Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
"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.
Early Life
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.
Service to the Prophet
First among Men
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.
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.
The Title of "Siddiq"
I n the tenth yer 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Abu Bakr Elected Caliph
A Critical Moment
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:
Ali's Delay
F 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."
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 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.
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.
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.
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?"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
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US ]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."
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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?"
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.