Al-Bukhari also relates, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbas, that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “If I were to take an intimate friend from among my community, I would have taken Abu Bakr; yet he is my brother and companion.” (4)
Al-Bukhari further reports from Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah who said: “I asked my father, ‘Who are the best of people after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?’ He replied, ‘Abu Bakr.’ I said, ‘Then who?’ He answered, ‘Then ʿUmar.’ Fearing he might say ‘ʿUthman,’ I asked, ‘Then you?’ He said, ‘I am only a man among the Muslims.’” (5)
In this treatise Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah have mercy on him—demonstrated Abu Bakr’s superiority over everyone else, employing a rigorous scholarly style and clear, conclusive proofs.
In editing this treatise I have proceeded as follows:
Chapter One: The Study, which includes:
- The author’s name and lineage.
- His birth, upbringing, and family.
- His qualities, courage, and generosity.
- His devotion, asceticism, and piety.
- His teachers and students.
- His works.
- His death.
- A description of the manuscript copy.
His name and lineage:
He is Shaykh al-Islam, Taqi al-Din Abu al-ʿAbbas Ahmad ibn ʿAbd al-Halim ibn Majd al-Din Abu al-Barakat ʿAbd al-Salam ibn Abi Muhammad ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi al-Qasim al-Khidr ibn Muhammad ibn al-Khidr ibn ʿAli ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Taymiyyah al-Namiri, of Harran. (6)
Thus, he belongs to the Arab Qaysite tribe, specifically the clan of Banu Numayr ibn ʿAmir ibn Saʿsaʿah of Qays ʿAylan ibn Mudar. (7)