their respective disciplines—with the exception of jurists in the matters (1) on which they issue rulings concerning religious law, and hadith scholars in the matters on which they give judgments concerning transmitted reports. They cannot unanimously accept a false report as true or reject a true report as false. Rather, their consensus is protected from error in accepting or rejecting reports from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—just as the consensus of jurists is protected from error (2) in declaring whether an action falls under his commands or prohibitions, or among what he has permitted or forbidden.

Whoever reflects upon this will find that the virtues of Abū Bakr, the Truthful, recorded in the authentic hadith collections are numerous and constitute distinctions unique to him. These include the hadith concerning intimate friendship; the hadith containing the words, “Indeed, Allah is with us”; the hadith stating that he was the man most beloved to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace; the hadith concerning going (3) to him after the Prophet’s death; the hadith concerning writing a document designating him as his successor; and the hadith singling him out for believing the Prophet (4) from the outset and for his companionship, and asking that he be left undisturbed, namely his words:

“Will you not leave my companion alone for my sake?” (5)

They also include the hadith concerning his warding off ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Mu‘ayt from the Prophet when ‘Uqbah put a cloak around his neck, until Abū Bakr freed him, saying:

“Would you kill a man merely because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’?”

They further include the hadith concerning his appointment to lead the prayer and the pilgrimage; his patience and steadfastness after the death of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the community’s submission [to him] (6); the hadith concerning the good deeds he performed in a single day, which, whenever combined in one man, assured him of Paradise; and other such reports.