13
dabiq
ABŪ BAKR AS-SIDDĪQ’S
MONUMENTAL STANCE
people concerning them. They all counseled
him to accept prayer from them and leave
zakāh up to them. So he said, ‘By Allah, if they
were to withhold a short rope that they used to
give Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), I
would wage jihād against them.’ If not for what
Abū Bakr had done, the people would have
practiced ilhād (heresy) concerning zakāh until
Resurrection Day” [Tārīkh Dimashq].
‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anh) said, “By Allah, a day or
night of Abū Bakr’s (radiyallāhu ‘anh) is better
than ‘Umar and the family of ‘Umar since they
were born ... As for the day then it was the day
that Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
passed away and those who apostatized from
the Arabs apostatized and said, ‘We will pray
but not give zakāh nor collect it. So I came to
him never neglecting to advise him. I said, ‘O
Khalīfah of Rasūlullāh, attract the people and
be soft with them, for it is as if they’ve been
deserted.’ So he said, ‘I had hoped for your
support and you came with your forsaking? Are
you severe in Jāhiliyyah and cowardly in Islam?
With what may I attract them? With contrived
poetry or fabricated sorcery? That can never
be! The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
passed away, the revelation has ceased, and the
religion has been completed. Shall it decrease
while I am still alive! By Allah, I will wage jihād
against them as long as my hand can still hold
the sword, even if they only withhold from me a
short rope!’ So I saw him to be wiser and firmer
than me in this. He disciplined the people over
matters, making their hardships easier for me
to deal with when I was given authority over
them. This was his day” [Musnad al-Fārūq – Ibn
Kathīr; Jāmi’ al-Usūl – Ibnul-Athīr].
Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu ‘anh) said, “When
Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
passed away, Abū Bakr was appointed khalīfah
after him, and the Arabs apostatized, ‘Umar
(radiyallāhu ‘anh) said, ‘How can you fight the
people when Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) has said, ‘I was ordered to fight the
people until they say, ‘There is no god but Allah.’
So whoever says it, then his wealth and blood is
saved from me except by its due right, and their
judgment is for Allah.’’ Abū Bakr said, ‘By Allah,
I will fight those who differentiate between
prayer and zakāh, for zakāh is from the right
due upon wealth. By Allah, if they were to resist
giving me a short rope that they used to give
to Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam), I
would fight them over their resistance to giving
it.’ ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anh) said, ‘By Allah, as
soon as I saw that Allah opened Abū Bakr’s
heart (radiyallāhu ‘anh) towards war, I knew it
to be the truth’” [Al-Bukhārī and Muslim