What the People Knew of Abū Bakr

A few notes on the story of Abū Bakr. Number one, when he met with Ibn al-Dughunnah, Ibn al-Dughunnah asked him, "How come you are migrating from your land?" Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq said, in one narration, asīḥu fī al-arḍi wa aʿbudu rabbī, urīdu an aʿbuda rabbī: why are you travelling? He said, "I want to travel in the land in order to worship my Lord." So now Abū Bakr is leaving with no purpose but to worship Allah — to go in the land and worship Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā, seeking freedom. What will he do with that freedom? Worship Allah. They would use every resource that they have to please Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā. He wasn't traveling to do business — he was traveling, he said, "I want to worship Allah, that's why I'm leaving."

A second point: what did Ibn al-Dughunnah know about Abū Bakr? What was the reputation that Abū Bakr had among the non-Muslims? Caring for the needy, providing for the poor, sponsoring the orphan, standing up for what is right. That was the reputation of Abū Bakr. He wasn't known for ill manners and corrupt character — he was known for these righteous values, which every person on the face of the earth who has decency would recognise their value. And this should be the personality of the Muslim wherever they are. This is what the people should know of the Muslim — his righteousness, his standing up for what is right, his charitable work — and that is what led Ibn al-Dughunnah to say that he was going to give him protection. He said, "You are an asset for your people, we can't let you leave, we can't allow you to leave Makkah, you are a credit to them, a pride for your people." This should be the reputation of every Muslim — this is what the people should know about us.

Number three: the publicity of daʿwah. Publicly practising the rituals of Islam is daʿwah — for the people to see Ḥajj, for them to see our iftar of Ramaḍān. There is the example of a masjid that used to hold open dinners in Ramaḍān — inviting the neighbourhood to come and break their fast, and some of them would even fast themselves; being non-Muslims, they would fast, and join in. In fact, many people seem to be enthusiastic to participate with Muslims in Ramaḍān. Let them do that, let them go ahead, let them taste the value of ṣiyām, the flavour of it, and invite them to have iftar. Let them see the socialisation that the Muslims have in Ramaḍān — ṣalāh, ṣalāt al-tarāwīḥ. We shouldn't hide in our enclaves, in our masjid, and close it off to the public. This is daʿwah. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq would do it in public, and the people of Quraysh were furious, because they thought that this will attract the people to Islam — seeing Abū Bakr, seeing the khushūʿ that he had, will bring them closer to Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā. So we should publicly do these ʿibādāt, because there is a special flavour in them, and there is a uniqueness in the rituals that Allah Subḥānahu wa Taʿālā has prescribed on us. And that will also relate to number four: we should publicise the message. The enemies of Islam would not mind private prayer — that is a private matter, and no one will interfere with it — but they will be resistant to it being done in public, and that is exactly what should be done, because the aim is to attract the good among all people to become Muslim, and the good heart will be attracted by good things.

And peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad.