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Abu Bakr Illustration painting –

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr was Muhammad’s closest companion and adviser, who succeeded to the Prophet’s political and administrative functions, thereby initiating the office of the caliph.

Abu Bakr was born in Mecca some time in 573 CE, to a rich family in the Banu Taym tribe of the Quraysh tribal confederacy. His father’s name was Uthman and given the kunya Abu Quhafa, and his mother was Salma bint Sakhar who was given the laqab of Umm ul-Khair.

He spent his early childhood like other Arab children of the time, among the Bedouins who called themselves Ahl-i-Ba’eer- the people of the camel and developed a particular fondness for camels. In his early years, he played with the camel calves and goats, and his love for camels earned him the nickname kunya “Abu Bakr”, the father of the camel’s calf.

Here are 10 amazing facts about Abu Bakr

1. Abu Bakr was the senior companion of the Prophet Muhammad

Abu Bakr is known with the honorific title al-Siddiq by Muslims. He was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Companions of the Prophet were the disciples and followers of Muhammad who saw or met the prophet during his lifetime while being a Muslim and were physically in his presence.

Aisha was Muhammad’s third and youngest wife. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title Mother of the Believers. This refers to the description of Muhammad’s wives in the Qur’an.

2. Abu Bakr became one of the first converts to Islam

Abu Bakr and Muhammad  painting –

 AbÅ« Bakr purportedly was the first male convert to Islam. He extensively contributed his wealth in support of Muhammad’s work. He was among Muhammad’s closest companions.

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centered primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of the God of Abraham or Allah as it was revealed to Muhammad, the main and final Islamic prophet. It is the world’s second-largest religion behind Christianity, with more than two billion followers, or around 25 percent of the world population.

3. Abu Bakr accompanied Prophet Muhammad on his migration to Medina

Being Prophet’s Muhammad’s closest companion, Abu Bakr accompanied him on his migration to Medina and was present throughout the entire journey.

Hijrah was the journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina. The year in which the Hijrah took place is also identified as the epoch of the Lunar Hijri and Solar Hijri calendars; its date equates to 16 July, 622 in the Julian calendar.

4.  Abu Bakr witnessed military conflicts, such as the battles of Badr and Uhud

The Meccan Mob wanted to kill Muhammad by stoning, but Abu Bakr stops them –

The Battle of Badr in the Qur’an and by Muslims was fought on Tuesday, 13 March 624. near the present-day city of Badr, Al Madinah Province in Saudi Arabia. Muhammad, commanding an army of his Sahaba, defeated an army of the Quraysh. The battle marked the beginning of the six-year war between Muhammad and his tribe.

The Battle of Uhud was fought on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD in the valley north of Mount Uhud. The Qurayshi Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, commanded an army of 3,000 men toward Muhammad’s stronghold in Medina. The battle was the only battle throughout the Muslim–Quraysh War in which the Muslims did not manage to defeat their enemy and it came just a year after the Battle of Badr.

5. Abu Bakr succeeded in the leadership of the Muslim community after Muhammad’s death 

Following Muhammad’s death in 632, Abu Bakr succeeded in the leadership of the Muslim community as the first Rashidun Caliph.

The succession to Muhammad is the central issue that split the Muslim community into several divisions in the first century of Islamic history, with the most prominent among these sects being the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam. 

Sunni Islam maintains that Abu Bakr was the legitimate successor to Muhammad on the basis of election. Shia Islam holds that Ali ibn Abi Talib was the designated successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

6. During his reign, Abu Bakr overcame uprisings, collectively known as the Ridda Wars

Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and other supporters of the Prophet arriving in Madinah after leaving Makkah –

The Ridda Wars were a series of military campaigns launched by the first caliph Abu Bakr against rebellious Arabian tribes. They began shortly after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632 and concluded the next year, with all battles won by the Rashidun Caliphate.

These wars secured the caliphate’s control over Arabia and restored its nascent prestige. As a result of which he was able to consolidate and expand the rule of the Muslim state over the entire Arabian Peninsula.

7. Abu Bakr’s first wife did not accept Islam and he divorced her

His first wife Qutaylah bint Abd-al-Uzza did not accept Islam and he divorced her. His other wife, Um Ruman, became a Muslim. All his children accepted Islam except Abd al-Rahman, from whom Abu Bakr disassociated himself. 

Abu’s conversion also brought many people to Islam. He persuaded his intimate friends to convert and presented Islam to other friends in such a way that many of them also accepted the faith.

8. Many slaves accepted Islam at the insistence of Abu Bakr

An illustration of Abu Bakr –

Abu Bakr’s acceptance proved to be a milestone in Muhammad’s mission. Slavery was common in Mecca, and many slaves accepted Islam. When an ordinary free man accepted Islam, despite opposition, he would enjoy the protection of his tribe. 

For slaves, however, there was no such protection and they commonly experienced persecution. Abu Bakr felt compassion for slaves, so he purchased eight (four men and four women) and then freed them, paying 40,000 dinars for their freedom.

9. Abu Bakr built the second largest mosque in Mecca

In Medina, Muhammad decided to construct a mosque. A piece of land was chosen and the price of the land was paid for by Abu Bakr. The Muslims, including Abu Bakr, constructed a mosque named Al-Masjid al-Nabawi at the site. 

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi known in English as the Prophet’s Mosque is a mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the city of Medina in the Al Madinah Province of Saudi Arabia. It was the second mosque built by Muhammad in Medina, after Quba Mosque, and is the second largest mosque and the second holiest site in Islam, both titles ranking after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

10. Abu Bakr was the only Rashidun caliph to die of natural causes

 Abu Bakr died of illness after a reign of 2 years, 2 months, and 14 days, the only Rashidun caliph to die of natural causes.

Abu Bakr had the distinction of being the first Caliph in the history of Islam and also the first Caliph to nominate a successor. He was the only Caliph in the history of Islam who refunded to the state treasury at the time of his death the entire amount of the allowance that he had drawn during the period of his caliphate.