In 624 Abu Bakr was involved in the first battle between the
Muslims and the Quraysh of Mecca, known as the Battle of Badr, but did not
fight, instead acting as one of the guards of Muhammad's tent. In 625 he
participated in the Battle of Uhud which ended in a rout by the
majority of the Muslims. Before the battle begun, Abu Bakr's
son Abdu'l-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr, who was still non-Muslim and was fighting
from the side of the Quraysh, came forward and threw down a challenge for a
duel. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge but was stopped by Muhammad. His son
later converted to Islam and gained fame during the Muslim
conquest of Syria as
a fierce warrior. In the second phase of the battle, Khalid ibn al-Walid’s
cavalry attacked the Muslims from behind, changing a Muslim victory to defeat.
Many Muslim warriors fled from the battlefield due to fear or to plunder the
spoils of war so did Abu Bakr, however he was among the first to return
according to few Sunni Hadith. Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Talhah and
a few other Muslims remained guarding Muhammad from the attacks of the Quraysh
soldiers, majority of Shia and many Sunni Hadith agree to this.
Criticisms of his lackluster military achievements in comparison with the
extremely accomplished Ali should be put into context: Abu Bakr was a middle
aged man during these battles, was not a soldier but a merchant by trade, and
had never seen battle before – it may thus be unfair to directly compare him
with Ali in this regard.
However it is related that once Ali asked his associates
as to who they thought was the bravest among men. Everyone replied that Ali was
the bravest of all men. Thereupon Ali said:
No. Abu Bakr is the bravest of men. In the Battle of
Badr we had prepared a pavilion for the prophet, but when we were asked to
offer ourselves for the task of guarding it none came forward except Abu Bakr.
With a drawn sword he took his stand by the side of Prophet of Allah and
guarded him from the infidels by attacking those who dared to proceed in that
direction. He was therefore the bravest of men.
Invasion of Banu Nadir, Invasion of Banu Qurayza,
and Battle
of Khaybar
Later in the year Abu Bakr was a part of campaign against
the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir.
In 627 he participated in the Battle of the Trench and also in
the Invasion of Banu Qurayza. In this battle, Muhammad divided the
ditch into a number of sectors and a contingent was posted to guard each
sector. One of such contingents was under the command of Abu Bakr. The enemy
made frequent assaults in the attempt to cross the ditch. All such assaults
were repulsed. Abu Bakr showed great courage in guarding the belt of the trench
in his sector. To commemorate this event a mosque was later constructed at the
site where Abu Bakr had heroically repulsed the charges of the enemy. The
mosque was later known as 'Masjid-i-Siddiq'.
In 628 he participated in Treaty of
Hudaybiyyah and was made one of the witnesses over the pact.
In 628 he was a part of the Muslim campaign to Khaybar.
Expedition of Amr ibn al-As, Conquest of
Mecca, Battle of Hunayn, Siege of Ta'if, and Battle of Tabouk
In 629 Muhammad sent 'Amr ibn al-'As to
Zaat-ul-Sallasal from where he called for reinforcements and Muhammad
sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah. Commanding an army under him were Abu Bakr
and Umar and they attacked and defeated the enemy.
In 630 when Muslim armies rushed for the Conquest of
Mecca, Abu Bakr was a part of the army. Before the conquest of Mecca his
father Uthman Abu Quhafa converted to Islam.
In 630 he was part of Battle of
Hunayn and Siege of Ta'if. In the Battle of Hunayn as the Muslim army
passed through the valley of Hunayn some eleven miles north east of Mecca a rain of
arrows fell on it let loose by a group of archers of the hostile tribes that
lay hid in the mountain pass. Taken unaware the advance guard of the Muslim
army fled in panic. There was considerable confusion, and the camels, horses
and men ran into one another in the attempt to seek cover. Muhammad stood firm.
There were only nine companions around him including Abu Bakr. All the rest had
fled. Under the instructions of Muhammad, Abbas shouted at the top of his voice
"O Muslims come to the Prophet of Allah". The call was heard by the
Muslim soldiers and they gathered beside Muhammad. When the Muslim had gathered
in sufficient number, Muhammad ordered a charge against the enemy. In the hand
to hand fight that followed the tribes were routed and they fled to Autas.
Muhammad posted a contingent to guard the Hunayn pass and
led the main army to Autas. In the confrontation at Autas the tribes could not
withstand the Muslim onslaught. Finding the resistance useless the tribes broke
the camp and retired to Ta'if.
Abu Bakr was commissioned by Muhammad to lead the attack
against Ta'if. From Autas the Muslim forces set out for Ta'if. The tribes shut
themselves in the fort and refused to come out in the open. The Muslim employed
catapults to throw stones in the town, but this did not lead to any tangible
results. The Muslim tried the testudo device whereunder a group of soldiers
shielded by a cover of cowhide advanced to set fire to the gate. The enemy
threw red hot scraps of iron on the testudo which made it ineffective.
The siege dragged on for two weeks, and still there was no
sign of the fall of the fort. Muhammad held a council of war. Abu Bakr advised
that the siege might be raised and that God would Himself make arrangements for
the fall of the fort. The advice was accepted, and in February 630, the siege
of Ta'if was raised and the Muslim army returned to Mecca . A few days later Malik bin
Auf the commander, came to Mecca and
became a Muslim. Thus the forecast of Abu Bakr came to be fulfilled, and the
God Himself arranged for the surrender of Ta'if.[48]
Expedition of Tabuk
In 630 AD Muhammad decided to lead an expedition
to Tabuk on the Syrian border. In order to finance the
expedition Muhammad invited contributions and donations from his
followers. Uthman provided ten thousand camels. Umar made a
liberal contribution. When Muhammad asked him how much he had left for himself
and his family he said that he has given one half of his wealth for the cause
of God and had left one half for himself and his dependents. Then Abu Bakr came
loaded with his contribution and Muhammad put him the same question as to how
much wealth he had for himself and his family. Abu Bakr said "I have
brought all that I had. I have left Allah and His Prophet for myself and my
family". This episode has formed the theme of one of the poems
of Allama Iqbal. The last verse of this poem reads:
For the moth the lamp, and for the nightingale the flower
For Siddiq God and His Prophet Suffice.
The call to arms was given at a very critical period. The
weather was burning hot. Crops were ripe and ready for harvesting. The journey was
long and arduous. Many persons preferred to stay back. In spite of these
obstacles and difficulties, an army of thirty thousand persons was raised. The
army assembled at Al Jorf outside Medina .
Muhammad remained at Medina for
some time to attend to other affairs, and at Al Jorf Abu Bakr deputized for
Muhammad and led the prayers.
The Muslim army reached Tabuk after a weary march. At Tabuk
the standard of the army was entrusted to Abu Bakr. There were
no Byzantine forces to meet the Muslims. On coming to know of the
advance of the Muslim army the Byzantines had withdrawn their army well
within Syria Arabia were
no longer in the mood to measure swords with the Muslims.[49]
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