Allah, exalted is He, says, And he will be averted from it (the Fire)

who has the most fearful obedience, the one who gives his wealth purifying himself (Qur’an 92: 17-21) to the end of the surah.

Ihn al-Jawzi said: They agree unanimously that this was revealed about Abu Bakr.

Ahmad narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘No wealth ever benefited me as did the wealth of Abu Bakr.’ Abu Bakr wept and said, ‘Are I and my wealth for any but you, Messenger of Allah?’ Abu Yacla narrated that cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated the like of it as a marfuc hadith. Ibn Kathir said: And it is narrated in hadith of cAli, Ibn cAbbas, Anas, Jabir ibn cAbdullah and Abu Sacid al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

Al-Khateeb narrated it from Sacid ibn al-Musayyab as a mursal hadith and added, ‘And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and grant peace to him and his family, used to make use of the wealth of Abu Bakr as he did of his own wealth.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated by various routes that cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and cUrwah ibn az-Zubayr said: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, accepted Islam on the day that he did and he had forty thousand dinars (and in a wording - forty t housand dirhams) and he spent them on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Abu Sacid ibn al-Acrabi narrated that Ibn cUmar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: Abu Bakr accepted Islam, may Allah be pleased with him, on the day that he did, and in his house t here were foijty thousand dirhams. Then he emigrated to Madinah and he had nothing but five thousand dirhams. He had spent all of that on freeing slaves and helping the cause of Islam.

Ibn cAsakir narrated that cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that Abu Bakr freed seven (slaves) each one of whom was being tortured for the sake of Allah.

Ibn Shahin narrated in as-Sunnah, al-Baghawi in his tafsir and Ibn cAsakir that Ibn cUmar said: I was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was with him, and he had on a large (coarse goatskin) cloak which he had fastened over his breast with a skewer, and then Jibril, peace be upon him, descended upon him and said, ‘Muhammad, how is it that I see Abu Bakr and he has on a large (coarse goatskin) cloak which he has fastened over his breast with a skewer?’ He said, ‘Jibril, he spent his wealth upon me before the Opening (of Makkah to Islam).’ He said, ‘Allah sends greetings of peace to him and says to say to him, “Are you pleased with Me in this poverty of yours or displeased?” Abu Bakr said, ‘Am I displeased with my Lord? I am pleased with my Lord. I am pleased with my Lord. I am pleased with my Lord.’ It is unusual (ghareeb) and its isnad is very weak. Abu Nucaym narrated the same from Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Mascud and their isnads are also weak. Ibn cAsakir narrated the like of it from a hadith of Ibn cAbbas.

Al-Khateeb narrated with an isnad which is also weak that Ibn cAbbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said, ‘Jibril, peace be upon him, descended upon me and he had on a large piece of coarse cloth fastened on him, so I said to him, “Jibril, what is this?” He said, “Allah, exalted is He, has ordered the angels that they should fasten in the heaven as Abu Bakr fastens on earth.’” Ibn Kathir said: This is very much to be rejected (munkar)A. If it were not that many people hand down this one and the one before it, it would be better to completely avoid them.

Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi narrated that cUmar ibn al-Khattab said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered us to give sadaqah and that agreed with the property that I had so I said, ‘Today I will outdo Abu Bakr if I am ever to outdo him,’ and I brought half of my wealth. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘What have you left for your family?’ I said, ‘I have left the like of it.’ Then Abu bakr came with everything that he had, and he said, ‘Abu Bakr, what have you left for your family?’ He said, ‘I have left for them Allah and His Messenger.’ I said, ‘I will never ever outdo him in anything.’ At-Tirmidhi said, ‘[This hadith\ is hasan sahih! Abu Nucaym narrated in al-Hilyah that al-Hasan al-Basri said that Abu Bakr came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his sadaqah and concealed it. He said, ‘Messenger of Allah, this is my sadaqah, and, Allah can return to me (for more).’ ' I hen cUmar came with his sadaqah openly and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, this is my sadaqah and I can return to Allah (for more).’ ' I he Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The difference between your two sadaqahs is the same as the difference between your words.’ Its isnad is excellent, but it is a rnursal.

At-Tirmidhi narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘We have never been under obligation to anyone but that we have repaid him, except for Abu Bakr, for he has put obligations on us which Allah will repay him for on the Day of Rising. No-one’s wealth has ever benefited me as has Abu Bakr’s wealth.’ Al-Bazzar narrated that Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I came with my father Abu Quhafah to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said, ‘You should have left the shaykh until I could come to him.’ I said, ‘Rather it is more correct that he should come to you.’ He said, ‘We would rather be protective of him for the favours for which we are obliged to his son.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that Ibn cAbbas said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘No-one has shown greater favour to me than Abu Bakr. He shared himself and his wealth with me and he married me his daughter.’