Story of Abu Bakr and the Fear of Allah
According to our belief, Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) is the most exalted person after the anhiya (may peace be on all of them). Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) himself conveyed to him the glad news of his being the head of a group of persons in jannah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) once said: “Abu Bakr’s name shall be called out from all the gates of jannah and he will be the first of my followers to enter it.”
With all these virtues and privileges, Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) used to say, “I wish I were a tree that would be cut and done away with.” Sometime he would say, “I wish I were a blade of grass, whose life ended with the grazing by some animal.” He also said: “I wish I were a hear on the body of a mu’min.” Once he went to a garden, where he saw a bird singing. He sighed deeply and said, “O bird! How lucky you are ! You eat, you drink and fly under the shade of the trees, and you fear no reckoning of the akhirah. I wish I were just like you.”
With all these virtues and privileges, Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu) used to say, “I wish I were a tree that would be cut and done away with.” Sometime he would say, “I wish I were a blade of grass, whose life ended with the grazing by some animal.” He also said: “I wish I were a hear on the body of a mu’min.” Once he went to a garden, where he saw a bird singing. He sighed deeply and said, “O bird! How lucky you are ! You eat, you drink and fly under the shade of the trees, and you fear no reckoning of the akhirah. I wish I were just like you.”
Rahi’ah al-Aslami (radiyallah anhu) narrates:
“Once I had some argument with Abu Bakr (radiyallah anhu), during which he said a harsh word that I did not like. He realized it immediately and said to me, ‘Brother, please say that word back to me in retaliation. I refused to do so. He insisted, and even spoke of referring the matter to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), but I did not agree to say that word. He got up and left me. A few people of my clan said, ‘Look! How strange! The person does wrong to you and on top of that he threatens to complain to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).’ I said do you know he is? He is Abu Bakr (radiyallahu anhu). To displease him is to displease Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and to displease Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is to displease Allah ta’ala, and if Allah ta’ala is displeased, then who can save Rabi’ah from ruin? I went to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and narrated the whole story to him. He said, ‘You were quite right in refusing to say that word. But you could have said this much in reply: “O Abu Bakr, May Allah forgive you!”
Note: Look at the fear of Allah in Abu Bakr (radhiyallaho anhu)! He is so anxious to clear his accounts in this world that no sooner has a slightly unpleasant word been addressed by him to a person, than he regrets it and requests him to say that word back to him in retaliation. He is so particular in this that he threatens to have the retaliation done through the intervention of the Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We are in the habit of sayingoffensive words to others, but we fear neither the retaliation
nor the reckoning in the Hereafter.
Note: Look at the fear of Allah in Abu Bakr (radhiyallaho anhu)! He is so anxious to clear his accounts in this world that no sooner has a slightly unpleasant word been addressed by him to a person, than he regrets it and requests him to say that word back to him in retaliation. He is so particular in this that he threatens to have the retaliation done through the intervention of the Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We are in the habit of sayingoffensive words to others, but we fear neither the retaliation
nor the reckoning in the Hereafter.
