Caliphs
1st: Hazrat Abu Baker (RA)
2nd: Hazrat Umar (RA)
3rd: Hazrat Usman (RA)
4th: Hazrat Ali (RA)
"If I were to take a friend other than my Lord, I would
take Abu Bakr as a friend." (Hadith)
Election to the Caliphate
The Prophet's closest Companion, Abu Bakr, was not present
when the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) breathed his last in
the apartment of his beloved wife of later years, Aisha, Abu
Bakr's daughter. When he came to know of the Prophet's passing,
Abu Bakr hurried to the house of sorrow.
"How blessed was your life and how beatific is your
death,"
he whispered as he kissed the cheek of his beloved friend
and master who now was no more.
When Abu Bakr came out of the Prophet's apartment and broke
the news, disbelief and dismay gripped the community of Muslims
in Medina. Muhammad (peace be on him) had been the leader, the
guide and the bearer of Divine revelation through whom they had
been brought from idolatry and barbarism into the way of God.
How could he die? Even Umar, one of the bravest and strongest
of the Prophet's Companions, lost his composure and drew his
sword and threatened to kill anyone who said that the Prophet
was dead. Abu Bakr gently pushed him aside, ascended the steps
of the lectern in the mosque and addressed the people, saying
"O people, verily whoever worshipped Muhammad, behold!
Muhammad is indeed dead. But whoever worships God, behold!
God is alive and will never die."
And then he concluded with a verse from the Qur'an:
"And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Many Messengers have
gone before him; if then he dies or is killed, will you turn
back upon your heels?"
[3:144]
On hearing these words, the people were consoled.
Despondency gave place to confidence and tranquility. This
critical moment had passed. But the Muslim community was now
faced with an extremely serious problem: that of choosing a
leader. After some discussion among the Companions of the
Prophet who had assembled in order to select a leader, it
became apparent that no one was better suited for this
responsibility than Abu Bakr. A portion of the speech the First
Caliph gave after his election has already been quoted in the
introduction.
Abu Bakr's Life
Abu Bakr ('The Owner of Camels') was not his real name. He
acquired this name later in life because of his great interest
in raising camels. His real name was Abdul Ka'aba ('Slave of
Ka'aba'), which Muhammad (peace be on him) later changed to
Abdullah ('Slave of God'). The Prophet also gave him the title
of 'Siddiq' - 'The Testifier to the Truth.'
Abu Bakr was a fairly wealthy merchant, and before he
embraced Islam, was a respected citizen of Mecca. He was three
years younger than Muhammad (peace be on him) and some natural
affinity drew them together from earliest child hood. He
remained the closest Companion of the Prophet all through the
Prophet's life. When Muhammad first invited his closest friends
and relatives to Islam, Abu Bakr was among the earliest to
accept it. He also persuaded Uthman and Bilal to accept Islam.
In the early days of the Prophet's mission, when the handful of
Muslims were subjected to relentless persecution and torture,
Abu Bakr bore his full share of hardship. Finally when God's
permission came to emigrate from Mecca, he was the one chosen
by the Prophet to accompany him on the dangerous journey to
Medina. In the numerous battles which took place during the
life of the Prophet, Abu Bakr was always by his side. Once, he
brought all his belongings to the Prophet, who was raising
money for the defense of Medina. The Prophet asked "Abu Bakr,
what did you leave for your family?" The reply came: "God and
His Prophet."
Even before Islam, Abu Bakr was known to be a man of upright
character and amiable and compassionate nature. All through his
life he was sensitive to human suffering and kind to the poor
and helpless. Even though he was wealthy, he lived very simply
and spent his money for charity, for freeing slaves and for the
cause of Islam. He often spent part of the night in
supplication and prayer. He shared with his family a cheerful
and affectionate home life.
Abu-Bakr's Caliphate
Such, then, was the man upon whom the burden of leadership
fell at the most sensitive period in the history of the
Muslims.
As the news of the Prophet's death spread, a number of
tribes rebelled and refused to pay Zakat (poor-due), saying
that this was due only to the Prophet (peace be on him). At the
same time a number of impostors claimed that the prophethood
had passed to them after Muhammad and they raised the standard
of revolt. To add to all this, two powerful empires, the
Eastern Roman and the Persian, also threatened the new-born
Islamic state at Medina.
Under these circumstances, many Companions of the Prophet,
including Umar, advised Abu Bakr to make concessions to the
Zakat evaders, at least for a time. The new Caliph disagreed.
He insisted that the Divine Law cannot be divided, that there
is no distinction between the obligations of Zakat and Salat
(prayer), and that any compromise with the injunctions of God
would eventually erode the foundations of Islam. Umar and
others were quick to realize their error of judgment. The
revolting tribes attacked Medina but the Muslims were prepared.
Abu Bakr himself led the charge, forcing them to retreat. He
then made a relentless war on the false claimants to
prophethood, most of whom submitted and again professed lslam.
The threat from the Roman Empire had actually arisen
earlier, during the Prophet's lifetime. The Prophet had
organized an army under the command of Usama, the son of a
freed slave. The army had not gone far when the Prophet had
fallen ill so they stopped. After the death of the Prophet the
question was raised whether the army should be sent again or
should remain for the defence of Medina. Again Abu Bakr showed
a firm determination. He said, "I shall send Usama's army on
its way as ordered by the Prophet, even if I am left alone."
The final instructions he gave to Usama prescribed a code of
conduct in war which remains unsurpassed to this day. Part of
his instructions to the Muslim army were:
"Do not be deserters, nor be guilty of disobedience. Do
not kill an old man, a woman or a child. Do not injure date
palms and do not cut down fruit trees. Do not slaughter any
sheep or cows or camels except for food. You will encounter
persons who spend their lives in monasteries. Leave them
alone and do not molest them."
Khalid bin Waleed had been chosen by the Prophet (peace be
on him) on several occasions to lead Muslim armies. A man of
supreme courage and a born leader, his military genius came to
full flower during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr. Throughout Abu
Bakr's reign Khalid led his troops from one victory to another
against the attacking Romans.
Another contribution of Abu Bakr to the cause of Islam was
the collection and compilation of the verses of the Qur'an.
Abu Bakr died on 21 Jamadi-al Akhir, 13 A.H. (23 August 634
A.C.), at the age of sixty-three, and was buried by the side of
the Holy Prophet (peace be on him). His caliphate had been of a
mere twenty-seven months duration. In this brief span, however,
Abu Bakr had managed, by the Grace of God, to strengthen and
consolidate his community and the state, and to secure the
Muslims against the perils which had threatened their
existence.