Abd Al-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr

, image = File:عبد الرحمن بن أبي بكر الصديق.png
, alt =
, caption = His Name in Islamic Calligraphy
, birth_date =
, death_date = (aged 70–79)
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia
, death_place = Mecca, Umayyad Caliphate
, allegiance = Quraysh (624–628)
Muhammad (628–632)
Rashidun Caliphate (632–641)
, branch = Rashidun army
Rashidun cavalry
, serviceyears = 624–641
, rank =
, unit =
, commands =
, battles =
*Against the Muslims:
**Battle of Badr (624)
** Battle of Uhud (625)
*Under the Rashidun Caliphate
**Battle of Yamama (632)
**Battle of Yarmouk (636)
, spouse = Qurayba bint Abi Umayya
, children =
, relations =
, other_name = Ibn Abi Bakr

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr (; –675),Siddiq-e-Akbar Hazrat Abu Bakr by prof. Masud ul Hassan Printed and published by A. Salam, Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore was an Arab Muslim military commander in the service of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr (), and Umar (). His mother was Umm Ruman and he was the full brother of Aisha. It is said that he had a good sense of humour.

Unlike the rest of his family, including his father Abu Bakr and sister Aisha, he did not convert to Islam until the Treaty of Hudaybiyah in 628.

Four generations of the family of Abd al-Rahman had the distinction of being the companions (sahaba) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad namely Abd al-Rahman, his father Abu Bakr ''As-Siddiq'', his grandfather Uthman Abu Quhafa and his son Abu Atiq Muhammad. It was believed that no other family held this distinction.

Biography

While still a non-Muslim, Abd al-Rahman fought from the side of Quraish in the Battles of Badr and Uhud.

In the Battle of Badr, he had an opportunity to kill his father, Abu Bakr, but he turned in another direction. Years later, after becoming Muslim, he told his father about it. Thereupon Abu Bakr replied: "If I had had such an opportunity, I would not have spared ''you''."

In the Battle of Uhud before the fighting began, he came forward and threw down a challenge for a duel. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge, but Muhammad stopped him, saying, "Sheathe your sword, and let us continue to profit by your wise counsels."

After becoming a Muslim, Abd al-Rahman participated in all the battles fought by the Muslims and gained fame as a fierce warrior, especially in the Muslim conquest of Syria. He was one of the Mubarizun champions and fought duels in the battles for the Muslim army. The mubarizun unit of the Rashidun army was composed of elite warriors who were champion swordsmen, lancers and archers. In the battlefield his role was to undermine the morale of the enemy before the beginning of the battle by slaying their champions in duels.

In the Battle of Yamama he killed Muhakkam al-Yamama, the General commanding the forces of Musaylima.

In the Battle of Yarmouk, the Commander in chief of Byzantine force chose five selected warriors from Byzantine side, and they challenged the Muslims to duel. It was Abd al-Rahman who accepted the challenge. Scores of duels were fought on the plains of Yarmouk. Abd al-Rahman killed all of them one after the other.

At the Battle of Busra in Syria, he entered the city of Busra through a subterranean passage and then dashing towards the city gates opened them for the main Muslim army to enter.Siddiq-e-Akbar Hazrat Abu Bakr by prof. Masud ul Hassan

Later, Abd al-Rahman were mentioned again involved in the Muslim campaign to Bahnasa. the Byzantine Sudanese forces flee to Bahnasa town and locked the gates, which then followed by the Muslims besiege the town, as the enemy were reinforced by an arrival of 50,000 according to the report of al-Maqqari. The siege dragged for months, until Khalid ibn al-Walid commanded Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Dhiraar ibn al-Azwar and other commanders to intensify the siege and assign them to lead around 10,000 Companions of the Prophet, with 70 among them were veterans of battle of Badr. Abd al-Rahman were mentioned as one of the Rashidun commander. the Byzantines and their Copt allies showering the Rashidun army with arrows and stones, until the Rashidun overcame the defenders, as Dhiraar, the first emerge, came out from the battle with his entire body stained in blood, while confessed he personally slayed about 160 Byzantine soldiers during the battle. Muslim army managed to breach the gate and storming the city and forcing surrender to the inhabitant. According to chronicles, the siege of Bahnasa were so fierce that in this battle alone, 5,000 Companions of the prophet (Sahabah) were perished during this battle, as the thousands of their tombs were still can be seen in the modern day.

Later, the Muslim forces besieged Barqa (Cyrenaica) for about three years to no avail. Then Khalid ibn al-Walid, who had previously participated in the conquest of Oxyrhynchus, offered a radical plan to erect a catapult that would be filled with sacks of cotton. Then as the night came and the city guard slept, Khalid ordered his best warriors including Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, his son Abd Allah, Fadl ibn Abbas, Abu Mas'ud al-Badri, and Abd al-Razzaq to step into the catapult platform which filled by cotton sacks. The catapult launched them one by one to the top of the wall and allowed these warriors to climb the top of the city walls, opening the gates and killing the guards, thus allowing the Muslim forces to enter and capturing the city.

After his death, he was buried in Mecca.Siddiq-e-Akbar Hazrat Abu Bakr by prof. Masud ul Hassan Printed and Published by A. Salam, Ferozsons Ltd 60, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Lahore, Pakistan .

Abd al-Rahman is the ancestor of many Albakri Al-Siddiqi families: the Al Atiqi found in Kuwait, the Al Amoudi found in Hadhramaut, and Siddiqui and Quraishi families in South and Central Asia. In the Horn of Africa, the Harari people the udejeen clan or ciise ïbñû hutheyfi claim descent from Abd al-Rahman and the Sheekhaal, or Fiqi Umar Somali clan claim descent from Abd al-Rahman through Abadir Umar ar-Rida.

See also

*Companions of the Prophet
*Abu Bakr
*Siddiqui
* Bodla
*Sheekhaal
*Qallu
*Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr
* Aisha
* Asma bint Abi Bakr
*Umm Kulthum bint Abi Bakr
*Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr

Appendix

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References

Sources

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdul-Rahman Ibn Abu Bakr
675 deaths
Abu Bakr family
Place of birth unknown
Place of death unknown
Year of birth unknown
Companions of the Prophet
Children of Rashidun caliphs