THE FIRST CALIPH - ABU BAKR SIDDIQ

The first Caliph, Abu Bakr Siddiq razi Allah anhu is honoured with the title of “Caliph of the Prophet‟ (Khalifa tur-Rasool). He has such elevated rank that he is remembered as the leader of the Mystics, superior among all pious, chief of the people of separation (tajrid3) and isolation (tafrid4). He is the friend of Prophet Mohammad, leader of the truthful and is titled as superior to all humans after the Prophets. No Mystic can reach his status. He is a guiding light for the seekers on the way to Allah. It is must for the seeker of Allah to follow Abu Bakr with sincerity and truthfulness as when Prophet Mohammad announced his Prophethood, Abu Bakr believed in him with absolute faith without asking for any miracle and when the Prophet declared that he was blessed with Miraj, Abu Bakr affirmed him. He is called the leader of the truthful because when Allah mentions the four rewarded groups in the Quran, He names one of the groups as „the truthful‟ (siddiqeen) after his title Siddiq. This group is ranked the second after the Prophets. Allah says in the Quran:

و سیبنلا نم مہیلع ہللا معنا نیذلا عم کئلواف لوسرلا و ہللا عطی نم و

)4: (69 سیحلصلاو:;دہشلاوسیقیدصلا

Meaning: And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) are the people who will be in the company of those (spiritual dignitaries on the Last Day) whom

3 Tajrid (separation) is the spiritual stage where a seeker becomes separated esoterically from each and everything and attains Divine presence. 4 Tafrid (isolation) is the state in which the seeker esoterically becomes alone by negating even his ownself and engrosses totally in Lordship.

Allah has blessed with His (special) favour, the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the most pious. (4:69) Here „the truthful‟ refers to the Mystics. Many other Companions held the status of the truthful, but Abu Bakr is entitled „the leader of the truthful‟ and „the prime truthful‟. Prophet Mohammad said:

ہبلق فیرقوی شی لنک وموصلاوۃوالتلاۃرثکبالوۃولصلا رۃ ثکبرکبابالضفام

◄ Meaning: Excellence of Abu Bakr Siddiq is not because of excessive prayers, recitation or fasting rather it is because of a remarkable thing in his inward (love for the Prophet). This proves that the ardent love for the Prophet is in fact truthfulness, piety and faith. This Hadith also testifies that Abu Bakr is the Imam of all the Divine lovers and his every act verifies that. There is another Hadith:

رکب بیاردص فیہتبصدقالایردص فیا یئ شہللابصام

◄ Meaning: What Allah inculcated in my inward, I inculcated the same in Abu Bakr‟s inward.

Sultan Bahoo mentions in his book Sultan-ul-Waham:

 The disciple should be like Abu Bakr Siddiq who sacrificed his each and every possession for his spiritual guide (Prophet

Mohammad) with sincerity and truthfulness. When such spiritual guide and disciple come together (spiritually as well) then the spiritual level of the disciple is raised day by day and their inward connection is strengthened with every moment. As the Holy Prophet said about Abu Bakr:

عجرلسانلانا یم اعمرکب بیانامیانزوول

◄ Meaning: If the faith of Abu Bakr is compared with the combined faith of all the people then his faith will be greater and superior.

There exist certain spiritual veils that is why the spiritual beneficence gained by Abu Bakr due to his sincerity and veracity could not be acquired by Abu Hurairah and Zayd ibn Harithah. Even though, the Holy Prophet blessed everyone equally. Just like the sun shines equally upon everything, however beneficence is gained according to one‟s capability and capacity.

بدتا ہم بر تقشع شیدراخو پرتو

ندشو ہرگو تا نیست عنو بیک سنگ لیکنو

Explanation: The light of your love enlightened everything, but not all the stones are capable of transforming into pearl.

So, everyone gained beneficence from the Holy Prophet according to his sincerity and inward purity. The spiritual elevation of a seeker requires capability and courage from both sides i.e. from the disciple as well as the spiritual guide.

If any of them is incapable (either disciple is not a true seeker or spiritual guide is imperfect) the gnosis5 of Allah can never be gained properly. (Sultan-ul-Waham) Sultan Bahoo says:  The spiritual guide should be perfect like the Holy Prophet who did not keep his spiritual powers and knowledge with himself (rather blessed his Companions with them also) and the disciple should be like Abu Bakr Siddiq who sacrificed his each and every possession for his spiritual guide with sincerity and truthfulness. (Sultan-ul-Waham) In short, seeker of Allah must be like Abu Bakr in truthfulness.

5 Marifa in Arabic. It refers to the knowledge and recognition of Allah which keeps on increasing as the seeker of Allah progresses towards His closeness. It includes Divine vision, knowledge of His Essence and attributes, acquiring the attributes on annihilating in Him and finally becoming one with the Essence having the ultimate gnosis.