Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr

Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr (died 666[1][2]) was the eldest son of Abu Bakr, the first caliph in Sunni Islam. His mother was Um Ruman bint Amir ibn Uwaymir ibn Zuhal ibn Dahman and he was the full brother of Aisha. He and three other children of Abu Bakr namely Abdullah, Aisha and Asma were born sometime between 595 AD to 609 AD.[3] It is said that he had a good sense of humour.

Unlike the rest of his family, including his father Abu Bakr and sister Aisha, he did not convert to Islam until the Treaty of Hudaybiyah in 628 AD.[4]

Four generations of the family of Abdul-Rahman had the distinction of being the companions (sahaba) of the Prophet Muhammad namely Abdul-Rahman, his father Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, his grandfather Uthman Abu Quhafa and his son Abu Atiq Muhammad. It was believed that no other family held this distinction.[3]

Participation in battles

While still a non-Muslim, Abdul-Rahman fought from the side of Quraish in the Battles of Badr and Uhud.

In the Battle of Badr, he had an opportunity to kill his father, Abu Bakr, but he turned in another direction. Years later, after becoming Muslim, he told his father about it. Thereupon Abu Bakr replied: "If I had had such an opportunity, I would not have spared you."[5]

In the Battle of Uhud before the fighting began, he came forward and threw down a challenge for a duel. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge, but Muhammad stopped him, saying, "Sheathe your sword, and let us continue to profit by your wise counsels."[6]

After becoming a Muslim, Abdul-Rahman participated in all the battles fought by the Muslims and gained fame as a fierce warrior, especially in the Muslim conquest of Syria. He was one of the Mubarizun champions and fought duels in the battles for the Muslim army. The mubarizun unit of the Rashidun army was composed of elite warriors who were champion swordsmen, lancers and archers. In the battlefield his role was to undermine the morale of the enemy before the beginning of the battle by slaying their champions in duels.

In the Battle of Yamama he killed Muhakkam al-Yamama, the General commanding the forces of Musaylima.

In the Battle of Yarmouk, the Commander in chief of Byzantine force chose five selected warriors from Byzantine side, and they challenged the Muslims to duel. It was Abdul-Rahman who accepted the challenge. Scores of duels were fought on the plains of Yarmouk. Abdul-Rahman killed all of them one after the other.[7]

At the Battle of Busra in Syria, he entered the city of Busra through a subterranean passage and then dashing towards the city gates opened them for the main Muslim army to enter.[8]

Caliphate of Muawiya

Abdul-Rahman opposed Muawiya I's appointment of his son Yazid as successor to the caliphate. When Marwan ibn al-Hakam announced this news to the people of Medina, he tried to give it legitimacy by saying that it is the way/custom (Sunnah) of Abu Bakr and Umar. Abdul-Rahman objected to this reasoning, saying it is the customs of the Byzantines and the Persians, not the custom of Abu Bakr not Umar, and that neither Abu Bakr nor Umar had appointed his own progeny as his successor. Marwan tried to capture Abdul-Rahman, but the latter fled to the safety of the house of his sister Aisha. Marwan then tried to malign Abdul-Rahman by quoting Quran 46:17 and falsely claiming that it had been revealed against Abdul-Rahman himself.[9]

He died in 666 AD.[1][2] He was buried in Mecca.[10] Some sourcesclaim that Muawiya ordered Abdul-Rahman to be poisoned for opposing Yazid's succession.

Abdul-Rahman is the ancestor of many Albakri Al-Siddiqi families: the Al Atiqi found in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, and Siddiqui and Quraishi families in South and Central Asia. In the horn of Africa, they are known as the Sheekhaal or Fiqi Umari family in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate By Wilferd Madelung. Page 340.
  2. 1 2 Encyclopaedic ethnography of Middle-East and Central Asia: A-I, Volume 1 edited by R. Khanam. Page 543
  3. 1 2 SIDIQ-I-AKBAR HAZRAT ABU BAKR by PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN Printed and published by A. Salam, Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore OCLC 3478821
  4. ↑ SIDIQ-I-AKBAR HAZRAT ABU BAKR by PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN Printed and Published by A. Salam, Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore OCLC 3478821
  5. ↑ As-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa. Translated by Jarrett, H. S. (1881). The History of the Caliphs, p. 35. Calcutta: Asiatic Society.
  6. ↑ SIDIQ-I-AKBAR HAZRAT ABU BAKR by PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN Printed and Published by A. Salam Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore OCLC 3478821
  7. ↑ HADRAT 'UMAR FAROOQ By PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN Published by ASHFAQ MIRZA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, Islamic Publications Ltd 13-E, Shah Alam Market, Lahore, Pakistan Published by SYED AFZAL-UL-HAQ QUDDUSI, Quddusi Printers, Nasir Park, Bilal Gunj, Lahore, Pakistan
  8. ↑ SIDIQ-I-AKBAR HAZRAT ABU BAKR By PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN OCLC 3478821
  9. ↑ http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=KATHEER&nType=1&nSora=46&nAya=17
  10. ↑ SIDIQ-I-AKBAR HAZRAT ABU BAKR By PROF. MASUD-UL-HASAN Printed and Published by A. Salam, Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore, Pakistan OCLC 3478821
  11. ↑ Wikipaedia SiddiquiSheekhaal
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