Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 19604 — Ali bin Ahmad al-Sadusi relates

Ali bin Ahmad al-Sadusi relates from his father: News reached Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that some people were criticising Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), so she summoned a group of them, drew her curtain, rebuked and reproached them, and said: "My father, and what a man my father is! Hands cannot reach my father; far from it! By Allah, he is a lofty mountain and an extended shade. By Allah, he had already succeeded when you were denying, and he had already gone ahead when you had grown slack. (Then she recited a verse of poetry:) Just as a swift horse outstrips the others, so did this young man of Quraysh, a refuge in his youth and a refuge in his old age, outstrip them all. He would free their captive, restore their destitute, mend their breach and gather their scattered state, until hearts came to love him. Then he became firm in his religion, and this firmness of his in the cause of Allah remained, until he built a mosque in the courtyard of his house in which he would revive what the people of falsehood had caused to die. May Allah have mercy on him, he was one who wept much, a captive of his heart, with choking sobs. The women and children of Makkah would line up in front of him, mocking him and ridiculing him, (as Allah Almighty said:) "Allah (also) mocks them and gives them respite in their transgression, wandering blindly." [Surah al-Baqarah: 15] The leaders of Quraysh made a great outcry over this; they bent their bows and fitted their arrows, and made him their target, but they could not crack a single rock of his nor break a single spear of his, and he remained steadfast on his path. Until the religion became established and settled, its pegs were driven firm, and people entered it in crowds, from every group, one after another and in scattered numbers. Then Allah chose for His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that which is with Him (that is, death). When Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, took him (peace and blessings be upon him) to Himself, Satan pitched his tent, laid out his snares, stretched his ropes, and attacked with his cavalry and infantry. The rope of Islam began to shake, its covenant began to be corrupted, its people were thrown into turmoil, its firm rope came apart and unravelled, and trials began to raise their heads. People thought that their hopes had drawn near and that the time for turning back was gone, while al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was among them. So he stood up, sleeves rolled up and girded, gathered his strength, and gathered up again Islam that had been scattered in a moment of heedlessness, united what had been dispersed, and by his management straightened its crookedness; hypocrisy was terrified by his firmness, and through his help the religion was raised up (from decline). Then, when he had delivered the truth to its people, kept heads upon their shoulders and prevented blood from being shed, his death came. Then the gap after him was filled by a companion of his who was his true brother in compassion and his equal in conduct and justice, namely Ibn al-Khattab (Umar, may Allah be pleased with him). To Allah belongs (the credit of) the mother who carried him in her womb and nursed him! He isolated the worst and ugliest side of disbelief, scattered polytheism in every direction, and cleansed the earth of trials and subdued it, until the earth vomited up its morsel and cast out its filth along with its head. He gave charity in exchange for it (the caliphate) and took charge of it; he disliked it, then he practised piety in it, then he left it just as he had taken it up. Now tell me, what do you say? And which of my father's two days do you find fault with? The day of his staying on, when he was caliph and dealt justly among you, or the day of his departure, when he was concerned for your welfare? I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you."