Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (4/158)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

was saying:

“By Allah, a single night(1) of Abū Bakr’s life and a single day are better than Umar and the family of Umar. Would you like me to tell you about his night(2) and his day?”

I replied, “Yes, Commander of the Faithful.”

He said, “As for the night(3), when the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—departed Mecca by night, fleeing the polytheists, Abū Bakr followed him. He began walking sometimes ahead of him, sometimes behind him, sometimes to his right, and sometimes to his left. The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—asked him, ‘What is this, Abū Bakr? I have never known you to act this way.’

He replied, ‘Messenger of Allah, when I think of those lying in wait, I walk ahead of you; when I think of the pursuers, I walk behind you; and at times I walk to your right and at others to your left, for I fear for your safety.’

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—continued walking on the tips of his toes until they were rubbed raw. When Abū Bakr saw that they had become raw(4), he carried him on his shoulder until he brought him to the mouth of the cave, where he set him down. He then said, ‘By Him who sent you with the truth, you must not enter until I have entered. If there is anything inside, let it reach me before it reaches you.’ He saw(5) nothing that aroused his suspicion, so he carried him and brought him inside(6). There was a crevice in the cave inhabited by snakes(7). When Abū Bakr(8) saw it, he plugged it with his heel. They began biting him—or striking at him(9)—and his tears streamed down his cheek from the pain he felt,

(1) N and M read: “a night.” (2) A and B read: “about his day and his night.” (3) A and B read: “As for his night.” (4) A and B read: “When Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—saw that they had become raw.” (5) A and B read: “If there is anything inside, let it fall upon me. He then entered but saw nothing…” (6) W reads: “that aroused his suspicion, so he carried him until he brought him inside…” (7) A and B read: “So he brought him inside. When he entered, al-Siddīq (the Truthful) found the vipers’ stones…” B omits “then” before “found.” (8) A, B, and M read: “When Abū Bakr saw that…” (9) A and B read: “and they would strike him.”

يَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ لَلَيْلَةٌ (١) مِنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَيَوْمٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عُمَرَ وَآلِ عُمَرَ، فَهَلْ لَكَ أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكَ بِلَيْلَتِهِ (٢) وَيَوْمِهِ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. قَالَ: أَمَّا اللَّيْلَةُ (٣) فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - لَمَّا خَرَجَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ هَارِبًا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ خَرَجَ لَيْلًا، فَتَبِعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَجَعَلَ يَمْشِي مَرَّةً أَمَامَهُ، وَمَرَّةً خَلْفَهُ، وَمَرَّةً عَنْ يَمِينِهِ، وَمَرَّةً عَنْ يَسَارِهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " مَا هَذَا يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ؟ مَا أَعْرِفُ هَذَا مِنْ فِعْلِكَ " . فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَذْكُرُ الرَّصْدَ فَأَكُونُ أَمَامَكَ، وَأَذْكُرُ الطَّلَبَ فَأَكُونُ خَلْفَكَ، وَمَرَّةً عَنْ يَمِينِكَ، وَمَرَّةً عَنْ يَسَارِكَ، لَا آمَنُ عَلَيْكَ. فَمَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - عَلَى أَطْرَافِ أَصَابِعِهِ حَتَّى حَفِيَتْ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنَّهَا قَدْ حَفِيَتْ (٤) حَمَلَهُ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ، حَتَّى أَتَى بِهِ فَمَ الْغَارِ، فَأَنْزَلَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَا تَدْخُلُهُ حَتَّى أَدْخُلَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَيَبْدَأُ بِي قَبْلَكَ، فَلَمْ يَرَ (٥) شَيْئًا يَسْتَرِيبُهُ، فَحَمَلَهُ فَأَدْخَلَهُ (٦) ، وَكَانَ فِي الْغَارِ خَرْقٌ فِيهِ حَيَّاتٌ (٧) ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ (٨) أَلْقَمَهُ عَقِبَهُ، فَجَعَلْنَ يَلْسَعْنَهُ أَوْ يَضْرِبْنَهُ (٩) وَجَعَلَتْ دُمُوعُهُ تَتَحَادَرُ عَلَى خَدِّهِ مِنْ أَلَمِ مَا يَجِدُ،

(١) ن، م: لَيْلَةٌ. (٢) أ، ب: بِيَوْمِهِ وَلَيْلَتِهِ. (٣) أ، ب: أَمَّا لَيْلَتُهُ. (٤) أ، ب: أَبُو بَكْرٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - أَنَّهَا حَفِيَتْ. (٥) أ، ب: فِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَبِي فَدَخَلَ فَلَمْ يَرَ. . . (٦) و: يُرِيبُهُ فَحَمَلَهُ حَتَّى أَدْخَلَهُ. . (٧) أ، ب: فَأَدْخَلَهُ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ فَوَجَدَ (ب: وَجَدَ) الصِّدِّيقُ أَحْجَارَ الْأَفَاعِي. . (٨) أ، ب، م: فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ ذَلِكَ. . . (٩) أ، ب: وَيَضْرِبْنَهُ.