This is 'how'

[Ali Hammuda]

There isn't any human being - after the prophets and messengers - who was or will be greater than Abu Bakr. He occupies a category on his own and his rank will never be attained till the end of time.

But has the question “why?” ever crossed your mind? What was it that made him so different to everyone else?

- He wasn’t as poor as Abu Huraira and Abu Tharr, yet he was greater than them!
- He wasn’t tortured like Khabaab, Bilal, Sumayya or Yaasir were, yet he was greater than them!
- He wasn’t wounded in the battles with the Prophet PBUH like Talha, Abu ‘Ubayda or Khalid were, yet he was greater than them!
- He wasn’t even killed as a martyr in the path of Allah as ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Hamza, Mus’ab or Sa’d Ibnu Mu’aath were, yet he was greater than them!!

Then what is the secret which raised Abu Bakr to this exclusive class of greatness? A class which surpassed every scholar, worshipper and Saracen at his time and the times to come!

I leave the answer to this question to one of the taabi’een who solved the mystery in a single sentence.

Bakr Ibnu Abdillaah Al-Muzani said:

ماسبقهم أبو بكر بكثرةِ صلاةٍ ولا صيامٍ ولكن بشيءٍ وقرَ في قلبه
“It was not abundance of prayer or fasting which excelled Abu Bakr beyond all others, but it was because of something which settled in his heart.”

Yes, it’s the actions of the hearts. *This* is what transferred him to the unattainable heights. *This* is what raised him to the number one spot. *This* is what ‘Umar was referring to when he said that Abu Bakr’s ‘Eman is heavier than that of the Ummah’s collectively.

We are all aware that ‘Eman consists of
1: Speech with the tongue,
2: Actions with the limbs and
3: Certainty within the heart.

Perfecting the outer actions is essential but overlooking the *essence*, the inner state is fatal, which results in frail religiosity and shaky steadfastness.

Every act of worship has an outward appearance (صورة) and has an essence(لب)

The outward appearance of prayer is standing, bowing and prostrating, but its essence is Khushoo’/ inner humility.
The outward appearance of fasting is abstinence from the nullifiers from sunrise till sunset, but its essence is Taqwa/ consciousness of Allah.
The outward appearance of Hajj is circumambulation, standing in ‘Arafah, throwing the pebbles etc but its essence is an inner sense of honouring of Allah’s sacred commandments.
The outward appearance of du’ah is the raising of the hands, facing the direction of prayer and calling but its essence is a sense of bankruptcy to Allah.

Whilst all of the companions were people of prayer, fasting and worship but the differentiating factor were those secrets which hid within hearts. The genuine love and fear of Allah, hope in Him, shyness of Him and absolute certainty in Him are the true elevators of the hereafter.

Yahya Ibnu Mu’ath would say:

مَفَاوِزُ الدُّنْيَا تُقْطَعُ بِالأَقْدَامِ ، وَمَفَاوِزُ الآخِرَةِ تُقْطَعُ بِالْقُلُوبِ
“The journeys of dunya are made on feet. As for the journeys of the hereafter, they are made via hearts.”