I he two Shaykhs narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘Whoever spends two of a pair of anything in the way of Allah will be called from one of the doors of the Garden, “Slave of Allah, this is good.” Whoever was one of the people of prayer will be called from the door of prayer, whoever was one of the people of jihad will be called from the door of jihad, whoever was one of the people of sadaqah will be called from the door of sadaqah, and whoever was one of the people of fasting will be called from the door of fasting.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘There will not be any need left with one who is called from these doors. Will anyone be called from them all, Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Yes, and I hope that you are one of them, Abu Bakr.’ Abu Dawud narrated and al-Hakim, and he declared it sahih, that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘As for you, Abu Bakr, you will be the first of my ummah to enter the Garden.’ The two Shaykhs narrated that Abu Sacid, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Truly, one of the most generous people to me, with his company and his property, is Abu Bakr, and if I were to take an intimate friend apart from my Lord I would have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate friend, but there is the brotherhood of Islam.’ This hadith has been narrated by transmissions from Ibn cAbbas, Ibn az-Zubayr, Ibn Mascud, Jundub ibn cAbdullah, al-Bara’, Kacb ibn Malik, Jabir ibn cAbdullah, Anas, Abu’l- Waqid al-Laythi, Abu’l-Macalli, cA’ishah, Abu Hurayrah, and Ibn cUmar, may Allah be pleased with all of them, and their paths of transmission have been enumerated in ahadith which are mutawatir (narrated by a number of Companions to large numbers of others).

Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu’d-Darda’ said: I was sitting with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when Abu Bakr came up and greeted and said, ‘There was something between me and cUmar ibn al-Khattab, and I was hasty with him, then later I regretted and I asked him to forgive me, but he refused, so I have come to you.’ He said, ‘May Allah forgive you, Abu Bakr,’ three times. Later, cUmar relented and went to the house of Abu Bakr but did not find him. He came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The face of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, became flushed until Abu Bakr grew afraid and fell down on his knees saying, ‘Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I was more in the wrong than him,’ twice. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Truly, Allah sent me to you and you said, “You lie,” and Abu Bakr said, “You have told the truth,” and he shared himself and his wealth with me. Will you leave me my companion?’ saying this last twice. He was not caused any hurt alter that. Ibn cAdi narrated that Ibn cUmar, may Allah be pleased wit li him, related the like of it, in which he said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Do not cause me hurt in my companion, for Allah sent me with guidance and the life-transaction of the Truth. You said, “You lie!” and Abu Hakr said, “You have told the truth.” If it was not that Allah named him a “companion” I would have taken him as an intimate friend, liut there is the brotherhood of Islam.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated that al-Miqdam said that: cAqil ibn Abi Talib and Abu Bakr insulted each other. Abu Bakr was a genealogist, except that he refrained because of his (cAqil’s) kinship to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and turned away from him. He complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood among the people and said, ‘Will you not leave me my companion? What is your business compared to his business? For, by Allah, there is not one man of you but that upon the door of his house there is a darkness, except for the door of Abu Bakr, for upon his door there is light, hy Allah, you said, “You lie!” and Abu Bakr said, “You have told the truth!” and you withheld your wealth and he was liberal to me with his wealth, and you abandoned me and he shared with me and followed me.’ Al-Bukhari narrated that Ibn cUmar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Whoever trails his robe haughtily, Allah will not look upon him on the Day of Rising.’ So Abu Bakr said, ‘One of the two sides of my robe hangs loosely unless I repeatedly correct that.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘You don’t do it out of haughtiness.’ Muslim narrated that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless and grant him and his family peace, said, ‘Who of you has started today fasting?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I did.’ Then he said, ‘Who of you has followed a funeral cortege?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I have.’ He said, ‘Who of you has fed a bereft person today?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I have.’ He said, ‘Who of you has visited a sick person today?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I have.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘They are not gathered together in a man but that he will enter the Garden.’ This hadith has been transmitted in narrations of Anas ibn Malik and cAbd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr. In the hadith of Anas, which al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Asl, at the end of it there is, ‘The Garden has become obligatory for you.’ In the hadith of cAbd ar-Rahman, which al-Bazzar narrated, its wording is: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed the dawn prayer, then turned his face to his companions and said, ‘Who of you has started today fasting?’ So cUmar said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I did not decide to fast yesterday, so I have not begun today fasting.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘But I did decide to fast yesterday so I have begun today fasting.’ He said, ‘Has anyone of you today visited a sick person?’ So cUmar said, ‘Messenger of Allah, we haven’t left (the mosque after the dawn prayer) yet. How could we have visited a sick person?’ Abu Bakr said, ‘It reached me that my brother cAbd ar-Rahman ibn cAwf is complaining (of an illness) so I made my way to him to see how he is this morning.’ He said, ‘Has anyone of you fed a bereft person today?’ cUmar said, ‘Messenger of Allah, we haven’t left yet.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘I entered the mosque and there was a beggar, then I found a piece of barley bread in cAbd ar-Rahman’s (his son’s) hand, so I took it and gave it to him.’ Then he said, ‘You! So rejoice in the Garden.’ Then he said a word which pleased cUmar, and he (cUmar) claimed that he had never meant to do a good action but that Abu Bakr had preceded him to it.

Abu Yacla narrated that Ibn Mascud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I was in the mosque praying and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered, with him Abu hukr and cUmar. He found me making supplication and said, ‘Ask iiiul you will be given it.’ Then he said, ‘Whoever loves to recite the Qur’an freshly, then let him recite with the recitation of Ibn Umm ' AIkI (an affectionate name for Ibn Mascud).’ I returned to my house and Abu Bakr came to me to give me the good news (of what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said). Then 'Umar came and found Abu Bakr coming out having beaten him to it, so he said, ‘Truly, you always outdo with good.’ Ahmad narrated with a good isnad that Rabicah al-Aslami, may Allah be pleased with him, said: There were some words between me a nil Abu Bakr, and he said to me something I disliked, and then he regretted it and said to me, ‘Rabicah repeat the like of it back to me so that it can be retaliation.’ I said, ‘I will not do it.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘You must say it or I will appeal to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for help against you.’ I said, ‘I am not going to do it.’ So Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, went off to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I went off following him. Some people from Aslam came and said to me, ‘May Allah show mercy to Abu Bakr. For what reason is he appealing to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for help against you and he was the one who said to you what he said?’ So I said, ‘Do you grasp who this is? This is Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. This is the “second of the two” (Qur’an 9: 40), and this is the white-haired one of the Muslims. Beware that he should turn and see you supporting me against him and so become angry, then come to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who will become angry because of his anger, and then Allah will become angry, because of their anger and Rabicah will be destroyed.’ They said, ‘What do you tell us to do?’ He said, ‘Go back.’ Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, went and I alone followed him, until he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him the story just as it was. He raised his head to me and said, ‘Rabicah, what is it with you and as-Siddiq?’ So I said, ‘Messenger of Allah such and such happened, and he said to me a word which I disliked, and then he said to me, “Say as I said so that it will be retaliation,” and I refused.’ Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘Right! Do not repeat it back to him, but rather say, “May Allah forgive you, Abu Bakr.’” So I said to him, ‘May Allah forgive you, Abu Bakr.’ (Al-Hasan said:

So Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, turned away and he was weeping).

At-Tirmidhi narrated, and he declared it hasan, that Ibn cUmar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Bakr, ‘You are my companion at the haivd (Pool) and my companion in the cave.’ Its isnad is good.

cAbdullah ibn Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Ibn cAbbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Abu Bakr was my companion and my solace in the cave.’ Al-Bayhaqi narrated that Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘There are in the Garden birds the likes of Bactrian camels.’ Abu Bakr, ‘Truly, they must be blessed, Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘More blessed than them is whoever eats them, and you are one of those who will eat them.’ This hadith has been narrated in a transmission of Anas.

Abu Yacla narrated that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘I was made to ascend to heaven. I did not pass by a heaven but I found in it my name, “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq is his successor.’” Its isnad is weak but it has been narrated also in hadith of Ibn cAbbas, Ibn cUmar, Anas, Abu Sacid, and Abu’d-Darda’, may Allah be pleased with all of them, with weak isnads, yet which support and strengthen each other.

Ihn Abi Hatim and Abu Nucaym narrated that Sacid ibn Jubayr,7

may Allah be pleased with him, said: I recited in the presence of I lie Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘0 you self made tranquil!' (Qur’an 89: 28-30) and Abu Bakr said, ‘Messenger ill Allah, this is beautiful.’ So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Certainly the angel will say II to you at the time of death.’ Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that cAmir ibn cAbdullah ibn az-Zubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When, ‘And if we had decreed for them, “Killyourselves!’” (Qur’an 4: 66) to the end of the ayah was revealed, Abu Bakr said, ‘Messenger of Allah, if you had ordered me to kill myself I would have done it.’ He said, ‘You have told the truth.’ Abu’l-Qasim al-Baghawi narrated: Dawud ibn cUmar narrated to us: cAbdu’l-Jabbar ibn al-Ward narrated that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions entered a pool and he said, ‘Let every man swim to his companion.’ He said: So every man swam until I here only remained the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, swam to Abu Bakr until he embraced him, and said, ‘If I were to take an intimate friend until I meet Allah I would have taken Abu Bakr as an intimate friend, but he is my companion.’ Wakic concurred with him from ' Abdu’l-Jabbar ibn al-Ward. Ibn cAsakir recorded it. cAbdu’l-Jabbar is trustworthy and his shaykh, Ibn Abi Mulaykah is an imam, apart from the fact that it is a mursal except that it is very unusual (ghareeb). I say: at-Tabarani narrated it in al-Kabir, Ibn Shahin in as-Sunnah in another way connected back through Ibn cAbbas.

Ibn Abi’d-Dunya narrated in Makarim al-Akhlaq and Ibn cAsakir by way of Sadaqah ibn Maimun al-Qurashi that Sulayman ibn Yasar said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The qualities of good are three hundred and sixty qualities. Whenever Allah wishes good for a slave He puts in him one of those qualities by which he enters the Garden.’ Abu Bakr said, ‘Messenger of Allah, is there in me anything of them?’ He said, ‘Yes, a summing of them all.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated by another route from Sadaqah al-Qurashi related from a man that he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘The qualities of good are three hundred and sixty.’ So Abu Bakr said, ‘Messenger of Allah, do I have anything of them?’ He said, ‘All of them are in you, so therefore joy to you, Abu Bakr.’ Ibn cAsakir narrated by way of Mujammac ibn Yacqub al-Ansari from his father that he said: The circle of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was numerous and tightly gathered together until it became like walls. Abu Bakr’s seat would be empty, and none of the people would aspire to it. When Abu Bakr came he would sit in that spot, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would turn his face to him, and direct his discourse to him, and people would listen.

Ibn cAsakir narrated that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Love of Abu Bakr and gratitude to him are a duty on everyone of my ummah! He narrated the like of it in a hadith of Sahl ibn Sacd.

He narrated that cA’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, in a hadith which is marfuc, said: All people will be taken to account except for Abu Bakr.