(radi Allaahu 'anhu) died; in fact;other than the day of the Prophet's
death the peopleof Madeenah had never witnessed a sadder day, nor a
day upon which they had shed more tears. Upon hearing the sad news,
'Ali ibn Abi-Talib (radi Allaahu 'anhu) hurried towards AbuBakr's
house, all the while saying, "Verily we belong to Allah, and to Him is
our return."
'Ali (radi Allaahu 'anhu) then stood outside the house in which Abu
Bakr (raadi Allaahu 'anhu) had died, and made the following long
speech, which he addressed to Abu Bakr (raadi Allaahu 'anhu) himself:
"O Abu Bakr, may Allah have Mercy upon you. You were the closest
companion and friend of the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam); you were a comfort to him; you were the one he trusted most.
If he had a secret, he would tell it to you; and if he needed to
consult someone regarding a matter, he would consult you. You were the
first of your people to embrace Islam, and you were the most sincere
of them in your faith. Your faith was stronger than any other
person's, as was the degreeto which you feared Allah. And you were
wealthier then anyone else in terms of what you acquired from the
religion of Allah 'Azza Wa-Jall (The Posessor of Might and Majesty).
You cared most for both the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) and Islam. Of all people, you were the best Companion to the
Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam); you possessed the
best qualities; you had the best past; you ranked the highest; and you
were closest to him. And of all people you resembled the Messenger of
Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) the most in terms of his guidance
and demeanor. Your ranking was higher than anyone else's, and the
Prophet (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) honored you and held you in
higher esteem than anyone else. On behalf of the Messenger of Allah
and Islam, may Allah reward you with the best of rewards. When the
people disbelieved in the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) you believed in him. Throughout his life, you were both his
eyes with which he (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and his ears with
which he heard. Allah has named you truthful in his book when He said:
"And he (Muhammad (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who has brought the
truth (this Qur'an and Islamic Monotheism) and (those who) believed
therein (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism), those are
Al-Muttaqun (the pious andrighteous persons)" (Qur'an39:33)
When people were stingy in their support for the Messenger of Allah
(salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) you comforted him.And when people sat
still, you stood side by side withthe Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu
'alayhi wa sallam), facing the same hardships that he faced. In times
of hardship, you were truly a good and noble Companion of his. You
were the 'second of two', his Companion in the Cave; and the one upon
whom As-Sakeenah descended. You were his Companion during the
migration and you were his successor regarding the religion of Allah
and His nation. And truly good sucessor you proved to be when the
people apostatized.
You did what no other Khaleefah of a Prophet did before you. You stood
up firmly and bravely when his other Companions lost their resolve and
became soft. And when they became weak, you adheredto the methodology
of the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). You truly
were as the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:
weak in your body, but strong regarding the commands of Allah; humble
in yourself, but lofty in your ranking with Allah; well-esteemed in
theeyes of people, honored and great in their hearts. Not a single one
of them had any reason to dislike you, to be suspicious of you, or to
hold you in contempt.
The weak and humble you have always treated as strong and honorable,
making sure you gave them what was rightfully theirs. And in this
regard, you have treated relatives and strangers equally. Of all
people, you respect those who are most obedient to Allah and who fear
Him the most. In your overall character, you embody truth and
compassion. Your speech has always been characterized by the qualities
of wisdom and decisiveness. And you have always struck a noble balance
between gentleness and firmness. You have always based your decisions
on knowedge, and once you have made your decisions, you have always
kept a firm resolve to execute them.
Verily to Allah do we belong, and to Him is our return. We are pleased
with, and we submit to, Allah's decree. And by Allah,other than the
death of theMessenger of Allah (salAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) Muslims
have neverbeen afflicted with a greater calamity than the calamity of
your death.