Lessons from the Lives of Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar [May Allaah be Pleased with them both] [Part 1]

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Shaykh Saaleh bin ‘Abdullah bin Humayd [May Allaah Preserve him]
Royal Advisor to the King and Member of Committee of Senior Scholars
Seerah Khulafaa Sayyid al-Mursaleen Conference
Prince Faisal bin Fahad Masjid, Riyadh
11/11/1433 - 28/9/2012

All Praises are for Allaah and may the Peace and Blessings be Upon the Messenger, His Kulafaa, His Family and all those who follow them until the Last Day.

To proceed:

If one reflects on what we have learned from this conference on the topics related to the history of Islaam, when I sat to research in order to give this lecture, I was amazed. I was amazed by the fact that this religion is preserved and one of the ways it is preserved is by the history this religion has. Allaah has protected and preserved this religion, despite the Companions [May Allaah be Pleased with them all] being overwhelmed with despair and anguish at the death of the Prophet, Aboo Bakr [May Allaah be Pleased with him] took over and in just two years, the things that Aboo Bakr [May Allaah be Pleased with him] completed and then another ten years of ‘Umar [May Allaah be Pleased with him], there were things for us to be amazed by. Therefore, this religion is protected and the lesson we learn from the lives of these two continue in all generations, their mention and stories will remain until the Last Day in order for us to learn and act upon.

So from looking at this subject we can learn that the religion has been preserved and also the history of the Muslims is also something preserved. There’s no other nation that can boast this, Allaah has sent Messengers and has given power to some nations like the Persians and the Romans or the Indians, but nothing is preserved like the history of Islaam. Further to this, within the history of Islaam we have the religion which is presented to us today, so the ‘Aqeedah, the Fiqh, the Hadeeth, the Tafseer and the other sciences of Islaam are all connected to the preserved history that Islaam has, a religion of history which is still alive. History in Islaam is not gone and done, rather the history of Islaam is still alive.

Yes, there are things that have entered into the history of Islaam which are weak and things that seem contradictory, however the core aspects of Islamic history is preserved, with thanks to Allaah.

As I have mentioned above, especially the lives of Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab [May Allaah be Pleased with them], we have lessons which are still applicable today and will continue to be applicable, as the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] said, “Follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs…” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Sunnah, 3991. Al-Albaani said in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood, no. 3851, it is saheeh.]

So the Sunnah of Prophet and the Khulaafa that came after them is still alive and applicable, therefore Islamic history is very much alive. Especially the lives of these two, the events that took part from the verdicts of ‘Aqeedah, the preservation of the Quraan, the battles and some of the Ijthaad that these two derived, is still applicable today and used in our daily Islamic dealings and affairs.

Therefore the history of Islaam and the lives of these two are preserved, everything is documented and the lessons that we can learn from them is still applicable today.

What is further strange is that history is a foundation for our Ummah and it also played a part on the Da’wah of the Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him]. Allaah, the Most High, caused him to live amongst his people for a period of forty years and in this period he didn’t come with anything new, nothing strange, in fact he was affirmed as being a noble and trustworthy man but as soon as he called to Islaam and Prophethood he became an outcast. Allaah, the Most High, say:

Say (O Muhammad): "If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a life time before this. Have you then no sense?" [Yoonus 10:16]

So history is used as an evidence and a proof, before anything was called or acted upon, history was made as something important for us to refer to.

So ponder my brothers, Islaam has a history documented and lessons drawn from and no other nation ever can boast this, the sciences that have come from it fills libraries in which no one man can comprehend all, everything from the advent of Prophethood until now, from A-Z is documented.

Also, if we ponder on some of the Ayaat in the Quraan we can also see the relevance and the importance given to history. For example, Allaah, the Most High, says to the first generation of this Ummah:

“…and will replace you by another people, and you cannot harm Him at all…” [at-Tawbah 9:39]

Therefore, if people are replaced because of their sinning or disobedience, then history has huge part for us to reflect and pay attention to.

Furthermore, Allaah, the Most High, has Promised to preserve the ‘Dhikr’ which refers to this religion.

“Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)” [al-Hijr 15:9]

But the word Dhikr has been used in other contexts in the Quraan;

“And verily, this (the Qur'an) is indeed a Reminder for you (O Muhammad) and your people (Quraish people, or your followers), and you will be questioned (about it).” [az-Zukhruf 43:44]

And,

“Indeed, We have sent down for you (O mankind) a Book, (the Qur'an) in which there is Dhikrukum, (your Reminder or an honour for you i.e. honour for the one who follows the teaching of the Qur'an and acts on its orders). Will you not then understand?” [Anbiyaa’ 21:10]

So Dhikr is protected and because of this the whole religion is protected and from this Dhikr, Islamic history plays a pivotal part in this preservation, until the Last Day. Therefore, reflect. The religion which has its origins in place and a religion whose Dhikr or mention is protected from the very beginning must be the religion of truth. So the truth can be found in the history we have of Islaam, just like the Prophet said, “What me and my Companions are on today.” [Narrated by classed as at-Tirmidhi (2641) and classed Hasan by him; al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak with the Talkhees of adh-Dhahabee (1/128)] Therefore, their characteristics are preserved via history, for us to follow and be guided by.

The topic today is the Seerah or the biography of the Khulafaa ar-Raashideen then we must know that this is also protected and preserved. The books of history, the books of Saheeh Hadeeth, the books of Sunan, the books of Tafseer all mention their lives and the events within them, so it is protected. Their Ijtihaad and the benefit they gave to Muslims are from the most valuable lessons we can learn from them, how they bought betterment for the Muslims, rectified their situations, their approach to politics, economy, infrastructure etc. all has been documented. 

“And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [at-Tawbah 9:100]

We have been given them as a precedence in history so that we follow, as the Aayah says, follow them in the goodness. So if we look at the history of the early generations, they spread Islam and those who followed them in goodness increased the spread of Islaam, so history is preserved for us so that we can follow and attach ourselves to the best of generations, as the Hadeeth said, “The best generation is the one I was sent it.” [Al-Sunnah by al-Khallaal (2/434)]