Were the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and Abu Bakr best friends?

[aaljibar]

I constantly hear that they were best friends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

Edited July 7, 2019 by aaljibar

[Sirius_Bright]

Q1: Did Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself said that Abu Bakr is my best friend? 

Q2: How can one say that a best friend would never betray his best friend? 

[aaljibar]

1 hour ago, Sirius_Bright said:

Q1: Did Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself said that Abu Bakr is my best friend? 

 

Good evidence for the other sect to provide.

1 hour ago, Sirius_Bright said:

 Q2: How can one say that a best friend would never betray his best friend? 

True, best friends can eventually or suddenly break apart. It happens.
 

[Panzerwaffe]

"Best friend " is a modern concept 

In a intensely tribal society your closest friend was your close male relatives,  common sense really ...

But no doubt they were close friends 

[Guest AbdulRahman]

15 hours ago, aaljibar said:

I constantly hear that they were best friends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

Abu Bakr was a sahabi like hundreds of others (in a sense that he saw him, walked with him, talked to him, learned from him etc) but as for being 'close'. Not so much. These are all Umawi lies they fabricated in order to magnify the status of the 3 "caliphs". There were numerous companions that were truly close to the Prophet (s) like Salman al-Mohammadi (r), Ammar ibn Yasser (r) Miqdaad ibn al-Aswad (r) Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (r) Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman (r), not to mention his household (عليه السلام). 

And instances like the cave are a sign from Allah to us, for this Ayah in the Qur'an attest's to Abu Bakr's hypocrisy; not a sign of closeness. 

[786:)]

19 hours ago, aaljibar said:

I constantly hear that they were best friends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

It is really hard to prove they were not good friends. I know this goes against the narrative most Shias try to present, but even the most neutral 3rd party source will tell you they were good friends.

[Mortadakerim]

Is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) going to question you about Abu Bakr?

[Guest Popcorn]

37 minutes ago, 786:) said:

It is really hard to prove they were not good friends

Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

If I were to choose a bosom friend I would have definitely chosen Abu Bakr as my bosom friend, but he is my brother and my companion and Allah, the Exalted and Gliorious. has taken your brother and companion (meaning Prophet himself) as a friend.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، بْنِ رَجَاءٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي الْهُذَيْلِ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ، اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ "‏ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُتَّخِذًا خَلِيلاً لاَتَّخَذْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَلِيلاً وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخِي وَصَاحِبِي وَقَدِ اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَاحِبَكُمْ خَلِيلاً ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Proved!!!

[eThErEaL]

22 hours ago, aaljibar said:

I constantly hear that they were best frI understand iends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) was among the closest companions of the Prophet (S).  This is almost absurd for one to question or to doubt.  I am shocked of the extent of this collective or societal denial.  

[eThErEaL]

2 hours ago, Mortadakerim said:

Is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) going to question you about Abu Bakr?

Yes He will!

And you know why?  Because every creature of God has a Haqq (a due).  And so one ought to give to each thing its rightful due.  If you had even the slightest excess of an unjust / unfair "opinion" towards some then you will be held accountable for that and you will have to pay for it on the Day of Judgement (ESPECIALLY with regards to an esteemed companion of the Prophet (S)).    

Edited July 8, 2019 by eThErEaL

[3wliya_maryam]

23 hours ago, aaljibar said:

I constantly hear that they were best friends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

Nah Abu Bakr was just his "acquaintance"

[Guest Just Stop Bying]

7 hours ago, Panzerwaffe said:

In a intensely tribal society your closest friend was your close male relatives,  common sense really ...

Even if that person is a Prophet who a) the overwhelming majority of his followers weren't from his tribe or clan, b) preached in his holy book that "the best of you in the sight of Allah are those with the most taqwa", c) said things like "there is no difference between the Arab and the non-Arab", d) and things like "leave tribalism because it is rotten"?  Its only common sense if the Prophet صلى الله عليه سلم's behavior was that of a tribal man.  However, just his association with the Ansar throws a wrench in your assessment of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم

2 hours ago, Mortadakerim said:

Is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) going to question you about Abu Bakr?

الله أعلم, but I think the idea behind this post is, even if Abu Bakr was just a "pretty good" friend to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, then that creates a problem for the Shi'I narrative; a) did Abu Bakr, and others such as Omar, Uthman etc, live their entire lives believing in the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and being from among his closest companions, and then suddenly, decide to disobey him عليه الصلاة والسلام in this issue of Wilayah, or b) did the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم befriend people like Abu Bakr while not knowing that he would later disobey him?

This is why some Shi'as have, unfortunately came up with a 3rd option; the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم was practicing the idea of "keeping my friends close, and my enemies even closer"...

[Muslim2010]

2 hours ago, eThErEaL said:

Yes He will!

And you know why?  Because every creature of God has a Haqq (a due).  And so one ought to give to each thing its rightful due. 

Ali ul Maa ul Haqq wal haqq maa Ali.

Ali is with truth and Truth is with Ali.

This is the hadith of the holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

Edited July 8, 2019 by Muslim2010

[aaljibar]

1 hour ago, 3wliya_maryam said:

Nah Abu Bakr was just his "acquaintance"

Thank you for that info

[aaaz1618]

They say he was a close friend, and I think they were close friends too.

I have one good friend and no other friends, but I see my wife and kids as my best friends. Seeing how much the Prophet loved Khadijah and Fatima, peace be upon him and upon them, it wouldn't be too far fetched to suggest that they were his closest friends. I don't know if a best friend was a term used back then. Having a best friend was a concept probably invented along with tarmac playgrounds and hoola hoops.

[eThErEaL]

4 hours ago, Muslim2010 said:

Ali ul Maa ul Haqq wal haqq maa Ali.

Ali is with truth and Truth is with Ali.

This is the hadith of the holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

All the more reason to take what I have said very seriously.   For the sake of Imam Ali (عليه السلام). 

[Simon the Canaanite]

On 7/9/2019 at 12:23 AM, aaaz1618 said:

They say he was a close friend, and I think they were close friends too.

I have one good friend and no other friends, but I see my wife and kids as my best friends. Seeing how much the Prophet loved Khadijah and Fatima, peace be upon him and upon them, it wouldn't be too far fetched to suggest that they were his closest friends. I don't know if a best friend was a term used back then. Having a best friend was a concept probably invented along with tarmac playgrounds and hoola hoops.

Warm greetings, friend.

I’ve noticed that you’re in the middle of the two sects, and perhaps looking for an answer to some questions.

And guessing by your profile picture, of that person, you think that he’s fair and logical, and to some extent, he is. But sometimes, he jumps over the fence...

For example, there’s a recording of him saying that the traditions of his second caliph threatening with burning the house of the holy family are authentic. He says it’s authentic, and at the same time, sends mercy upon the person that threatened the Holy Prophet’s kinship!

Here’s the video of Ḥāssan Fārḥan al-Mālikī speaking about that. (I don’t know if you understand Arabic or not, so if you don’t, I can subtitle it for you).

I’bn Al-Shīḥnā al-Hānafī says in his book, Rāwḍh ūl-Mānaḍhīr fī I’lmil-A’wāi’l wāl-A’wāḵḫīr, page 101:

“Then, Omar came after that to burn the house of [Lady] Fatima on whomever is inside of it.”

[Abu Nur]

On 7/8/2019 at 7:08 PM, eThErEaL said:

Yes He will!

And you know why?  Because every creature of God has a Haqq (a due).  And so one ought to give to each thing its rightful due.  If you had even the slightest excess of an unjust / unfair "opinion" towards some then you will be held accountable for that and you will have to pay for it on the Day of Judgement (ESPECIALLY with regards to an esteemed companion of the Prophet (S)).    

Yes if it is an unjust or unfair opinion, but for Shi'as we already know the history of how some of these companions behave after Prophet Muhammad (saws) and how the 12 Imams (عليه السلام) have opinion about them and we follow their opinion.

[Abu Nur]

For all of those Shi'as that are interested to know our Imams (عليه السلام) opinion about the two, read the following article:

https://www.iqraonline.net/did-the-Imams-praise-Abu-bakr-and-Umar/

Edited July 11, 2019 by Abu Nur

[Vindemiatrix]

The Holy Prophet knew what would happen to Imam Ali and Imam Hussain. He must've been close to Abu Bakr for a logical reason.... 

[Abu Nur]

13 minutes ago, Ali~J said:

The Holy Prophet knew what would happen to Imam Ali and Imam Hussain. He must've been close to Abu Bakr for a logical reason.... 

According the Sunni narrations, He did not know what the companions will do after him. There is very interesting event happened after Battle of Uhud finished where Abu Bakr ask if they also receive the rewards of those who were martyred in Battle of uhud and thus promised Jannah, where the Prophet did not say yes, rather he said he do not know what you will do after me.

From: Imam Malik's Muwatta
Chapter No. 21, Jihad
Hadith No: 32
Narrated/Authority of

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn Ubaydullah that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said over the martyrs of Uhud, "I testify for them." Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said, "Messenger of Allah! Are we not their brothers? We entered Islam as they entered Islam and we did jihad as they did jihad." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Yes, but I do not know what you will do after me." Abu Bakr wept profusely and said, "Are we really going to out-live you!"

[ali47]

Best friends is probably an exaggeration just like the title Siddiq which was given to him by the Umayyads. This title was given by Allah to 'Ali in the Qu'ran (39:33). I'm sure the Prophet (s) did love Abu Bakr to some extent just as he loved all human beings. I'd imagine their relationship was cordial given his father in law was Abu Bakr. The Prophet (s) loved all human beings and tried to bring the best out of society which was his mission. It's a shame how some chose to act towards 'Ali after his passing and being declared mawla over the people.

Qur'an 3:19

Shakir: Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning.

Oh how history repeats itself!

Edited July 13, 2019 by ali47

[yam_110]

On 7/8/2019 at 3:05 AM, aaljibar said:

I constantly hear that they were best friends for over 50 years.
And further that a best friend would never betray his best friend. First of all... Were they really best friends?

 Brother,

Forget about best friend for a second. As the popular saying goes, a friend in need is a friend indeed. 

Can someone provide any authentic narrations about Abu Bakr helping the Holy Prophet ((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)) while he was in the Shi'b Abu Talib? When the Holy Prophet and his clan (Banu Hashim) were under siege for 3 years, there is no evidence of Abu Bakr's attempt to relieve the distress of the beleaguered clan but there is evidence that several unbelievers brought essential supplies to it. Is that a deed of a friend?

Treatment of Prophet's family post his death by Abu Bakr is another barometer to judge if really was a friend. 

[aaaz1618]

On 7/11/2019 at 10:56 PM, Simon the Canaanite said:

Warm greetings, friend.

I’ve noticed that you’re in the middle of the two sects, and perhaps looking for an answer to some questions.

And guessing by your profile picture, of that person, you think that he’s fair and logical, and to some extent, he is. But sometimes, he jumps over the fence...

For example, there’s a recording of him saying that the traditions of his second caliph threatening with burning the house of the holy family are authentic. He says it’s authentic, and at the same time, sends mercy upon the person that threatened the Holy Prophet’s kinship!

Here’s the video of Ḥāssan Fārḥan al-Mālikī speaking about that. (I don’t know if you understand Arabic or not, so if you don’t, I can subtitle it for you).

I’bn Al-Shīḥnā al-Hānafī says in his book, Rāwḍh ūl-Mānaḍhīr fī I’lmil-A’wāi’l wāl-A’wāḵḫīr, page 101:

“Then, Omar came after that to burn the house of [Lady] Fatima on whomever is inside of it.”

Assalam alaikum, yes if you could give a loose translation of the video that would be great, jazak Allahu kheir, my Arabic understanding is very basic.

However, no, I didn't come here wanting questions answered, I was fairly satisfied I had found them beforehand, I just didn't want to be the type of person to dismiss a group of Muslims without actually bothering to connect with them. The reality is most of the people in my community have mass regurgitated beliefs and they don't bother to challenge those beliefs. 

 

 

[Simon the Canaanite]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:48 PM, aaaz1618 said:

Assalam alaikum, yes if you could give a loose translation of the video that would be great, jazak Allahu kheir, my Arabic understanding is very basic.

However, no, I didn't come here wanting questions answered, I was fairly satisfied I had found them beforehand, I just didn't want to be the type of person to dismiss a group of Muslims without actually bothering to connect with them. The reality is most of the people in my community have mass regurgitated beliefs and they don't bother to challenge those beliefs.

Here’s the loose translation.

 

[aaaz1618]

I appreciate you taking the time to translate this for me. 

I'm not sure why he says what he says, it isn't something I would say but I don't know his reasons.

Of the videos I have seen I took a liking to his position at a time where my iman was quite weak, and watching his videos sparked something that made me feel better in myself. I see how the Saudis have imprisoned him and how they are this so-called 'go to' for Muslims as a people or nation, yet it is their ideology that would have pushed me from Islam, not his, and yet he is the one sentenced to death. 

Thank you again.

[Abu Nur]

16 hours ago, Simon the Canaanite said:

Here’s the loose translation.

 

They truly have no understanding and empathy for Fatima al-Zahra (عليه السلام). Giving as excuse of being in state of weakness and thus doing haram but later sought repentance somehow make it's fine of this person action. What kind of person heart it must be who have been with the Prophet (saws) and have all the advice and blessing from him, come to the point where he could attack the Prophet daughter who is mourning his father departure. May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) separate us from evil and injustice people and never give them any place in Jannah.

[aaaz1618]

Fair point. I suppose we will never get to understand his logic on the matter.

Edited July 17, 2019 by aaaz1618

[Mortadakerim]

Salam,

Is there a ijma in sunnism that this did not happen or am I wrong, because, I never see Shi’a rejecting this and they will tell you it’s also in Sunni narrations?

Edited July 17, 2019 by Mortadakerim

[aaaz1618]

Walaikum salam @Mortadakerim yes the ijma is that it did not happen and that Ali, peace be upon him, accepted Abu Bakr as caliph, albeit not straight away. Sunni literature seems to point out that Ali had some problem with it at first but came around the idea soon after. They completely reject any notion that any attack happened and attribute such scandalous lies to who they call the rafidhi deviants. I imagine they also state such Sunni literature to back this claim is also lies or things wrongly attributed to well respected Sunni scholars.

I came to believe it actually did happen because of Umar's character, which is actually backed up by Sunni literature, that a man that would strut about with a whip and whip people for unislamic reasons, a man who often became angered, would have lost his temper and attacked the house of Fatima, peace be upon her. I also, again through Sunni literature concluded that the appointment of Abu Bakr was at least undemocratic given that they were all deciding things while the Prophet was being buried. It would have been polite to include the Ahlul Bayt at the time in any discussion, since they were his living legacy in a sense.

Edited July 17, 2019 by aaaz1618