The Sacrificial Generosity of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) and the Angels’ Humility

Author: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (حفظہ اللہ)

The Incident of Abu Bakr's Sacrificial Attire​

Ibn Shahin in “Al-Sunnah”, Al-Baghawi in his Tafsir, and Ibn Asakir narrated from Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) that:

“I was present in the court of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) when Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) appeared wearing a cloak whose edges were tied to his chest with thorns. At that moment, Jibril (عليه السلام) came and asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, why is Abu Bakr wearing a cloak fastened with thorns?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, ‘He has spent all his wealth for my sake.’ Jibril (عليه السلام) then conveyed Allah’s greeting and asked, ‘O Abu Bakr, are you content in this state of poverty, or are you displeased?’ Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) responded, ‘How could I ever be displeased with my Lord? I am pleased, happy, and overjoyed with Him.’”

Angelic Imitation of Abu Bakr’s Sacrifice​

Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

“One day, Jibril (عليه السلام) appeared in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ), wearing a rough, tattered garment similar to Abu Bakr’s cloak. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, ‘O Jibril, what is this attire?’ Jibril (عليه السلام) replied, ‘Allah has commanded all the angels to wear garments similar to the one Abu Bakr is wearing today.’”

Authentication of the Narration​

1. Weakness of the Chain:
   Imam Ibn Kathir remarked that the narrators of this tradition are weak. He pointed out that if this narration were authentic, earlier scholars would have widely reported it.
   
   • [Ibn Kathir, Tafsir]
2. Assessment by Imam Suyuti:
   Imam Suyuti, despite his leniency towards weak narrations, classified this narration as severely weak. If Suyuti himself labels a narration as weak, it is an indication of its limited reliability.
   
   • [Tareekh al-Khulafa, p. 36]
3. Other Scholars:
   
   • Ibn Asakir (13/51) and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Mahasinu wal-Masawi (p. 56) also acknowledged the weak status of its chain.

Conclusion​

While this narration beautifully illustrates the sacrifices of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه), its weakness in terms of authenticity makes it unsuitable for deriving solid theological conclusions. Nonetheless, the known and authentic acts of generosity and sacrifice by Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) remain unparalleled, solidified by numerous rigorously authenticated reports.