Did Ali call Abu Bakr brave?
- Anonymous
- Apr 20, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 12
Introduction
One of the most well-known merits of Imam Ali was his undisputed bravery and ferocity in battle against the enemies of Islam. Naturally, this draws comparisons between him and Abū Bakr, as it follows that if the fourth caliph was such a brave warrior, surely the first would be greater. Some scholars have argued that bravery in battle is not an important trait when it comes to leadership, but others have argued that Imam Ali himself said that Abū Bakr was braver than him, thus proving that the first caliph was indeed superior. How reliable is this?
Let us investigate this narration, which was recorded in Ibn Kathīr's book of History, al-Bidāyah wa'l-Nihāyah (vol 5 pg. 92), and in the famous Suyūtī's Tarīkh al-Khulafā (pg. 33):
أخرج البزار في مسنده عن علي أنه قال: أخبروني من أشجع الناس؟ فقالوا: أنت، قال: أما إني ما بارزت أحدًا إلا انتصفت منه، ولكن أخبروني بأشجع الناس؟ قالوا: لا نعلم، فمن؟ قال: أبو بكر، إنه لما كان يوم بدر، جعلنا لرسول الله -عليه الصلاة والسلام- عريشًا، فقلنا: من يكون مع رسول الله -عليه الصلاة والسلام- لئلا يهوي إليه أحد من المشركين؟ فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر شاهرًا بالسيف على رأس رسول الله -عليه الصلاة والسلام- لا يهوي إليه أحد إلا هوى إليه؛ فهو أشجع الناس…
The narration is recorded in al-Bazzār's Musnad, where it is reported that ʿAlī (as) said: "Tell me, who is the bravest of people?" They replied, "You." He said, "I have never faced anyone in single combat without overcoming them, but tell me, who is the bravest of people?" They said, "We do not know, who then?" He replied, "Abū Bakr. When the Day of Badr came, we made a tent for the Messenger of Allah (saw), and we said: 'Who will stay with the Messenger of Allah (saw) to protect him from the idolaters?' By Allah, no one approached us except Abū Bakr, holding his sword above the head of the Messenger of Allah (saw), ensuring no one would approach him. He was the bravest of people..."
The primary source of this tradition, as mentioned above, is narrated in the Musnad of al-Bazzār (vol. 3, pg. 14 - 15), a famous Sunni scholar who compiled hadiths. The full chain of transmission for this report is as follows:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي ثُمَامَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ: نا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُقْرِئُ الْعِجْلِيُّ، قَالَ: نا حَسَّانُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكَرْمَانِيُّ ، قَالَ: نا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّائِغُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيل عن علي أنه قال: أخبروني...
Abdullāh ibn Abī Thumāmah al-Anṣārī narrated from Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Muqriʾ al-ʿIjlī, from Ḥassān ibn Ibrāhīm al-Karmānī, from Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣāʾigh, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAqīl, from ʿAlī (as) who said: 'Tell me…'"
The editor of this book mentions in the footnote that some of the narrators in this chain could not be identified, meaning they are "majhool" (unknown) narrators. The famous researcher of Hadiths and their reliability, Nur al-Dīn al-Haythamī, commented on this report in his Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid (vol. 8, pg. 13) in the same way:
رَوَاهُ الْبَزَّارُ، وَفِيهِ مَنْ لَمْ أَعْرِفْهُ
‘It contains narrators who I don’t know’.
This hadith is also alone in its transmission, meaning there is no other alternative source or chain for it, making this report completely undependable as a 'proof' against Shi'ism. Therefore, this hadith cannot be used an argument.
The Real Bravery of Abu Bakr
Besides the lack of reliability of this report, the content alone testifies as proof for the falsehood of this attribution towards Imam Ali (as). This is because Abū Bakr, historically, was not a brave man. When it came to the face of battles, he would retreat and fear for his life, similar to how his companions would follow in pursuit.
For example, let us reference the so-called 'bravery' of Abū Bakr during the Battle of Khaybar, which we can read from an important hadith work from the teacher of al-Bukhārī. Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah (vol. 18, pg. 59 - 60), and it is likewise recorded in the same work mentioned above, Musnad al-Bazzār (vol 2, pg. 135 - 136):
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ هَاشِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، وَالْمِنْهَالِ، وَعِيسَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، قَالَ:
كَانَ عَلِيٌّ يَخْرُجُ فِي الشِّتَاءِ فِي إِزَارٍ وَرِدَاءٍ ثَوْبَيْنِ خَفِيفَيْنِ، وَفِي الصَّيْفِ فِي الْقَبَاءِ الْمَحْشُوِّ وَالثَّوْبِ الثَّقِيلِ، فَقَالَ النَّاسُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: لَوْ قُلْتَ لِأَبِيكَ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْهَرُ مَعَهُ، فَسَأَلْتُ أَبِي فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ رَأَوْا مِنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ شَيْئًا اسْتَنْكَرُوهُ، قَالَ: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: يَخْرُجُ فِي الْحَرِّ الشَّدِيدِ فِي الْقَبَاءِ الْمَحْشُوِّ وَالثَّوْبِ الثَّقِيلِ، وَلَا يُبَالِي ذَلِكَ، وَيَخْرُجُ فِي الْبَرْدِ الشَّدِيدِ فِي الثَّوْبَيْنِ الْخَفِيفَيْنِ، وَالْمُلَاءَتَيْنِ لَا يُبَالِي ذَلِكَ وَلَا يَتَّقِي بَرْدًا، فَهَلْ سَمِعْتَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا، فَقَدْ أَمَرُونِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ أَنْ تَسْأَلَهُ إِذَا سَمَرْتَ عِنْدَهُ، فَسَمَرَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ تَفَقَّدُوا مِنْكَ شَيْئًا، قَالَ: وَمَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: تَخْرُجُ فِي الْحَرِّ الشَّدِيدِ فِي الْقَبَاءِ الْمَحْشُوِّ وَالثَّوْبِ الثَّقِيلِ وَتَخْرُجُ فِي الْبَرْدِ الشَّدِيدِ فِي الثَّوْبَيْنِ الْخَفِيفَيْنِ وَفِي الْمُلَاءَتَيْنِ لَا تُبَالِي ذَلِكَ، وَلَا تَتَّقِي بَرْدًا، قَالَ: وَمَا كُنْتَ مَعَنَا يَا أَبَا لَيْلَى بِخَيْبَرَ؟ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: بَلَى، وَاللَّهِ قَدْ كُنْتُ مَعَكُمْ، قَالَ: فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَسَارَ بِالنَّاسِ فَانْهَزَمَ حَتَّى رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ، وَبَعَثَ عُمَرَ فَانْهَزَمَ بِالنَّاسِ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، يَفْتَحُ اللَّهُ لَهُ، لَيْسَ بِفَرَّارٍ» فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ فَدَعَانِي، فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَأَنَا أَرْمَدُ لَا أُبْصِرُ شَيْئًا، فَتَفَلَ فِي عَيْنِي وَقَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِهِ الْحَرَّ وَالْبَرْدَ»، قَالَ، فَمَا آذَانِي بَعْدُ حَرٌّ وَلَا بَرْدٌ
Narrated by Ali b. Hashim from Ibn Abi Layla from al-Hakam, al-Minhāl, and ʿIsa from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abi Layla, who said:
"Imam Ali (as) used to go out in the winter wearing two light garments, a waistcloth and a cloak. In the summer, he would wear a thick, stuffed robe and a heavy garment. The people said to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, ‘Why don’t you ask your father, as he stays with him?’ So I asked my father, ‘People have noticed something about the attire of Amir al-Mu’minīn (as) that they find strange.’ He asked, ‘What is it?’ I said, ‘He goes out in the intense heat wearing a stuffed cloak and a heavy garment, and in the extreme cold he wears only two light garments, and he does not mind either the cold or the heat.’ He asked, ‘Did you not accompany us in Khaybar?’ I said, ‘Yes, by Allah, I did.’ He said, ‘When the Holy Prophet (saw) sent Abu Bakr to Khaybar, he and his people were defeated and returned. Then he sent Umar, and the same thing happened. The Prophet (saw) then said, "I will certainly give the flag to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love. He will be victorious, and he is not a deserter." I was called to him, and when I came, I could not see because my eyes were weak. The Prophet (saw) spat in my eye and said, ‘O Allah, protect him from the heat and the cold.’ After that, neither the heat nor the cold affected me."
The true bravery and fierceness of Abu Bakr is highlighted in this report, where he would run away from the enemy after being unable to defeat him, only for Umar to follow in his footsteps, and then none other than Ali (as) being the one to come out victorious, demonstrating what real bravery is.
Reliability of this report
This report is famous, narrated elsewhere by other authors as well, and provides the full context of the famous flag-bearer hadith of Imam Ali (as), where he was awarded the greatest status that day — that of the one whom both Allāh and His Messenger love, and who loves them. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah have also endorsed and accepted such reports, such as Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, who grades this report as hasan in his Mukhtaṣar Zawā’id al-Bazzār (vol. 3, pg. 492)
Our opponents might try to say that this narration is weak due to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Laylā, but this is untrue. He was a saduq (truthful) narrator according to their major scholars of rijal, such as Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Ibn Jarīr, al-Dhahabi and others.
The famous editor of Musnad Aḥmad, Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir, graded a report of Ibn Abī Layla in this book (vol 1, pg. 502 - 503) as ḥasan. Similarly, al-Bukhārī had called him ṣadūq (truthful) according to al-Tirmidhī in Jami` at-Tirmidhi 364:
وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ: ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى هُوَ صَدُوقٌ
Al-Bukhari said: Ibn Abi Layla is Saduq.
This is the difference between the first khalifah of Ahlus Sunnah and the first khalifah of Ahlul Tashayyu, with the true bravery resting in none but 'Ali's hands. And just for the love of reading his virtues, we shall quote the performance of the Imam during Khaybar from Sahih Muslim 1807a:
Then he sent me to 'Ali who had sore eyes, and said: I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger or whom Allah and His Messenger love. So I went to 'Ali, brought him beading him along and he had sore eyes, and I took him to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who applied his saliva to his eyes and he got well. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave him the banner (and 'Ali went to meet Marhab in a single combat). The latter advanced chanting: Khaibar knows certainly that I am Marhab, A fully armed and well-tried valorous warrior (hero) When war comes spreading its flames. 'Ali chanted in reply: I am the one whose mother named him Haidar, (And am) like a lion of the forest with a terror-striking countenance. I give my opponents the measure of sandara in exchange for sa' (i. e. return their attack with one that is much more fierce). The narrator said: 'Ali struck at the head of Marhab and killed him, so the victory (capture of Khaibar) was due to him.
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