The Beloved Friend Of The Holy Prophet ﷺ

Dear Islamic brothers! In the same way that Sayyiduna Siddiq Al-Akbar رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ loved the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم so deeply, the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم also showed him great love and affection.

On page 610 of volume 8 of ‘Fatawa Razawiyyah’, A’la Hazrat, the Leader of the Ahl-us-Sunnah, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan عَلَیْہِ رَحمَۃُ الرَّحْمٰن has collected those A_adiš in which the Holy

Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم has spoken about the status and rank of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ. Three narrations are presented here:

It is narrated by Hibr-ul-Ummat, Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn-e-‘Abbas رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْھُما, ‘Once the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم and his companions عَلَیْھِمُ الرِّضْوَان went into a pond. The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Everybody swim to his closest friend.’ So they all did and then only the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ were left. Rasulullah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم moved towards Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ embraced him and said, ‘If I were to make anyone my Khalil it would be Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ, however he is my closest friend.’

(Mu’jam Kabir, Vol. 11, p. 208)

Sayyiduna Jabir Ibn-e-‘Abdullah  رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ has narrated, ‘Once we were present in the service of the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم, when he صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Right now, a person is about to appear in front of you who has been made the best and most noble after me and his intercession will be like the intercession of the Prophets عَلَیْھِمْ السَّلَام.’

We were present and then we saw that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ appeared. The Prophet of Allah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم stood up, kissed him and then embraced him.’

(Tarikh-e-Baghdad, Vol. 3, p. 340)

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn-e-‘Abbas رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْھُما narrated, ‘I saw the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم standing with the Leader of the Believers, Sayyiduna Ali کَرَّمَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْھَہُ الْکَرِیْم, when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ arrived. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم greeted him, embraced him and kissed him on the face. Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَرَّمَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْھَہُ الْکَرِیْم said, ‘The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم kissed the face of Abu Bakr?’ The Blessed Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہِ وَسَلَّم replied, ‘O Abul Hasan! (With reference to his eldest prince [son], Sayyiduna Imam Hasan Mujtaba رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ the Kunniyah [patronymic appellation] of the Leader of the Believers, Sayyiduna Ali کَرَّمَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْھَہُ الْکَرِیْم is ‘Abul Hasan’.) The status of Abu Bakr in my court is similar to my status in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’

(Fatawa Razawiyyah, Vol. 8, pp. 610-612)