Who is the Bravest of People?

عن علي أنه قال: أخبروني من أشجع الناس؟ فقالوا أنت قال: أما إني ما بارزت أحدا إلا انتصفت منه ولكن أخبروني بأشجع الناس قالوا لا نعلم فمن قال أبو بكر إنه لما كان يوم بدر فجعلتم لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عريشا فقلنا من يكون مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لئلا يهوي إليه أحد من المشركين فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر شاهرا بالسيف على رأس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يهوي إليه أحد إلا هوى إليه فهو أشجع الناس قال علي رضي الله عنه ولقد رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأخذته قريش فهذا يجبأه وهذا يتلتله وهم يقولون: أنت الذي جعلت الآلهة إلها واحدا قال: فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر يضرب هذا ويجبأ هذا ويتلتل هذا وهو يقول ويلكم أتقتلون رجلا أن يقول ربي الله ثم رفع على بردة كانت عليه فبكى حتى اخضلت لحيته ثم قال أنشدكم الله أمؤمن آل فرعون خير أم أبو بكر فسكت القوم فقال ألا تجيبونني فوالله لساعة من أبي بكر خير من ألف ساعة من مثل مؤمن آل فرعون ذاك رجل يكتم إيمانه وهذا رجل أعلن إيمانه. أخرجه البزار في مسنده

This might not be a full article and I do not intend writing soon, but upon reading this narration from Musnad al-Bazzār, my heart yearned to share it with others. I intended writing that may Allāh accept the personality described here, but then thought, who am I to think that my supplication of acceptance is needed for one so already accepted? So in following the way of the pious and learned, I can at least say, “May Allāh be pleased with him.”

ʿAlī رضي الله عنه  asked, “Tell me, who is the bravest of people?”

 “You!” they replied. 

He said, “As for me, I never fought anyone except that I exacted justice from him. Tell me, who is the bravest of people?” 

They replied, “Then we do not know who.” 

 He said, “It is ʾAbū Bakr. At the Battle of Badr, you built a hut for Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم  . We then said, ‘Who will be with Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم  so that no Mushrik may attack him?’ By Allāh! Not one of us stepped forward except ʾAbū Bakr with his sword drawn by the head of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . None came to attack except that he attacked him. So he is the bravest of people.”

ʾAlī رضي الله عنه  continued, “Indeed I saw the Quraysh grabbing Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . One held him while another violently shook him. They were saying, ‘You are the one who made the gods one!’ By Allāh! None of us dared go near except Abū Bakr. He struck at one of them, pulled back another and shook another, whilst saying, ‘Woe unto you! Do you kill a man for saying my Lord is Allāh?’”

ʿAlī رضي الله عنه  then raised the shawl which was upon him and wept until his beard became wet. He then said, “I implore you in Allāh’s name, tell me, is the believer of the people of Pharaoh better or is Abū Bakr?”

The people kept silent, so he said, “Will you not answer me? By Allāh! A single moment of Abū Bakr is superior to a thousand of the likes of the believer of the people of Pharaoh. That was a man who hid his faith and this is a man who publicly announced his faith.” 

سليمان الكندي 

Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi