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Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
NameMuhammad ibn Abi Bakr
Other NamesAbu al-Qasim
Personal Details
Birth Place{{{birth_place}}}
Brith Date10 AH (631 CE)
Death Place{{{death_place}}}
Death Date38 AH (658 CE)
ReligionIslam

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was the son of the First Caliph, but he was counted among the famous and special companions of His Eminence the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). He was born in the tenth year of Hijra, during the time of the Prophet's Farewell Pilgrimage. After the death of Abu Bakr, Muhammad's mother, Asma bint Umays, married the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him); therefore, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was raised in the house of His Eminence the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). Asma bint Umays was initially the wife of Ja'far al-Tayyar (Ja'far al-Tayyar), who after the martyrdom of Ja'far in the Battle of Mu'tah, entered into marriage with Abu Bakr.

Muhammad was with His Eminence during the Battle of the Camel, but after this war, the Commander of the Faithful dismissed the then governor of Egypt, Qays ibn Sa'd ibn Ubada al-Khazraji, and replaced him with Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. During his administration in Egypt, he faced issues and phenomena that necessitated asking his Master for jurisprudential and religious instructions, and these questions from His Eminence the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) caused one of the most famous sources of human rights available to us today to be in our hands.

Father and Paternal Lineage

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr's father was the famous personality of the early Islam, namely Abdullah ibn Abi Quhafa ibn Amr al-Taymi, known as Abu Bakr.

Mother

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr's mother was a noble and chaste lady named Asma bint Umays. She was among the famous, brave, and loyal women of the early Islam who married Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) in the city of Mecca, and with the advent of the Prophetic Mission (peace be upon him and his progeny), she became along with her husband among the forerunners of the Muslims and believers in the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny).

Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), along with Zayd ibn Harithah and Abdullah ibn Rawahah, were sent by the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny) at the head of an army to fight the Romans, and after confronting them in the land of Levant, all three, along with a large number of Muslims, were martyred in that war known as the Battle of Mu'tah. After the martyrdom of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), known as Ja'far al-Tayyar, Asma entered into the contract of Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa and after a while, gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr[1]. Although she was the wife of the First Caliph, she always sided with the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and supported them; she was the confidante of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) and was present at her ritual washing and shrouding. After the death of Abu Bakr (13th year of Hijra (634 CE)), she entered into the contract of the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) and brought her young child (Muhammad) to the house of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and raised him in the educational school of His Eminence.

Notes

  1. ↑ Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (Muhammad ibn Sa'd), Vol. 8, p. 282

References

Template:Infobox historical event

The Governorship of Egypt during the caliphate of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) refers to the administration of the Egyptian province following the removal of previous governors. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) appointed competent individuals to replace unfit officials. This period was marked by political maneuvering by Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan and eventual changes in leadership leading up to the Battle of Siffin.

Governorship of Egypt

After the Caliphate, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) removed previous unfit governors and officials and appointed worthy individuals in their place. In this regard, he appointed Qays ibn Sa'd al-Ansari to the governorship of Egypt in place of Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh in the month of Safar of the year 36 AH (656 CE) and dispatched him to that land. When Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was busy repelling the Companions of the Camel, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan (the tyrannical and self-appointed ruler of Sham) sought to infiltrate the policies of Qays ibn Sa'd and attract him to his side. Therefore, by sending numerous letters, he practically targeted him and the land of Egypt with his sinister arrows. Qays ibn Sa'd, with decisive responses and behaviors appropriate to the diplomacy of that time, turned Muawiya's hope into despair. However, the exchange of numerous letters between the two spread rumors of secret relations and agreements between them against Qays, and questioned his character.

Although the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) had complete confidence in the sincerity and loyalty of Qays, at the same time, to preserve his character and status on one hand, and to comply with the requests of his close companions to remove him from the governorship of Egypt on the other, he was forced to decide to appoint Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr to this position instead of Qays. For this reason, he dispatched him, who was a revolutionary, committed, and struggling youth, to Egypt[1].

The text of the decree of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and his recommendations to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr regarding governance and statecraft is as follows: "This is what Abdullah Ali, Commander of the Faithful, has enjoined upon Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr when he appointed him over Egypt. He ordered him to fear God and obey Him in His specific and general commands, in secret and in public, and to fear God and be mindful of Him in absence and presence, and to be gentle with the Muslim and harsh with the sinner, and to justify the oppressed, and to be strict with the oppressor and to forgive people and do good (to them) as much as he can, for God rewards the good-doers and recompenses the reformers. And he ordered him to soften his veil and open his door and share between people in his council, his face, and his gaze, and to judge with justice and establish equity and not follow desire and not let the blame of a blamer take him in God. And Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi wrote it[2]."

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, after receiving the decree from Iraq, departed for Egypt and entered upon Qays ibn Sa'd al-Ansari and presented the decree of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) to him and undertook the governance of the vast land of Egypt and North Africa. It is worth mentioning that Qays ibn Sa'd was the husband of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr's aunt, since Farsa bint Abi Quhafah, the sister of Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah, was the wife of Qays. For this reason, there was kinship and closeness between Qays and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr. Therefore, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was keen for Qays ibn Sa'd to remain by his side and resist the plots of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan with his help and consultation. However, Qays ibn Sa'd was distressed that individuals had projected behind his back and made the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) suspicious of him, and he did not remain in Egypt and returned to Medina. After a few days of rest, he departed towards Siffin to fight in the retinue of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) against the troops of Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan[3].

Notes

  1. ↑ Bihar al-Anwar (Allamah Majlisi), Vol. 33, p. 533; Ansab al-Ashraf - Translation of Commander of the Faithful "AS" (Baladhuri), pp. 294 and 310.
  2. ↑ Ansab al-Ashraf, Translation of Commander of the Faithful, p. 298.
  3. ↑ Al-Darajat al-Rafi'ah (Sayyid Ali ibn Masum), p. 340.

References

  • Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir. Bihar al-Anwar. Vol. 33.
  • Baladhuri, Ahmad ibn Yahya. Ansab al-Ashraf. Translation of Commander of the Faithful.
  • Sayyid Ali ibn Masum. Al-Darajat al-Rafi'ah.

See also

Martyrdom

The distance from Syria to Egypt is much less than the distance from Kufa to Egypt. Therefore, the Syrian forces entered Egypt much sooner than the Kufan forces and made things difficult for Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr.

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, according to the command of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), dispatched an army of two thousand fighters commanded by Kinanah ibn Bishr al-Sakuni to battle the Syrian forces, and thereafter, sent another two thousand men to aid them. Amr ibn al-As also sent Muawiyah ibn Hudayj al-Sakuni, who was of the same tribe as Kinanah ibn Bishr al-Sakuni, at the head of an army to battle the Egyptians, and thereafter continuously sent groups of Syrians to aid them.

The two armies clashed in Egypt, and many from both sides were killed and wounded. In the midst of this, Kinanah ibn Bishr al-Sakuni, the brave and courageous Egyptian commander, was martyred, and the remaining Egyptians were scattered. Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, who had sent all his companions and soldiers to aid Kinanah, remained alone in the center of this province, and with a few men, continued his relentless battle. He fought until he was all alone and no one remained beside him. Thus, to escape the hands of the overwhelming enemy, he fled outside the city so as not to be captured by them.

However, Muawiyah ibn Hudayj pursued him intensely. He found him in a ruin, dying from severe wounds and thirst. He captured him in that state and transferred him in shackles and chains towards Fustat—the headquarters of Amr ibn al-As. Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, who was an opponent of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and a supporter of the slain Uthman, was in the army of Amr ibn al-As. When he learned of his brother's captivity, he went to Amr ibn al-As and requested that he pardon him and not put him to death.

Amr ibn al-As sent a message to Muawiyah ibn Hudayj and asked him to bring Muhammad safely to Fustat, but Muawiyah ibn Hudayj refused and said: "You killed Kinanah ibn Bishr, who was my cousin, and you want me to release Muhammad? Never, never."

Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr requested a sip of water due to severe thirst, but Muawiyah ibn Hudayj, with complete heartlessness and cruelty, refused. While Muhammad was severely thirsty and weakened, he approached him and severed his head from his body. He then sent his head to Fustat to Amr ibn al-As so that he might send it to Syria to Muawiyah I. Then, he placed his purified body inside the belly of a donkey and brutally burned it, adding another black page to the file of his crimes and the crimes of the soldiers of Muawiyah I.

However, the army that had set out from Kufa to aid Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr in Egypt had not yet traveled more than five farsangs from Kufa when they learned of his unjust murder and the occupation of Egypt by the forces of Muawiyah, and were forced to return to Kufa[1].

The date of the heartrending Martyrdom of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, according to historians and biographers, coincided with mid-Jumada al-Awwal of the year 38 AH (October 658 CE)[2]. According to Sheikh Abbas Qomi (may God have mercy on him), there is currently a grave in Egypt attributed to Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr where his purified body was buried, or where he was martyred; this noble grave is neglected there[3].

Notes

  1. ↑ Ibn Khaldun, History, Vol. 1, p. 616.
  2. ↑ Waqa'i' al-Ayyam (Sheikh Abbas Qomi), p. 249; Naqd al-Rijal (Tafreshi), Vol. 4, p. 97; al-Tahrir al-Tawusi (Sahib al-Ma'alim), p. 498.
  3. ↑ Waqa'i' al-Ayyam, p. 250.

References

The Master's Grief over the Martyrdom of the Selfless Companion

Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) was deeply affected and grieved upon hearing the news of the martyrdom of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, and he reproached the people of Kufa for their slowness in assisting and aiding him. His Holiness, regarding the martyrdom of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, said in a sermon: "Behold, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, (has) been killed, and Ibn al-Nabighah (i.e., Amr ibn al-As) has conquered Egypt. So we count Muhammad with Allah, for he was among those who awaited judgment and worked for reward[1]."

In another place, he said: "(Muhammad) was a stepson to me, and (from) the son of my brother Ja'far, a brother, and I considered him a son[2]. Abdullah ibn Ja'far who was the maternal brother of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, narrated regarding this: "When the affliction of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr reached Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), where Muawiyah ibn Hudayj al-Sakuni killed him in Egypt, he grieved intensely[3]". It has also been narrated from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) that His Holiness said: "Our grief and sorrow over Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr is equal to the joy and happiness of Muawiyah, and since I entered this war (with Muawiyah), I have not been as upset and grieved for any killed person as I was for Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr[4].


Reactions

After the oppressed and honorable martyrdom of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, the Islamic world witnessed different reactions. On one hand, Muawiyah and the palace dwellers of the Umayyad in Syria and the occupiers of Egypt expressed joy and celebrated the conquest of Egypt. On the other hand, supporters of the Islamic Caliphate, other zealous Muslims, senior Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny), and affiliates of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr became upset and grieved, and cursed his killers. It was narrated from his paternal sister Aisha that she was very upset and restless and cursed his killer, Muawiyah ibn Hudayj.

Al-Baladhuri narrated regarding this: "When that reached Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she grieved over him, and took custody of his family and children to herself, and did not eat roasted meat since then until she died, and whenever she stumbled she would say: 'May Muawiyah ibn Hudayj be humbled'[5]." Similarly, Asma bint Umays, the wife of Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), was very upset and restless over the martyrdom of her son Muhammad, and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) would console and comfort her.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) regarding the Faith and strong belief of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and his loyalty to Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: "That Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr pledged allegiance to Ali (peace be upon him) on the condition of disassociation from his father (Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah)[6]". Scholars of Shia considered him among the companions and from the Hawariyyun of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and from the main members of Shurta al-Khamis (Fedayeen of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)), and spoke many words about his virtues and merits. The late Ayatollah Khoei (may Allah have mercy on him) - quoting from Rijal scholars of Shia - said regarding him: "Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr; Al-Shaykh counted him in his Rijal once among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny), and another time among the Companions of Ali (peace be upon him), saying: Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah; Al-Barqi counted him among the companions of Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) who were from Shurta al-Khamis, and Al-Mufid counted him among the chosen friends of Ali (peace be upon him) once, and from the early close associates to him (peace be upon him) another time, and from the Hawariyyun a third time[7].


See also


Notes

  1. ↑ Ansab al-Ashraf - Translation of Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) -, p. 308.
  2. ↑ Ibid., p. 309.
  3. ↑ Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadith (Ayatollah Khoei), vol. 51, p. 168
  4. ↑ Waqa'i al-Ayyam, p. 249.
  5. ↑ Ansab al-Ashraf - Translation of Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) -, p. 308.
  6. ↑ Ikhtiyar Ma'rifat al-Rijal (Shaykh Tusi), vol. 1, p. 282.
  7. ↑ Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol. 51, p. 241.


References

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