Authenticity of Abu Bakr’s Title “ʿAtīq of Allah” Examined

Is the Title “ʿAtīq of Allah” for Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه Authentic?​

Source: Fatāwā Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri

❖ Question:​

Is the title ʿAtīq of Allah (freed by Allah from the Fire) established for Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه?

❖ Answer:​

There is no authentic narration regarding this title.

✿ Reported Narrations​

✔ Narrated from Abdullah ibn al-Zubair رضي الله عنهما:
كان اسم أبى بكر عبد الله بن عثمان، فقال له النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: أنت عتيق الله من النار، فسمي عتيقا
“Abu Bakr’s name was Abdullah ibn ʿUthmān. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: You are Allah’s freed one from the Fire. So he was called ʿAtīq.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 6864)


➡ This narration is fabricated (bāṭil).
Imam Abū Ḥātim رحمه الله said:
هذا حديث باطل
“This hadith is fabricated.”
(ʿIlal al-Ḥadīth: 2668)


✔ Narrated from ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
إن أبا بكر دخل على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: أنت عتيق الله من النار فيومئذ سمي عتيقا
“Abu Bakr entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: You are Allah’s freed one from the Fire. From that day he was called ʿAtīq.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3679)


➡ The chain is severely weak due to Isḥāq ibn Yaḥyā ibn Ṭalḥah, who is weak and abandoned.


✔ Also narrated from ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
إني لفي بيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه فى الفناء وبيني وبينهم الستر إذ أقبل أبو بكر، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من سره أن ينظر إلى عتيق من النار فلينظر إلى هذا …
“I was in the house of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while his Companions were in the courtyard, with a curtain between us. Abu Bakr came in, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Whoever wishes to look at a person freed from the Fire, let him look at this one (Abu Bakr)…”
(Ṭabaqāt Ibn Saʿd: 3/170)


➡ This narration is fabricated (bāṭil) due to Ṣāliḥ ibn Mūsā al-Ṭalḥī, who is weak and abandoned.
Imam Ibn ʿAdī رحمه الله declared it not preserved.
(Al-Kāmil fī Ḍuʿafāʾ al-Rijāl: 5/109)


Conclusion:
The title ʿAtīq of Allah for Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه is not established by any authentic narration. The reports on this matter are either fabricated or extremely weak.