Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al Siddiq, A Mirror of the Prophet

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Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq: A Mirror of the Prophet

The greatest goal and desire of every true Muslim, and especially the Sahabah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهَُنْهُم, is to follow their Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمin every movement, stillness, and in every action of their hearts and limbs. The more successful a person is in attaining this goal, the more he resembles the Beloved of Allahصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and thereby, the more successful he is in gaining proximity to Allah Almighty. The pleasure of Allah Almighty first directs itself towards the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and then through his means, it is attained by those who follow him, rank by rank.

The basis of salvation in the Hereafter

Guaranteed salvation in the Hereafter and loftiness of ranks in Paradise are dependent upon resemblance with the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The more dissimilar a person’s actions and words are from his, the more distant he is from Allah Almighty, and the more he resembles him, the closer he is to Allah Almighty. The disbelievers have made their words and actions completely different to that of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, consequently, they are worthy of Hell for eternity. Whereas, the Sahabah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُعَنْهُم chose complete resemblance, thereby, becoming the most superior from the Ummah.

This entire discussion relates to those words and actions, in terms of resembling or not resembling a person, which an individual has control over. The one whom Allah Almighty favours with His boundless grace and generosity, He causes them to resemble His Beloved صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمin those matters who are beyond their control too, and He attaches their liking, disliking, thinking, imagination, nature and disposition so closely to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمthat they become a reflection of this couplet:

Fana itna tau ho jaoon mayn tayri Zaat-e-‘Aali Mayn

Jo mujh ko daykh Le us ko tayra deedar ho jaye

From the Ummah, the Noble Sahabah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُعَنْهُمresemble the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم most, from the Sahabah, the Four Rightly-guided Caliphs have the greatest honour in this regard, and from the four Noble Caliphs, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُis at the forefront in terms of the number and intensity of his similarities. The personal blessed characteristics of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمthat were granted to him (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ), were not granted to anyone else. From these many resemblances, only 4 are being mentioned here:

(1) Similarity in thinking and reasoning

Allah Almighty had made the thinking of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُsimilar to that of the Beloved Prophet’s. If two mirrors were placed in front of each other, then the thing that can be seen in one will be seen in the other. The heart of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُwas like a mirror before the heart of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; the thought that would enter his noble heart would also enter the heart of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, the opinion towards which his noble heart would incline, the heart of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُwould also lean in that direction; this excellence and virtue was not granted to anyone besides Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.

This becomes absolutely clear after reading about the consultations of the Beloved Prophetصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم with the Sahabah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُعَنْهُم on various occasions and about other accounts in detail. Read one example here: The conditions that were stipulated on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah apparently gave the impression that the Muslims were weak. Sayyiduna Umar al-Farooq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ disliked this greatly, so he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ presented himself in the Prophetic court and mentioned his grievance. Upon this, the Beloved of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمmentioned some words in order to bring comfort to his heart, and gave answers to some of his questions.

After leaving from there, Sayyiduna Umar al-Farooq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ went to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, thinking that perhaps the opinion of the Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would be the same as his, and he would mention this in the Prophetic court. However, when he رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ presented his views and questions before the greatest devotee, every single word that left the tongue of Sayyiduna Abu Bakrرَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ was exactly the same as what the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had said.^[1]

(2) Hatred for idols and idol-worship

Hatred for false gods and their worship is something that Allah Almighty placed in the nature of every Prophet. Some prophets did not respect idols even in their childhood, whereas, the excellence of the Leader of all Prophets صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is such that he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم prostrated to Allah Almighty as soon as he was born, and proclaimed Tawhid (Oneness of Allah) openly.

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ also displayed this attribute, and never prostrated to an idol. At a very young age, his father took him to a temple and said, ‘These are your elevated gods, so prostrate to them.’ Saying this, he walked away. He رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ went in front of the idol and said, ‘I am hungry, so feed me, I am naked, so clothe me, I am going to hit you with a stone, so save yourself if you are God.’ What reply could the idol give? He رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ hit it with a stone and it fell upon its face.^[2]

(3) Mercy for the Ummah

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is compassionate and merciful towards all of creation in general, and specifically towards his Ummah. Allah Almighty states:

وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ اِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعٰلَمِیْنَ(۱۰۷)

And We did not send you (O Beloved) but as a mercy for all the worlds.

[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 17, Surah Al-Ambiya, Verse 107)

In another place, He says:

بِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ رَءُوْفٌ رَّحِیْمٌ(۱۲۸)

Utmost kind, merciful for the Muslims.

[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 11, Surah Al-Taubah, verse 128)

From the Ummah, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ is the most compassionate and merciful towards the Ummah of his Master صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: اَرْحَمُ اُمَّتِي ْبِاُمَّتِي اَبُو بَكْرٍ, meaning, ‘The most merciful of my Ummah towards my Ummah is Abu Bakr.’^[3]

(4) Gathering point of virtues and perfections:

Allah Almighty gathered all virtues and perfections in the blessed being of His Beloved صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. There is not a virtue and excellence that was granted to the previous prophets except that a similar virtue was granted to our Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, or to an even greater degree.

Allah Almighty made Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ a compendium of goodness. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Goodness consists of 360 traits. When Allah Almighty intends good for someone, He grants them one trait from among these, which takes him to Paradise.’ Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Do I possess any of these traits?’ He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘All of these traits are found within you.’^[4]

May Allah Almighty also grant us resemblance to His Beloved صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمin attributes that are within and beyond our control, for the sake of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and grant us proximity and closeness to Him through them.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم

Note: This article has been prepared with the help of A’la Hadrat, Imam-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan’s masterpiece, ‘Matla’ Al-Qamarain’.