (PBUH) right as he stood firm against these dangers. 

Military Conflicts

He sent different armies against the false prophets in the Ridda Wars, and his military commanders defeated all of them. He also sent expeditions in Iraq and Syria against the Sassanid and Roman Empires. During his reign (632-34 AD), the Muslim army conquered Iraq under its commander Khalid bin Waleed. The troops on the other front of Syria also occupy some southern areas of Al-Sham (Levant). 

Before his death, Abu Bakr (RA) ordered Khalid to reach al-Sham (Levant) to help already stationed Muslim armies on this front against the Roman Empire and appointed Saad bin Abi Waqqas as the commander of the Muslim Army in Persia. These decisions proved valuable for the second Caliph, Umar bin al-Khattab, also an appointee of Abu Bakr (RA). 


Place in History

Abu Bakr (RA) was a pious, devoted, and brave Muslim. He spent his whole life for the service of Islam in every thick and thin. His reign as the first Caliph of Islam was crucial for defending Islam and its spread in Iraq and the Levant. His remarkable achievements make him one of the greatest Muslim personalities and leaders.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Battle of Ajnadayn - The First Major Muslim-Byzantine Battle

-
Battle of Ajnadayn was the first major pitched battle between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire. Khalid bin Walid was leading the Muslim army while the commander of the Christian force was Theodore, brother of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. The battle was fought in July/August 634 in modern-day Palestine/Israel and ended with a decisive victory for Muslims. It allowed them to capture the Byzantine province of Palestine and the southern part of Syria. Background The first engagement between Muslims and the Byzantine Empire occurred in the Battle of Mut’ah during Muhammad’s (PBUH) lifetime. Strong support from the Byzantine Empire to its Arab allies in this battle forced Khalid bin Walid to take a tactical retreat. The first successful campaign against the Byzantine Empire was led by Osama bin Zayed during the era of Caliph Abu Bakr. Later, Abu Bakr sent various small contingents of Muslims under different commanders to several parts of Byzantine Syria. The aim was ...
Read more

Reasons for the Fall of the Umayyad Dynasty

-
Umayyad Caliphate was the second Muslim Caliphate that emerged after Rashidun Caliphate. However, it is commonly known as Umayyad Dynasty due to its centralization on the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh tribe of Makkah. At its peak, the Umayyad Dynasty ruled the  Middle East, North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Persia, and Central Asia . It makes it the largest Muslim dynasty and one of the largest empires in human history. Umayyad Caliphate also kept the unity of the Islamic Caliphate as more than one Muslim dynasty appeared soon after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty. But despite these prominent political and military achievements, Umayyad Dynasty could only last for around 90 years. The Abbasids took the throne from them in 750 AD (Later, Umayyad ruled the Iberian Peninsula from 756 to 1031 AD). Fall of Umayyad Dynasty - Main Reasons Surprisingly, such a vast and politically powerful umpire could only last 90 years. There are several reasons behind the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty...
Read more

Reasons for the Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate

-
Abbasid Caliphate was the third Muslim Caliphate after the Rashidun and Umayyad caliphates. It was also the second Muslim dynasty after Umayyad Dynasty, as the rulers during this dynasty belonged only to the Abbasid family. The Abbasids took the throne in 750 AD after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty . They ruled almost the entire Muslim world (directly or indirectly) for more than 500 years till 1258 AD. In 1258, Mongols occupied Baghdad and assassinated the last Abbasid caliph Mustasim, thus effectively bringing  the downfall of  the Abbasid Caliphate. Though Abbasids remained caliphs for over 500 years, the gradual decline of their empire started almost from the beginning. The following are the top reasons behind the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate. Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate - Main  Reasons Differences with Shia Abbasids and Shia were together during the Hashemite movement, which overthrew the  Umayyad Caliphate . But differences between the two parties starte...
Read more