For the next twenty-three years, Abu Bakr provided unflinching help and support to the Prophet. He involved himself in the thick of all the activities the Prophet undertook, and also accompanied him on his epoch-making journey from Makkah to Madinah (hijrah) for the sake of Islam. In the process, he suffered untold personal loss and hardship, yet he never hesistated to use his considerable wealth and properties for the cause of the Truth. As Islam became the modus vivendi of his life, the welfare of the Prophet and his small band of followers became Abu Bakr’s main concern and preoccupation. In the tenth year of Muhammad’s Prophethood, a momentous event took place. Al-isra wa’l miraj (or the Prophet’s miraculous night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem, and ascension to heaven) occurred, and it was on this occasion that the five daily prayers were prescribed. On his return, the Prophet narrated the whole event to his friends and foes alike, but the Makkan chiefs joked and laughed at the Prophet. They then went to Abu Bakr and told him what the Prophet had related to them. Surely someone as down-to-earth as Abu Bakr could not believe such a fantastic tale, they thought to themselves. “Have you listened to your friend? He is claiming to have visited Jerusalem and the Sublime Throne in the heavens last night and talked with God Almighty. Would you believe it?” they asked Abu Bakr. “If he said so, then it is an absolute truth.” retorted Abu Bakr without any hesitation. The Makkans were seriously taken aback by Abu Bakr’s unflinching faith and confidence in the Prophet. From that day on, Abu Bakr became known as al-siddiq or ‘the truthful’ one.
Abu Bakr excelled in every possible way and had no match among the companions of the Prophet; he more than lived up to the Prophet’s expectations and did so consistently. After the Prophet’s migration to Madinah in 622, Abu Bakr purchased a plot of land where the foundations of masjid al-nabi (or the ‘Prophet’s mosque’) were laid in 623; he also led the first hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah on behalf of the Prophet. Abu Bakr was more than a friend, supporter and close confidant of the Prophet; in fact, he was the only person to have been authorised by the Prophet to lead salah (daily prayers) while the Prophet was still alive. His estimation in the sight of the Prophet was second to none. Although the Prophet did not directly nominate a successor before he died, by nominating Abu Bakr to lead the daily prayers he had implicitly pointed the way forward. Nevertheless, the Prophet left the final decision on appointing his successor to the discretion of his companions, who numbered in their thousands at that time in Madinah. By choosing not to nominate his successor, he instituted and underlined the fundamental democratic principle of the people having a say in selecting their leader. Such a highly developed modern principle of governance was unheard of in the seventh century, but the Prophet was keen to give the people a say in the election or selection of their rulers.
After the Prophet passed away in 632, the news of his death spread across Arabia like a wildfire; this prompted many newly converted tribes of Arabia to revert back to their old ways. They thought that Islam would fizzle out after the Prophet’s death. It was a critical period in Islamic history. The Muslim community could not possibly remain leaderless for long. Some leading companions of the Prophet, including Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abu Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah, saw the potential danger and played a pivotal role in electing a leader. After considerable discussion and debate, it was unanimously agreed by the companions of the Prophet to elect Abu Bakr khalifat rasul Allah (‘successor to the Messenger of God’). He was elected on account of his leadership abilities, great insight into Islamic teachings and considerable experience of sociopolitical affairs. In other words, he was the most suitable person to lead the nascent Islamic State in the absence of the Prophet. After being elected the first Caliph of Islam, Abu Bakr went straight to the Prophet’s mosque where he delivered his first address to the people. He declared:
‘O people! I have been selected as your trustee although I am no better than anyone of you. If I am right, obey me. If I happen to be wrong, set me right. Of course truth is honesty and a lie is dishonesty. The weakest among you is powerful in my sight until I do not get him his due, God willing. The most powerful among you is the weakest in my sight until I do not make him pay his due rights to others, God willing. I ask you to obey me as long as I obey God and His messenger. If I disobey God and His messenger, you are free to disobey me.’
This speech was a milestone in Islamic political history because it not only skilfully articulated the fundamental Islamic constitutional principles, but also underlined the core precepts which should bind the Government of the day to their populace. Caliph Abu Bakr’s reign, therefore, became the first fully-fledged democratic administration in Islamic history where the leader was not only elected by the people he was also fully accountable to them. Caliph Abu Bakr did not decide anything unilaterally. He formed an advisory council consisting of the leading companions of the Prophet and he regularly consulted them before authorising or undertaking any issues of importance. Immediately after assuming the office of the Caliphate, he instigated action against those tribes which had reverted back to their pre-Islamic practices in the belief that Islam would disintegrate following the death of the Prophet. Caliph Abu Bakr’s uncompromising stance against political rebellion and social unrest helped put an end to all forms of political and social mischief in Arabia at the time.
After restoring peace and order across the land, Caliph Abu Bakr turned his attention to the external enemies of the Islamic State who were conspiring against the Muslims from the adjoining territories. In the year 633, he authorised Khalid ibn al-Walid, the great Muslim military commander, to take action against the subversive activities of the Persians. The Muslim army defeated the Persians and brought peace and order to that area. In the following year, elements of the Byzantine army began to instigate military raids and other provocative actions against the Muslim territories. After consulting his advisory council, the Caliph took decisive action against the Byzantines. When Heraclius, the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, received news of the Muslim advance he sent a large army to crush the Muslims. Under Khalid’s inspirational leadership, forty-five thousand Muslims inflicted a crushing defeat on the approximately one hundred and fifty thousand-strong Byzantine contingent.
This decisive and unprecedented victory, achieved at a critical phase in Muslim history, has today found its way into Muslim folklore. Of course, Caliph Abu Bakr’s outstanding leadership played a pivotal role in this success. Indeed, he was an impressive leader who was both gentle and caring, but also tough and decisive when required. His unwavering commitment to Islam, political abilities and strategic brilliance enabled the Islamic State to become a strong and united entity, thus consolidating its position vis-à-vis the two leading powers of the time, namely the Persian and Holy Roman Empires. In just over two years, Caliph Abu Bakr helped transform the fortunes of Islam. More importantly, encouraged and supported by Umar, he brought together all the parchments (suhuf) on which the Qur’an was written during the Prophet’s lifetime and compiled them in the form of one book (mushaf). He was therefore instrumental in preserving the Divine revelation in its original, pristine form for the benefit of posterity. Like the Prophet, Caliph Abu Bakr led his people by his example, and his main priority was the safety and welfare of the Muslim masses.
On a personal level, Abu Bakr led a very simple life; he ate most frugally and used to wake up in the middle of the night to cry before his Lord. Being very spiritually inclined, he had little time for the wealth and material possessions of this world. Once