As-Siddiq .. A companion in the loneliness of the cave

How much we need to call back the biography of our Prophet (peace be upon him) in a time where people forgot the virtues of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Furthermore, attacks and defamation became numerous against our Companions by those who have no sound religion or morals. Imam At-Tahawy (may Allah show mercy to him) said in "Al `Aqidah At-Tahawiyyah:" "Loving the Companions is part of religion and faith, whereas hating them is part of disbelief, immorality, and tyranny."

How much we need, upon receiving a new Hijri year, to call back the models of sacrifice done by those Companions who were a great help and aid to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during the event of migration.

The first example is Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: "We used to compare the people as to who was better during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). We used to regard Abu Bakr as the best, then `Umar, and then `Uthman." [Sahih Al Bukhari — Indian Edition: 1/1771].

As-Siddiq, the liberator of slaves:

It is enough honor for Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) the help he presented to the religion of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) such as money, effort, and service.

When Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the great disbelievers, tortured Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and placed stones on his stomach so that he may revert to polytheism, Bilal said to him: "One, One." Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by him while he was tortured and bought him to Umayyah who was an infidel.

He said to Bilal: "You are free for the sake of Allah." It was reported from Yahya ibn Sa`id that he said: "`Umar ibn Al Khattab mentioned the merit of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq and his virtues then said: Here is our master Bilal an embodied favor of the virtues of Abu Bakr." [Kanz Al `Ummal (35624) — Jami` Al Ahadith (27/239)].

The status of As-Siddiq at the honorable Prophet:

Abu Bakr had a high status at the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) where he praised Him frequently. Abu Al Ahwas reported from `Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Behold I am free from the dependence of all bosom friends and if I were to choose anyone as bosom friend I would have taken Abu Bakr as my bosom friend. Allah has taken your companion as a friend." Waki` said: He meant himself. [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/70)].

Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised the Jihad of Abu Bakr in the way of Allah with money. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I was never benefited by money. I was not benefited by the money of Abu Bakr." He (Abu Hurayrah) said: Abu Bakr cried and said: Are not me and my money solely for you, O Messenger of Allah?! [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/70)].

Abu Bakr from the highest-degree people in Paradise:

The honorable Prophet (peace be upon him) gave glad tiding with the status of Abu Bakr in Paradise. Al Harith reported from `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Abu Bakr and `Umar are the masters of elderly people in Paradise, from the earlier and the later, except the prophets and messengers and do not tell them `Ali as long as they are alive." [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/71)].

Abu Sa`id Al Khudry narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The highest-degrees-people are seen by the lower as a planet is seen in the horizon. Indeed, Abu Bakr and `Umar are from this kind of people and shall have more." [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/72)].

Huzhayfah ibn Al Yaman reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I do not know how much I will stay among you, so you have to follow the one who will come after me and pointed at Abu Bakr and `Umar." [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/ 73)].

Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet in Migration:

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stayed in Makkah after the migration of his Companions waiting for Allah's Permission to migrate too. All Muslims who remained in Makkah were detained and tortured except `Ali ibn Abu Talib and Abu Bakr ibn Quhafah (may Allah be pleased with them). Abu Bakr often asked the Messenger's permission to migrate, but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say to him: "Do not be in a hurry, perhaps Allah would assign a companion for you." Then Abu Bakr wished that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would be his companion in migration. [Ibn Ishaq with paraphrasing].

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was a rich man and when he sought the permission of the Messenger of Allah in migration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: "Do not migrate, perhaps Allah would assign a companion for you," then Abu Bakr wished that he would be the companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during migration. Consequently, he bought two camels and fed them in his house as a preparation for that journey.

`Urwah ibn Az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from `A'ishah, the mother of the believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) would not miss to come daily to the house of Abu Bakr either in the early morning or at night. Until it was the day in which permission was given to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to emigrate and come out from Makkah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to us in the midday in a time he did not use to visit us. She said: When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) saw him, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not come in such an hour except for a great reason.

She said: When he entered, Abu Bakr showed him the way in and placed him on the couch. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat and there was no body home but Abu Bakr, me, and my sister Asma'. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Let all the people go out." He said: O Messenger of Allah, there are only my two daughters and their lives may be ransomed for you? He said: "Verily, Allah allowed me to migrate." She said: Abu Bakr said: I wish to be your companion in migration, O Messenger of Allah. He said: "You will."

She said: By Allah, I did not feel that anyone ever cried of joy as I saw Abu Bakr crying at that day. He said: O Prophet of Allah, These are two camels which I prepared for the journey. Then they hired `Abdullah ibn Urayqit —a man from the tribe of Ad-Di'l ibn Bakr and his mother was from the tribe of Sahm ibn `Amr and he was still a polytheist— to show them the way. So, they gave him the two camels to raise them up until the time of the journey. "Sirat Ibn Ishaq."

The secret of migrating with Abu Bakrah:

Abu Bakr was the one who knew the secret of migration and he was the one who protected the Islamic nation represented in the Messenger (peace be upon him). No one knew about the Messenger's migration except `Ali ibn Abu Talib, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, and his family.

As for `Ali, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him about migration and commanded him to stay in Makkah so that he could return the deposits that he kept for the people. All the people of Makkah used to keep their deposits at the Prophet (peace be upon him) because of his truthfulness and integrity. [Ibn Ishaq with slight paraphrasing].

One of the two men who were in the cave:

When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made up his mind to migrate, he came to Abu Bakr ibn Quhafah. They left the house from a hole in the back house of Abu Bakr then went to the Cave of Thawr, a mountain in the south of Makkah. Abu Bakr commanded his son `Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr to listen to what people were saying about them during the day and come to them at the end of the night. He also commanded `Amir ibn Fuhayrah, his freed slave, to shephered his sheep during the day then make them walk on their traces at night. Asma', the daughter of Abu Bakr used to bring them food at night.

Abu Bakr put his life in danger to clean the cave:

Al Hasan Al Basry said: The Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr reached the cave at night, then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) entered before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to check whether there is a beast or a snake inside to protect the Messenger of Allah. [Sirat Ibn Hisham].

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) entered the cave and stung while cleaning the cave. When the sting hurt him and his tears flew down on the face of the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was leaning his head in his lap, thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated Allah for him and spat on the place of sting, and at once he was cured by the will of Allah (may He be Exalted).

Al Fakihy mentioned the following: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not enter the cave until Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) entered him first and felt his way. He said: If there is an insect, it is better to sting me than to sting the Prophet (peace be upon him), but he did not find anything. The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered and called on a tree that was so-called "Rat," which came to shade over the cave. A man approached the cave lifting his garment, then Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): He will see us. The Prophet said (peace be upon him) said: 'If he had seen us, he would have come to relieve himself before us." The man said: He is not here. Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) revealed "If you help him (Muhammad peace be upon him) not (it does not matter), for Allâh did indeed help him." [Surat At-Tawbah: 40]. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said about the cave and its darkness, and what Suraqah did when he objected their way and his horse's leg sank into sand:

The Prophet said and I did not feel fear

while we were in the darkness of the cave

Do not fear anything because Allah is our third

and He promised me to make me superior

Even when the night covered us with its shade

And became a cover for those who fear"

"Akhbar Makkah of Al Fakihy" (4/83).