Fourth: The accounts in the two Sahīh collections of his steadfastness and firm conviction in this situation expose this fabricator’s lie. Both collections relate from Ibn ‘Abbās, on the authority of ‘Umar, who said:
“On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at the polytheists, who numbered a thousand, while his Companions numbered three hundred and seventeen men. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, faced the qiblah, then stretched out his hands and began calling earnestly upon his Lord:
‘O Allah, fulfill what You have promised me. O Allah, if this band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.’
“He continued calling earnestly upon his Lord, with his hands outstretched and facing the qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders. Abū Bakr came to him, picked up his cloak, and placed it over his shoulders. Then he embraced him from behind and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, you have pleaded enough with your Lord; He will surely fulfill what He has promised you.’ Allah, Mighty and Majestic, then revealed:
‘When you sought help from your Lord, He answered you.’” [Surah al-Anfāl: 9], to the end of the verse. He went on to relate the hadith (1).
Fifth: It may be said that everyone acquainted with the Prophet’s biography knows that Abū Bakr possessed greater fortitude than all the other Companions; none of them came close to him in this regard. From the time Allah sent His Messenger until Abū Bakr’s death, he remained a fighter in Allah’s cause—steadfast (2), bold, and courageous. He was never known to shrink in fear from fighting an enemy. Indeed, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, most of the Companions lost heart, and it was he who strengthened their resolve. Anas even said:
“Abū Bakr addressed us when we were like foxes, and he kept encouraging us until we became like lions.”
It is also reported that ‘Umar said, “O successor to the Messenger of Allah, win the people over.” Abū Bakr then took him by the beard