Brief introduction
First caliph, Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ is the great companion of Rasool ( صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ ) who amongst men first testified the Prophethood of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ . He رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ is the one who possessed such a great many virtues and good qualities that after blessed Ambiya عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلام he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ is the best and most superior amongst all former and latter humans.
Source of livelihood
Before becoming the caliph Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ would do the cloth business. (Hadeeqah Nadiyyah, vol. 1, pp. 22) According to Ibn Majah, etc., before the year of the blessed apparent demise of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ travelled to Basra [a city of Syria] for business. (Ibn Majah, vol. 4, pp. 211, Hadees 3719)
Stipend from Bayt-ul-Maal after becoming caliph
When Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ became the caliph, he, in the morning, placed a small bundle of cloth on his shoulders and went to the market for trade. On the way, he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ met Sayyiduna ‘Umar and Sayyiduna Abu ‘Ubaydah Bin Jarrah رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ مَا. They asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ replied, ‘To the market.’ They asked, ‘What are you doing, you have been made the Ameer of Muslims!’ Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ replied, ‘Then from where will I make both ends meet?’ They both replied, ‘We will fix a stipend for you’, so the blessed companions fixed half part of a goat daily for him.
(Tabqat Ibn Sa’d, vol. 3, pp. 137)
Daily and yearly stipend
His daily stipend from Bayt-ul-Maal was a full goat (in the beginning, it was half of a goat, later on, it was increased to a full goat.). He رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ used to feed the attendees of his Majlis daily in the morning and the evening two large bowls of food. (‘Umda-tul-Qaari, vol. 8, pp. 328) His annual stipend was 300 dinars. (Ar-Riyad-un-Nadarah, vol. 1, pp. 255)
Moreover, it was also fixed in his stipend that there would be two chadors for him; when they would get old, he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ could get two more chadors like them and there would be a riding animal for his conveyance and his family would be given money equivalent to the amount he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ used to spend on them before becoming the caliph. (Tabqat Ibn Sa’d, vol. 3, pp. 137)
Returned the possessions taken from Bayt-ul-Maal
When the time of the blessed apparent demise of Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ came near, the expenses were calculated which he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ took from Bayt-ul-Maal and more money than what he took was deposited to Bayt-ul-Maal. (‘Umda-tul-Qaari, vol. 8, pp. 328)
Will of Siddeeq-e-Akbar
Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah Siddiqah رَضِىَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا has said: When Sayyiduna Siddeeq-e-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ suffered from an incurable disease, he رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ made the following will, ‘The amount of wealth that has increased in my wealth since I became the caliph, should be sent to my successor caliph.’ So after his blessed demise, we pondered and found that there was a slave who would look after the children and a camel through which the garden was watered [as additional possessions]. We sent both to Ameer-ul-Mu`mineen Sayyiduna ‘Umar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ . Sayyiduna ‘Umar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ said, ‘May Allah Almighty have mercy on Abu Bakr! He has set a strict standard for his successors.’ (‘Umda-tul-Qaari, vol. 8, pp. 328)
Comments