JayshAllah
31st May 2007, 06:58 AM
A central tenet of the Shia doctrine is the rejection of the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه), who supposedly stole the Caliphate from Ali (رضّى الله عنه). However, the Shia opinion of Abu Bakr’s character (رضّى الله عنه) does not match up with the Quran (and the associated historical events) which actually mentions Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) in a very positive light.
When the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) fled Mecca (i.e. Hijra), he asked Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضّى الله عنه) to lay in his bed so that the Quraish infidels would think that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was still asleep. He told Ali (رضّى الله عنه) not to worry because no harm would come to him. The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) then called his closest companion, Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه), to accompany him on the dangerous emigration to Medinah. So it was that the Prophet and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) made the Hijra together.
The Quraish disbelievers were giving chase, and the two men–the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه)–hid in a cave. But the Quraish disbelievers tracked them to the cave and would have apprehended them had it not been for the miracle of the spider’s web. The spider created a web in record time, and when the Quraish disbelievers saw it, they reasoned that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) couldn’t possibly be in the cave because the spider’s web extensively covered the entrace, indicating that nobody had disturbed it in quite some time.
This was the miracle of the spider’s web, which saved the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه). This story is mentioned in the Quran in Verse 9:40. Allah says:
“If you will not aid him (the Prophet), Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him; he (the Prophet) had no more than him, him being the second of the two (i.e. Abu Bakr), when they were both in the cave, when he (the Prophet) said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Grieve not, surely Allah is with us.’ Then Allah caused His Sakinah (serenity, peace, tranquility, etc.) to descend upon him” (Quran, 9:40)
The first knee-jerk reaction of every Shia lay-person is to deny that this verse refers to Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه), but it should be noted that every Shia Tafseer available to us confirms that this verse is referring to Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) when the word “companion” is used. I refer the reader to the “Pooya/M.A. Ali” English Tafseer of the Quran, which is considered by the Shia to be the most authoratative English commentary of the Quran. It is the Tafseer relied upon by Al-Islam.org and it is in fact available on their website.
Article Continues Here --> http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/sahabah/abu-bakr
When the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) fled Mecca (i.e. Hijra), he asked Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضّى الله عنه) to lay in his bed so that the Quraish infidels would think that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was still asleep. He told Ali (رضّى الله عنه) not to worry because no harm would come to him. The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) then called his closest companion, Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه), to accompany him on the dangerous emigration to Medinah. So it was that the Prophet and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) made the Hijra together.
The Quraish disbelievers were giving chase, and the two men–the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه)–hid in a cave. But the Quraish disbelievers tracked them to the cave and would have apprehended them had it not been for the miracle of the spider’s web. The spider created a web in record time, and when the Quraish disbelievers saw it, they reasoned that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) couldn’t possibly be in the cave because the spider’s web extensively covered the entrace, indicating that nobody had disturbed it in quite some time.
This was the miracle of the spider’s web, which saved the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) and Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه). This story is mentioned in the Quran in Verse 9:40. Allah says:
“If you will not aid him (the Prophet), Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him; he (the Prophet) had no more than him, him being the second of the two (i.e. Abu Bakr), when they were both in the cave, when he (the Prophet) said to his companion (Abu Bakr): ‘Grieve not, surely Allah is with us.’ Then Allah caused His Sakinah (serenity, peace, tranquility, etc.) to descend upon him” (Quran, 9:40)
The first knee-jerk reaction of every Shia lay-person is to deny that this verse refers to Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه), but it should be noted that every Shia Tafseer available to us confirms that this verse is referring to Abu Bakr (رضّى الله عنه) when the word “companion” is used. I refer the reader to the “Pooya/M.A. Ali” English Tafseer of the Quran, which is considered by the Shia to be the most authoratative English commentary of the Quran. It is the Tafseer relied upon by Al-Islam.org and it is in fact available on their website.
Article Continues Here --> http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/sahabah/abu-bakr