is not thereby prevented(1) from experiencing some of the pain of death; nor is a sick person who is told that his medicine will restore him to health thereby prevented from tasting its bitterness. The Prophet therefore stood, striving earnestly in the supplication he had been commanded to make. He himself was the leader of the cause and the pivot upon which the religion turned; it was therefore incumbent upon him to undertake something superior to what(2) anyone else undertook.

Together, that supplication and appeal for aid constituted the greatest means by which victory came. Abū Bakr’s station was secondary to this: his role was to assist and defend the Messenger; to assure him, “We are confident of victory from Allah Most High”; to watch the enemy and see whether they were engaging the Muslims; to monitor the Muslim ranks lest they fall into disorder; and to convey to the Muslims whatever the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—commanded in that situation.

For this reason, Allah Most High says:

“If you do not aid him, Allah has already aided him when the disbelievers drove him out as one of two, when they were in the cave.”

[Surah al-Tawbah: 40]

Allah Most High informs us that if people do not aid him, He has already aided him—when the disbelievers drove him out as one of two, when they were in the cave.

In that situation, the fear was for the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—not for anyone else. This story will be discussed at the end of the book. A commander’s adviser has one role, while the commander(3) has another.

The point here is that Abū Bakr was the bravest of people, and there was no one after the Messenger