Chapter 1: Part 1 - The Day the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Left and Abu Bakr Al-Ṣiddīq رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ !
The city that had once echoed with the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم footsteps suddenly fell into an unbearable silence. Shock surged like lightning through every home. Some wept openly. Others stood frozen, unable to speak. Many simply could not accept what they had heard.
THE BRIEF HISTORY OF ISLAM!
Danish Shafiq
5/17/202611 min read
It was a quiet Monday morning in Medina, the year 632 CE. The air felt unusually heavy, and an eerie stillness blanketed the city. People went about their chores slowly, exchanging worried glances and hushed whispers. Everyone knew the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (Peace be upon Him) had been unwell for some days, and anxiety gripped the hearts of all those who loved him dearly.
Inside the modest room of Aishah رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم (Peace be upon Him) rested his blessed head upon her lap. The greatest man ever to walk the earth owned No Palace, No Throne, No Crown. The leader who had transformed Arabia and changed the course of human history departed this world in a humble room beside the mosque he had built with his own hands. His final moments reflected the very message he had lived: complete submission to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى alone.
Then, in complete serenity, his blessed Soul returned to its Creator.
Within the small room of Aishah رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, silence overcame every heart. She remained beside the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, overwhelmed by a grief no words could carry. Soon, the members of his blessed household devoted themselves to the most sacred duty they would ever perform. Among them were Ali ibn Abi Talib رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ—the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم cousin, son-in-law, and one of the earliest believers—along with Al-Abbas رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, his sons, Usamah ibn Zayd رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, and a small number of the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم closest family and companions entrusted with preparing the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم for his final resting place.
With the utmost reverence, they carefully washed his blessed body, shrouded him, and prepared him for burial. Every movement was filled with love. Every tear reflected a devotion that words could never fully describe. Throughout Madinah, hearts were shattered by grief, yet each Companion strove to fulfill the responsibility that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had placed upon him during one of the most delicate moments in Islamic history.
Outside that humble home, however, another reality was beginning to unfold.
The news spread quietly through the streets of Madinah:
"The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم has returned to his Creator."
For a brief moment, it seemed as though time itself had stopped.
The city that had once echoed with the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم footsteps suddenly fell into an unbearable silence. Shock surged like lightning through every home. Some wept openly. Others stood frozen, unable to speak. Many simply could not accept what they had heard.
Among them was Umar ibn al-Khattab رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. The fearless warrior whose strength had shaken the enemies of Islam now found his own heart shattered by love. Drawing his sword, he cried out in anguish:
"The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم has not died! He has gone to meet his Lord as Musa عليه السلام went to meet his Lord, and he will return. Whoever says that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has died, I will strike him with this sword."
No one challenged him. Not because they believed his words, but because grief had overwhelmed reason itself. The Companions stood in stunned silence, each struggling to comprehend a reality that seemed impossible to accept.
At that very moment, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ was returning to Madinah from his residence, on the outskirts of the city. As news reached him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had returned to his Lord, he hastened immediately to the Prophet's Mosque. While confusion spread among the people and emotions overcame even the strongest hearts, Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ remained composed, seeking first to see his beloved friend with his own eyes.
Narrated Aishah رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا:
Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ came riding his horse from his dwelling place in As-Sunh. He got down from it, entered the Mosque and did not speak with anybody till he came to me and went directly to the Prophet ﷺ, who was covered with a marked blanket. Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ approached the blessed body of the Messenger ﷺ, uncovered his noble face, kissed his forehead, and said through his tears, "My father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! Allah will not combine two deaths upon you. You have died the death which was decreed for you."
Then, overwhelmed with love and reverence, he kissed him once more and whispered: "You were beautiful in life, and you are beautiful in death."
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1241, 1242. In-book reference: Book 23, Hadith 5. USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 2, Book 23, Hadith 333)
He then covered him once more. There was no denial. No panic. No search for worldly answers. Only complete certainty in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
Stepping into the mosque, Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ addressed the grieving companions with words that would forever become one of the greatest reminders of Tawḥīd:
"Whoever worshipped Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, then Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has passed away. But whoever worships Allah, then indeed Allah is Ever-Living and never dies."
He then recited the words of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى:
"Muhammad is no more than a Messenger. Messengers have passed away before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? Whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah in the least. And Allah will reward those who are grateful."
Qur'an – Surah Āl 'Imrān (3), Verse 144
Arabic:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ ۚ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
As the verse echoed through the mosque, Umar's رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ sword slowly slipped from his hand. He later said that it was as though he had never heard that verse before. His legs could no longer carry him, and he fell to the ground as the reality finally settled upon every heart.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had indeed returned to his Lord. But the Lord of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Lord of Abu Bakr. The Lord of Ali. The Lord of Umar. The Lord of every believer...
Allah—the Ever-Living—would never die.
His simple words fell upon the crowd, quieting their grief, reminding them of the truth they had known but momentarily forgotten. The words of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه settled over Madinah like a calm after a violent storm. Hearts were still shattered, tears continued to flow, and Umar رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ slowly lowered his sword, his anger turning to tears as reality sank in.
While the family of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and those entrusted with his final preparation remained occupied with the sacred responsibility of preparing his body for burial, another gathering had already begun elsewhere in Madinah.
The Ansār had assembled at the Saqīfah of Banū Sāʿidah.
They were not gathering to reject Islam or to abandon the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. They were facing a question that had never before confronted the Muslim community:
Who would carry the political leadership of the Ummah after the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم?
Among them was Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah رضي الله عنه, one of the prominent leaders of the Ansār. The Ansār discussed the matter among themselves, and some proposed that there should be a leader from among them.
The news of this gathering eventually reached the Muhājirūn.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, and Abu ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ رضي الله عنه then made their way toward the Saqīfah.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had only just passed away. Madinah was still overwhelmed by grief. The Prophet's family were preparing for his burial, while the political future of the Ummah was suddenly being discussed in another part of the city.
When Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and his companions arrived, the discussion was already underway.
The Ansār spoke of their sacrifices. They had sheltered the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم when he was driven from Makkah. They had opened their homes to the Muhājirūn. They had defended Madinah and stood beside the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم through some of the most dangerous years of Islam.
Their claim was therefore not born from insignificance.
They were the Ansār — the Helpers.
But the Muhājirūn also carried a unique history. They had believed in the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم from the earliest days, endured persecution in Makkah, abandoned their homes and wealth for Allah, and accompanied the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the Hijrah.
The discussion was therefore serious. It was not a pre-arranged ceremony. It was an urgent political consultation taking place while the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه وسلم) body had not yet been buried and while the future of the Muslim community was uncertain.
The Ansār proposed that there should be a leader from them and a leader from Quraysh. At this moment, Umar رضي الله عنه was prepared to speak. He later recalled that he had already prepared words in his mind and wished to present them before the gathering.
But Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه asked him to wait.
Umar رضي الله عنه later explained that he had feared that Abu Bakr might not speak as effectively as he could. Still, when Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه began speaking, he found that Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه had expressed everything necessary — and expressed it even better.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه acknowledged the extraordinary virtues of the Ansār. He did not deny their sacrifice or their position in Islam. But he argued that the political leadership of the wider Arab community should remain with Quraysh. At the same time, the Ansār would continue to hold their honoured position as the Helpers of Islam.
He then proposed two men for leadership:
Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه
and
Abu ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ رضي الله عنه.
But Umar رضي الله عنه rejected the suggestion. He did not believe that anyone should be placed above Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. He turned toward him and affirmed his virtue, his closeness to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and his standing among the Muslims.
Then Umar رضي الله عنه reached for Abu Bakr's hand.
And there, at the Saqīfah of Banū Sāʿidah, Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه gave his pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.
Others present followed. The first allegiance had been given. But this was not yet the end of the matter.
The wider Muslim community had not all gathered at the Saqīfah. The Prophet's family and many other Companions were still occupied with the events surrounding his death and burial. The community therefore still needed a public confirmation of the new leadership.
The following day, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه stood before the people of Madinah. Umar رضي الله عنه urged him to ascend the minbar. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه did so. And there, in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, the broader Muslim community gave him the public pledge of allegiance.
This distinction is important.
The Caliphate of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was not established by one isolated speech in one gathering.
It emerged through a rapidly unfolding process in the extraordinary hours following the death of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم: discussion at the Saqīfah, the pledge of those present there, and then the wider public Bayʿah in Madinah.
The Ummah had lost its Prophet. But it could not afford to lose its unity.
And so, amid grief, uncertainty, disagreement, consultation, and immense pressure, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه emerged as the first Caliph of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The man who had entered the mosque only hours earlier to remind the believers that Allah never dies was now carrying the responsibility of leading the community left behind by His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The greatest transition in the history of the Muslim Ummah had begun.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه did not seek leadership, nor did he celebrate it. He understood that the Khilafah was not an honor to be desired, but a trust for which he would one day answer before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ was the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم closest friend. The first adult man to embrace Islam. The companion of the Cave during the Hijrah. The one who spent his wealth freeing oppressed believers. The one entrusted to lead the prayers in the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم final days, and the man whose unwavering faith, humility, and complete reliance upon Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى earned him a place unlike any other among the Companions.
For more than twenty-three years, Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ walked beside the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم through hardship and victory alike. His unwavering faith, profound humility, and complete trust in Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى made him not only the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم closest companion but one of the greatest servants of Islam in all of history.
When Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ was chosen as Khalifa through consultation among the leading Companions, Ali رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ did not immediately give the public pledge of allegiance.
The Six Months — A Grievance, Not a Rebellion
There is another part of this period that must be approached with honesty and delicacy, as mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari 4240 and 4241. (sunnah..com)
The question of the Prophet's صلى الله عليه وسلم property also became a source of serious disagreement between Fatimah رضي الله عنها and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. According to the authentic narration preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari, Fatimah رضي الله عنها sought her share of what she regarded as her inheritance from the property left by the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, including Fadak and certain other properties.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه did not grant the request. His reasoning was based upon a statement he attributed directly to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم: that the Prophets are not inherited from and that what they leave is to be treated as charity. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه therefore insisted that he would administer those properties according to the same principles by which the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had administered them during his lifetime.
The disagreement was painful.
The narration records that Fatimah رضي الله عنها became upset with Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and remained distant from him until her death, approximately six months after the passing of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.
This is not a detail that should be hidden from the reader. Nor should it be turned into a weapon against either of them.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was acting according to what he believed to be the instruction of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Fatimah رضي الله عنها, the beloved daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, was asserting what she understood to be her right. The disagreement was therefore real, and the emotional consequences were real.
During those same six months, Ali رضي الله عنه had not yet given his Bayʿah to Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.
Yet even here, the authentic narration gives us something profoundly important.
When Ali رضي الله عنه eventually sought reconciliation, he did not describe Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه as an illegitimate ruler, nor did he accuse him of jealousy or hatred toward the Prophet's ﷺ family.
Rather, Ali رضي الله عنه acknowledged Abu Bakr's رضي الله عنه superiority and the favour Allah had bestowed upon him. He explained that the grievance was that the family of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had not been consulted in the question of leadership, and that they had believed they possessed a legitimate consideration in the matter because of their close relationship to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was moved to tears.
He explained that maintaining good relations with the relatives of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was dearer to him than maintaining relations with his own relatives. Regarding the disputed property, he again affirmed that he would not abandon the practice he had learned from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Ali رضي الله عنه then promised to give his allegiance that same day.
After the prayer, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه publicly explained what had occurred. Ali رضي الله عنه then stood before the people, praised Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه's position, sought Allah's forgiveness, and clarified that his earlier hesitation had not been motivated by jealousy or resentment toward the favour Allah had given Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.
He explained that they had believed they too possessed a claim to consultation in the matter of leadership and that the absence of consultation had caused them pain.
The reconciliation brought relief to the people of Madinah. The Muslims became pleased, and relations between Ali رضي الله عنه and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه were restored. This episode therefore deserves to be remembered neither as proof that the Companions were enemies nor as something that should be erased from history.
It was a genuine disagreement between people who loved the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, experienced grief differently, understood a difficult question differently, and nevertheless remained part of the same Ummah.
And perhaps this is one of the most important lessons of the earliest Caliphate:
A disagreement does not always mean hatred.
Sometimes sincere people can differ profoundly, experience pain, and yet eventually return to one another through honesty, humility, and the desire to preserve the unity of the believers.
These events remind us that disagreement did not erase mutual respect. The greatest Companions of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم were those human beings who experienced sorrow, disagreement, and immense pressure. Yet, they refused to allow those moments to destroy the brotherhood that Allah سبحانہ و تعالیٰ had established between them. They understood that preserving the Ummah was greater than preserving their own opinions.
But this pledge of allegiance did not bring immediate peace.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had returned to his Lord. Revelation had come to an end. Across Arabia, uncertainty began to spread. Tribes watched Madinah carefully. Some questioned whether their allegiance had ended with the passing of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Others hesitated, while ambitious men saw an opportunity to claim leadership for themselves.
The Ummah stood at one of the most fragile moments in its history.
It was now Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ who carried a trust heavier than any crown a king had ever worn. Before him stood a community grieving its beloved Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Around him stood tribes whose loyalty had not yet been fully tested. Beyond Arabia waited the greatest empires on earth, watching closely to see whether this new nation would survive—or collapse before it had truly begun.
The storms had already begun to gather.
But Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ did not place his trust in numbers, wealth, or worldly power. He grasped the Rope of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى with unwavering certainty. His heart remained firm when others trembled, and his conviction did not waver when uncertainty surrounded him. The same faith that had carried him beside the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم through every trial would now carry an entire Ummah through one of the darkest chapters of its history.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had completed his mission.
Now the responsibility of preserving that mission rested upon the shoulders of those he had nurtured.
The first and greatest of them was Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ.
His story was only just a beginning.
(End of Chapter 1 - Part 1)
Go to Chapter 1: Part 2 - Abu Bakr Al-Ṣiddīq رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ - The Man Who Held the Ummah Together!