قال العلماء: صحِب أبو بكر النبيَّ ﷺ من حين أسلم إلى أن توفّي، لم يتركه في سفرٍ ولا حضرٍ، إلا ما أذِن له فيه ﷺ من الخروج، كالحج والغزوات. وقد شهد معه جميع المشاهد، وهاجر معه تاركًا أهله وأولاده، شوقًا إلى الله ورسوله ﷺ. وكان خليلَه في الغار، قال تعالى: ﴿ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا﴾ [التوبة: ٤٠]. وتعهّد بنصرة رسول الله ﷺ أكثر من مرة، وأبلى البلاء الحسن في الغزوات، وثبت يوم أُحد ويوم حنين حين فرّ الناس جميعًا، كما سنبيّن ذلك في فصل شجاعته.

I he ‘ulama’ say: Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from the moment he accepted Islam until his death, not leaving him in a journey or in residence, except for that which he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, authorised him to go out on, such as the Hajj and fighting expeditions. He was present at all the battles with him, emigrated with him, leaving his family and children, longing for Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was his close companion in the cave. He, exalted is He, said, ‘The second of two when the two of them were in the cave, when he said to his companion, “Do not be sad. Truly Allah is with us.’” (Qur’an 9: 40). He undertook to help the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, more than once. He gave splendid service in the battles, and was firm on the Day of Uhud and the Day of Hunayn when all of the people had fled, as we will show in the section on his bravery.

روى ابنُ عساكر عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: تراءى الملائكةُ يومَ بدر، يقول بعضُهم لبعض: ألا ترون الصديقَ مع رسولِ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ﷺ في العريش؟ وروى أبو يعلى والحاكمُ وأحمدُ عن عليٍّ رضي الله عنه قال: قال لي رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ﷺ وأبا بكر يومَ بدر: «مع أحدِكما جبريلُ، ومع الآخرِ ميكائيل». وروى ابنُ عساكر عن ابنِ سيرين أنّ عبدَ الرحمن بنَ أبي بكر كان يومَ بدر مع المشركين، فلما أسلم قال لأبيه: لقد أشرفتَ لي يومَ بدر (ahdafta)، فانصرفتُ عنك ولم أقتلك. فقال أبو بكر: أما لو أشرفتَ لي لم أنصرف عنك. قال ابنُ قتيبة: معنى «أهدفتَ» أي أشرفتَ، أي ظهرتَ وبرزتَ وقربتَ.

Ibn cAsakir narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The angels made each other to rejoice on the Day of Badr, saying, ‘Do you not see as-Siddiq with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the shelter?’ Abu Yacla, al-Hakim and Ahmad narrated that cAli said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me and Abu Bakr on the Day of Badr, ‘With one of you is Jibril and with the other is Mika’il.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Ibn Sirin said that cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr was, on the Day of Badr, with those who associate partners with Allah. When he (later) accepted Islam he said to his father, ‘You were exposed to me (ahdafta) as a target on the Day of Badr, but I turned away from you and did not kill you.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘However, if you had been exposed to me as a target I would not have turned away from you.’ Ibn Qutaybah said: The meaning of ahdafta is ashrafta — you were high or open, exposed and close.

وهكذا يُقال للبناء الطويل: «هَدَف» (حرفياً: الهدف).

Thus it is said of a tall building, iHadaf{literally - target).’