Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic ابو بكر الصديق, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. 573 – August 23, 634) ruled as the first of the Muslim caliphs (632 – 634). Originally called Abd-el-Ka'ba ("servant of the temple"), he received the name Abu Bakr (from the Arabic word bakr, meaning a young camel) due to his interest in raising camels.

Abu Bakr was born at Mecca, a Quraishi of the Banu Taim clan. He gained immense wealth from his own commercial activities, and became highly esteemed as a judge, and as an interpreter of dreams and as a depositary of the traditions of his race. His early accession to Islam as one of the nascent faith's early adult male converts (the first was Ali ibn Abi Talib) was of great importance. On his conversion he assumed the name of Abd-Allah (servant of God). His own thorough belief in Muhammad and in his doctrines earned him the title El Siddiq ("the truthful"), and he had correspondingly great success in gaining converts. In his personal relationship to the prophet he showed the deepest veneration and most unswerving devotion.

When Muhammad fled from Mecca in the hijra of 622, Abu Bakr alone accompanied him and shared both his hardships and his triumphs, remaining constantly with him until the day of his death. During his last illness the prophet designated Abu Bakr to lead prayers in Muhammad's absence: many took this gesture as an indication that Abu Bakr would succeed Muhammad. Thus, upon the death of Muhammad (8 June 632), Abu Bakr became the first caliph, by the acclamation of the people present at the meeting of Saqifah. Initially, 'Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, disputed the succession, asserting his own claim to the title; after a time, he too pledged his allegiance, but the difference of opinion as to his claims gave rise to the controversy which still divides the followers of the prophet into the rival factions of Sunnites and Shiites.

Abu Bakr had scarcely assumed his new position (632), under the title Khalifet-Rasul-Allah ("successor of the prophet of God"), when he had to suppress the revolt of some tribes in Hejaz and Nejd, of which the former rejected Islam and the latter refused to pay tribute. He encountered formidable opposition from different quarters, but in every case he proved successful, the severest struggle taking place with the impostor Mosailima, whom Khalid bin Walid finally defeated at the Battle of Akraba.

Abu Bakr exhibited as much zeal for the spread of the new faith as did its founder. After suppressing the internal disorders and completely subduing Arabia, he directed his generals to foreign conquest. Khalid bin Walid conquered Iraq from Persia in a single campaign, and a successful expedition into Syria also took place.

After the hard-won victory over Mosailima, Umar ibn al-Khattab (the later Caliph Umar), fearing the death of all the memorizers of the Qur'an who have originally listened to it from the prophet, induced Abu Bakr to see to it's preservation in a written form in one volume. The record, when completed, was deposited with Hafsa bint Umar, daughter of Umar, and one of the wives of Muhammad. All Muslims held it in great reverence, though it did not possess canonical authority, and it furnished most of the materials for the preparation of the Qur'an as it now exists. Uthman ibn Affan, when he became a Caliph, used Hafsa's copy when he attempted to develop a definitive text of the Qur'an.

Abu Bakr died on August 23, 634 in Medina. Shortly before his death (which one tradition ascribes to poison, another to natural causes) he indicated that Umar was to be his successor.

Abu Bakr lies buried in the Masjid al Nabawi mosque in Medina, alongside Muhammad and Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Preceded by:
----

Caliph

Succeeded by:
Umar ibn al-Khattab

ar:ابو بكر الصديق de:Abu Bakr he:אבו באכר nl:Aboe Bakr pl:Abu Bakr