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The closest Companion of the Prophet and the first caliph; he is known by the epithet al-Siddîq.
His full name was Abû Bakr al-Siddîq 'Abdullâh b. Abî Quhâfa 'Uthmân b. 'Âmir al-Qurashî al-Taymî.
The epithet Siddîq was given him by the Prophet, because he believed without hesitation in reports of the unseen — and in the event of the ascension in particular.
As soon as he heard of the Prophet's mission he went to him and became one of the first Muslims. He was the occasion for the conversion of many notables of Quraysh such as 'Uthmân, Talha, Sa'd and Zubayr. He bought from their masters, at great cost, many Muslim slaves and strangers — men, women, the weak and the helpless — and set them free.
He was the Prophet's companion on the emigration; when the pursuers came to the mouth of the cave of Thawr and Abû Bakr grew afraid, the Prophet consoled him.
After the Prophet's death he brought the Ansâr at the Saqîfa to accept that there must be a single caliph; the Companions, taking account of his closeness to the Prophet, chose him as caliph.
The principal events of his caliphate were: the wars of the ridda (against Tulayha, Musaylima the liar and Sajâh), the campaigns for the conquest of Syria and Iraq, and the collection of the Qur'an into a single codex.
He died on 22 Jumada II 13 (August 634) at the age of sixty-three.
His Poetry and Sufi Line — He is presented as a modest, mild-tempered and just personality. During his caliphate he distributed the revenues of the treasury so equally that there was no need to guard the treasury at all.
His Tomb and Complex — He was buried at Medina beside the grave of the Prophet (the Rawda-i Mutahhara).
Differing Scholarly Views
🔴 THE QUESTION OF THE CALIPHATE. The source records both views: the Shî'a hold that 'Alî should have been caliph; the Sunnîs hold that the Companions' choice was legitimate. The atlas places neither before the other and passes no judgement (rule #9, principles 3 and 5). This dispute is the oldest and most far-reaching in Islamic history; here it is only recorded, not resolved.
Sources
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (DİA) — Mustafa Fayda · vol. 10, pp. 101-108, entry “EBÛ BEKİR”
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