Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (RA) -2-

Then someone suggested that Usama was too young – 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 God?”
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, ride my horse and I will get down.”
“By God,” 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 sake of God? For every step one takes in path of God, one gets the reward of seven hundred good deeds.”
Umar 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 Umar 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:
“Don’t be treacherous or disloyal. Don’t be careless. Do not deceive anyone. Do not hide the booty you get. Do not mutilate anyone. Do not kill the elderly, the children, or 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 food. You will come across people who have give up the world and are sitting in monasteries. Leave them be.”
Usama’s expedition proved very successful. He and the Muslim army broke down the armies of Rome in Syria and returned to Medina after forty days with a great war booty.
The expedition had another good result. It proved an eye-opener to many of those tribes 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 inspired and awed the wavering tribes. Some of the tribes which had left Islam actually, reentered its fold.
The Impostors
Abu 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 hadn’t learned much at all of the Qur’an and the true spirit of Islam. For centuries they had known no outside authority. They were accustomed 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 opportunity in the death of the holy Prophet. Now was the time to throw off the hold of Islam.
The one thing which was especially annoying to the chiefs of these tribes was the obligatory alms. 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.
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 fell prey to this ambition. Presently, a host of imposters appeared in different parts of Arabia. They all claimed to be Messengers of God.
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 the imposters have been dealt with.”
Abu Bakr would not listen to such counsel. “By God,” he declared, “even if a single goat 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 the clear commandment of God.”
However, the situation was extremely difficult. Among the non-payers of the poor-rate were the neighboring 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 within the fold of Islam if they were exempted from paying the poor-rate.
True to his determination, Abu Bakr firmly turned down the proposal. At the same time, he set about strengthening the defenses 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 who rejected Zakat. 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 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.
War Apostates
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 tribes of heretics.
Before these armies left, Abu Bakr sent delegations to diplomatically solve the situation. When it failed, a general warning was given to the apostates 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 be conscious of God, under all conditions. They should do their best to obey the commandments of God. 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 and anarchy. 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 armies were successful within a couple weeks of restoring peace and order to the Islamic state. Many tribes came back to Islam by simply learning more about the miraculous nature of Islam and the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad, others were highly impressed with the Muslims victory against the Romans, and others were stuck to their old Bedouin tribal allegiance and fought the armies claiming their chief to be their own Prophet.
Compiling the Qur’an as a bound book
There was a fierce battle between the army of the Islamic state where a man named Musailamah claimed to be a Prophet. His village was quite large and from them over 10,000 men was prepared to fight against a Muslim army of maybe 5,000. After three days Musailamah himself was killed after great losses from both sides and the rest of the village gave up.
In that battle hundreds of those who had memorized the whole Qur’an had been martyred. When the news of this got to Abu Bakr he prayed to God for guidance. Umar had suggested that they have the Qur’an gathered as a book. In the life of the Prophet (PBUH) he used to command certain companions to write the revelation on wood, leather, and bones. He would keep some of these written copies with himself and the companions would keep their own. In the Ramadan before he (PBUH) died, Gabriel came to him and recited to the Prophet the final order of the Qur’an twice and the Prophet (PBUH) memorized it.
Because most Arabs were illiterate and there was no printing press the Qur’an was originally just a memorized book and there was never a command by the Prophet to make it into one bound book. First because God promised to preserve it himself and second because the eager believers were always recited and memorizing it.
In the end Abu Bakr agreed that In Islam we rely on God, but we also do our part. He ordered the scribe Zaid ibn Thabit (who was a memorizer of the Qur’an and had been commanded by the Prophet to write it) to gather all written copies of the Qur’an and organize one clear legible copy in the order we were taught to memorize it. He was then to read over it with the remaining companions who memorized it. They all agreed that he did a perfect job and the bound that copy. This copy was given to Umar before Abu Bakr died then Umar gave it to his daughter (the wife of the Prophet) and she kept it until ‘Uthman started printing copies and sending them to the far governorates of the Islamic state.
The Era of Conquest Begins
The kings of Persia had done all they could to crush Islam. In fact, the infamous Khusro Parvez had ordered the arrest or assassination of the holy Prophet. This ruling came after the Prophet had sent him a convoy with a letter about his Prophethood and calling him to Islam. Khusro ripped the letter with Qur’an written on it and told the convoy that the Arabs are simply the slaves of Persians and that he will put a stop to their Prophet (PBUH) once and for all. But a few days after, he Khusro was killed by his own son, Sharuya. Since that day, the Persians (Iran) had known no peace. Abu Bakr had to take account of the ever-present danger on the eastern frontiers.
In the first month of the year 12 A.H., Abu Bakr sent Khalid bin Walid sent with an army to challenge the might of Persia. Another army under Qaqaa bin Amr was to reinforce him. Khalid was to attack Kamla, the southern outpost of the Persian empire.
A second army, under Ayaz bin Ghanam, was to strike at the norther boundary of Iraq.
The proud Persian 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 Persian losses were heavy.
Hira, on the Persian border, was the stronghold of the Christian Arabs. They had so far fought on the Persian side because they knew of the Persian side. Khalid conquered Hira. Soon after, the other frontier chiefs also submitted to Khalid, after seeing the might of the Muslims.
After Hira, Khalid conquered Anbar and Ain-ut-Tamr, two important outposts of the Persian 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 crossed the Euphrates. On the 15th of Dhul-Qaad, 12 A.H., Khalid routed this host at Faraz. From here he went back to Hira.
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. “Islam is the path of truth revealed by Almighty God,” he said, “so God will defend it against its enemies.” It was not so much on troops as on God’s help that Abu Bakr depended. Results proved that he was right in his faith.
There was, however, another important factor which helped Abu Bakr. This was Khalid bin Walid, the greatest general of Islam. His courage and tactics 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 conquer it to live under the safety and justice of the Islamic state. 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 retreat. 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.
The Sword of God
Khalid bin Walid was born a general. At Uhud, he was still a disbeliever and so he fought on the side of the Pagan 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.
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 “The Sword of God.” 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.
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.
Khalid was extremely kind hearted 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 any 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 and many embraced Islam from their experience with the justice of Islam.
War with Byzantian
The need for military operations against Byzantium (a Roman empire in the middle east) 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 Ubaida 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.
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:
1. Always be conscious of God. He knows what is in the men’s hearts.
2. Be kind to the men under you and treat them well.
3. Directions given should be brief. If too long, they are likely to be forgotten.
4. Improve your conduct first others will improve when they see your example
5. Honor the representatives of the enemy.
6. Keep your own arrangement a secret.
7. Be always truthful so you can get good advice.
8. At night when you are free, sit among your men. This will keep you in touch with them.
9. Make good arrangements for the watch and ward of the army.
10. Keep away from untruthful men. Be intimate with truthful and faithful companions.
11. Be sincere to all whom you have dealings.
12. Beware of cowardice and dishonesty.
13. You will come across people who have given up the world and are spending their days in place of worship. Leave such people alone.
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 Battle of Yarmuk
Heraclius learnt that the four Muslim armies had merged into one. He also ordered a similar move. The four Byzantine armies combined to form 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.
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.
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.
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. “Before today, I fought all battles against the Messenger of God,” he shouted out. “This is the first time I am fighting for the cause of God. In no case will I turn my back on the battlefield. Now who is going to fight unto death with me?”
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.
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.
Now Khalid fell on the enemy infantry. 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. The Byzantine rout was complete. The Muslims loss was three thousand killed.
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.
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.
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 Umar has succeded him as Caliph. It also said that the new Caliph had dismissed Khalid from his command and replaced him by Abu Ubaida bin Jarrah. Khalid read the letter. He then informed Abu Ubaida 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 desperately as ever.
After the battle was over, Khalid’s dismissal became known. Someone said to him, “How is it that the news did not damp your spirit at all?” “I was not fighting for Umar,” replied Khalid, “I was fighting for the cause of God.”
Abu Bakr’s Last Illness
On the 7th of Jamadi-ul-Akhir, 13 A.H., Abu Bakr was taken ill. He had a severe 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.
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.
Umar’s Nomination
Welfare of Muslims had always been the first care of Abu Bakr. He would allow nothing that would make 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.
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 Umar. He put his proposal before the leading Companions. Most of them liked the proposal. But someone said, “Umar is no doubt the best man, but he is rather too tough.”
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 Uthman. He dictated to him Umar’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 God. I appoint Umar 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 Umar to his bedside and spoke to him thus:
“Umar! I have nominated you my successor. My parting advice is that you fear God and work for the well-being of the Muslims. Remember, Umar, the duties you have been given by 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, Umar, that the verses of the Qur’an speak of good reward and punishment side by side. This is to put the greatness of God in the believer’s heart and to make him pray for forgiveness. Umar, when you read in the Qur’an about the inmate of fire, pray to God not to make you one of them. But when you read about the dwellers of Paradise, pray for being one of them Umar, if you follow the path I have chalked out for you, you will find me by your side.”
When Umar 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 sincere 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. They are Your servants. Their future is in Your hands. Lord, keep their rules on the right path. Make Umar one of the noblest Caliphs and help the Muslims help him.”
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.
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. Abu Bakr was Caliph for only two years, three months and ten days. This was a relatively short period of time in the life of people. But during this short period, Abu Bakr was able to do great things for Islam. These achievements have made his name immortal. They have placed him among the greatest men of all time___ Source: http://www.the-faith.com