Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq: His Life & Times

The life and times of the Rightly Guided Caliph, Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq are a valuable roadmap for the Muslims of today. Appointed as the Prophet's successor on the basis of consultation, Abu Bakr proved to be a great leader who, with Allah's help, steered the Ummah through difficult limes.

He faced numerous challenges within Arabia: some people apostatized, others-refused to pay zakah, and quite a few individuals emerged as false prophets, attracting many followers. Outside Arabia, the Persians and Byzantine, keenly observed these developments, looking for an opportunity to crush the new state.

Abu Bakr employed effective strategies to deal with these challenges and had remarkable success in doing so. Thus, he paved way for the Islamic conquests that toppled tyrants and carried the message of Islam to the entire world. His leadership should be a great source of inspiration for the Muslims today.

Dr Ali M. Sallabi, the author, was born in Benghazi, Libya in 1963. He received a BA with honours from the Islamic University of Madinah, where he graduated first in his class, and a Master's degree and PhD from Omdurman Islamic University In Sudan. He has also studied the entire Qur'an and various Islamic sciences with respected scholars in Madinah and other parts of Saudi Arabia, as well as in Libya and Yemen. A prolific writer, he has won recognition for his historical writings. His detailed biographies of the rightly-guided Caliphs 'Umar, 'Othman, 'Ali and Al-Hasan, and of Salah ad-Deen (Saladin) have been published in English. Dr Sallabi has also written an eight-volume series on she Islamic belief system.