All praise is due to Allah. May His peace and blessing be upon the Prophet, his household and companions.
Dear Muslims! Fear Allah and be dutiful to Him, for the fear of Allah is victory in this world and the provision for the hereafter.
Dear brothers! Every nation and community gets proud of their noble and distinguished personalities. The Prophet ﷺ said:
| Man is with the one he loves (Muslim). |
Therefore, every Muslim is indebted to the companions of the Prophet ﷺ for his Eeman, knowledge, acts of worship and prosperity. For, they were the ones who conveyed the religion to us and fought relentlessly in the way of Allah until the religion became consolidated. Ibn Mas’ood ra said:
| The companions of Muhammad ﷺ are by Allah! the best of this Ummah, the purest of heart and most knowledgeable. Allah appointed them for the companionship of His Prophet and the establishment of His religion. |
Ash-Shafi’ee also said:
| The companions are far above us in knowledge, religiousity, guidance and all other avenues by which one can gain knowledge and guidance. Their opinion pertaining to issues concerning us is better for us than our own opinion. |
Allah has in fact praised and informed us that He is pleased with them. He says:
| And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who follow them exactly (in Faith). Allah is Well-Pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” (At-Tawbah 9:100). |
Each and every one of the Sahaabah has a laudable role he played in the consolidation of Islaam, knowing their stories enlivens hearts and emulating them brings felicity. Ibn Al-Jawzee said:
| The Salaf used to teach their children love of the Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as they taught them a Surah of the Quran. |
The best and most distinguished of the Sahaabah is Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq. He was revered among the Quraysh and loved. He was an expert in Arab genealogy and history. When Islam came, he was the first to believe in the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ever since remained on the truth. The Prophet ﷺ said:
| I said: O you people! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all. And you replied: You have lied! But Abu Bakr said: You have said the truth! (Al-Bukhari). |
Abu Bakr ra was a man of outstanding achievements and noble deeds. He holds excellent position and he was resolute, merciful, forbearing and generous. He defended the religion of Allah and helped His Messenger r. He was the first of the rightly guided Khaleefahs. He never drank alcohol, never worshipped idols and never told a lie. He was the first person to call to Islam and Allah made accept Islam through him five of those who were given glad tidings of paradise namely: Uthman, Talha, Sad, Abdur-Rahmaan bin Auf ra . He was the first person to be persecuted in the way of Allah. He accompanied the Prophet ﷺ right from the beginning of his mission till his death and was the only one to migrate with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:
| No money has benefited me like that Abu Bakr |
He has once spent all his money in the cause of Allah. ‘Umar ra said:
| The Messenger of Allah ﷺ enjoined us to make a Sadaqah and I brought half of my money to him. When he asked me about what I had left for my family, I told him that I left for them the like of what I had brought. As regards Abu Bakr, he came with all that he had. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him what he had left for his family. He answered that he had left for them Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Then ‘Umar said: I shall never compete with him in anything again. (Abu Dawood). |
Abu Bakr As-Sideeq was a good-spirited person. He never ask anything from anybody. He said:
| My friend ﷺ enjoined me never to ask anything from people. (Ahmad). |
He was also the most-firm in faith among his Ummah Even if his faith is to be weighed against the faith of the whole Ummah -excluding the Prophet- his faith would out- weigh theirs. Abu Saeed Al-Khudre said:
| Abu Bakr was the most knowledeable among us. |
The Ummah never differ on a issue during his lifetime except that he settled it.
He was so loved and revered by the Prophet ﷺ that he deputised him to lead people in prayer and to lead the first hajj contingent from Al-Madeenah. Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said:
| Knowledge of the rites of Hajj is the most-subtle of all acts of worship and there is no issue of acts of worship that is more complicated than it. If not because of Abu Bakrs wide knowledge, the Prophet ﷺ would not have made him the leader of the first Hajj contingent. |
His whole life was spent in the way of Allah. He has never left Madeenah except for the purpose of Hajj, Umrah or Jihaad and all his money was spent in the cause of Allah. His daughter ‘Aaishah said:
| When he died, he did not leave neither gold nor silver coin. |
Abu Bakr was the bravest of all the Companions. He would always be found in the forefront when the war became terrible. He was the one who protected the Prophet ﷺ with his body during the battle of Badr and he was firm and resolute during the famous Battle of Hunayn. He said of himself:
| Fear never entered my heart since the day I was with the Prophet ﷺ in the cave. |
When people were in the state of bewilderment concerning the death of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr it was, who only demonstrated self-control and bravery to face the situation. It was then that he made his popular speech:
| Whoever worships Muhammad, Muhammad is now dead, but whoever worships Allah, Allah is Ever-living, Immortal. |
Abu Bakr led the Muslim Ummah after the death of the Prophet ﷺ with justice and wisdom and consolidated Islam. His opinion was the most correct. The Prophet ﷺ used to seek for his views first among his companions. Umar also used to consult him during the Prophetic Era because of his intelligence. It was only Abu Bakr who had the honour of the fact that his father, mother, children and grandchildren embraced Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ. None of the Sahaabah had the same honour. Sheikhul-Islaam said:
| The household of Abu Bakr is that of Iman. There was no hypocrite among them. |
It was also said that
| : “Iman do have households as hypocrisy does. The household of Abu Bakr was that of Iman. |
Abu Bakr was a highly devoted companion, the philantropist and a fighter in the way of Allah, when he reads Quraan he would not be able to control his tears and he would be the first person to do good deeds. He possessed the qualities that guarantee paradise for one. He was fluent and eloquent when he spoke and he has spoken on behalf of the Prophet ﷺ on many occasion with or without the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was so loved by the Prophet ﷺ and used to visit him in his house in the morning and afternoon and would call him: My brother, my companion. He would also praise him by saying:
| What an excellent man Abu Bakr is! |
It was out of the Prophets love for him that he married his daughter. The Prophet ﷺ likened him to the Prophets Ibraheem and Eesaa in leniency. He benefited the Messenger of Allah with his wealth and life and spent his money abundantly for the upliftment of the Religion of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said:
| No body has done a favour for us except that we have compensated him save Abu Bakr for, he has done us favours that, it is only Allah who can recompense him for it on the Day of Judgement. (At-Tirmidhee). |
The Prophet ﷺ also said:
| O Abu Bakr! You are the first person to enter Paradise from my nation. (Abu Dawood). |
Abu Bakr was also the most beloved among the companions. The companions loved him and revered him. Umar said:
| A night and a day of Abu Bakr is -by Allah- better than ‘Umar and the household of ‘Umar. |
Ibn ‘Umar also said:
| We, during the time of the Prophet ﷺ did not consider anybody equal with Abu Bakr. (Al-Bukhari). |
Dear Brothers in faith! These are some of the virtues of Abu Bakr, may Allah pleased with him and please him. Therefore, give this meritorious companion of the Messenger of Allah his due in respect, love and position. The Almighty says:
| Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah; of them some have fulfilled their obligations ; and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed. (Al-Ahzaab 33:23). |
Fellow Muslims! There is another fact that should well understood. The later generations of this Ummah will never succeed unless with what made the earlier generations succeeded. The companions of the Messenger of Allah are the best of all men after the Messenger of Allah himself. Therefore, knowing their ways of live, their characters and manners illuminate the way for a believer who wishes to live according to the way the Prophet ﷺ did.
Brothers in faith! Emulate these people, be steadfast on their path and always be truthful in your sayings and deeds, you will be among the truthfuls before Allah. Also spend of your wealth seeking the pleasure of your Lord, you will be forgiven your sins; do good to people, grief and calamity will removed from you; be patient over persecution in the way of Allah for, that is the way of the righteous people and restrict yourselves to Halaal earings only, your money will be blessed. Endeavor also to learn knowledge and submit the whole of your life to Allah, you will have happiness. Engage in a lot of prayers, fasting feeding the poor, visiting the sick and attending funerals, you will earn the reward thereof in Paradise. Revere and honour the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. For your honouring of them means your love for your Prophet ﷺ. All the above are the characters of the truthful Muslims, if you can have that, you will be among them.
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