The History of the Khalifahs who took the right way pdf

The History of the Khalifahs who took the right way

3rd Revised edition a translation of the chapters on al-Khulafa’ ar-Rashidun

from Tarikh al-Khulafa’ of Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti Translated by Abdassamad Clarke

THE HISTORY OF THE KHALIFAHS WHO TOOK THE RIGHT WAY

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq may Allah be pleased with him the Khalifah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. His name was ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafah ‘Uthman ibn ‘Amir ibn ‘Amr ibn Ka‘b ibn Sa‘d ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lwayy ibn Ghalib al-Qurashi at-Taymi, whose genealogy connects to that of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Murrah. An-Nawawi said in his Tahdhib:

 What I have said, that the name of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was ‘Abdullah, is correct and well known. It is said also that his name was ‘Ateeq, but the truth upon which the generality of the men of knowledge agree is that ‘Ateeq (the one set free) was an affectionate nickname and not his own name and he was given that name on account of his having been set free from the Fire as has been narrated in the hadith of at-Tirmidhi;

and it is also said, on account of his face’s “itaqah, that is to say, its goodness and beauty, as Mus‘ab ibn az-Zubayr, al-Layth ibn Sa‘d and a whole group said; and it has also been said that it is because there is nothing in his genealogy to be found fault with.

Mus‘ab ibn az-Zubayr and others said, “The ummah agree unanimously on his being named as-Siddiq because he hastened to affirm the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and adhered steadfastly to truthfulness, and he was not remiss nor did he hesitate in any state or condition.

He made exalted stands in Islam, among which was his story on the Night of the Jsra’, his steadfastness, and his reply to the kuffar about it.

‘There is also his emigration with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leaving his family and children, and his remaining by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Cave and on the rest of the journey (of the Hijrah).

Then there are his words on the Day of Badr, and on the Day of Hudaybiyyah when the matter of delaying entry into Makkah seemed unclear to others. There is his weeping when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah has given a slave the choice between this life and the next (and he has chosen the next).”

Later there is his steadfastness on the day of the death of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his addressing the people and his stilling them.

There is his undertaking the matter of the oath of allegiance for the benefit of the Muslims, and then his diligence in sending the army of Usamah ibn Zaid to Syria and his determination on that. Then there is the stand he took over those who reneged (on their Islam) and his exchange of views with the other Companions until he overcame their arguments with his proofs, and Allah expanded their breasts as He had expanded his breast to the reality and truth, which was to fight the renegades.

Then there is his equipping the armies to go to Syria to conquer it and his support of them. Then he sealed all of that by an important action which was one of his best deeds and most majestic of his virtues — his appointment of ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, as Khalifah of the Muslims,

{and his perceptiveness concerning him, his bequeathing to him, and he’s entrusting the ummah to Allah, so that Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, made him succeed among them as the best Khalifah, and for “Umar, who was one of his good actions, were realized the establishment of Islam, the strengthening of the deen and the fulfillment of the promise of Allah, the Exalted, that He would make it manifest over the deen, all of it.)

How many qualities, stations, and virtues of as-Siddiq there are which just cannot be numbered.

The above is from an-Nawawi.

I say: I want to expand upon the introduction to as-Siddiq somewhat, mentioning about him much that I have discovered of his life, and to arrange that in sections. 

His name and affectionate nickname Ibn Kathir said that all admit that his name was ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman, except for the narration of Ibn Sa‘d on the authority of Ibn Sirin which asserts his name to have been ‘Ateeq whereas the truth is that that was his affectionate nickname.

Then there is some disagreement as to the time of his being so named, and the reason for it; for some say that it was on account of the ‘itagah of his countenance, that is, its beauty — but Abu Nu‘aym al-Fad] ibn Dukayn said that it was on account of his priority in merit ~ and also it is said on account of the nobility of his pedigree, that is its purity, as there is nothing in his lineage that can be accounted a stain; and it is said too he was first so named and afterward called ‘Abdullah.

AtTabarani narrated that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad questioned ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, as to the name of Abu Bakr, and she replied, “Abdullah” Then he said, “The people call him ‘Ateeg.’ She answered, ‘Abu Quhafah had three sons whom he named ‘Ateeq, Mu‘taq, and Mu‘aytaq.’; Ibn Mandah and Ibn ‘Asakir narrated that Musa ibn Talhah said: | said to my father Talhah, “Why was Abu Bakr called “Ateeq?’

He said, ‘His mother had no son surviving and when she gave birth to him, she faced towards the House (the Kaaba) with him and exclaimed, “O Allah if this one is ‘Ateeq (free) from death then give him to me.” At-Tabarani narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said:

He was only called ‘Ateeq because of the beauty of his face.  Ibn ‘Asakir narrated that ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, ‘Abu Bakr’s name which his family called him by was ‘Abdullah, but the name ‘Ateeq became the dominant usage.’ In