Comprehensive chapter on the virtues of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) walking in front of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "O Abu al-Darda! You are walking in front of a man than whom, after the prophets, the sun has not risen upon anyone more excellent." The narrator says: After that, Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) was always seen walking behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Yahya al-Taymi, and he is a kadhdhab (liar).

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me while I was walking in front of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "Do not walk in front of one who is better than you. Abu Bakr is better than all those upon whom the sun rises or sets."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Baqiyyah, and he is a mudallis; the remaining narrators of this narration have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Salamah bin al-Akwa' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Abu Bakr al-Siddiq is the best of all people, except for the prophets, whose case is different."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Ziyad, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna As'ad bin Zurarah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) address the people. He looked around and did not see Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr! The Holy Spirit, Jibril, has just told me that the best of your Ummah after you is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Ghaziyyah Muhammad bin Musa, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were swimming in a pond. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Let each one of you swim to his companion. So each of them swam to his companion, and only the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) remained. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) swam to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) until he embraced him, and said: I go to my companion, I go to my companion.
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "If I were to take anyone as a khalil (intimate friend), I would take Abu Bakr as a khalil."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Dawud bin Yazid al-Awdi, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I were to take anyone as a khalil (intimate friend), I would take Abu Bakr as a khalil; however, the brotherhood of Islam is more excellent."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Abd al-Rahman al-Wasiti, and I do not know him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Once Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke harshly to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and after that he said: O my brother! Pray for forgiveness for me. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) became angry (and refused). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said this several times, but Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) remained angry. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the people came to him and sat there, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Your brother asked you to pray for forgiveness for him, and you did not do it? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By the One who sent you as a Prophet with the truth! Whenever he has asked me this, I have always prayed for forgiveness for him; after you, there is no one in creation more beloved to me than him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By the One who sent you with the truth, my state too is that after you there is no one more beloved to me than him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not hurt me concerning my companion. Allah Almighty sent me with guidance and the religion of truth, and you people said: You are lying; and Abu Bakr said: You are speaking the truth. Had Allah Almighty not named him 'companion', I would have taken him as a khalil (intimate friend); but brotherhood is for the sake of Allah Almighty. Behold! Close every door except the particular door of the son of Abu Quhafah."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Rabi'ah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I used to serve the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He gave me a piece of land, and he also gave Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) a piece of land. When worldly wealth came, a dispute arose between us about a date palm. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It falls within my boundary. I said: It falls within my boundary. During this, words were exchanged between me and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said something to me that I disliked, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) felt remorse, so he said to me: O Rabi'ah! You too say something like it back to me, so that it becomes retribution. I said: I will not do so. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Either you do so, or I will complain against you before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: I will not do so. Then he left the land. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I too set off, walking behind him. Some people from the tribe of Aslam had come, and they said: May Allah Almighty have mercy on Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)! Why does he want to complain against you before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when it was he who said things about you? I said: Do you know who this is? This is Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). He is one of the two. He is the elder of the Muslims. Beware lest he turn around and see you, that you want to help me against him, and then he becomes angry and goes to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and because of his anger the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) too becomes angry, and because of the anger of both of them Allah Almighty too becomes angry, and Rabi'ah is ruined. The people said: Then what do you tell us to do? Sayyiduna Rabi'ah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Go back. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). After him I too went alone; walking behind him, I came into the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the whole matter as it had happened. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his head, looked at me and said: O Rabi'ah, what is the matter between you and al-Siddiq? I submitted: O Messenger of Allah! It happened like this and like this; he said something to me that I did not like, and then he said to me: You too say the same as I said, so that it becomes retribution. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You did right; you were not to answer him back at all. Rather, say: O Abu Bakr, may Allah Almighty forgive you. The narrator says: So Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went away weeping.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and Ahmad recorded something similar within a long hadith which has already passed in the chapter on marriage. Its chain contains a narrator, Mubarak bin Fadalah, whose hadith is hasan (good); the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: My last meeting with your Prophet was five days before his passing, and I heard him (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Every prophet has a khalil (intimate friend) in his Ummah, and my khalil is Abu Bakr bin Abi Quhafah; and Allah Almighty has taken your master as a khalil."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Yazid al-Alhani, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Waqid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I were to take anyone as a khalil (intimate friend), I would take the son of Abu Quhafah (as a khalil); but your master is the khalil of Allah."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Yahya bin Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani, and he is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has taken me as a Khalil (intimate friend), just as He took Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as a Khalil, and my Khalil is Abu Bakr."
Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Yazid al-Alhani, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No one has treated me better than Abu Bakr. He gave me his daughter in marriage and he took me with him to the Abode of Emigration. If I were to take anyone as a Khalil (intimate friend), I would have taken Abu Bakr as a Khalil, but brotherhood and love will remain until the Day of Resurrection."
Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Nahshal bin Sa'id, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No one has treated me better than Abu Bakr; he supported me with his own self and his wealth."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and these words are additionally reported: "He married his daughter to me." The chain of this narration contains a narrator, Artah Abu Hatim, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to send Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen, he consulted his Companions, among whom were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Uthman, Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna Talhah, Sayyiduna al-Zubayr and Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with them). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consulted them, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Had you not consulted us, we would not have spoken about this." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In matters in which revelation is not sent to me, I am just like one of you." The narrator says: The people discussed the matter, and each person stated his opinion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "O Mu'adh! What is your view?" I said: "My view is that what Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said is correct." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty, above the heavens, dislikes that Abu Bakr should err."
Tabarani recorded it. I do not know the narrator named Abu al-Atuf. The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about some of them.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consulted Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and they gave him their advice; and the opinion of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) proved correct in the matter.
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When I was taken up to the heaven on the Night Journey (Mi'raj), I entered the Garden of Eden ('Adn). An apple came into my hand, and when I placed it in my hands it split open and from it emerged a houri, with beautiful wide eyes, of pleasing character; the lashes of her eyes were like the front feathers of eagles' wings. I asked her: 'To whom do you belong?' She replied: 'I am for the Caliph who comes after you.'"
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Bakr bin Sahl. Imam Dhahabi says: he is muqarib al-hadith (his narrations are passable). He narrated this report from Abdullah bin Sulayman al-Abdi, whom Ibn Hibban declared thiqah (trustworthy). The remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered prayer behind Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Ubayd bin Hisham, whom Abu Hatim and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), and there is disagreement about him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man will enter Paradise, and all the people of every house and every upper chamber in Paradise will say: 'Welcome, welcome! Come to us, come to us!'" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What will be the reward of this man on that day?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, O Abu Bakr! It is you."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Salimi, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Silah bin Zufar narrates: Whenever Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was mentioned in the presence of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he would say: "The one who races ahead! They are mentioning the one who races ahead." Then he said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, whenever we raced towards any good, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had already outstripped us to it."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Ahmad bin Abd al-Rahman bin al-Mufaddal al-Harrani, whom I do not know. The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Muhammad bin Aqil narrates: Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed us in a sermon and said: "O people, tell me, who is the bravest of people?" The narrator says: or perhaps these were the words: We said: "You, O Commander of the Faithful!" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "As for me, whoever I challenged to single combat, I got the better of him. But tell me who the bravest of people is." The people said: "We do not know who it is." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Abu Bakr. On the day of the Battle of Badr we prepared a shelter for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and we wondered who would stay with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so that none of the polytheists could get at him. By Allah, no one came close to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) except Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He stood with his sword drawn at the head of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); whoever tried to reach the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would go for him. So he was the bravest man." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I remember about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Quraysh seized him; one was pushing him and another was pulling him, and they were saying: 'Are you the one who says that there is only one god?'" Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, at that time none of us came near him; only Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came forward, striking one, pushing another away and pulling another, while saying: 'Woe to you! Do you want to kill a man because he says: My Lord is Allah?'" Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) lifted the cloak he was wearing and wept until his beard became wet. Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I ask you by Allah, is the believer from the people of Pharaoh better, or is Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) better?" The people remained silent, so Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why do you not answer me? By Allah, a single hour of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is better than the like of the believer from the people of Pharaoh, for that man concealed his faith, while this man proclaimed his faith."
Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Shaqiq narrates: It was said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "Why do you not appoint someone as your successor?" He said: "Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appoint anyone as his successor, that I should appoint a successor over you? If Allah Almighty intends good for the people, He will gather them around the best of them, just as Allah Almighty gathered the people, after their Prophet, around the best of them."
Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Isma'il bin Abi al-Harith, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Usayd bin Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him), who was a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates: When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, he was covered with a cloth, and Madinah was filled with weeping and lamentation. The people were as distressed as they had been at the time of the passing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) came hurrying, reciting 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un', and saying: "Today the caliphate of prophethood has been cut off," until he stopped at the door of the house in which the body of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) lay. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Abu Bakr! May Allah Almighty have mercy on you. You were the first person to accept Islam, the purest in faith, the firmest in certainty, the most fearful of Allah Almighty, the most independent (of the world and of people), the most watchful over the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the most devoted to Islam, the most generous towards the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the finest in companionship with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the most excellent in virtues, the richest in precedence, the highest in rank, the closest to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the most similar to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in conduct, character and manner. You were the most trusted in the sight of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the highest in standing in the sight of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the most honoured in the sight of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So may Allah Almighty reward you with good on behalf of Islam, on behalf of His Messenger and on behalf of all the Muslims. When the people belied the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), you affirmed the truth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and you are the one whom Allah Almighty named al-Siddiq in His Book, saying: "And the one who brought the truth" - meaning Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) - "and the one who affirmed it" - meaning Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). When the people were miserly, you supported the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); when the people sat back, you stood up with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). You remained with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) even in hardship, and remained with him in the finest manner. You strove to bring comfort to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). You were the companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Hijrah and in the places of distress. Then you became the successor of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) over his Ummah and proved to be an excellent Caliph. At the time when some people apostatised, you upheld the religion of Allah Almighty in a way that no caliph of any prophet would ever have upheld it. When your companions were weak, you were alert and vigorous; when they were faltering, you rose up, and you held fast to the way of the Messenger of Allah, however much the hypocrites disliked it and however much the disbelievers were enraged. When the people were slipping, you kept the matter firm, and when the people halted, you carried forward the light of Allah. You were the highest of them in rank, the least of them in speech and the finest of them in speech, the longest of them in silence, the most eloquent of them in what you said, the best of them in speaking, the bravest of them, the firmest of them in certainty, the best of them in deeds, and the one who understood matters best. You were a leader for the religion and a merciful father to the believers. When they became your dependants, you carried the burden under which they had grown weak, you safeguarded what they had begun to lose, you took care of what they were neglecting, and you were patient when they were wailing. You reached the traces of what they sought, and through you they reached what they had never imagined. You were a torrent of punishment poured upon the disbelievers, and rain clouds and verdure for the Muslims. Independence was in your nature; you succeeded by its edges (or by most of it), you carried off its virtues and you secured those who led in it. Your proof was never weakened, your heart never swerved, your insight never diminished, and your soul never became cowardly. You were like the mountain which fierce winds cannot shake and thunderbolts cannot bring down. You were just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: you treated the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) best through your companionship; or as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'He is weak in body but strong in the matter of Allah.' In the sight of the Muslims you were a humble yet great man, of eminent standing on earth. No one had any reservation about you, no one could speak ill of you, and no one could have any greed regarding you. With you there was no injustice towards anyone. The weak and lowly person was strong in your sight until you secured his right for him, and the strong and eminent person was weak in your sight until the right was taken from him. In this, those near and those far were equal in your sight. Your affair was truth and sincerity, and there was gentleness in your speech. When you departed from the world, the path had been laid out, the religion had become balanced, faith had become strong, and the matter of Allah had become strong, however much the disbelievers disliked it. So by Allah, you went far ahead, and you have put those after you to great difficulty. You succeeded in attaining Paradise. Your loss was considered great in the heaven, and your calamity has reached all creation. So surely we belong to Allah Almighty, and surely to Him we are to return. And surely we are pleased with Allah Almighty regarding His decree, and we entrust His affair to Allah Almighty. After the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the Muslims will never face such a calamity through anyone as they have faced through (the passing of) you. You were a provision and a refuge for the religion, a fortress, a source of unity and of comfort for the Muslims, and a source of severity and harshness against the hypocrites. May Allah Almighty join you with His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), may Allah Almighty not deprive us of your reward, and may He not let us go astray after you." The narrator says: The people remained silent until Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) finished his words. Then the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to weep, and they said: "O cousin of the Messenger of Allah! You have spoken the truth."
Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Umar bin Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Kurdi, who is a kadhdhab (liar).

Ali bin Ahmad al-Sadusi narrates from his father: Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) received news that some people were criticising Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) sent for some of them, had a curtain drawn in between, and then, expressing her anger and reproaching them, said: "My father! What a man my father was! You cannot find fault with my father. By Allah, he was a lofty mountain and an extended shade. When you belied, by Allah, he succeeded at that time; when you showed weakness, he took the lead, the lead of a horseman who has a long way to go. In his youth he was the outstanding young man of Quraysh, and in his old age he was a refuge for them. He freed their captives and gave wealth to their poor; he would gather their scattered affairs and remove their distress, until their hearts inclined towards him. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) showed firmness in his religion, and his firmness in the matter of Allah's Being always remained, until he built a mosque in his courtyard in which he would bring to life that (i.e. worship) which the people of falsehood would not do. He was a man whose tears kept flowing and whose heart was soft; out of grief a choked sound would come from him. The women of Makkah and their children would gather around Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and mock him, whereas Allah Almighty will mock them (the disbelievers) and leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly. This weighed heavily on the men of Quraysh. They bent their bows, fitted their arrows and made Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) their target, yet the people of Quraysh did not break a single blade against Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) nor snap a single spear against him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) continued on his way, until the religion prevailed, settled in its place and drove in its pegs, and people began entering the religion in groups, each group sending some of its people, people coming in scattered bands. Then Allah Almighty chose for His Prophet that which is with Him. When Allah Almighty took him in death, Satan pitched his tent, spread his net, pulled tight his tent-ropes and brought his horsemen and foot soldiers. The rope of Islam was shaken, dispute arose regarding its covenant, the people of Islam fell into discord, and their unity turned into disarray. Some people thought that perhaps they would achieve their greedy aims, and that in this situation the Muslims would not succeed. But how could that be, when Sayyiduna al-Siddiq al-Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) was among them? He stood up with his sleeves rolled up and his lower garment tucked in; he gathered the edge of his garment and drew it together from both sides (that is, he became fully prepared for the struggle). He restored the dominance of Islam, gathered its scattered affairs and straightened the crookedness that had appeared in it. Hypocrisy retreated under his pressure, and through his raising it up the religion was saved from what had been feared. When he had delivered the truth to its rightful people, settled the heads upon the shoulders and preserved the blood in its vessels, his final hour came. He filled the gap left by his own self with the one who was like him in mercy and his equal in conduct and justice: that is the son of al-Khattab (Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)). What a mother was she who carried him, nursed him and gave birth to one so peerless! He conquered the disbelievers and humbled them, and drove polytheism away so that it had no abode left. He split open the earth (that is, conquered it), so it vomited up what it had eaten and cast out what had been hidden in it (that is, through Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) the blessings and riches of the earth reached the Muslims). It (the world) showed affection to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) turned away from it; it presented itself before him, but he refused it. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) adopted abstinence regarding the world, and then left it in the same state in which he had lived with it. So now tell me, what do you say? Which of my father's two days do you object to? Do you object to the day of his staying, when he dealt justly among you, or to the day of his departure, when he thought carefully for you?" (Then Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:) "I have said what I had to say, and I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty for myself and for you."
Tabarani recorded it. The narrator Ahmad al-Sadusi did not live in the time of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and I do not know him or his son.

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the Arabs apostatised and hypocrisy raised its head. My father faced such a situation that, had it descended upon firm mountains, it would have shattered them. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: On whatever point the people disagreed, my father arrived there with all that was needed to set it right. Then Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "By Allah, he was a man of great resolve and a peerless personality; he made proper preparation for every matter." Here the narrator al-Riyashi said: When a man is so accomplished that no one can be likened to him, these expressions are used of him: "nasij wahdih, 'uyayr wahdih, juhaysh wahdih" (one of a kind). A poet said: "The mount brought a man wrapped in his cloak; it was a mount with a small forehead; swiftly it brought a peerless man. He strikes his fire-stick to set all of Qays alight, and whatever champion faces him, he brings him down." The narrator says: that is, he overpowers him. Al-Riyashi says: Al-Asma'i recited these verses to me: "What is the matter with this sleep that is overcoming me? I try to push it away from me, and it overpowers me."
Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat through various routes, the narrators of one of which are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as the leader of the Hajj, and then he sent Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with the declaration of Bara'ah (disassociation). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Have you found something against me?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No. You were my companion in the cave and you will be with me at the Pond as well." (Allamah Haythami says:) I say: Imam Tirmidhi recorded another hadith from this Companion, different from this one and longer than it, and this narration contains an addition.
Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: (On the day of the Conquest of Makkah) I brought Sayyiduna Abu Quhafah (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Why did you not let the elderly man stay (at home), so that I could have gone to him?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Rather, he has more right to come to you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We would have taken care of him, because of the great favours his son has done for us."
Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Abd al-Malik al-Fihri, whom I do not know. The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Urwah narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) freed seven people who were being tortured for the sake of Allah; among them were Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Amir bin Fuhayrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators up to Urwah are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: This verse was revealed concerning Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him): "And no one has any favour with him to be repaid; rather, he did it seeking the pleasure of his Lord, the Most High, and that Lord will soon be pleased."
Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Mus'ab bin Thabit, whom Ibn Hibban and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), and there is weakness in him. The remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No one's wealth has benefited us as much as the wealth of Abu Bakr has benefited us."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Ishaq bin Isra'il, and he is thiqah (trustworthy) and ma'mun (reliable).

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrating the incident of the Slander (al-Ifk), says: Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), retracting his own words, said: "She is chaste and of perfect intellect; no suspicious matter can be charged against her. She begins her morning hungry for the flesh of the unmindful (that is, she backbites no one). If I said what you claim, then may my fingertips never lift my whip to me. How could it be, when, as long as I live, my love and my support are for the family of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the adornment of every gathering? Would I speak ill of one who is better than all people through her husband (that is, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)), through her father (that is, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)) and in her own self? If I did so (that is, spoke ill of her), I would be lodged in the worst of places."
Abu Ya'la recorded it as part of a long hadith, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except Hawtharah bin Ashras, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Musa bin Uqbah narrates: No people are known of whom four generations lived in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (and had the honour of being his Companions), except these four: Sayyiduna Abu Quhafah (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abu Atiq (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him); and the name of Sayyiduna Abu Atiq was Muhammad.
Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abd al-Rahman bin al-Qasim bin Muhammad, whom I do not know.