Tarikh (al-Tabari) 1850
The caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq ᴿᴬ
فَصْلٌ فِي عِلْمِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ أَعْلَمُ الصَّحَابَةِ، وَأَذْكَاهُمْ قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي «تَهْذِيبِهِ»، وَمِنْ خَطِّهِ نَقَلْتُ: (اسْتَدَلَّ أَصْحَابُنَا عَلَى عِظَمِ عِلْمِهِ بِقَوْلِهِ ؓ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الثَّابِتِ فِي «الصَّحِيحَيْنِ»: «وَاللَّهِ، لَأُقَاتِلَنَّ مَنْ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ الصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ، وَاللَّهِ، لَوْ مَنَعُونِي عِقَالًا كَانُوا يُؤَدُّونَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ... لَقَاتَلْتُهُمْ عَلَى مَنْعِهِ». وَاسْتَدَلَّ الشَّيْخُ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ بِهَذَا وَغَيْرِهِ فِي «طَبَقَاتِهِ»: عَلَى أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ أَعْلَمُ الصَّحَابَةِ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ كُلَّهُمْ وَقَفُوا عَنْ فَهْمِ الْحِكْمَةِ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ إِلَّا هُوَ، ثُمَّ ظَهَرَ لَهُمْ بِمُبَاحَثَتِهِ لَهُمْ أَنَّ قَوْلَهُ هُوَ الصَّوَابُ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِ. وَرَوَيْنَا عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ: مَنْ كَانَ يُفْتِي النَّاسَ فِي زَمَنِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ؟ فَقَالَ: «أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ ؓ مَا أَعْلَمُ غَيْرَهُمَا». وَأَخْرَجَ الشَّيْخَانِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: خَطَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ النَّاسَ وَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ تَعَالَى خَيَّرَ عَبْدًا بَيْنَ الدُّنْيَا وَبَيْنَ مَا عِنْدَهُ، فَاخْتَارَ ذَلِكَ الْعَبْدُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ». فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَقَالَ: بَلْ نَفْدِيكَ بِآبَائِنَا وَأُمَّهَاتِنَا، فَعَجِبْنَا لِبُكَائِهِ أَنْ يُخْبِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ عَبْدٍ خُيِّرَ، فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هُوَ الْمُخَيَّرَ، وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَعْلَمَنَا هَذَا كَلَامُ النَّوَوِيِّ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: (كَانَ الصِّدِّيقُ ؓ أَقْرَأُ الصَّحَابَةِ - أَيْ: أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالْقُرْآنِ - لِأَنَّهُ ﷺ قَدَّمَهُ إِمَامًا لِلصَّلَاةِ بِالصَّحَابَةِ مَعَ قَوْلِهِ: «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ». وَأَخْرَجَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: « لَا يَنْبَغِي لِقَوْمٍ فِيهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنْ يَؤُمَّهُمْ غَيْرُهُ ». وَكَانَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أَعْلَمَهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ، كَمَا رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ الصَّحَابَةُ فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ يَبْرُزُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِنَقْلِ سُنَنٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يَحْفَظُهَا هُوَ، وَيَسْتَحْضِرُهَا عِنْدَ الْحَاجَةِ إِلَيْهَا، لَيْسَتْ عِنْدَهُمْ، وَكَيْفَ لَا يَكُونُ كَذَلِكَ وَقَدْ وَاظَبَ صُحْبَةِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ مِنْ أَوَّلِ الْبِعْثَةِ إِلَى الْوَفَاةِ؟ ! وَهُوَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَذْكَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ وَأَعْقَلِهِمْ. وَإِنَّمَا لَمْ يَرْوِ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ الْمُسْنَدَةِ إِلَّا الْقَلِيلَ، لِقِصَرِ مُدَّتِهِ، وَسُرْعَةِ وَفَاتِهِ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَإِلَّا فَلَوْ طَالَتْ مُدَّتُهُ.. لَكَثُرَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُ جِدًّا، وَلَمْ يَتْرُكِ النَّاقِلُونَ عَنْهُ حَدِيثًا إِلَّا نَقَلُوهُ عَنْهُ، وَلَكِنْ كَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي زَمَانِهِ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ لَا يَحْتَاجُ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنْ يَنْقُلَ عَنْهُ مَا قَدْ شَارَكَهُ هُوَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ ; فَكَانُوا يَنْقُلُونَ عَنْهُ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُمْ. وَأَخْرَجَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْبَغَوِيُّ عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ قَالَ: (كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ إِذَا وَرَدَ عَلَيْهِ الْخَصْمُ.. نَظَرَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ وَجَدَ فِيهِ مَا يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ.. قَضَى بِهِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْكِتَابِ، وَعُلِمَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ذَلِكَ الْأَمْرِ سُنَّةٌ قَضَى بِهَا، فَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ خَرَجَ فَسَأَلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَقَالَ: أَتَانِي كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَهَلْ عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَضَى فِي ذَلِكَ بِقَضَاءٍ؟ فَرُبَّمَا اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ النَّفَرُ كُلُّهُمْ يُذْكَرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهِ قَضَاءٌ، فَيَقُولُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِينَا مَنْ يَحْفَظُ عَنْ نَبِيِّنَا، فَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ أَنْ يَجِدَ فِيهِ سُنَّةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ... جَمَعَ رُءُوسَ النَّاسِ وَخِيَارَهُمْ فَاسْتَشَارَهُمْ، فَإِنْ أَجْمَعَ أَمْرَهُمْ عَلَى رَأْيٍ.. قَضَى بِهِ). وَكَانَ عُمَرُ ؓ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ، فَإِنْ أَعْيَاهُ أَنْ يَجِدَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ.. نَظَرَ هَلْ كَانَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ فِيهِ قَضَاءٌ؟ فَإِنْ وَجَدَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَضَى فِيهِ بِقَضَاءٍ.. قَضَى بِهِ، وَإِلَّا.. دَعَا رُءُوسَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَمْرٍ.. قَضَى بِهِ. أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِأَنْسَابِ الْعَرَبِ وَكَانَ الصِّدِّيقُ ؓ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ بِأَنْسَابِ الْعَرَبِ، لَا سِيَّمَا قُرَيْشٌ. أَخْرَجَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنْ شَيْخٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ قَالَ: (كَانَ جُبَيْرُ بْنُ مُطْعِمٍ مِنْ أَنْسَبِ قُرَيْشٍ لِقُرَيْشٍ وَلِلْعَرَبِ قَاطِبَةً، وَكَانَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّمَا أَخَذْتُ النَّسَبَ مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ مِنْ أَنْسَبِ الْعَرَبِ). وَكَانَ الصِّدِّيقُ مَعَ ذَلِكَ غَايَةً فِي عِلْمِ تَعْبِيرِ الرُّؤْيَا، وَقَدْ كَانَ يُعَبِّرُ الرُّؤْيَا فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. أعلم الناس بتعبير الرؤيا وأفصحهم وأخطبهم وَقَدْ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ - وَهُوَ الْمُقَدَّمُ فِي هَذَا الْعِلْمِ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ -: (كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَعْبَرَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ). أَخْرَجَهُ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ. وَعَنْ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُؤَوِّلَ الرُّؤْيَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ ». قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: غَرِيبٌ. وَكَانَ مِنْ أَفْصَحِ النَّاسِ وَأَخْطَبِهِمْ ; قَالَ الزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ بَكَّارٍ: سَمِعْتُ بَعْضَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُ: (خُطَبَاءُ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ ). (وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ وَأَخْوَفِهِمْ لَهُ). وَمِنَ الدَّالِ عَلَى أَنَّهُ أَعْلَمُ الصَّحَابَةِ: حَدِيثُ صُلْحِ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ، حَيْثُ سَأَلَ عُمَرُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الصُّلْحِ، وَقَالَ: (عَلَامَ نُعْطِي الدَّنِيَّةَ فِي دِينِنَا؟ فَأَجَابَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَسَأَلَهُ عَمَّا سَأَلَ عَنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَجَابَهُ الصِّدِّيقُ بِمِثْلِ مَا أَجَابَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ. أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ. وَكَانَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ أَسَدَّ الصَّحَابَةِ رَأْيًا، وَأَكْمَلِهِمْ عَقْلًا، أَخْرَجَ تَمَّامٌ الرَّازِيُّ فِي «فَوَائِدِهِ» وَابْنُ عَسَاكِرَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِي قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَسْتَشِيرَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ». وَأَخْرَجَ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ وَأَبُو نُعَيْمٍ وَغَيْرُهُمَا عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يُسَرِّحَ مُعَاذًا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ.. اسْتَشَارَ نَاسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فِيهِمْ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرُ، وَعُثْمَانُ، وَعَلِيٌّ، وَطَلْحَةُ، وَالزُّبَيْرُ، وَأُسَيْدُ بْنُ حُضَيْرٍ، فَتَكَلَّمَ الْقَوْمُ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ بِرَأْيِهِ، فَقَالَ: «مَا تَرَى يَا مُعَاذُ؟» فَقُلْتُ: أَرَى مَا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَكْرَهُ فَوْقَ سَمَائِهِ أَنْ يُخَطَّأَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ». . تعبيره للرؤيا فِيمَا وَرَدَ عَنْهُ مِنْ تَعْبِيرِ الرُّؤْيَا عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ قَالَ: رَأَتْ عَائِشَةُ ؓ كَأَنَّهُ وَقَعَ فِي بَيْتِهَا ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْمَارٍ، فَقَصَّتْهَا عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْبَرِ النَّاسِ، فَقَالَ: (إِنْ صَدَقَتْ رُؤْيَاكِ.. لِيُدْفَنَنَّ فِي بَيْتِكِ خَيْرُ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ ثَلَاثًا)، فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ قَالَ: (يَا عَائِشَةُ ; هَذَا خَيْرُ أَقْمَارِكِ). وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُرَحْبِيلَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: « رَأَيْتُنِي أَرْدَفْتُ غَنَمَ سُودٍ، ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَتْهَا غَنَمٌ بِيضٌ حَتَّى مَا تُرَى السُّودُ فِيهَا». فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ; أَمَّا الْغَنَمُ السُّودُ: فَإِنَّهَا الْعَرَبُ يُسْلِمُونَ وَيَكْثُرُونَ، وَالْغَنَمُ الْبِيضُ: الْأَعَاجِمُ يُسْلِمُونَ حَتَّى لَا تَرَى الْعَرَبُ فِيهِمْ مِنْ كَثْرَتِهِمْ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «كَذَلِكَ عَبَرَهَا الْمَلَكُ سَحَرًا». وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ: ( كَانَ أَعْبَرَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَ نَبِيِّهَا: أَبُو بَكْرٍ ). وَعَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ: رَأَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ رُؤْيَا، فَقَصَّهَا عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ: «رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي اسْتَبَقْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتَ دَرَجَةً، فَسَبَقْتُكَ بِمِرْقَاتَيْنِ وَنِصْفٍ»، قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ; يَقْبِضُكَ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ، وَأَعِيشُ بَعْدَكَ سَنَتَيْنِ وَنِصْفًا. وَأَخْرَجَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ فِي «مُصَنَّفِهِ»، عَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ: أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ: رَأَيْتُ فِي النَّوْمِ أَنِّي أَبُولُ دَمًا، قَالَ: (أَنْتَ رَجُلٌ تَأْتِي امْرَأَتَكَ وَهِيَ حَائِضٌ، فَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تَعُدْ). الصِّدِّيقَ ؓ حَافِظٌ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي «تَهْذِيبِهِ»: (الصِّدِّيقُ ؓ أَحَدُ الصَّحَابَةِ الَّذِينَ حَفِظُوا الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ)، وَذَكَرَ هَذَا أَيْضًا جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْهُمُ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ فِي «تَفْسِيرِهِ». وَأَمَّا حَدِيثُ أَنَسٍ: (جَمَعَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْبَعَةٌ).. فَمُرَادُهُ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ، كَمَا أَوْضَحْتُهُ فِي كِتَابِ «الْإِتْقَانِ». وَعَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ: (مَاتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ وَلَمْ يَجْمَعِ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ).. فَهُوَ مَدْفُوعٌ، أَوْ مُأَوَّلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ: جَمَعَهُ فِي الْمُصْحَفِ عَلَى التَّرْتِيبِ الَّذِي صَنَعَهُ عُثْمَانُ ؓ. فَصْلٌ فِيمَا وَرَدَ عَنِ الصِّدِّيقِ مِنْ تَفْسِيرِ الْقُرْآنِ أَخْرَجَ أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ الْبَغَوِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَنْ آيَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ: (أَيُّ أَرْضٍ تَسَعُنِي، وَأَيُّ سَمَاءٍ تُظِلُّنِي إِذَا قُلْتُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ؟ !.) وَأَخْرَجَ أَبُو عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ قَالَ: سُئِلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا فَقَالَ:) أَيُّ سَمَاءٍ تُظِلُّنِي، أَوْ أَيُّ أْرَضٍ تُقِلُّنِي إِنْ قُلْتُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا أَعْلَمُ؟ !). وَأَخْرَجَ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الْكَلَالَةِ؟ فَقَالَ: (إِنِّي سَأَقُولُ فِيهَا بِرَأْيِي، فَإِنْ يَكُنْ صَوَابًا.. فَمِنَ اللَّهِ، وَإِنْ يَكُنْ خَطَأً.. فَمِنِّي وَمِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، أُرَاهُ مَا خَلَا الْوَلَدُ وَالْوَالِدُ)، فَلَمَّا اسْتُخْلِفَ عُمَرُ قَالَ: (إِنِّي لَأَسْتَحِي أَنْ أَرُدَّ شَيْئًا قَالَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ). وَأَخْرَجَ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ فِي «الْحِلْيَةِ» عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ هِلَالٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: (مَا تَقُولُونَ فِي هَاتَيْنِ الْآيَتَيْنِ: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا، الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ قَالُوا: ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا: فَلَمْ يُذْنِبُوا، وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِخَطِيئَةٍ، قَالَ: لَقَدْ حَمَّلْتُمُوهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ الْمَحْمَلِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا: فَلَمْ يَمِيلُوا إِلَى إِلَهٍ غَيْرِهِ، وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِشِرْكٍ). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الْبَجَلِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ [يُونُسَ: 26] قَالَ: (النَّظَرُ إِلَى وَجْهِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى). وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا قَالَ: (قَدْ قَالَهَا النَّاسُ، فَمَنْ مَاتَ عَلَيْهَا.. فَهُوَ مِمَّنِ اسْتَقَامَ).
Translation
✧ A section on his knowledge, and that he was the most knowledgeable of the Companions and the most astute of them Al-Nawawī said in his Tahdhīb, and from his handwriting I copied: (Our colleagues inferred the greatness of his knowledge from his statement, ؓ, in the hadith established in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: “By God, I will surely fight those who separate prayer from zakāh. By God, if they withhold from me a hobbling-cord that they used to pay to the Messenger of God ﷺ... I will fight them for withholding it.” Al-Shaykh Abū Isḥāq inferred from this and other things in his Ṭabaqāt that Abū Bakr was the most knowledgeable of the Companions, because all of them stopped short of understanding the wisdom in the question except him; then it became clear to them through his discussion with them that his statement was correct, so they returned to it. We have narrated from Ibn ʿUmar that he was asked: Who used to give legal opinions to the people in the time of the Messenger of God ﷺ? He said: “Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, ؓ ; I know of no others.” The two Shaykhs narrated from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ addressed the people and said: “God, blessed and exalted, gave a servant a choice between this world and what is with Him, and that servant chose what is with God.” Abū Bakr wept and said: “Rather, may we ransom you with our fathers and mothers.” We wondered at his weeping that the Messenger of God ﷺ should report about a servant given a choice, and the Messenger of God ﷺ was the one given the choice, and Abū Bakr was the most knowledgeable of us. This is the wording of al-Nawawī. Ibn Kathīr said: (Al-Ṣiddīq, ؓ, was the most learned of the Companions in the Qurʾān—that is, the most knowledgeable of them in it—because he ﷺ put him forward as imam for the prayer with the Companions, along with his statement: “The people should be led by the one most learned of them in the Book of God.” Al-Tirmidhī narrated from ʿĀʾishah, ؓ, who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “It is not fitting for a people among whom is Abū Bakr that anyone other than him should lead them.” Along with that, he was the most knowledgeable of them in the Sunnah, as the Companions referred back to him in more than one place where he stood out over them by transmitting Sunnahs from the Prophet ﷺ that he alone had memorized and that he brought to mind when needed, which they did not have. How could it not be so when he had kept constant company with the Messenger ﷺ from the start of the mission until death? And he was in addition one of the most astute of God's servants and the most intelligent of them. Only a small number of musnad hadiths have been narrated from him because his period was short and his death came quickly after the Prophet ﷺ; otherwise, had his period been longer, much would have been narrated from him. The transmitters did not leave any hadith of his without transmitting it from him, but the Companions of his time did not need to transmit from him what they had participated with him in narrating; so they transmitted from him what they did not have. Abū al-Qāsim al-Baghawī narrated from Maymūn b. Mihrān who said: (When a dispute came before Abū Bakr, he looked into the Book of God. If he found in it what to judge between them, he judged by it. If it was not in the Book, and a Sunnah from the Messenger of God ﷺ was known in that matter, he judged by it. If it eluded him, he went out and asked the Muslims: “Such-and-such came to me. Do you know that the Messenger of God ﷺ judged in that matter with a ruling?” Sometimes a group would gather to him, all of them mentioning a ruling from the Messenger of God ﷺ about it, and Abū Bakr would say: “Praise be to God who has placed among us those who preserve from our Prophet.” If it eluded him to find a Sunnah from the Messenger of God ﷺ in it, he gathered the leaders of the people and their best and consulted them. If their view agreed on an opinion, he judged by it.) ʿUmar, ؓ, used to do that. If it eluded him to find something in the Qurʾān and Sunnah, he looked at whether Abū Bakr had a ruling in it. If he found that Abū Bakr had ruled in it, he ruled by it; otherwise, he summoned the leaders of the Muslims, and if they agreed on a matter, he ruled by it. The most knowledgeable of people in the genealogies of the Arabs Al-Ṣiddīq, ؓ, was in addition the most knowledgeable of people in the genealogies of the Arabs, especially Quraysh. Ibn Isḥāq narrated from Yaʿqūb b. ʿUtbah, from a shaykh of the Anṣār, who said: (Jubayr b. Muṭʿim was among the most learned of Quraysh in genealogy for Quraysh and for all the Arabs, and he used to say: I took genealogy only from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, and Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq was among the most learned of the Arabs in genealogy.) Al-Ṣiddīq was in addition the utmost in the knowledge of dream interpretation, and he used to interpret dreams in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. The most knowledgeable of people in dream interpretation and the most eloquent of them and the best orator of them Muḥammad b. Sīrīn—who is foremost in this science by agreement—said: (Abū Bakr was the most skilled interpreter of dreams in this community after the Prophet ﷺ.) Ibn Saʿd narrated it. From Samurah who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “I was commanded to convey the interpretation of the dream to Abū Bakr.” Ibn Kathīr said: Gharīb. He was among the most eloquent of people and the best orator of them. Al-Zubayr b. Bakkār said: I heard some of the people of knowledge say: (The orators among the Companions of the Messenger of God ﷺ: Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, ؓ.) (He was among the most knowledgeable of people about God and the most fearful of them of Him.) Among what proves that he was the most knowledgeable of the Companions is the hadith of the treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyah, when ʿUmar asked the Messenger of God ﷺ about that treaty and said: (On what grounds do we accept humiliation in our religion? The Prophet ﷺ answered him. Then he went to Abū Bakr and asked him what he had asked the Messenger of God ﷺ, and al-Ṣiddīq answered him exactly as the Prophet ﷺ answered, like for like.) Al-Bukhārī and others narrated it. He was in addition the most sound of the Companions in judgment and the most complete of them in intellect. Tammām al-Rāzī in his Fawāʾid and Ibn ʿAsākir narrated from ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ who said: I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ say: “Gabriel came to me and said: God commands you to consult Abū Bakr.” Al-Ṭabarānī, Abū Nuʿaym, and others narrated from Muʿādh b. Jabal: When the Prophet ﷺ wanted to send Muʿādh to Yemen, he consulted a number of his Companions, among them Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī, Ṭalḥah, al-Zubayr, and Usayd b. Ḥuḍayr. Each person spoke his opinion, then he said: “What do you think, O Muʿādh?” I said: I think what Abū Bakr said. The Prophet ﷺ said: “God, above His heaven, dislikes that Abū Bakr should be mistaken.” His interpretation of dreams On what has been narrated from him of dream interpretation From Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab who said: ʿĀʾishah, ؓ, saw as if three moons fell into her house. She told it to Abū Bakr, and he was one of the most skilled interpreters of dreams. He said: (If your dream is true, the best of the people of the earth will be buried in your house three times.) When the Prophet ﷺ died, he said: (O ʿĀʾishah, this is the best of your moons.) From ʿAmr b. Shuraḥbīl who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “I saw myself followed by black sheep, then white sheep followed them until the black ones could not be seen among them.” Abū Bakr said: O Messenger of God, as for the black sheep, they are the Arabs who will submit and become many; and the white sheep are the non-Arabs who will submit until the Arabs cannot be seen among them because of their numbers. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: “Thus the angel interpreted it at dawn.” Ibn Saʿd narrated from Muḥammad b. Sīrīn who said: (The most skilled interpreter of dreams in this community after its Prophet was Abū Bakr.) From Ibn Shihāb who said: The Messenger of God ﷺ saw a dream and told it to Abū Bakr. He said: “I saw as if you and I raced to a stairway, and I beat you by two and a half steps.” He said: O Messenger of God, God will take you to forgiveness and mercy, and I will live after you two and a half years. ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated in his Muṣannaf from Abū Qilābah: A man said to Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq: I saw in sleep that I was urinating blood. He said: (You are a man who goes to his wife while she is menstruating. Seek God's forgiveness and do not do it again.) Al-Ṣiddīq, ؓ, was a memorizer of the Book of God Al-Nawawī said in his Tahdhīb: (Al-Ṣiddīq, ؓ, was one of the Companions who memorized the entire Qurʾān.) A group mentioned this as well, among them Ibn Kathīr in his Tafsīr. As for the hadith of Anas: (Four collected the Qurʾān in the time of the Messenger of God ﷺ)—his meaning is from the Anṣār, as I explained in the book al-Itqān. From al-Shaʿbī who said: (Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq died without having collected the entire Qurʾān.) This is refuted, or interpreted to mean: he collected it in the muṣḥaf according to the arrangement that ʿUthmān, ؓ, made. A section on what has been narrated from al-Ṣiddīq of Qurʾānic interpretation Abū al-Qāsim al-Baghawī narrated from Ibn Abī Mulaykah who said: Abū Bakr was asked about a verse, and he said: (What earth could contain me, and what sky could shade me, if I said about the Book of God what God did not intend?) Abū ʿUbayd narrated from Ibrāhīm al-Taymī who said: Abū Bakr was asked about His statement, exalted: “And fruit and abb” (Q 80:31). He said: (What sky could shade me, or what earth could carry me, if I said about the Book of God what I do not know?) Al-Bayhaqī and others narrated from Abū Bakr that he was asked about al-kalālah, and he said: (I will speak about it from my own opinion. If it is correct, it is from God; if it is wrong, it is from me and from Satan. I think it is what excludes the child and the parent.) When ʿUmar became caliph, he said: (I would be ashamed to reject anything Abū Bakr said.) Abū Nuʿaym narrated in al-Ḥilyah from al-Aswad b. Hilāl who said: Abū Bakr said to his Companions: (What do you say about these two verses: “Those who say: Our Lord is God, then remain upright” (Q 41:30), and “Those who believe and do not mix their faith with wrongdoing” (Q 6:82)? They said: “Then remain upright” means they did not sin, and “do not mix their faith” means with an error. He said: You have loaded them with a load they do not bear. Then he said: “Those who say: Our Lord is God, then remain upright” means they did not incline to any god other than Him, and “they do not mix their faith with wrongdoing” means with polytheism.) Ibn Jarīr narrated from ʿĀmir b. Saʿd al-Bajalī, from Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq regarding His statement, exalted: “For those who do good is the best and more” [Yūnus: 26]. He said: (The looking at the face of God, exalted.) Ibn Jarīr narrated from Abū Bakr regarding His statement, exalted: “Those who say: Our Lord is God, then remain upright” (Q 41:30). He said: (People have said it, and whoever dies upon it is among those who remained upright.)
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.