Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr is the closest companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the first caliph of Islam. His real name was Abdullah ibn Uthman; he belonged to the Banu Taym clan of Quraysh. Nicknamed al-Siddiq, 'the Truthful,' he is the one the Quran designates as 'his companion' during the cave, at the time of the Hijra. He died in year 13 of the Hijra (634), at the age of 63.

Abdullah ibn Uthman — known by the kunya Abu Bakr — was born in Mecca in the Banu Taym clan of Quraysh; his father was Abu Quhafa. Among the very first to embrace Islam, he placed his fortune at the service of the persecuted believers: he freed Bilal as well as six other slaves being tortured for their faith.

His title of Siddiq came from the episode of the Night Journey (al-Isra'). When people came to report that the Prophet ﷺ claimed to have been taken in one night to Jerusalem, he replied: 'If he said it, then he spoke the truth,' adding that he believed him even in matters more extraordinary still — news from the heavens. It is for this, the account concludes, that he was named al-Siddiq.

His closeness to the Prophet ﷺ was underscored by several prophetic words: none had been more devoted to him in person and in wealth than Abu Bakr, and if he had taken an intimate friend (khalil) among his people, it would have been him. At Uhud, the Prophet ﷺ designated him as 'a Siddiq,' alongside a Prophet and two martyrs.

During the Hijra, he accompanied the Prophet ﷺ and hid with him in the cave — the episode the Quran evokes by calling him 'his companion.' During the Prophet's final illness, he ordered that it be Abu Bakr who would lead the prayer.

At the death of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr became the first caliph. He faced the Ridda wars (apostasy) and those who refused to pay zakat. It was also under his caliphate that the first compilation of the Quran was undertaken: he charged Zayd ibn Thabit with gathering the text, after many reciters had perished at the Battle of Yamama. He died in year 13 of the Hijra, after a fifteen-day illness during which Umar led the prayer in his place, at the age of 63.

The year of birth (~573) is not given as a firm date by any consulted source: it is deduced from his age (63 at his death in year 13 H). The title of al-Siddiq is attested everywhere; its reason (the Isra' episode) rests on al-Hakim's al-Mustadrak (no. 4407), authenticated (sahih) by al-Hakim and confirmed by adh-Dhahabi. He is also among the ten Companions named as promised Paradise (Tirmidhi no. 3747).

Abu Bakr embodies sidq (truthfulness) and tasdiq (believing and confirming the truth). His very nickname sums up his life: to believe what is true, even when it surpasses human understanding. His immediate reaction to the Night Journey — 'if he said it, he spoke the truth' — is its purest symbol.

Si vous refusez votre soutien au Messager, sachez qu'Allah lui a apporté le Sien lorsque, forcé par les impies à l'exil avec son compagnon, il dit à celui-ci dans la grotte où les deux hommes avaient trouvé refuge : « Ne t'afflige pas, Allah est avec nous ! » Allah fit alors descendre quiétude et sérénité sur Son Messager et l'assista d'armées invisibles. Puis Il renversa le culte des mécréants et éleva bien haut la religion de l'unicité. Allah est Tout-Puissant et infiniment Sage.

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