Abdu'l-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr

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Abdu'l-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr (died 675) was the eldest son of Abu Bakr, the first caliph. His mother was Um Ruman bint Amir ibn Uwaymir ibn Zuhal ibn Dahman and he was the real brother of Aisha. He including the three other children of Abu Bakr namely Abdullah, Aisha and Asma were born sometime between 595 AD to 609 AD.^[1] It is said that he had a good sense of humor.

Unlike the rest of his family, including his father Abu Bakr, and sister Aisha, he was late to convert to Islam, doing so at the occasion of Treaty of Hudaybiyah in 628 AD.^[2]

Four generations of the family of Abdu'l-Rahman had the distinction of being the companions (sahaba) of the Prophet Muhammad namely Abdu'l-Rahman, his father Abu Bakr Siddiq, his grandfather Uthman Abu Quhafa and his son Abu Atiq Muhammad. No other family had this honour.^[1]

Abdu'l-Rahman opposed Muawiya I's appointment of his son Yazid as successor to the caliphate. When Marwan ibn al-Hakam announced this news to the people of Medina, he tried to give it legitimacy by saying that it is the way/custom (Sunnah) of Abu Bakr and Umar. Abdu'l-Rahman objected to this reasoning, saying it is the customs of the Byzantines and the Persians, not the custom of Abu Bakr not Umar, and that neither Abu Bakr nor Umar have appointed their own progeny as their successors. Marwan tried to malign Abdu'l-Rahman by quoting Quran 46:17 and falsely claiming that this was revealed against Abdu'l-Rahman himself. Marwan tried to capture Abdu'l-Rahman, but the latter fled to the safety of the house of his sister Aisha. ref.He died in 675 AD and was buried in Mecca.^[3]

Some sources claim that Muawiya ordered Abdu'l-Rahman to be poisoned for opposing Yazid's succession. Abdu'l-Rahman is the ancestor of many Albakri Al-Siddiqi families, Al Atiqi found in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, and Siddiqui and Quraishi families in South and Central Asia. In the horn of Africa, they are known as Sheekhaal Or Fiqi Umari Family in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.^[4]

Participation in battles

While still a non-Muslim, Abdu'l-Rahman fought from the side of Quraish in the Battles of Badr and Uhud. In the Battle of Badr, he had got a chance when he could have easily struck his father, Abu Bakr, but then he had turned in another direction. In the Battle of Uhud before the battle begun, he came forward and threw down a challenge for a duel. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge but was stopped by Muhammad.^[5]

After becoming a Muslim, Abdu'l-Rahman participated in all the battles fought by the Muslim and gained fame as a fierce warrior espacially in the Muslim conquest of Syria. He was one of the Mubarizun champions and fought duels in the battles for the Muslim army. The mubarizun unit of the Rashidun army was composed of elite warriors who were champion swordsmen, lancers and archers. In the battlefield his role was to undermine the morale of the enemy before the beginning of the battle by slaying their champions in duel.

In the Battle of Yamama he killed Muhakkam al-Yamama, the General commanding the forces of Musaylima.

In the Battle of Yarmouk, Commander in chief of Byzantine force chose five selected warriors from Byzantine side, and they challenged the Muslims to duel. It was Abdu'l-Rahman who accepted the challenge. Scores of duels were fought on the plains of Yarmouk. Abdu'l-Rahman killed all of them one after the other.^[6]

At the Battle of Busra in Syria, he entered the city of Busra through a subterranean passage and then dashing towards the city gates opened them for the main Muslim army to enter.^[7]

See also

• Sahaba
• Abu Bakr
• Siddiqui
• Bodla
• Sheekhaal
• Qallu
• Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr
• Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr
• Aisha
• Asma bint Abu Bakr
• Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr

References