History of Khulafah Rashideen by Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti - translated by Abdassamad Clarke

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was the khalifah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. His name was cAbdullah ibn Abi Quhafah cUthman ibn cAmir ibn cAmr ibn Kacb ibn Sacd ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Kacb ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib al-Qurashi at-Taymi, whose genealogy connects to that of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Murrah.

An-Nawawi said in his Tahdhib: What I have said, that the name of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was cAbdullah, is correct and well known.

It is said also that his name was cAteeq, but the truth upon which the generality of the men of knowledge agree is that cAteeq (the one set free) was an affectionate nickname and not his own name and he was given that name on account of his having been set free from the Fire as has been narrated in the hadith of at-Tirmidhi; and it is also said, on account of his face’s citaqah, that is to say its goodness and beauty, as Muscab ibn az-Zubayr, al-Layth ibn Sacd and a whole group said; and it has also been said that it is because there is nothing in his genealogy to be found fault with.

Muscab ibn az-Zubayr and others said, ‘The ummah agree unanimously on his being named as-Siddiq because he hastened to affirm the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and adhered steadfastly to truthfulness, and he was not remiss nor did he hesitate in any state or condition. He made exalted stands in Islam, among which was his story on the Night of the Isra’, his steadfastness and his replying to the kujfar about it.

' I here is also his emigration with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leaving his family and children, and his remaining by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Cave and on the rest of the journey (of the Hijrah).

Ihen there are his words on the Day of Badr, and on the Day of Hudaybiyyah when the matter of delaying entry into Makkah seemed unclear to others. There is his weeping when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah has given a slave the choice between this life and the next (and he has chosen the next).” Later there is his steadfastness on the day of the death of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his addressing the people and his stilling them.

There is his undertaking the matter of the oath of allegiance for the benefit of the Muslims, and then his diligence in sending the army of Usamah ibn Zaid to Syria and his determination on that.

Then there is the stand he took over those who reneged (on their Islam) and his exchange of views with the other Companions until he overcame their arguments with his proofs, and Allah expanded their breasts as He had expanded his breast to the reality and truth, which was to fight the renegades. Then there is his equipping the armies to go to Syria to conquer it and his support of them. Then he sealed all of that by an important action which was one of his best deeds and most majestic of his virtues - his appointment of cUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, as khalifah of the Muslims, (and his perceptiveness concerning him, his bequeathing to him, and his entrusting the ummah to Allah, so that Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, made him succeed among them as the best khalifah, and for cUmar, who was one of his good actions, were realised the establishment of Islam, the strengthening of the deen and the fulfilment of the promise of Allah, the Exalted, that He would make it manifest over the deen, all of it.) How many qualities, stations and virtues of as-Siddiq there are which just cannot be numbered.’ The above is from an-Nawawi.

I say: I want to expand upon the introduction to as-Siddiq somewhat, mentioning about him much that I have discovered of his life, and to arrange that in sections.