(3)

Was Abu Bakr generous?

Our sheikh Abu Jafar (May Allah have mercy on him) says, “Inform us under what circumstances Abu Bakr showed his generosity with his money and when did he restrained from spending them. It is not admissible that this topic should remain hidden, and by the passage of time, it will become old and eventually fade away from the minds of the people. You were not able to sum up anything more than releasing those six slaves, whose value were not even hundred dirhams at that time, then how do you claim that he was very generous. When the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) migrated towards Madina, he bought two camels for him and under such circumstances, he took money for it, every historian has recorded this in their works. You narrate that Abu Bakr was so wealthy and rich and you even narrates this from Aisha as well that she said, “When Abu Bakr migrated he had ten thousand dirhams. In addition, she says that Allah has revealed this verse of the Quran “and let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give (aid) to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”.
You say that this verse of Quran is revealed in the praise of Abu Bakr and Mustah bin Asasah, then where did that Abu Bakr went about whom you assume that he was so generous that he gave everything and was only left with a cloak?
You narrate that there are angels in the heaven who just wear a cloak and when the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) saw them on the night of Me’raaj, he inquired Gabriel about them and Gabriel replied, “These are the angels who are following Abu Bakr, who is your friend, and shortly he will spend all his wealth on you until he will be left with a cloak to cover himself”.
On the other hand, you narrate it that when Allah revealed the holy verse of Najwa “O you who believe, when you consult the Messenger in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation. That will be best for you… ” no one except Ali ibne Abi Talib followed this command.
In spite of the fact that how poor and indigent he was as you know, alternatively Abu Bakr even though he was rich, avoided giving charity for the discussion of private affairs and the questions. Allah has criticised the believers who restrained themselves from practicing it and said, “Is it that you are afraid of spending sums in charity before your private consultation (with Him)? If, then, you do not so, and Allah forgives you …”
The Almighty Allah had accounted the avoidance of giving charity as a sin and He had accepted their apologies, and Abu Bakr was among those who avoided giving the charity.  Under such circumstances, how was he generous? He pays forty thousand dirhams but restrains himself from giving the charity for having a private conversation with the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) which was merely two dirhams.
However, what many people have said that he was very generous with his family members; we cannot count it as a virtue for him, as it is obligatory for him to provide them with their allowance. Although, some historians have recorded that Abu Bakr did not provided the allowance to his father; and his father was amongst the servants of Ibne Jud’aan and his work was to scare away the flies from the dining table. (41)
 

----------------------------------
(38) Surah Noor, Ayah 22.
(39/40) Surah Mujadalah, Ayah 12 & 13; Tabari in Tafseer Tabari vol. 28 pg. 14; Wahidi in Asbab Al-Nuzool pg. 308; Fakhr e Razi in his tafseer under the mentioned ayah; other have also mentioned that only Ali (p.b.u.h.) was the one who had performed that task. For further details kindly, refer to the book Fazael Al-Khamsah vol. 1 pg. 293 of respected Ustaad Sayyid Murtaza Husaini Firozabadi.
(41) Jilweh e Tareekh dar sharh e Nahjul Balaghah Ibne Abi Al-Hadeed: vol. 5 pg. 368
 

 Mua’wiyah: vol. … pg. …