The Soft Heart of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ

Shining Stars

The soft heart of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ

Mawlana Adnan Ahmad Attari Madani

The superior personality of this Umma after the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and Islam’s first Caliph, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ passed away on Monday the 22^nd of Jumāda al-Ākhira 13 AH (22^nd August 634). He was a figure with plentiful admirable qualities, one of them being his soft heart. Here are some incidents describing this.

Crying upon witnessing the Prophet’s compassion

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “No one’s wealth has ever benefitted me as much as Abū Bakr’s.” Hearing this, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq began to cry. “O Messenger of Allah!”, he exclaimed, “My life and wealth are yours.”

A similar narration explains he said, “The guidance and high rank Allah has granted me is only due to you.”^[1]

Moved to tears by thoughts of accountability

Once, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came outside with a cloth tied around his stomach due to extreme hunger. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq then arrived and greeted him, to which he asked, “O Abū Bakr! Why have you come outside?” Abū Bakr did not answer. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then said, “Dear Abū Bakr! I am outside for the same reason you are.”

These illustrious personalities then went to a wall beyond which lay a palm grove. Unripe green dates were spread across floor, left untouched by nearby animals. They both ate these and drank water.

They had not eaten fully, when the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “On the Day of Judgement, this food shall be asked about.” Abū Bakr began to cry intensely and said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you! Will I be asked about these unripe and green dates, which even animals did not want to eat?” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم announced, “Yes! These are also a bounty from Allah’s bounties.”^[2]

Shedding tears when seeing the Prophet’s white hairs

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and ꜤUmar al-Fārūq رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا were in the Prophet’s house one day. Abū Bakr beheld white hairs in the Prophet’s beard and began to cry. “O Messenger of Allah!”, he said, “Old age advances swiftly towards you.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Yes, this is the case. Hūd and others like it, such as Wāqiʿa, Qārīʿa, Takwīr, and Maʿārij, they have made me old.”^[3]

Pained by being far from the Prophet

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم issued glad tidings to the martyrs of Uhud by saying he is their witness. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq then asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Are we not their brothers? We accepted Islam and undertook jihād just as they did.”

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Why would you not be ˹their brothers˺? Yet, I do not know what you shall do after me.” Abū Bakr began to cry (due to thinking of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم), which later intensified further (when considering how he may be left alone after the Prophet’s passing).

He asked, “Will we remain after your passing?” (In other words, “After you leave us, the Umma will lose the blessings and bounties Allah bestowed only for your sake.) ^[4]

Commentary: The statement “Yet, I do not know what you shall do after me”, was visibly said to Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, but meant for others besides him. This is because Abū Bakr did not ask the question for himself, but for people in general. The answer was given with this in mind. Evidence for this is the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم himself saying Abū Bakr is destined for Paradise and Allah is pleased with him. He also said he was a witness to Abū Bakr being in Paradise.^[5]

Tears flow from his eyes after Bilāl’s words

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq purchased Bilāl رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ from Umayya b. Khalaf for 5 ūqiyya and freed him.^[6]

During the caliphate of Abū Bakr, Bilāl decided to travel to Syria, but the former did not want him to leave. Bilāl said, “If you freed me to make me your treasurer and organiser, then make me that. Yet, if you freed me for the sake of Allah, allow me to leave so I may perform deeds for His sake.” Tears began flowing from the eyes of Abū Bakr, who then said, “I freed you only to please Allah.”^[7]

His grief at beholding imprints upon the Prophet’s body

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had a bedstead woven from ˹firm˺ palm fibre, covered with a black sheet.

As he rested upon it, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and ꜤUmar al-Fārūq once arrived. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم sat up when seeing them. They began to cry when seeing imprints left by the rough bed upon the Prophet’s sides.

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, “Why do the two of you cry?” They said, “O Messenger of Allah! We cry as the roughness of this bed has left imprints on your side, whilst Caesar and Khosrow sleep on beds of soft silk and luxurious fabrics.” The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “The conclusion and recompense of Caeser and Khosrow is fire, whilst the recompense of this bed is Paradise.”^[8]

Moved to tears by the Quran

When the Quranic chapter of Al-Zalzalah was revealed, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq began to cry when first hearing it. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, “Abū Bakr, why do you cry?” He replied, “O Messenger of Allah! This chapter has moved me to tears.”^[9]