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The Stand of the Sahabah (raa) by Abu Bakr ibn al-ArabiThe following is an extract from Al-Awasim min Al-Qawasim byAbu Bakr ibn al-Arabi(d.543AH/1143CE)

Muslims, as an integral part of Islam, must completely submit to Allahs(swt) laws. Allah(swt) says in theQuran:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith, until they make you rule in all disputes between them, andfind within themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission (An-Nisa 4:65)

Allah(swt) revealed to Muhammad(saaw) a complete system of life to organize humanity encoded in theShariah, and the Sahabah(raa) sacri- ficed their lives and wealth in perpetuating and sustaining theapplication of the Shariah in an effort towards achieving the supremacy of Islam, as Allah(swt) commandedin the Quran. In spite of their unparalleled contribution to Islam, many Western writers and philosophers,and even some Muslims, have victimized the names and reputation of the Sahabah(raa) and targeted themas subjects of blatant and unjustified mockery.Many Quranic Ayat and Ahadith of the Prophet(saaw) praisethe Sahabah(raa) and definitively establish as part of the Islamic faith their noble reputation as the highestattainment of piety and righteousness that all future generations should aspire to as examples. Forexample, Allah(swt) says in the Quran:

Indeed, Allah was pleased with the Believers when they gave their Bayaa to you (O Muhammad) underthe tree. He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) uponthem, and He rewarded them with a near victory, and abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah isEver All-Mighty, All Wise. (Al-Fath 48:18)

In another place Allah(swt) says: And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Medinah) and hadadopted the Faith, love those who emigrated to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that whichthey have been given (from the booty of BaniAn-Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference overthemselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness,such are they who will be the successful (Al-Hashr 59-9)

Furthermore, in a Hadith narrated by Abu Saeed al-Khudri, the Prophet(saaw) said: Dont insult myCompanions. I swear by Allah, if one of you gave gold equivalent to the size of the mountain of Uhud incharity, it would not even reach to half the stature (value) of a Sahabi. Anas bin Malik heard theProphet(saaw) saying, Allah has chosen me as a Prophet and has chosen my companions. He has madethem my in-laws, I married from their daughters and my daughters are married amongst them. Near theend of the world, there wil l be people who will not respect my Sahabah(raa). I, Muhammad(saaw) order you(Muslims) not to give your daughters in marriage to them and dont get married with their daughters. Also,do not pray with them and dont pray for them, because the curse of Allah is upon them.The abovementioned Ayat and Ahadith clearly prohibit the Muslims from indulging in accusation, slandering ordefaming of any of the Sahabah(raa). The Sahabah(raa) served as the beacon that would convey Islamdirectly from the Prophet(saaw) to the people of the world. Because the Quran and the Sunnah weretransmitted from the Sahabah (raa), any doubt cast upon these persons would entail a doubt in thecredibility of the sources of Islam altogether.It was reprted that Abu Zara, said: if you see a man defamingone of the Companions, say to him (to his face) that you are a Zindeeq (one who is out the circle oflslam).After the death of the Prophet(saaw) the Sahabah(raa) were instrumental in maintaining theintegrity of the model state that the Prophet(saaw) estab- lished that would initiate the momentum for the

expansion of Islam to the far reaches of the world and would provide a historical guide for the todaysgenerations in their efforts to reestablish the State.The Muslims felt that Muhammads(saaw) mission hadended when Allah (swt) revealed the Ayah: ... This day I (Allah) have perfected your Deen for you,completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion... (Al Maidah 5:3)

Yet the momentum that the Sahabah(raa) provided was etched in the minds of Muslims existing at the timeas well as future generations that the Message of Islam would never be extinguished, but would continue tospread uninterruptedly until Islam reached its objective as stated by Allah(swt): He it is Who has sent HisMessenger with guidance and the deen of truth to make it superior over all other deens, even though theMushriks hate it. (Al-Tauba 9:33)

Before his death, the Prophet(saaw) fell ill and was constrained to his bed. During this time, Abbas(raa),one of the uncles of the Prophet (saaw) and Ali lbnTalib(raa) came to visit the Prophet. Abbas(raa), feelingthat Muhammad(saaw) was about to die, suggested to Ali, Let us ask Muhammad about that matter

(choosing a successor who would lead the Muslims). Ali refused, saying, By Allah, if we ask him aboutthis subject and he tells us no, then the people will never give us the leadership.Ali understood that the

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choosing of the next Khalif (the successor to the Prophet in matters of ruling) lay exclusively in the hands ofAllah. This understanding was based on the incident when the tribe of Bani Amir attached a condition toproviding the Nussrah (physical protection) to the Prophet(saaw) that the leadership should transfer to theirtribe after the Prophets(saaw) death. The Prophet(saaw) rejected this proposition on the grounds th atAllah(swt) dictates the decision of succession. Without the clear understanding of the Shariah and the firminsistence upon adherence to the Quran and the Sunnah demonstrated by Ali, the Muslims could havefumbled on such a decisive issue as electing the next Khalif, thereby setting the spark that would ignite aprecipitous decline of the application of the Shariah. When the Prophet(saaw) died, the emotions of theMuslims flared to such astounding levels that, in the absence of the political sharpness and clearunderstanding of Islam perpetuated by the Sahabah(saaw), the solidarity of the Ummah would havefractured from the emotional turmoil sparked by the death of the Prophet(saaw). The emotional upheavalreached such limits that even some of the Sahabah(raa) temporarily were overwhelmed, and Umar(raa)said: Any one who says that Muhammad(saaw) had died, I am going to cut his arms and legs. He(saaw) isnot dead, he(saaw) is visiting Allah, just like Moses did for 40 days." With this blind emotional mentality thattran spired following the death of the Prophet(saaw) the Muslims hovered on the edge of losing focus oftheir agenda and straying from their objectives.Abu Bakr(raa) manifested a sharp and decisiveunderstanding that the Prophet(saaw) nurtured and cultivated that saved the Muslims from the tumult thatoverwhelmed them when he climbed the pulpit of the Masjid and said to the people:If you worshippedMuhammad(saaw), he is dead. If you wor ship Allah, He will never die, reciting the Ayah:Muhamm ad is nomore than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is

killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelieves)? And he who turns back on his heels, not theleast harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful. (Al-lmran 3:144)

The Sahabah(raa), as human beings, could have easily succumbed to their emotions or realignedthemselves with their previous affiliations, but because of the training they received from theProphet(saaw), the Islamic concepts settled firmly in their hearts and minds. Many opportunities presentedthemselves for the Sahabah(raa) to yield to their instincts and act on impulse. In Sakifa Bani Saida, whereAbu Bakr(raa) joined the Ansars (helpers) in choosing the next leader, and Habbab bin Mundhir(raa)suggested that we must have one leader from amongst us (Ansars) and one from among you (theMuhajirs), Umar(raa) quickly rejected this offer based on his understanding of many Ahadith where theProphet(saaw) said their can only exist one Khalifah.Every action that the Sahabah(raa) undertook andevery issue they sought to resolve was derived from the Shariah. Hence, when the Prophet(saaw) died,they could have easily shunned all other considerations in respect for the Prophets(saaw) body andprepare his body for burial, but they unanimqusly understood from the actions of the Prophet(saaw) that the

criticality of choosing the next Khalif to assume the post of states man on behalf of the Ummah supersededeven the burying of the Prophets(saaw) body. Any group or party, under the turmoil and uncertainty thatproceeded the Prophets(saaw) death, could have abandoned their priorities and haphazardly adopted anysolution to alleviate the tension, but their firm conviction and adherence to the Shariah, with the realizationthat Allah(swt) had predetermined their objectives and preset their priorities as transcending place orcircumstance, helped maintain the integrity of the Ummah and safeguarded the Muslims from deviatingaway from their objectives.Nowhere in the history of Islam did political acuteness, clarity in fore sight, andfirmness in conviction converge than during the Khilafah of Abu Bakr(raa). Immediately after theProphets(saaw) death, a rebellion took place where almost all of Arabia, with the exception of Medinah,Mecca, and Bahrain, refused to pay the Zakat and seceded from the State. The various tribes justified theirrebellion on many grounds, first and foremost the material benefit that arose from neglecting the financialsacrifices the Zakat entailed. The rebellious tribes also justified their refusal based on an Ayah of theQuran that states:

Take Sadaqa (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invo ke Allah forthem. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allah is All Hearer, All Knower (AtTauba 9:103)

To conform to their justification, they misinterpreted the ayah to indicate that paying the Zaka requires theprayer of Muhammad(saaw) and his death eliminates any possibility of Muhammad(saaw) offering hisprayers and legitimizing the Zakat. Some of the Sahabah(raa) in Medinah, started requesting Abu Bakr(raa) to allot time for the tribes to strengthen their Iman. In spite of such suggestions, Abu Bakr(raa)remained adamant in his adherence to the Shariah and manifested the keen understanding of Islam andsharp decisiveness to the level that, when Umar(raa) quoted a Hadith of the Prophet(saaw), stating Youhave no right to fight the people, if they say Laillah, ill-Iallah, Muhammad dur Rasool Allah, their necks aresaved, as long as they do what is commanded by it, which is to accept Islam as a whole, Abu Bakr(raa)responded, Is it not mandatory for the people who declare the Shahada to have to pay Zakat (to practice

Islam as a whole)? Ill fight these rebellious tribes, even if I have to fight them alone. Abu Bakr(raa) calledthese tribes Murtads (one who rejects Islam after accepting it) and declared war on them.Some of the

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Murtads went even further and took this opportunity to eliminate the newly formed Islamic State bypreparing to attack it. Despite this threat, Abu Bakr(raa) dispatched the Army of Usama(raa) thatMuhammad(saaw) prepared before his death to fight the Romans who were attacking the borders of theIslamic State. Many people in Medinah inquired why Abu Bakr(raa), in the midst of the immediate threat ofthe States internal security, would send the armies to deal with a foreign issue weeks away. Umar(raa)himself said, The Romans are at least a month away, in distance. They did not pose any immediatedanger to the people of Medinah. The danger is here in Medinah, so we should keep the army here to fightthe Murtads. Abu Bakr(raa), understanding that the Muhammad(saaw) designated the army of Usama(raa)for a special function and that Jihad must continue in spite of the severity of the States internal tension,grabbed Umar by his beard and said: Oh Umar, what has happened to you? Do you not want me to dosomething which the Prophet(saaw) ordered to do? By Allah, even if the lions dragged me by my feet, Illnot stop the army of Usama. Another narration mentions that he said: Even if I see the lions dragging theProphets wives, Ill not stop the army of Usama, which was ordered by Muhammad(saaw).Umar(raa) wasconvinced by Abu Bakr(raa) and finally said to him, let us go and fight. When Umar(raa) came out of themeeting with Abu Bakr(raa), people once again asked him to go back and talk to Abu Bakr(raa) one moretime. Umar told the people, I already got in trouble twice, I dont want to get in trouble a third time withAbdullah bin Abi Kahafah (Abu Bakr). In his short office as Khalifah, Abu Bakr(raa) successfully stampedthe Murtad rebellion and reunified the Arabian Peninsula and eliminated the Roman influence in present-day Jordan. Immediately he initiated six armies to Bilad as-Sham and the Persian Empire, all of whom werevictorious in their conquests. By the year 15 A.H., two years after Abu Bakr s death, the Islamic State had

covered the entire Middle East, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and some parts of Iran. Abu Bakr(raa)manifested the sharpness in political maneuvering and administration, the firm conviction, and the clearunderstanding that the Prophet(saaw) cultivated among the Sahabah(raa).Many future Khalifs andprominent scholars and thinkers also demonstrated the same qualities that the Sahabah(raa) left behind asa legacy that would serve as a supreme example for future generations that no Muslim undertaking thetask of revival can undermine.