Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) Allowance from the Bayt-ul-Maal
Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) earned his living by buying and selling cloth. After being appointed the Khalifah (after the demise of Rasulullah [sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam]), the following day, as usual, he left his home to proceed to the market to do trade. On the way, he met Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).
Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) asked him, “Where are you going to?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “I am going to the market.” Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) asked, “If you remain engaged in your business, who will see to the affairs of the khilaafah?”
Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “(If I do not engage in trade to earn a living,) then how will I be able to feed my family?” Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) suggested, “Let us go to Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the one whom Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had given the title of Ameen (the trustworthy one – who was in charge of the Bayt-ul-Maal) to stipulate a fixed allowance for you from the Bayt-ul-Maal.”
They both then went to Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) who stipulated for Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) the average allowance given to a Muhaajir Sahaabi – neither less nor more.
Once, Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) wife said to him, “I would like to eat a sweet dish.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “I have no money to arrange for the sweet dish.”
His wife said, “If you permit me, then I shall try to save something daily from our allowance which will one day be enough to buy the ingredients for the sweet dish.” Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) permitted her, and after some time, his wife was able to save up a little money for the sweet dish.
When his wife brought him the money to buy the sweet dish, he said, “It seems that this amount we have been receiving from the Bayt-ul-Maal is more than what we need.” Therefore, he returned the amount his wife had saved to the Bayt-ul-Maal, and from then onwards, he got his allowance reduced by the amount his wife had saved daily.
Imagine such a great Khalifah and King who would engage in trade prior to becoming the Khalifah, and he was a person who also had a lot of needs of his family to see to – as can be understood from his statement mentioned in the Hadith of Saheeh Bukhaari which is reported by Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha).
Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) says, “When Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was appointed as the Khalifah, he said, ‘My people know that I was a businessman before this, and my business would suffice for fulfilling the needs of my family. However, due to becoming the Khalifah and being engaged in the affairs of the khilaafah, I now have to spend all my time seeing to the affairs of the Muslims. Therefore, my family’s food and expenses shall be paid from the Bayt-ul-Maal.’”
Despite this, at the time of his death, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) instructed Hazrat Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) to make over to his successor all that was given to him from the Bayt-ul-Maal to use for his household needs and requirements.
Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) left neither a dinar nor a dirham in his estate. All that was found in his estate was a she camel used for providing milk, a bowl and a slave.” Some narrations mention that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) also left a shawl and bedding.
When all these were made over to Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), his successor, he remarked, “May Allah Ta‘ala have mercy on Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)! He has set such a precedent for his successors which is very difficult to follow!”
(Fazaa’il-e-A’maal [Urdu] pg. 48-49)
