Musnad of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) "sent Sayyiduna Ma'iz bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) back four times."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Miswar bin Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Marwan bin al-Hakam (may Allah have mercy on him) that in the year of al-Hudaybiyah the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out with more than thirteen hundred of his Companions, until, when they all reached Dhu al-Hulayfah, "the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed garlands on the necks of the sacrificial animals, marked them (by making a small cut on the hump) and entered the state of ihram for Umrah." Then Urwah bin Mas'ud al-Thaqafi came and said (about the Muslims): "I see (around you) faces of whom it is feared that they will (when the time comes) flee and leave you (peace and blessings be upon him) alone." On hearing this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied (in great anger): "Go and suck the private part of al-Lat (the idol)! Would we flee and abandon him (peace and blessings be upon him)?"

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), asked Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to distribute to her her inherited share of what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had left, from what Allah Almighty had granted him (peace and blessings be upon him) as fay' (spoils gained without fighting). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We (the prophets) are not inherited from; whatever we leave behind is charity."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) (through Sayyidah Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her) that whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to do something, he would supplicate thus: 'Allahumma khir li wakhtar li' (O Allah, decree good for me and choose (the best way) for me). In this narration of Abdullah bin Abi Mulaykah (may Allah have mercy on him), according to the wording of Musa bin Hayyan, this supplication was his (peace and blessings be upon him) blessed practice.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, the people differed about the place of his (peace and blessings be upon him) burial. At this Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "A prophet's soul is taken only in the place that is most beloved to him." So he said: "Bury him (peace and blessings be upon him) right where his (peace and blessings be upon him) soul was taken."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) relates that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) told her that (during the journey of the Hijrah) a man from among the polytheists came right in front of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), exposed his private parts and began to urinate. I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Does this man not see us?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Had he seen us, he would not have exposed his private parts in front of us like this and urinated," that is, while the two of them (the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)) were in the cave of Thawr.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, there was weeping and wailing over him. At this Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went out to the men and said: "I apologise to you for the conduct of these women, for they are still close to the time of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah). I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Indeed, boiling hot water is sprinkled upon the deceased because of the weeping (with wailing and lamentation) of the living.'"

Yazid bin Babanus (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came in to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his (peace and blessings be upon him) passing. He placed his mouth between his (peace and blessings be upon him) eyes (on the forehead), placed both his hands on his (peace and blessings be upon him) temples, and said: "Alas, my Prophet! Alas, my close friend! Alas, my chosen one!"

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah or Sayyidah Asma' (may Allah be pleased with them both) that in the year after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) stood at the place where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to stand. Then he said: "I heard your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) last year, in the summer, standing in this very place," and saying this, tears flowed from his eyes. Then he said again: "I heard your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) last year, in the summer, in this very place," and his eyes overflowed. A third time he repeated the same: "I heard your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) last year, in the summer, in this very place," and his eyes again filled with tears. Finally he said: "I heard your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say in this very place: 'Ask Allah for pardon, well-being, and protection and safety from every affliction and hardship in this world and the Hereafter.'"

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to her house while two girls were with her playing the daff (tambourine). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) scolded them, at which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Leave them, for indeed every people has a day of Eid."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "I saw my honoured father (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)) praying in a single garment, so I said: 'O father! Are you praying in a single garment while your (other) clothes are lying there?' He said: 'O my dear daughter! Indeed, the last prayer that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) offered behind me was in a single garment.'"

It is narrated from Sayyidah Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that people asked her: In what state did you see the polytheists treating the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) most harshly? She said that the polytheists were sitting in the (Sacred) Mosque, talking about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say about their gods. While they were like this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived there, and they all fell upon him (peace and blessings be upon him) at once. Then a caller went to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and cried out for help: Go to the aid of your companion! So Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) left us in such a state that he had four braids (locks) of hair on his blessed head, and he was crying out: "Woe to you! 'Do you kill a man because he says, My Lord is Allah, while he has brought you clear signs from your Lord?'" On hearing this, they left the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and fell upon Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyidah Asma' (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came back to us (in a wounded state); whichever of his locks he touched would come away (broken from the roots) in his hand, and he was saying: 'Tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram' (Blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Honour).

It is narrated from Sayyidah Asma' (may Allah be pleased with her) that when the Surah "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab" was revealed, that foul-mouthed Umm Jamil came shrieking and wailing, with a stone in her hand, reciting this satire (abuse): "Mudhammam (the dispraised one) we have rejected (or: we came to him; this doubt is from Abu Musa), his religion we have abhorred, and his command we have disobeyed." At that time the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting, and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting at his (peace and blessings be upon him) side. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "This woman is coming this way, and I fear that she will see you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "She will never be able to see me," and he (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the verse of the Noble Qur'an by which he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought protection: "And when you recite the Qur'an, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a hidden barrier." So the woman came until she stood by Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), but she could not see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). She said: "O Abu Bakr! I have been told that your companion has satirised (condemned) me." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "By the Lord of this House (the Ka'bah)! He has not satirised you at all." So she went back, saying: "Quraysh know well that I am the daughter of their chief."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Asma' bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) that she gave birth at Dhul-Hulayfah (and entered the state of postnatal bleeding), so Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, whereupon he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tell her to take a ritual bath (ghusl) and enter ihram (that is, begin calling out the Talbiyah)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) that: I went out with two (silver) anklets to sell them, because my family needed money for their expenses. Meanwhile I met Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and he asked: "Where are you heading?" I said: My family has come to need money for expenses, so I want to sell these two anklets. He said: "I too have come out with a few dirhams, to obtain with them silver better than them." The narrator said: He put the anklets in one pan of the scales and the dirhams in the other pan, and the anklets came out somewhat heavier than the dirhams, so he called for a pair of shears. I said (offering it as a gift): "Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)! This (extra weight) is yours, it is yours." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If you leave it (without an equal exchange), Allah Almighty will not leave it (that is, He will call it to account), for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Gold for gold, like for like, and silver for silver, like for like (is to be sold); the one who gives more and the one who asks for more are both in the Fire.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) related that one day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) led the dawn prayer, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) remained seated until, when it was the forenoon (duha) time, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) remained seated in his place until he (peace and blessings be upon him) had offered the Zuhr, Asr and Maghrib prayers, and during all that time he did not speak to anyone, until he had prayed the Isha prayer. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) went to his family. The people said to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him): Ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what the matter was today; he (peace and blessings be upon him) did something today that he had never done before. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes. There was presented to me all that is to happen of the affairs of this world and the Hereafter. The first and the last were gathered on a single open plain, and the people were terrified by its horror. Then they went to Sayyiduna Adam (peace be upon him), while the sweat was reaching their mouths like a bridle. They said: O Adam! You are the father of mankind, and Allah chose you; intercede for us with your Lord. He said: I too am facing the same horror that you are facing; go to your father after your father, Sayyiduna Nuh (peace be upon him), for indeed, 'Allah chose Nuh, the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above all the worlds.'" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then they will go to Sayyiduna Nuh (peace be upon him) and say: Intercede for us with your Lord; Allah chose you, answered your supplication, and left not a single dweller of the disbelievers on the earth. He will say: This is not my station; go to Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him), for Allah spoke to him. Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) will say: This is not my station; rather, go to Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him), for he used to heal those born blind and the lepers, and he used to bring the dead to life. Sayyiduna Isa (peace be upon him) will say: This is not my station; rather, go to the leader of the children of Adam, for he will be the first for whom the earth will split open on the Day of Resurrection. Go to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him); he will intercede for you with your Lord." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So (they) will go (for intercession), and Jibril (peace be upon him) will be called." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jibril (peace be upon him) will present himself before his Lord, and Allah Almighty will say: Give him permission and give him the glad tidings of Paradise." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then Jibril (peace be upon him) will take him, and I will fall down in prostration (before Allah) for the length of a week (seven days). Then Allah Almighty will say: O Muhammad! Raise your head; speak, and you will be heard; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So I will raise my head, and when I look at my Lord, I will again fall down in prostration for the length of another week. Then Allah Almighty will say: O Muhammad! Raise your head; speak, and you will be heard; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then I will fall into prostration again." He said: "Then Jibril (peace be upon him) will take hold of my upper arms, and Allah Almighty will open to me supplications such as He has never opened to any human being." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then I will say: O my Lord! You made me the leader of the children of Adam, and (I say this) without pride; and I will be the first for whom the earth splits open on the Day of Resurrection, and (I say this) without pride; until the expanse of those coming to me at my Pool (al-Kawthar) will be greater than the distance between Sana'a and Aylah." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then the command will be given: Call the truthful ones (siddiqin), so that they may intercede. Then it will be said: Call the Prophets." He said: "So a Prophet (peace be upon him) will come with a group with him, a Prophet will have five or six people with him, and there will be a Prophet with not even a single person with him." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then the command will be given: Call the martyrs." He said: "So they will intercede for whomever they wish." He said: "When the martyrs have finished," then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will say: I am the Most Merciful of those who show mercy; admit into My Paradise all those who did not associate anything with Me." He said: "So they will enter Paradise. Then Allah Almighty will say: Look into Hell; is there anyone there who ever did any good deed?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "So they will find a man in the Fire, and he will be asked: Did you ever do any good deed? He will say: No, except that I used to be lenient with people in buying and selling." He said: "Then Allah Almighty will say: Be lenient with this servant of Mine just as he used to be lenient with My servants. Then he will be taken out of the Fire." He said: "Then another man will be brought, and Allah will say: Did you ever do any good deed? He will say: No, except that I instructed my children that when I die they should burn me, then grind me until, when I have become as fine as kohl, take me to the sea and scatter me in the strong wind." He said: "Allah Almighty will ask: Why did you do that? He will say: Out of fear of You." He said: "Then Allah Almighty will say: Look at the kingdom of the greatest king; for you there is the like of it and ten times more." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That man will say (in astonishment): Are You mocking me, while You are the true King? And this is the scene at which I smiled in the forenoon."

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "One day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the morning," then the narrator related the like of this hadith, or something close to it.

(Ibn Jurayj related this hadith in connection with the saying of Allah Almighty: "Or have they assigned to Allah partners who created like His creation?") It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) (whether he himself was present on that occasion, or Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shirk among you is more hidden than the sound of an ant creeping." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Is shirk anything other than that someone besides Allah is worshipped, or that someone else is called upon along with Allah? (The narrator Abd al-Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was in doubt about this sentence.) He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May your mother lose you, O Siddiq! Shirk among you is more hidden than the creeping of an ant. Shall I not tell you words that will remove its minor and major (forms)?" He said: Certainly, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Recite this supplication three times every day: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a'lam, wa astaghfiruka lima la a'lam' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for that (shirk) which I do not know). Also, shirk is that a person says: 'Allah and so-and-so gave to me,' and setting up a rival to Allah is that a man says: 'Had it not been for so-and-so, so-and-so would have killed me.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ma'qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) that: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to me that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ma'qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) that: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) together with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), or he said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) told me from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shirk among you is more hidden than the sound of an ant creeping." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you something that will remove from you the minor and major (every kind of effect) of this shirk? Say: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a'lam, wa astaghfiruka mimma la a'lam' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for the shirk that I do not know)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ma'qil bin Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) that: I was present with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) together with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) (or he said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith to me from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shirk among you is more hidden than the sound of an ant creeping." At this Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Is shirk anything other than that another deity is called upon along with Allah? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said again: "Shirk among you is more hidden than the sound of an ant creeping." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you something that will remove from you every aspect, minor and major, of it (shirk)? Make this supplication: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a'lam, wa astaghfiruka mimma la a'lam' (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowingly associating anything with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for those (slips) of which I have no knowledge)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the cave, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) made this supplication: "Allahumma ta'nan wa ta'unan" (O Allah, (decree for my Ummah) death by spear-thrust and by plague). I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I know that you have asked about the kinds of death for your Ummah; as for this spear-thrust (martyrdom), we know it, but what is this plague? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is an inflammation or sore like a boil; if your life is prolonged, you will soon see it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that: After the martyrdom of the Companions in the Battle of Yamamah, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for me. When I arrived, Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) was also with him. Then he related an account like the previous hadith, and in it he added, after the words of Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him): "So I attached it (the last verses of Surah al-Tawbah) to it." Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: On that day the Companions differed over the word "Tabut"; Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said it was "al-Tabuh" (with ha'), while the group of Quraysh held that it was "al-Tabut" (with ta'). So they took their difference to Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him), and he ruled: "Write it as 'al-Tabut', according to the language of Quraysh." Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) disliked that Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) had been put in charge of copying and preparing the copies of the Qur'an (mushafs). Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) was also told by Ubaydullah bin Abdullah (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O company of Muslims! I have been removed from writing the Book of Allah, and a man has been put in charge of this task who, by Allah, was still in the loins of a disbelieving man when I had already accepted Islam?" By this he meant Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). For this reason Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people of Iraq! (or: O people of Kufah!) Hide the mushafs that you have and keep them safe with you, for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: 'And whoever commits a breach of trust will come with what he took on the Day of Resurrection.'" Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It has reached me that a group of the eminent Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (may Allah be pleased with them) disliked this speech of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: After the martyrdom of the reciters in the Battle of Yamamah, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for me. When I arrived, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was also with him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Umar came to me and said: 'On the day of the Battle of Yamamah the killing of the reciters of the Qur'an has become very intense, and I fear that the reciters of the Qur'an may be martyred in large numbers on the other battlefields too, so that a large part of the Noble Qur'an would be lost. Therefore my view is that you should issue an order for the Qur'an to be collected.'" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said to Umar: 'How can I do something that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do?'" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: "By Allah! This deed is entirely good." Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) kept coming back to me about it until Allah Almighty opened my breast to this matter just as He had opened the breast of Sayyiduna Umar, and my view became the same as his. Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) related that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "You are a young and intelligent man; we have no suspicion about you, and you used to write down the revelation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So search out the Noble Qur'an and collect it in one place." Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! Had they ordered me to move one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier on me than this task." I said: "How will you two do something that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! It is good." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) kept urging me until Allah Almighty opened my breast to the matter for which He had opened the breasts of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). So I began searching for the Noble Qur'an and collecting it from pieces of leather, palm branches, stone slabs and the breasts of men, until I found the last verses of Surah al-Tawbah, "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves," to the end of the surah, with Sayyiduna Khuzaymah bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "Indeed, you are an intelligent young man; we hold no suspicion against you (in the matter of trustworthiness and memory), and you used to write the revelation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So now search out the Noble Qur'an and collect it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), narrating to him, said: When we were (taking refuge) in the cave, I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): If one of them (the polytheists) were to look beneath his feet, he would surely see us. At that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two of whom Allah is the third?"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) related this incident to him: "When we were in the cave, I saw the feet of the polytheists above our heads. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! If even one of them looked towards his feet, he would see us beneath his feet.' At that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'O Abu Bakr, what do you think of two of whom Allah is the third?'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the apostasy (riddah): "Did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) not say: 'I have been commanded to fight people until they say La ilaha illallah; when they say it, they have protected their blood and their wealth from me, except by its right, and their reckoning is with Allah'?" At this Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said (thus), and in the narration of Ibn Abi Saminah the wording is that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only said: 'I have been commanded to fight people until they say La ilaha illallah, establish the prayer and pay the zakah.' By Allah! If they withhold from me even a piece of rope (due in zakah), I will fight them over it until my soul meets Allah." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When I saw that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had firmly resolved on this, I knew that it was the truth."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "Come with us to visit Sayyidah Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her), so that we may visit her just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit her." When the two of them reached her, she began to weep, so the two of them asked her: "Why are you weeping? What is with Allah (of reward and rank) is far better for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) (than this world)." Sayyidah Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: "I am not weeping because I do not know that what is with Allah is better for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, I am weeping because the divine revelation from the heavens has been cut off." The narrator said: These words of Sayyidah Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with her) moved the two of them to tears as well, and they both began weeping with her.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was very sad, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "What is the matter, that I see you grieved?" He said: O Messenger of Allah! Last night I was with a cousin of mine who was in the throes of death, giving up his soul. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Did you not prompt him to say La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah)?" He said: O Messenger of Allah! I did prompt him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "And did he say this word?" He said: Yes. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Paradise has become obligatory for him." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the virtue of this word for the living? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is the greatest effacer of their sins; it is the greatest effacer of their sins."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that after the martyrdom of the martyrs of the Battle of Yamamah, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a message summoning him. When he arrived there, Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) was also present. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Umar came to me and said: 'In the Battle of Yamamah the martyrdom of the reciters of the Qur'an (or: of the people; Imam Abu Ya'la was in doubt about this word) has greatly increased, and I fear that if the reciters continue to be martyred like this in other places too, a large part of the Qur'an will be lost and will not be preserved. Therefore my view is that you should order the Qur'an to be collected together.'" I said to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "How can I do something that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) himself did not do?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! This is nothing but good." He kept repeating this to me again and again until Allah Almighty opened my breast to this task, and my view became the same as that of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) said that at that time Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting there silently. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "You are a sensible young man; we hold no suspicion of any kind against you, and you used to write the revelation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So search out the Qur'an and collect it." Sayyiduna Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! Had they ordered me to move one of the mountains from one place to another, it would not have been heavier on me than this order to collect the Qur'an." I said: "How are you two doing something that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! This task is nothing but good." He kept talking to me about it continually until Allah Almighty opened my breast too to the matter for which He had opened the breasts of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). So I began to collect the Qur'an, searching it out from pieces of parchment, shoulder blades and the breasts of men, until I found the last part of Surah al-Tawbah with Sayyiduna Khuzaymah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), and I did not find it (in written form) with anyone besides him: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves," to the end of the verse. Then the sheets in which we had collected the Qur'an remained safe with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) until Allah took him in death, then they remained with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) until Allah took him in death as well, and then they remained safe with Sayyidah Hafsah (may Allah be pleased with her).

It is narrated from Malik bin Qays (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) at Iliya' (Jerusalem). Then he did not stay long and left from there. He was searched for but was not found, or the narrator said: We searched for him but did not find him. Then we followed him and saw that he was praying in an open space. He asked: "What has brought you here?" The people said: We have come to renew our bond of companionship with you, or to fulfil your right. Sayyiduna Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I have a gift for you (a Prophetic hadith). We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey, and each one of us had his turn of a day to graze the camels. On the day that was my turn, I grazed the camels and brought them back to their resting place, then I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and saw that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had formed a circle around him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was speaking." He said: "I left the camels to graze and turned towards him (peace and blessings be upon him). When I came near him (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) was saying: 'Whoever performs ablution and performs it well, then prays two rak'ahs seeking by them only the pleasure of Allah, Allah Almighty forgives him all (his sins) that came before those two rak'ahs.'" Sayyiduna Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I said (on hearing this): 'Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)!' Just then a man patted me on my shoulder. I turned and saw that it was Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: 'O Ibn Amir! What he (peace and blessings be upon him) said before this is even more virtuous.' I asked: 'What was it?' He said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said: 'Whoever bears witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, with his heart confirming his tongue, will enter Paradise by whichever of its gates he wishes.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Kabshah al-Anmari (may Allah be pleased with him) that: I heard Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) relating that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever deliberately attributes a lie to me, or rejects something I have commanded, let him make his abode in Hell."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood on the pulpit and said: "You know well for what purpose the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood (at this very place) last year." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) wept, then repeated his words and wept again, then said the same words a third time and wept again. (Finally) he said: "Indeed, people have not been given in this world any blessing better than pardon and well-being, so ask Allah Almighty for both of them."

Abu Salih (may Allah have mercy on him) related that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) stood on the pulpit, delivered a sermon and, after praising and glorifying Allah Almighty, said: "Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood among us last year on this very pulpit, on a day like this and in a month like this." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) wept and said: "Ask Allah Almighty for pardon and well-being."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that during the Hajj before the Farewell Hajj, over which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had appointed Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as leader, on the Day of Sacrifice (the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah) Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a group of people to announce: "After this year no polytheist shall perform Hajj, and no one shall circumambulate the House naked."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Teach me some words that I may recite in the morning and in the evening." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Say: 'Allahumma fatir al-samawati wal-ard, 'alim al-ghaybi wal-shahadah, anta rabbu kulli shay'in wa malikuhu, la ilaha illa anta, a'udhu bika min sharri nafsi wa sharri al-shaytani wa shirkihi' (O Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You are the Lord of everything and its Sovereign; there is none worthy of worship except You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self, and from the evil of Satan and his shirk)." He (peace and blessings be upon him) further said that these words should be recited in the morning, in the evening, and when you lie down on your bed to sleep.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) related that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) told me: "One night I missed my supper. I came to my family and asked: 'Do you have any supper?' They said: 'No, by Allah! We have nothing.' So I lay down on my bed, but because of the severity of hunger I could not sleep. I thought: It would be better if I went to the mosque, prayed there and passed the time until morning. So I went to the mosque and prayed as much as Allah willed, then I sat leaning against a corner of the mosque. Meanwhile Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came to me and asked: 'Who is this?' I said: 'Abu Bakr.' He asked: 'What has brought you out at this hour?' I told him the whole story, and he said: 'By Allah! The same thing that brought you out has brought me out.' Then he sat down beside me. While we were in this state, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us and expressed surprise at us (seeing us there at that time). He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'Who is this?' Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) quickly said: 'This is Abu Bakr and Umar.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'What has brought the two of you out at this hour?' Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'I left my house and entered the mosque, and I saw the figure of Abu Bakr. I asked: Who is this? He said: Abu Bakr. So I asked: What has brought you out at this hour? He described his situation, and I said: By Allah! The same need that brought you out has brought me out.' Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'By Allah! The same thing that brought you two out has brought me out. So come with us to the Ansari Companion Sayyiduna Abu al-Haytham bin al-Tayyihan (may Allah be pleased with him); perhaps we will find something to eat with him.' We set off until we reached his garden on a moonlit night and knocked at the door. His wife (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: 'Who is it?' Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'This is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Bakr and Umar.' She opened the door for us and we entered. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'Where is your husband?' She said: 'He has gone to fetch sweet water for us from a palm grove of Banu Harithah; he will come just now.' The narrator said: Just then he came carrying a waterskin and hung it on the trunk of a palm tree. Then he turned to us and said: 'Welcome! Never has anyone received guests as honoured as those who have come to me today.' Then he cut a bunch of dates for us and brought it, and we began picking out the good dates from it in the moonlight and eating. Then he took a knife and went towards the goats, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: 'Beware of (slaughtering) a milking animal.' He took a goat, slaughtered it and skinned it, then told his wife, and she cooked the meat and prepared bread. He kept putting pieces of meat into the pot and lit the fire, until, when the meat and bread were ready, he made tharid, then poured broth and meat over it, brought it and placed it before us, and we ate our fill. Then he went to the waterskin, which the wind had made very cool, poured water into a bowl and first offered it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who drank; then he gave it to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who drank; then he gave it to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who also drank. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Alhamdulillah (All praise is for Allah).' (Then he said:) 'We left home and nothing but hunger brought us out, and now we are returning having been granted these blessings. "You will surely be asked about this on the Day of Resurrection"; this too is among those blessings.' Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Abu al-Haytham (may Allah be pleased with him): 'Do you not have a servant to bring you water?' He said: 'No, O Messenger of Allah!' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'When captives come to us, come to us so that we may order a servant for you.' Only a short time had passed when captives were brought to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Abu al-Haytham (may Allah be pleased with him) came. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: 'What brings you?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Your promise that you made to me.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Here are the captives; get up and choose one of them.' He said: 'You choose for me.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Take this boy, and treat him well.' He took him to his wife, and she asked: 'What is this?' He told her the whole story, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: 'What did you say to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?' He said: 'I said: You choose for me.' She said: 'You did very well; and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told you to treat him well, so now treat him in the best way.' He asked: 'What could be the best treatment of him?' She replied: 'That you set him free.' He said: 'Then he is free for the sake of Allah.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) was busy with some official work when he became extremely angry with a man from among the Muslims. When I saw the intensity of his anger, I said: "O successor (Khalifah) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Shall I strike off his neck?" When I mentioned killing, he turned away from that matter completely and, leaving such talk aside, turned to other conversation. Then, when we dispersed, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for me and asked: "O Abu Barzah! What did you say?" He said: I had forgotten what I had said, so I said: "What did I say? Please remind me." He said: "Do you not remember what you said?" I said: "By Allah, no." He said: "Recall the time when you saw me angry with that man and you said: O successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Shall I strike off his neck? Would you really have done that?" I said: "Yes, by Allah! And if you command me even now, I will do it." At that he said: "Woe to you! By Allah! After the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) this (authority and position) does not belong to anyone else."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) became so intensely angry with a man that no one was seen angrier than him that day. Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "O successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Command me and I will strike off his neck." The narrator said: (On hearing this his anger cooled) as if a fire had been put out. Then Sayyiduna Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) left. Later Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for him and asked: "May your mother be bereaved of you! What did you say?" He said: "By Allah! If you had ordered me to kill him, I would certainly have killed him." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Abu Barzah, may your mother be bereaved of you! Indeed, this (rank and authority) is not permissible for anyone after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)."