How did Abu Bakr aid the Messenger in the days of Makkah?

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, Who Sustains the Heavens and Earths, Director of all that is created,
Who sent Messengers and supporting disciples to all rational beings, to guide them and explain that which will
ensure eternal salvation. To proceed:

All nations and communities are proud of their distinguished personalities. The Muslim nation is no different.
Each and every one of the Companions during the early days had a pivotal role in establishing the foundation of
what would become a dramatic yet positive influence on the world. The best and most distinguished was ‘Abd
Allah b. Abi Qahafa otherwise known as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq – the one to be believed.

At the age of 40 Abu Bakr was amongst the first of men to accept Islam. As soon as he heard of the Prophet’s
encounter with Jibreel he did not hesitate and at once became Muslim, such is the faith of this great man1. In
the days of ignorance he was always a very close friend of the Messenger . From among the Prophet’s
witness is a narration from Anas b. Malik wherein the Prophet whilst on Mount Uhud with Abu Bakr, Umar
and Uthman said after the trembling of the mountain:

“Stay still Uhud, for upon you are a Prophet, a most truthful man and two martyrs.”2

As soon as Abu Bakr became Muslim, he immediately began to preach Islam to the local people. Faith reached
deep into his heart and realized that Islam is a religion of action, effort and work as eloquently spoken by Allah:

Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds. 6:162

Amongst those who accepted his invitation were giants such as Uthman, Zubair, ‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘Auf and
Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas . Thus the on going charity of this great man from just his initial preaching is evidence
enough of his great assistance to the religion of Islam.

Abu Bakr loved the Prophet so much that he would often put his own personal interests and safety on the
line to protect him. One such incident was when our Prophet was praying near the Ka’ba while some of the
Makkan chiefs were nearby. Upon seeing this, Uqbah b. Abi Mu’eet took a long piece of cloth and attempted to
strangle the Prophet . Abu Bakr pushed Uqbah aside but as a consequence had to endure a severe beating
from the enemies of Islam in retaliation3. Abu Bakr did not care in the slightest for he had just saved the
Prophet - even at the risk of his own life. The question must be asked: Do we really love the Prophet more
than ourselves, our family, or our wealth? Have we really internalised this by adhering to his Sunnah regardless
of the consequences?

Coming from a noble family did not prevent Abu Bakr from suffering hardships. Every Prophet and many
amongst the rightous had to endure them and he was no different. The lessons that we can derive from this
that we too may be tested with poverty, criticism and ridicule, and only our faith and action that will ensure we
pass such tests. Allah, the All-wise says:

Lastly, Abu Bakr was a rich man, a very rich man. He played a pivotal role in helping the ministry of
Muhammad through his wealth. One such way was freeing the Muslims slaves who were savagely tortured
by their jealous masters because of their beliefs. The enemies of Islam were relentless in their torture. Bilal b.
Rabah was one such slave where Umayyah b. Khalaf would make him lie naked on the hot Arabian desert for
hours, putting big stones on his chest with the aim of making him recant Islam. In this instance, Abu Bakr
came to the rescue with his wealth and paid over the odds for the release of Bilal b. Rabah who then went on
to be the first Mu’addhin of Islam. It is said that once Abu Bakr purchased him, Umayyah said “I would have
sold him for even one uqiyah’ to which Abu Bakr replied ‘I would have bought him for kaza wa kaza uqiyah!”4
As Islam gained momentum, so did the persecution by the pagan Makkans, especially against the the weak and
poor who had no one to help them. Abu Bakr ensured that this was not the case and spent plentifully in the
cause of Allah.

Other lessons that can be derived from Abu Bakr’s willingness to spend in Allah’s cause can be found in the
words of our Prophet who said:

“Charity is proof of one’s faith.”5

In conclusion, Abu Bakr was a phenomenal individual. Such was the quality of this humble and generous
Companion who believed and trusted the Prophet in everything to the extent that he was called As-Siddiq. His
great personality and service to Islam and Muslims earned him the love and respect of all Muslims, for which he
was chosen as the first Caliph after the death of the Prophet.

Mahboob Hussain, January 2011

1 al-Bidaayah 29/3
2 Bukhari
3 Bukhari 3856
4 al-Siyar 352/1
5 Muslim 432