It is narrated from Shababa from Furat bin Saib that: I asked Maimoon bin Mehran:
“Did Abu Bakr Siddiq believe in the Prophet earlier or it was Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.)?”
He replied: “By God, indeed Abu Bakr believed in Prophet since the period
of Bahira and he used interact with His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) and Khadija till he
brought Khadija in marriage to the Prophet and all this was before the birth of Ali
Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.).”
Imam Nawawi writes: “Abu Bakr embraced Islam first of all. He embraced
Islam at the age of twenty years and some say that it was at the age of fifteen
years.”1
Allamah Amini says: Come let us examine these chainless traditional
reports, whether they have any trace of authenticity or not.
As for the chain of narrators of Mehran:
1. Shababa bin Sawar2 Abu Amr Madaini: It is concluded from the report of
Abu Ali Madaini that he was inimical to Ahle Bayt of Prophet. Someone cursed
him saying: O Allah, if Shababa is enemy of your Prophet, make him paralyzed
this very moment and from that time he became paralyzed and died thereafter.3
2. Furat bin Saib Jazari: Bukhari has written that his traditions are not
acceptable and Nasai says that his traditions are rejectable.4
3. Maimoon bin Mehran: Ajali has written that he was inimical to Ali (a.s.)
as mentioned in Tahzib of Ibne Hajar; thus what value does he and his traditions have when he is inimical to Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.)?5
Now, Maimoon in his tradition has mentioned two points: Islam of Abu
Bakr during the period of Bahira; and his role in the marriage of Prophet to Lady
Khadija (s.a.).
As for his role in the union of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and Lady Khadija
(s.a.), no one has reported this. And it is not unlikely that a young man of twenty
three years should make efforts to arrange their marriage, whereas they belonged
to highly influential families; and there were elders present like Abbas, Hamza
and Abu Talib? Among whom the Prophet lived.
And as will be mentioned, Abu Talib, his uncle was very fond of him, even
more than his own children and he always slept besides him. Whenever the
Prophet went out, he went with Abu Talib.6 It was him that spoke to Khadija that
she may appoint Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) as her representative in trade.7
What is mentioned in books of biography and history regarding this
marriage is that Khadija sent someone to Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and since
she was inclined to His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) due to relationship, trust, good
manners and truthfulness, she married him and proposed herself to him.
Thus, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) discussed this with his uncles and
his uncle, Hamza came out with him. It is mentioned in report of Ibne Athir that:
Hamza, Abu Talib and other uncles of His Eminence (s.a.w.a.) went out to meet
Khuwailad bin Asad or Amr bin Asad, uncle of Lady Khadija (s.a.) and sought
her hand and she married His Eminence (s.a.w.a.); and Abu Talib recited the
marriage sermon.8
Thus, from where has the invalid imagination of Ibne Mehran brought out
this authentic and widely narrated history?
As for the Islam of Abu Bakr before birth of Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.)
and during the time of monk Bahira it is taken from a traditional report, which
Ibne Manda9 has narrated from the chains of Abdul Ghani bin Saeed Thaqafi
from Ibne Abbas.
Numerous Hafiz scholars regard this report weak. Dhahabi has written in
Mizanul Etedal:10
Ibne Yunus, has deemed Abdul Ghani to be weak.
Ibne Hajar in his book of Lisanul Mizan,11 has confessed to the weakness of this man.
In Isabah,12 he has written that: “He among the weak in narrating reports and
whose traditions are not acceptable.”
If Abu Bakr was the first to embrace Islam, then where was he till the end of
the seventh year of Besat, regarding which the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said:
“Indeed, angels invoked divine blessings on me and Ali for seven years,
because we prayed the Prayer and there was no one with us to accompany us.”13
Authentic traditions are recorded from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and Imam Ali
(a.s.) that Ameerul Momineen Ali (a.s.) was the first Muslim, which we
mentioned previously.14
We also mentioned that there are more than sixty traditional reports from
companions and companions of companions regarding the fact that Ali was the
first to embrace Islam and the first to pray and believe.
The authentic traditional report of Tabari was also mentioned that:
“Abu Bakr embraced Islam after more than fifty persons.”
If Abu Bakr was the first and had believed in Prophet before the birth of
Imam Ali (a.s.) then where was he on the day when Abbas said to Abdullah bin
Masud:
“On the face of the earth, there is no one, who worships God with this
religion, except these three: Muhammad, Ali and Khadija.”15?