السِّجل البكري والمنتدى
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq (1): Abu Al-Qasim, Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), was from the tribe of Taym, a sub-clan of the tribe of Quraysh. He was the Amir of Egypt and the son of the first caliph, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. His mother, Asma’ Bint Umais of the tribe of Khathaam, gave birth to him in Dhul Hulifa, located between Makkah and Madinah, in 10 AH, during the Farewell Pilgrimage. He was raised by Ali Bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who married his mother after the death of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, who died when Muhammad was about two and a half years old.
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr was known as “Aabid Quraysh” (the “worshipper” of Quraysh). He was brothers with Abdullah, Muhammad, and Awn (the sons of Ja’far Al-Tayyar), and with Yahya (the son of Ali Bin Abi Talib), all of whom had the same mother, Asma’ Bint Umais. He was also the brother of Umm Al-Mu’mineen, Aisha, the “Mother of the Believers.” Two other wives of the Prophet were his maternal aunts: “Umm Al-Mu’mineen” Maymuna Bint Al-Harith Al-Hilaliya, and “Umm Al-Mu’mineen” Zaynab Bint Khuzayma Al-Hilaliya, who were both half-sisters of his mother (Asma’ Bint Umais) via the same mother.
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr had a special status with Caliph Ali Bin Abi Talib. They took part together in two battles, the Battle of Siffin and the Battle of the Camel. Ali also appointed Muhammad governor of Egypt. He went there in Ramadan of 37 AH, succeeding Malik Bin Al-Ashtar Al-Nakha’i and Qais Bin Sa’d Bin Ubada Al-Khazraji. He governed Egypt for five months, until the army of Muawiyah Bin Abi Sufyan, led by ‘Amr Bin Al-‘As, arrived—may Allah be pleased with all of them.
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr only governed Egypt for five months before he was killed there at the age of 28, on the 14th of Safar in 38 AH. One report regarding his death says that after Muhammad’s army was defeated by Muawiyah’s army, he fled to the site of some ruins, so they pursued him until an old woman from Fustat guided them to where he was. When they entered upon him, they found him extremely thirsty, whereupon he told them: “For Allah’s sake, give me a sip of water.” In response, Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj Al-Sakuni told him: “May Allah not fulfill my thirst if I fulfill yours. Have you forgotten when you deprived Uthman of water when he was in his house?” Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr responded: “Honor me for the sake of Abu Bakr,” whereupon Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj told him: “May Allah not honor me if I honor you.”
It was mentioned by both Muwaffaq Al-Din Al-Shari’i in Murshid Al-Zuwar and Al-Maqrizi in Al-Mawaiz wa Al-‘I’tibar that Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr said: “Spare me for the sake of Abu Bakr,” whereupon Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj said: “You killed eighty of my men because of Uthman, so why should I let you go when you were the one responsible for that?”
Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj then approached him and struck his neck with his sword. After that, he stuffed his dead body into the hide of the carcass of a dead donkey and burned it! It was also reported that he actually stuffed him into the donkey’s hide while he was still alive and then set them both on fire. He was buried in the same spot where he was killed. A year later, his servant-boy, Zimam, dug up his grave but only found his head, so he buried it in [the mosque currently known as Zimam Mosque]. It was also reported that the head was buried at the site of the mirhab.
Regarding the incident of Muhammad’s murder, Ibn Taghribirdi said the following:
Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj went out in search of Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr, asking a group of local residents on the way: “Have you seen a man who looks like such-and-such?” One of them said: “He went into that dilapidated structure.” So they went inside, where a man was sitting. Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj said: “By the Lord of the Ka’bah, this is him.” So they went in and brought him out. He was nearly dying of thirst. They then brought him to Fustat, and his brother, Abdel-Rahman Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq (who was in the army of ‘Amr Bin Al-‘As), went to ‘Amr Bin Al-‘As and asked: “Will my brother be killed when he is so thirsty?”
‘Amr Bin Al-‘As thus sent a message to Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj, ordering him to bring Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr to him out of respect for his brother, Abdel-Rahman, the son of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. In response, Mu’awiya said: “Is it right that Kinana Bin Bishr has been killed and I let Muhammad go? That is very far-fetched, indeed!” Muhammad then said: “Give me a drink of water,” whereupon Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj responded: “May Allah not give me water if I give you even one drop of water. You deprived Uthman of water; then you killed him while he was fasting, so Allah welcomed him with [a drink of] sealed nectar. By Allah, I will kill you, O son of Abu Bakr, so that Allah may give you a drink from Hellfire.” Muhammad then told Mu’awiya: “O son of your mother, the Jewish weaver, that is not up to you. I swear by Allah, if I had my sword in my hand, you would not have trapped me this way.” Mu’awiya then told him: “Do you know what I will do with you? I will stuff you into the hide of a donkey and set both of you on fire,” whereupon Muhammad responded: “If you do that, may you be damned to do that to the allies of Almighty Allah.” After that, they spoke for a while until Mu’awiya took Muhammad and flung him into the carcass of a dead donkey and set it on fire. It was also reported that he beheaded him and sent his head to Muawiyah Bin Abi Sufyan in Damascus, where it was paraded around, making it the first head to be paraded around in the history of Islam.
In response, I say: There is no strength or power except with Almighty Allah. How could they kill him after he said, “Honor me for the sake of Abu Bakr”? Apparently, that wasn’t enough for them. To the contrary, they burned him inside the hide of a dead donkey. Is that how one honors the sons of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq?
Another report states that Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq being set on fire had to do with his sister, Umm Al-Mu’minin, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, supplicating against him on the Day of the Camel. After the Battle of the Camel came to an end, Aisha’s whereabouts were unknown, and no one knew whether she had been injured during the battle—so her brother, Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr, who was a commander in the army of Ali Bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, was tasked with looking inside her howdah to make sure she was okay. When he extended his arm into her howdah to see her, however, she said (without knowing who it was and thinking it was the arm of a stranger): “Who could this be who wants to harm the wife of Allah’s Messenger? May Allah burn him with fire.” Upon hearing this, Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr told her: “O Sister, say ‘with the fire of this world.’” She thus realized it was her brother Muhammad and said: “With the fire of this world.” The result of this incident was that her supplication (“May he be burned with the fire of this world.”) came to pass.
In response, I say: I do not know the authenticity of this narration, except that Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani mentioned in Lisan Al-Mizan, on the authority of Al-Muammar Ali Bin Uthman Bin Al-Khattab, that he said: “I saw Aisha, tall and fair-skinned, her face marked with the traces of chicken pox—and I heard her say to her brother on the Day of the Camel: ‘May Allah burn you in the fire of this world and that of the Hereafter.’” He never mentioned the rest of the story of the Day of the Camel, however, so Allah knows best regarding the authenticity of this narration.
Regarding the site of Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr’s murder, it was reported that he was killed in Kum Sharik, near Alexandria. This was mentioned by Emad Al-Din Al-Isfahani in Al-Bustan Al-Jameh. Kum Sharik is currently located in Markaz Kum Hamada in the governorate of Beheira.
When Asma’ Bint Umais, may Allah be pleased with her, was informed of the news of her son, Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr, being murdered and set on fire, she went to her mosque and sat in it, suppressing her anger until blood flowed forth from her breasts.
When Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was informed of the murder, he, too, experienced tremendous grief. He delivered a speech in which he first praised Almighty Allah and then said: “Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr has been killed. May Allah have mercy on him. We ask Allah to grant us patience [over his death]. By Allah, he was, as I observed, someone who believed in justice and worked [hard for the promise of] reward. [The Almighty] loves this believer and hates the ways of the wicked.”
Someone said to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: “You have grieved over Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr greatly.” He said: “Yes, by Allah. I raised him and considered him a son of mine.” Another report states that when he was informed of Muhammad’s murder, he wept over him and said: “By Allah, he was a righteous young man, a strong pillar of support, and sharp as a sword. He was beloved to us and an enemy to them, and what makes me grieve over him is their gloating over him.”
When Ali was informed that they had said that Muhammad was disobedient to his parents, he said: “By Allah, he was devoted to his parents, and I ask Allah to grant me patience [over his death].” He also said: “No one ever pledged his allegiance to me however I deemed appropriate except for Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr. He always promised me his loyalty, following whichever path I deemed appropriate.”
The poet Abu Nuwas viewed Mu’awiya Bin Hudayj Al-Sakuni Al-Kindi’s act of murder as a great atrocity and composed a scathing poem in which he addressed him directly, telling him he “should not be proud for killing the in-law of Allah’s Messenger,” and disparaging him for the failings and shortcomings of his own people (the tribe of Kindah). Among other things, he reminded him of people in his tribe who had been murdered (like Hujr, the father of the poet Imru’ al-Qais). He also mentioned ‘Amr Bin Hind, who killed others in his tribe.
From the time Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr was killed and his body set on fire until the day Aisha, the Mother of the Believers, died, she never ate roasted meat and would always cry if she happened to see it. She, may Allah be pleased with her, used to say: “I considered him both a son and a brother.”
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr was among those who witnessed the assassination of Uthman Bin Affan, who is often referred to as Dhu al-Nurayn (“The Possessor of Two Lights”), may Allah be pleased with him. It was reported that he took part in his murder. A group of scholars refuted this, however, and said that when Muhammad entered the house of Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, Uthman told him: “If your father could see you, he would not accept this from you.” Upon hearing this, Muhammad left him alone, and those who did kill him entered upon him. It was also reported that Muhammad gave a signal to the people with him to kill Uthman.
With respect to the assassination of Uthman Bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, Ibn Abd al-Barr said (2):
Asad Bin Musa narrated that: Muhammad Bin Talha told us: “Kenana, the servant of Safiyyah Bint Huyayy (who was present on the day of the incident at the house) told us that Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr had nothing to do with the murder of Uthman. So, I asked Kenana: ‘Then why was it reported that he killed him?’ He said: ‘It is impossible that he would kill him. Rather, he entered his house and Uthman told him: ‘O son of my brother, you are not the one who should be after me,’ and he told him a few other things, so he left and had nothing to do with his murder.’ So I asked Kenana: ‘Then who killed him?’ He said: ‘A man from Egypt called Jabalah Bin Al-Aiham.’”
Ibn Abd al-Barr also said: Ali used to praise Muhammad and favor him. He was a pious and devoted worshipper—and when Aisha was informed of his murder, she was very sad over him and assumed responsibility for raising his son, Al-Qasim. He grew up under her care and thus became among the best of his generation.
Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr had two sons: Abdullah, who was martyred in the Battle of Al-Harrah, and Al-Qasim, the son of a concubine who later became a noble jurist of the Hejaz. Al-Qasim Bin Muhammad had two children of his own: a son, Abdel-Rahman Bin Al-Qasim, and a daughter, Umm Farwah Bint Al-Qasim, who married Muhammad Al-Baqir Bin Ali Bin Al-Husayn Bin Ali Bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him and his descendants, and bore him Ja’far Al-Sadiq.
In Al-Khitat Al-Tawfiqiya, Ali Basha Mubarak mentioned the Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Mosque in Cairo, saying: This mosque is in Misr Al-Qadimah (Old Cairo) on Bab Al-Wada’a Street near the gate to the left (if you are heading east) of Bab Al-Wada’a, next to the ruins of a tomb known as Al-Kurdi. This mosque is also known as Jameh Al-Saghir or Jameh Zimam and is the site of the Al-Shaa’ir Shrine, which is supported through endowments under the supervision of some of the residents there. [The mosque] was also named Abi Al-Qasim Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, because his head is buried there.
The site is also known as Masjid Zimam (Zimam Mosque). In Tuhfat Al-Ahbab, Al-Sakhawi said: Outside of Cairo is the grave of Abi Al-Qasim Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq Bin Abi Quhafa, who is said to have been set on fire and buried in that location. A year later, Zimam, the servant of Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr, went to the site to dig up his grave but only found the head—so he took it to the mosque [currently] known as Zimam Mosque and buried it there, constructing the mosque over it. It is believed that the head is at the site of the mirhab, and this is why it was called Zimam Mosque.
It was also reported that when some of the foundations of the house belonging to Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr cracked, the remains of a head with the lower jaw missing were found there, so it became rumored amongst the people that it was the head of Muhammad Bin Abi Bakr Al-Siddiq. Upon hearing this, people came and tore down the wall and its location as the mirhab for the old mosque there. They dug up the mirhab of Zimam Mosque and searched for the head but did not find it. They also dug up the eastern corner of this mosque, the old mirhab next to it, and the western corner of the mosque, but did not find anything. This head was well-known among the Kiman of Egypt (3).
Source: Kitab Al-Sulala Al-Bakria As-Siddiqia – Part II, by Ahmed Farghal Al-De’abassi Al-Bakri
Date of Publication
1 Ramadan 1438 AH / May 26, 2017 AD
(1) Al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat Al-Ashab 3/ 1367, Marefat Al-Sahaba, by Abi Nu’aym 1/ 168, Usdul Ghabah, El-Elmia Ed. 5/ 97, Siyar A’lam Al-Nubala’, Al-Hadith Ed. 4/ 467, Al-Isaba fi Tamyiz Al-Sahaba 6/ 193-194, Al-Bidaya Wal Nihaya, Al-Fikr Ed. 7/ 318, Tahdhib Al-Kamal fi Asma’ Al-Rijal 24/ 543, Al-Thiqat, by Ibn Hibban 3/ 368, Bada’i Al-Zuhur fi Waqa’i Al-Duhur 1-1/ 115-116, Al-Mawaiz wa Al-‘I’tibar bi Dhikr Al-Khitat wa Al-‘Athar 4/ 156, Murshid Al-Zuwar ila Qubur Al-Abrar 1/ 662-664, Tarikh Al-Khamis fi Ahwal Anfus Al-Nafis 2/ 239, Samt Al-Nojoum Al-Awali fi Anbaa Al-Awa’il wal Tawali 2/ 463, Kitab Al-Wulah wa Kitab Al-Qudah, by Al-Kindi 1/ 26, Al-Maaref, by Ibn Qutaiba 1/ 175, Nihayat Al-Arab fi Funun Al-Adab 7/ 167, Al-Nujum Al-Zahira fi Muluk Misr wa Al-Qahira 1/ 110, Al-Bustan Al-Jameh Lejameeh Tawarikh Ahl Al-Zaman pg. 122, Tarikh Ibn Khaldun 2/ 642, Jamharat Nasab Quraysh wa Akhbariha 2/ 605, Al-Tabieen fi Ansab Al-Qurashieen 1/ 279, Lisan Al-Mizan 4/ 136, Masajid Misr wa-Awliyauha Al-Salihun 2/ 20-25, Bayt Al-Siddiq pp. 264-265, Maraqid Al-Ma’arif 2/ 244-249
(2) Al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat Al-Ashab 3/ 1367
(3) Al-Khitat Al-Tawfiqiya 5/ 102