Faḍl Abī Bakr - Ibn Taimiya - (13/1221)

Faḍl Abī BakrIbn Taimiya

For indeed, Allah—exalted is His praise, blessed are His names—sent Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a mercy to all peoples, to bring them out of darkness into light, and from disbelief and idolatry to faith and monotheism. A group responded to him and believed in him; the light of faith shone in their hearts, the gloom of polytheism was dispelled, and they perceived the truth to which he had summoned them.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, went on nurturing them with the Quran and wisdom and refining them through righteous deeds until this religion became the greatest treasure in their hearts, and the Messenger, peace be upon him, became dearer to them than their fathers, their children, their wealth—even their own selves. They stood by him in his mission and, in Allah’s cause, bore alongside him the utmost hardship any human—other than prophets—could endure for the sake of creed. That godly generation who believed in the Prophet, supported him, and granted him victory are his noble Companions, whom Allah chose and honored with the privilege of accompanying His Prophet and establishing His law.

Their society was of a unique mold, a singular fabric—the best and most virtuous of all communities.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, testified to their excellence when he said, “I was sent from among the best successive generations of the children of Adam, generation after generation, until I came to the generation in which I am.” (1)

He also said, “The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them; then there will come a people among whom a man’s testimony will precede his oath and his oath will precede his testimony.” (2)

The foremost member of this exceptional community—the best of all who followed the prophets—is Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.

Al-Bukhari narrates on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both: “In the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him, we used to single people out for preference, and we preferred Abu Bakr, then ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab, then ʿUthman ibn ʿAffan.” (3)

(1) Al-Bukhari, Al-Sahih, Book of Merits, vol. 3, p. 1305, no. 3364. (2) Al-Bukhari, Al-Sahih, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, vol. 3, p. 1335, no. 3451. (3) Al-Bukhari, Al-Sahih, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, vol. 3, p. 1337, no. 3455.

فإن الله جلَّ ثناؤه وتباركت أسماؤه قد أرسل محمداً ﷺ رحمة للعالمين ليخرجهم من الظلمات إلى النور، ومن الكفر والشرك إلى الإيمان والتوحيد فاستجاب له وآمن به قوم أشرق نور الإيمان في قلوبهم، فانجلت عنها ظلمة الشرك، فأبصروا الحق الذي دعاهم إليه. فما زال النبي ﷺ يغذيهم بالقرآن والحكمة، ويزكيهم بالعمل حتى صار هذا الدين أعظم ما يكون في قلوبهم، وصار الرسول ﷺ أحبّ إليهم من آبائهم وأبنائهم وأموالهم بل وأنفسهم، فناصروه في دعوته وتحملوا معه في سبيل الله أقصى ما يمكن أن يتحمله بشر - غير الأنبياء - من أجل العقيدة، ذلك الجيل الربّاني الذي آمن بالنبي ﷺ وآزره ونصره هم صحابته الكرام الذين اختصهم الله وشرفهم بصحبة نبيه وإقامة شرعه. كان مجتمعهم طرازا فريدا، ونسيجا وحيدا، هو أفضل المجتمعات وخيرها. شهد لهم النبي ﷺ بأنهم خير القرون حيث قال: ((بُعثتُ من خير قُرُون بني آدم، قَرْناً فقرْناً، حتى كنت من القرن الذي كنت فيه)) (١) . وقال ﷺ: ((خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم يجيء قوم تسبِقُ شهادةُ أحدِهِم يمينه، ويَمينُه شَهادتَه)) (٢) . وأفضل هذا المجتمع الفريد، الذين هم أفضل أتباع الأنبياء أبو بكر الصديق ﵁. فقد أخرج البخاري من حديث ابن عمر ﵄ قال: كنّا نُخيِّر بين الناس في زمن النبي ﷺ فنُخَيِّر أبا بكر، ثم عُمرَ بن الخطاب، ثُمّ عُثمان ابن عفَّان ﵃ (٣) .

(١) البخاري: الصحيح، كتاب المناقب ٣/١٣٠٥ رقم ٣٣٦٤. (٢) البخاري: الصحيح، كتاب فضائل الصحابة ٣/١٣٣٥ رقم ٣٤٥١. (٣) البخاري: الصحيح، كتاب فضائل الصحابة ٣/١٣٣٧ رقم ٣٤٥٥.