Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1799
The caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq ᴿᴬ
فَصْلٌ فِي الْأَحَادِيثِ وَالْآيَاتِ الْمُشِيرَةِ إِلَى خِلَافَتِهِ وَكَلَامِ الْأَئِمَّةِ فِي ذَلِكَ عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ ؓ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «اقْتَدُوا بِاللَّذَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِي: أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ»، وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ؓ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: يَكُونُ خَلْفِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ خَلِيفَةً: أَبُو بَكْرٍ لَا يَلْبَثُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا» وَفِي «الصَّحِيحَيْنِ» فِي الْحَدِيثِ السَّابِقِ: أَنَّهُ ﷺ لَمَّا خَطَبَ قُرْبَ وَفَاتِهِ وَقَالَ: «إِنَّ عَبْدًا خَيَّرَهُ اللَّهُ...» الْحَدِيثَ، وَفِي آخِرِهِ: لَا يَبْقَيَنَّ بَابٌ إِلَّا سُدَّ إِلَّا بَابُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ»، وَفِي لَفْظٍ لَهُمَا: « لَا يَبْقَيَنَّ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَوْخَةٌ إِلَّا خَوْخَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ». قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: هَذِهِ إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى الْخِلَافَةِ ; لِأَنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَخْرَجَ الشَّيْخَانِ عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مَطْعِمٍ - ؓ، قَالَ: أَتَتِ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَيْهِ، قَالَتْ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ جِئْتُ وَلَمْ أَجِدْكَ؟ - كَأَنَّهَا تَقُولُ الْمَوْتَ، قَالَ «إِنْ لَمْ تَجِدِينِي... فَأْتِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ». وَأَخْرَجَ الْحَاكِمُ وَصَحَّحَهُ عَنْ أَنَسٍ ؓ قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي بَنُو الْمُصْطَلِقِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ سَلْهُ: إِلَى مَنْ نَدْفَعُ صَدَقَاتِنَا بَعْدَكَ؟ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ: فَقَالَ: «إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ». وَأَخْرَجَ مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ: قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي مَرَضِهِ: «ادْعِي لِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَأَخَاكِ، حَتَّى أَكْتُبَ كِتَابًا ; فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَتَمَنَّى مُتَمَنٍّ، وَيَقُولَ قَائِلٌ: أَنَا أَوْلَى، وَيَأْبَى اللَّهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا أَبَا بَكْرٍ». وَأَخْرَجَ مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَنَّهَا سُئِلَتْ: مَنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُسْتَخْلِفًا لَوِ اسْتَخْلَفَ؟ قَالَتْ: (أَبُو بَكْرٍ)، فَقِيلَ لَهَا: ثُمَّ مَنْ بَعْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ؟ قَالَتْ: ( عُمَرُ )، قِيلَ لَهَا: مَنْ بَعْدَ عُمَرَ؟ قَالَتْ: (أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ). [رَضِيَهُ لِدِينِنَا أَفَلَا نَرْضَاهُ لِدُنْيَانَا] وَأَخْرَجَ الشَّيْخَانِ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ ؓ قَالَ: مَرِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَاشْتَدَّ مَرَضُهُ، فَقَالَ: «مُرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ» قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ رَقِيقٌ، إِذَا قَامَ مَقَامَكَ... لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ، قَالَ: «مُرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ»، فَعَادَتْ فَقَالَ: «مُرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ، فَإِنَّكُنَّ صَوَاحِبُ يُوسُفَ»، فَأَتَاهُ الرَّسُولُ، فَصَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مُتَوَاتِرٌ. وعَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ: ( لَقَدْ رَاجَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ذَلِكَ، وَمَا حَمَلَنِي عَلَى كَثْرَةِ مُرَاجَعَتِهِ... إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقَعْ فِي قَلْبِي أَنْ يُحِبَّ النَّاسُ بَعْدَهُ رَجُلًا قَامَ مَقَامَهُ أَبَدًا، وَإِلَّا أَنِّي كُنْتُ أَرَى أَنَّهُ لَنْ يَقُومَ أَحَدٌ مَقَامَهُ.. إِلَّا تَشَاءَمَ النَّاسُ بِهِ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ يَعْدِلَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ). وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ زَمْعَةَ ؓ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَهُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ غَائِبًا فَتَقَدَّمَ عُمَرُ فَصَلَّى، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «لَا، لَا، لَا، يَأْبَى اللَّهُ وَالْمُسْلِمُونَ إِلَّا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ». وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: كَبَّرَ عُمَرُ، فَسَمِعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَكْبِيرَهُ، فَأَطْلَعَ رَأْسَهُ مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ: «أَيْنَ ابْنُ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ؟ !». قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَوْضَحُ دَلَالَةٍ عَلَى أَنَّ الصِّدِّيقَ أَفْضَلُ الصَّحَابَةِ عَلَى الْإِطْلَاقِ، وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْخِلَافَةِ، وَأَوْلَاهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ. قَالَ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ: (قَدْ عَلِمَ بِالضَّرُورَةِ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَ الصِّدِّيقَ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ مَعَ حُضُورِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، مَعَ قَوْلِهِ: يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ»، فَدَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ كَانَ أَقْرَأَهُمْ: أَيْ أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالْقُرْآنِ).انْتَهَى. وَقَدِ اسْتَدَلَّ الصَّحَابَةُ أَنْفُسُهُمْ بِهَذَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَحَقُّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ، مِنْهُمْ: عُمَرُ قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: وَقَدْ كَانَ مَعْرُوفًا بِأَهْلِيَّةِ الْإِمَامَةِ فِي زَمَانِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَأَخْرَجَ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَغَيْرُهُمَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ: كَانَ قِتَالٌ بَيْنَ بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ، فَبَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَتَاهُمْ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ، لِيُصْلِحَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَقَالَ: «يَا بِلَالُ، إِنْ حَضَرَتِ الصَّلَاةُ وَلَمْ آتِ.. فَمُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ بِالنَّاسِ» فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْ صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ.. أَقَامَ بِلَالٌ الصَّلَاةَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَصَلَّى. وَأَخْرَجَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الشَّافِعِيُّ فِي « الْغَيْلَانِيَّاتِ»، وَابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ عَنْ حَفْصَةَ ؓ: أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ: إِذَا أَنْتَ مَرِضْتَ... قَدَّمْتَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؟ قَالَ: «لَسْتُ أَنَا أُقَدِّمُهُ، وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُقَدِّمُهُ». وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «سَأَلْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُقَدِّمَكَ ثَلَاثًا، فَأَبَى عَلَيَّ إِلَّا تَقْدِيمَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ». وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا أَزَالُ أَرَانِي أَطَأُ فِي عَذِرَاتِ النَّاسِ؟ قَالَ: «لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ النَّاسِ بِسَبِيلٍ» قَالَ: وَرَأَيْتُ فِي صَدْرِي كَالرُّقْمَتَيْنِ؟ قَالَ: «سَنَتَيْنِ». وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ قَالَ: ( أَتَيْتُ عُمَرَ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قَوْمٌ يَأْكُلُونَ، فَرَمَى بِبَصَرِهِ فِي مُؤَخَّرِ الْقَوْمِ إِلَى رَجُلٍ، فَقَالَ: مَا تَجِدُ فِيمَا تَقْرَأُ قِبَلَكَ مِنَ الْكُتُبِ؟ قَالَ: خَلِيفَةُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ صِدِّيقُهُ. وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ: (أَرْسَلَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ إِلَى الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ، فَجِئْتُهُ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: اشْفِنِي فِيمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ النَّاسُ، هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْتَخْلَفَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ؟ فَاسْتَوَى الْحَسَنُ قَاعِدًا فَقَالَ: أَوَفِي شَكٍّ هُوَ لَا أَبَا لَكَ؟ ! إِي وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَقَدِ اسْتَخْلَفَهُ، وَلَهُوَ كَانَ أَعْلَمَ بِاللَّهِ، وَأَتْقَى لَهُ، وَأَشَدَّ لَهُ مَخَافَةً مِنْ أَنْ يَمُوتَ عَلَيْهَا لَوْ لَمْ يُؤَمِّرْهُ). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ عَدِيٍّ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ قَالَ: (قَالَ لِي الرَّشِيدُ: يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، كَيْفَ اسْتَخْلَفَ النَّاسُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقَ ؟ قُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، سَكَتَ اللَّهُ، وَسَكَتَ رَسُولُهُ، وَسَكَتَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ، قَالَ: وَاللَّهِ، مَا زِدْتَنِي إِلَّا غَمًّا!! قُلْتُ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، مَرِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ بِلَالٌ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَنْ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ؟ قَالَ: «مُرْ أَبَا بَكْرٍ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ» فَصَلَّى أَبُو بَكْرٍ بِالنَّاسِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ، وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ، فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِسُكُوتِ اللَّهِ، وَسَكَتَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِسُكُوتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَعْجَبَهُ فَقَالَ: بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ). آيَاتٌ اسْتَنْبَطَ الْعُلَمَاءُ مِنْهَا خِلَافَةَ الصِّدِّيقِ ؓ وَقَدِ اسْتَنْبَطَ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ خِلَافَةَ الصِّدِّيقِ مِنْ آيَاتِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، فَأَخْرَجَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَنْ يَرْتَدَّ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ [الْمَائِدَةِ: 54] قَالَ: (هُوَ وَاللَّهِ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَصْحَابُهُ، لَمَّا ارْتَدَتِ الْعَرَبُ... جَاهَدَهُمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَتَّى رَدَّهُمْ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ عَنْ جُوَيْبِرٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: قُلْ لِلْمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ سَتُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ [الْفَتْحِ: 16] قَالَ: هُمْ بَنُو حَنِيفَةَ، قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ وَابْنُ قُتَيْبَةَ: (هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ حُجَّةٌ عَلَى خِلَافَةِ الصِّدِّيقِ ; لِأَنَّهُ الَّذِي دَعَا إِلَى قِتَالِهِمْ). وَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ: (سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ بْنَ سُرَيْجٍ يَقُولُ: خِلَافَةُ الصِّدِّيقِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ، قَالَ: لِأَنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَعْدَ نُزُولِهَا قِتَالٌ دَعُوا إِلَيْهِ إِلَّا دُعَاءُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ لَهُمْ وَلِلنَّاسِ إِلَى قِتَالِ أَهْلِ الرِّدَّةِ وَمَنْ مَنَعَ الزَّكَاةَ، قَالَ: فَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى وُجُوبِ خِلَافَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَافْتِرَاضِ طَاعَتِهِ، إِذْ أَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ أَنَّ الْمُتَوَلِّيَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ يُعَذَّبُ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا. قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: (وَمَنْ فَسَّرَ الْقَوْمُ: بِأَنَّهُمْ فَارِسُ وَالرُّومُ.. فَالصِّدِّيقُ هُوَ الَّذِي جَهَّزَ الْجُيُوشَ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَتَمَامُ أَمْرِهِمْ كَانَ عَلَى يَدِ عُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ، وَهُمَا فَرْعَا الصِّدِّيقِ). وَقَالَ تَعَالَى: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ [النُّورِ: 55] الْآيَةَ، قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: (هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ مُنْطَبِقَةٌ عَلَى خِلَافَةِ الصِّدِّيقِ). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ فِي «تَفْسِيرِهِ» عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْمَهْرِيِّ قَالَ: (إِنَّ وِلَايَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ [النُّورِ: 55]. وَأَخْرَجَ الْخَطِيبُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ قَالَ: (أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ خَلِيفَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الْقُرْآنِ ; لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ [الْحَشْرِ: 8] فَمَنْ سَمَّاهُ صَادِقًا.. فَلَيْسَ يَكْذِبُ، هُمْ قَالُوا: يَا خَلِيفَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ)، قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: (اسْتِنْبَاطٌ حَسَنٌ). وَأَخْرَجَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ عَنِ الزَّعْفَرَانِيِّ قَالَ: (سَمِعْتُ الشَّافِعِيَّ يَقُولُ: أَجْمَعَ النَّاسُ عَلَى خِلَافَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ اضُطُرَّ النَّاسُ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا تَحْتَ أَدِيمِ السَّمَاءِ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَوَلَّوْهُ رِقَابَهُمْ). وَأَخْرَجَ أَسَدُ السُّنَّةِ فِي «فَضَائِلِهِ» عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ قُرَّةَ قَالَ: ( مَا كَانَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَشُكُّونَ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيفَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا كَانُوا يُسَمُّونَهُ إِلَّا خَلِيفَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا كَانُوا يَجْتَمِعُونَ عَلَى خَطَأٍ أَوْ ضَلَالَةٍ. وَأَخْرَجَ الْحَاكِمُ وَصَحَّحَهُ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ ؓ قَالَ: ( مَا رَآهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ حَسَنًا.. فَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ حَسَنٌ، وَمَا رَآهُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ سَيِّئًا.. فَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ سَيِّئٌ، وَقَدْ رَأَى الصَّحَابَةُ جَمِيعًا أَنْ يَسْتَخْلِفُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ ).
Translation
✧ Section On the hadiths and verses indicating his succession and the statements of the imams regarding that From Ḥudhayfah ؓ, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Follow the two after me: Abū Bakr and ʿUmar.” And from ʿAbd Allah b. ʿAmr ؓ, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “There will be after me twelve caliphs: Abū Bakr, who will not remain except a little.” And in the two Ṣaḥīḥs in the previous hadith: that when he ﷺ gave a sermon near his death and said: “Indeed a servant was given a choice by Allah...” the hadith, and at its end: “No door shall remain except that it is closed, except the door of Abū Bakr.” And in a wording of both: “No small door shall remain in the mosque except the small door of Abū Bakr.” The scholars said: This is an indication of the caliphate, because he would go out from it to lead the prayer for the Muslims. And the two shaykhs narrated from Jubayr b. Muṭʿim ؓ, he said: A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ and he ordered her to return to him. She said: “What do you think if I come and do not find you?” As if she meant death. He said: “If you do not find me, then go to Abū Bakr.” And al-Ḥākim narrated and authenticated it from Anas ؓ, he said: The Banū al-Muṣṭaliq sent me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask him: To whom should we give our alms after you? So I came to him and asked him, and he said: “To Abū Bakr.” And Muslim narrated from ʿĀʾishah ؓ, she said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me during his illness: “Call for me Abū Bakr and your brother, so that I may write a document. For I fear that someone will wish, and someone will say: ‘I am more entitled,’ but Allah and the believers refuse anyone except Abū Bakr.” And Muslim narrated from ʿĀʾishah ؓ that she was asked: Whom would the Messenger of Allah ﷺ have appointed as successor if he had appointed one? She said: Abū Bakr. Then it was said to her: Then who after Abū Bakr? She said: ʿUmar. It was said to her: Who after ʿUmar? She said: Abū ʿUbaydah b. al-Jarrāḥ. [He was pleased with him for our religion, so will we not be pleased with him for our world?] And the two shaykhs narrated from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī ؓ, he said: The Prophet ﷺ fell ill and his illness became severe, so he said: “Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” ʿĀʾishah said: “O Messenger of Allah, he is a tender-hearted man; when he stands in your place he cannot lead the people in prayer.” He said: “Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” She repeated, and he said: “Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer. You are like the companions of Yūsuf.” So the messenger came to him, and he led the people in prayer during the life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This hadith is mutawātir. And from ʿĀʾishah ؓ: “I disputed with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that, and nothing made me persist in disputing with him except that it did not occur to my heart that the people would ever love a man who stood in his place after him, and that I thought that no one would stand in his place except that the people would regard it as an ill omen. So I wanted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to divert that from Abū Bakr.” And in the hadith of Ibn Zamʿah ؓ: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered them to pray, and Abū Bakr was absent, so ʿUmar stepped forward and prayed. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “No, no, no. Allah and the Muslims refuse anyone except Abū Bakr. Abū Bakr should lead the people in prayer.” And in the hadith of Ibn ʿUmar: ʿUmar said the takbīr, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard his takbīr, so he looked out angrily and said: “Where is Ibn Abī Quḥāfah?!” The scholars said: In this hadith is the clearest indication that al-Ṣiddīq is the most excellent of the Companions absolutely, the most deserving of them of the caliphate, and the most entitled of them to leadership in prayer. Al-Ashʿarī said: “It is known by necessity that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered al-Ṣiddīq to lead the people in prayer in the presence of the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār, along with his statement: ‘The people should be led by the one most versed in the Book of Allah among them.’ This indicates that he was the most versed among them, that is, the most knowledgeable of them in the Qurʾān.” End quote. The Companions themselves used this as evidence that he was most entitled to the caliphate. Among them was ʿUmar. The scholars said: He was known for his competence for leadership in prayer during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. And Aḥmad and Abū Dāwūd and others narrated from Sahl b. Saʿd, he said: There was fighting among the Banū ʿAmr b. ʿAwf, and it reached the Prophet ﷺ. He came to them after noon to reconcile between them and said: “O Bilāl, if the prayer arrives and I have not come, then order Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” When the ʿaṣr prayer arrived, Bilāl called the iqāmah for the prayer, then ordered Abū Bakr, and he led the prayer. And Abū Bakr al-Shāfiʿī in al-Ghaylāniyyāt and Ibn ʿAsākir narrated from Ḥafṣah ؓ: that she said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “When you are ill, do you put Abū Bakr forward?” He said: “I do not put him forward; rather Allah puts him forward.” And from ʿAlī ؓ, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “I asked Allah to put you forward three times, but He refused me except the putting forward of Abū Bakr.” And Ibn Saʿd narrated from al-Ḥasan, he said: Abū Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allah, I keep seeing myself treading in the filth of people?” He said: “You will surely have a way among the people.” He said: “And I saw in my chest what looked like two marks?” He said: “Two years.” And Ibn ʿAsākir narrated from Abū Bakrah, he said: “I came to ʿUmar and before him was a group of people eating. He cast his glance to the rear of the group at a man and said: ‘What do you find in the books you read among you?’ He said: ‘The caliph of the Prophet ﷺ is his ṣiddīq.’” And Ibn ʿAsākir narrated from Muḥammad b. al-Zubayr, he said: “ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz sent me to al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī to ask him about some things. So I came to him and said to him: ‘Cure me regarding what the people have differed about: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appoint Abū Bakr as successor?’ Al-Ḥasan sat up straight and said: ‘Is there any doubt about it, may you have no father?! Yes, by Allah besides whom there is no deity, he did appoint him as successor. He was more knowledgeable of Allah, more God-fearing, and more fearful of Him than to die without appointing him.’” And Ibn ʿAdī narrated from Abū Bakr b. ʿAyyāsh, he said: “Al-Rashīd said to me: ‘O Abū Bakr, how did the people appoint Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq as successor?’ I said: ‘O Commander of the Believers, Allah was silent, His Messenger was silent, and the believers were silent.’ He said: ‘By Allah, you have only increased me in distress!’ I said: ‘O Commander of the Believers, the Prophet ﷺ was ill for eight days. Bilāl entered upon him and said: “O Messenger of Allah, who should lead the people in prayer?” He said: “Order Abū Bakr to lead the people in prayer.” So Abū Bakr led the people in prayer for eight days while revelation was descending. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was silent because of Allah’s silence, and the believers were silent because of the silence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ This pleased him, and he said: ‘May Allah bless you.’” Verses from which the scholars inferred the caliphate of al-Ṣiddīq ؓ A group of scholars inferred the caliphate of al-Ṣiddīq from verses of the Qurʾān. Al-Bayhaqī narrated from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī regarding His saying, Exalted is He: “O you who believe, whoever of you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him” [al-Māʾidah: 54]. He said: “By Allah, it is Abū Bakr and his companions. When the Arabs apostatized, Abū Bakr and his companions fought them until they brought them back to Islam.” And Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated from Juwaybir regarding His saying, Exalted is He: “Say to those left behind of the Bedouins: You will be called to a people of great might” [al-Fatḥ: 16]. He said: “They are the Banū Ḥanīfah.” Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn Qutaybah said: “This verse is a proof for the caliphate of al-Ṣiddīq, because he was the one who called to fighting them.” And Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī said: “I heard Abū al-ʿAbbās b. Surayj say: The caliphate of al-Ṣiddīq is in the Qurʾān in this verse. He said: Because the people of knowledge agreed that there was no fighting after its revelation to which people were called except the call of Abū Bakr to them and to the people to fight the people of apostasy and those who withheld zakāh. He said: This indicates the obligation of the caliphate of Abū Bakr and the duty of obeying him, since Allah informed that whoever turns away from that will be punished with a painful punishment.” Ibn Kathīr said: “Whoever interprets the people as Persia and Byzantium: al-Ṣiddīq is the one who prepared the armies against them, and the completion of their affair was at the hand of ʿUmar and ʿUthmān, and they are two branches of al-Ṣiddīq.” And He, Exalted is He, said: “Allah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth” [al-Nūr: 55] the verse. Ibn Kathīr said: “This verse applies to the caliphate of al-Ṣiddīq.” And Ibn Abī Ḥātim narrated in his Tafsīr from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd al-Mahrī, he said: “The authority of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar is in the Book of Allah. Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘Allah has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors in the earth’ [al-Nūr: 55].” And al-Khaṭīb narrated from Abū Bakr b. ʿAyyāsh, he said: “Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq is the caliph of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Qurʾān, because Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘For the poor emigrants’ until His saying: ‘Those are the truthful’ [al-Ḥashr: 8]. Whoever He called truthful cannot lie. They said: ‘O Caliph of the Messenger of Allah.’” Ibn Kathīr said: “A good inference.” And al-Bayhaqī narrated from al-Zaʿfarānī, he said: “I heard al-Shāfiʿī say: The people unanimously agreed upon the caliphate of Abū Bakr. That is because the people were in dire need after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and they found no one under the surface of the sky better than Abū Bakr, so they entrusted him with their necks.” And Asad al-Sunnah narrated in his Faḍāʾil from Muʿāwiyah b. Qurrah, he said: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not doubt that Abū Bakr was the caliph of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They did not call him anything except the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and they would not agree upon error or misguidance.” And al-Ḥākim narrated and authenticated it from Abū Masʿūd ؓ, he said: “Whatever the Muslims see as good is good with Allah, and whatever the Muslims see as evil is evil with Allah. The Companions all saw fit to appoint Abū Bakr as successor.”
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