QUESTION:

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. I hope this email finds you in good condition. I want to ask a Question. I have learned a lot from your lessons on Lamiyyah ibn Taymiyyah. There I saw you said Abu Bakr As Siddiq رضي الله عنه got his title 'As-Siddiq' when he believed in the Prophet ﷺ immediately after he told him about Islam, but I saw somewhere else that he got that title when he believed in the Prophet ﷺ about going to the heavens the Night of israa wal mi'raj, so I'm a bit confused. I want you to clarify in-shaa'Allāh BarakAllahu feek. [link https://t.me/madrasatuna/110] ANSWER: There's no denying the fact that Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه is the Siddeeq of this Ummah. Allah the Almighty said: {وَٱلَّذِی جَاۤءَ بِٱلصِّدۡقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦۤ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ} “And the one who brought the truth and the one who embraced it—it is they who are the righteous.” [Surah Az-Zumar: 33] 'Ali radhiyallahu anu said concerning this Aayah: “[The one who brought the truth], is in reference to Muhammad ﷺ, [and the one who embraced it], is in reference to Abu Bakr radhiyallahu anhu.” [Tafseer At-Tabari] Also, Al-Bukhari rahimahullah narrated in his Saheeh (3675) on the authority of Anas ibn Malik radhiyallahu 'anhu that the Prophet ﷺ ascended Mount Uhud with Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all), and the Mount trembled with them, so the Prophet ﷺ said: ((اثْبُتْ أُحُدُ؛ فإنَّما عَلَيْكَ نَبِيٌّ، وصِدِّيقٌ، وشَهِيدَانِ)) “Stay firm O Uhud! For on you is a Prophet, a Siddeeq, and two martyrs.” Also, Imam An-Nawawi mentions in 'Tahdheeb Al-Asmaa wal-Lughaat' (2/181): أجمعت الأئمة على تسميته صديقاً. قال علي بن أبي طالب ـ رضي الله عنه: إن الله تعالى هو الذي سمى أبا بكر على لسان رسول الله ﷺ صديقًا، وسبب تسميته أنه بادر إلى تصديق رسول الله ﷺ ولازم الصدق. “The Imams are unanimously agreed that he is called 'As-Siddiq'. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib radhiyallahu 'anhu said: Allah the Almighty is the One Who gave Abu Bakr the name As-Siddeeq upon the tongue of his Messenger ﷺ; and he was given this name because he hastened to believe the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and was persistent in his conviction towards the truth.” Similarly, Mus'ab ibn Az-Zubair rahimahullah said: ”أجمعت الأمة على تسميته بالصديق؛ لأنه بادر إلى تصديق رسول الله ﷺ ولازم الصدق، فلم تقع منه هناة ما، ولا وقفة في حال من الأحوال.“ “The Ummah have unanimously agreed that he was called As-Siddeeq; because he hastened to believe the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and was persistent in his conviction towards the truth, such that he did not waver or hesitate at any point (to accept the truth). ['Tarikh Al-Khulafaa' by As-Suyooti (26)] However, there is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars as to the exact moment where he was given this title. Sheikh Albani rahimahullah mentions in As-Silsilah As-Saheeh [Shamilah (1/615)] under Hadeeth No. 306, that Aishah radhiyallahu anha said: فلذلك سمي أبو بكر الصديق. That is why he was called Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, i.e. because he immediately accepted and believed the report that the Prophet ﷺ had travelled to Jerusalem and back to Makkah all in one night. Then, Sheikh Albani concluded that this report is authentic on account of the supporting narrations, and he said that Imam Abu Ja'far At-Tahawi asserted that this was the reason/moment Abu Bakr was given the title 'As-Siddeeq'. [Mushkil Al-Aathaar (2/145)] Whatever the case, it's fair to say that he did not earn this title due to a one off event; because 'As-Siddeeq' is a derivative (seeghah) that expresses a high degree (mubaalaghah) in accepting and believing in the truth. So he radhiyallahu anhu was 'very persistent in accepting the truth'. And Allah knows best.