Siddiq
Siddiq (Arabic: صِدّیق, pronounced [sˤɪdˈdiːq]; meaning 'Truthful') is an Islamic title, used for the first Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), both as a name and a title. It is much common among Sunni Muslims. The earliest references of Siddiq being used for Abu Bakr appear in the Hadith literature.
Historical usage[edit]
After the Isra and Mi'raj event, the Islamic prophet Muhammad informed about the journey to his friends, relatives and other Qurayshite kinsman. Refusing to believe in this journey, numerous Muslims had apostatized from Islam.[1] Abu Bakr was the first person to believe in Muhammad's night journey, and for this reason, Muhammad bestowed the honorific epithet Siddiq upon the former.[2] The 12th-century Damascene scholar Ibn Asakir reports that the angel Gabriel came towards Muhammad and foretold that Abu Bakr is Siddiq and that, he will believe in Muhammad's journey. In Fakhr al-Razi's exegesis, after Muhammad describes the journey, Abu Bakr says "I witness that you are indeed the Messenger of God" and in return, Muhammad says "I witness that you are indeed the Siddiq" to Abu Bakr.[3] Afterward, the Islamic prophet used Siddiq many times to refer to Abu Bakr.
According to the Sahih al-Bukhari, Muhammad was at the Mount Uhud, along with Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman, and the mount starting 'shaking'. Muhammad told Uhud to be 'firm', and that there were a prophet, a Siddiq, and two martyrs. In Islamic accounts, the prophet refers to Muhammad, the Siddiq to Abu Bakr, and the two martyrs were Umar and Uthman, both of whom were assassinated.[4] Abu Qatada al-Ansari (c. 584–656) is reported to have said that many Companions of Muhammad (Ṣaḥāba) referred to Abu Bakr with the epithet of Siddiq.[5]
In the Quran, there are four ranks of Muslims mentioned. The first are the prophets (Anbiyā), the second are the truthful (Siddīqīn), the third are the martyrs (Shahīd), and the fourth being the righteous (Salih). In Sunni Islamic reports, Abu Bakr is considered the 'Greatest of the Truthful' (Siddīq Akbar).[6] Among the earliest well-known references to Abu Bakr as the Greatest of the Truthful is in the Kashf al-Mahjub (lit. 'Revelation of the Hidden') of the 11th-century Sufi mystic Ali Hujwiri.[7]
The usage of the title was then extended to Abu Bakr's daughter Aisha (c. 613/614–678), in its feminine equivalent Siddiqa. In the early Islamic era, Aisha was commonly referred to as Siddiqa bint al-Siddiq, meaning 'Truthful, daughter of the Truthful'.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Alalwani 2012, p. 44–45.
- ^ Ramadan 2007, p. 72.
- ^ Vuckovic 2004, p. 90.
- ^ Niccacci 1995, p. 126.
- ^ Christie 2015, p. 361.
- ^ McGregor 2004, p. 144.
- ^ Nicholson 1911, p. 31.
- ^ Spellberg 1994, p. 33.
Bibliography[edit]
- Alalwani, Taha Jabir (2012). Apostasy in Islam: A Historical and Scriptural Analysis. International Institute of Islamic Thought. ISBN 9781565643635.
- Christie, Niall (2015). The Book of the Jihad of 'Ali ibn Tahir al-Sulami (d. 1106): Text, Translation and Commentary. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9780754667728.
- Niccacci, Alviero (1995). Divine Promises to the Fathers in the Three Monotheistic Religions: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Jerusalem, March 24-25th, 1993. University of California: Franciscan Printing Press.
- Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne (1911). The Kashf Al-Maḥjúb: The Oldest Persian Treatise on Súfiism. E.J. Brill.
- Ramadan, Tariq (2007). In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195374766.
- McGregor, Richard J. A. (2004). Sanctity and Mysticism in Medieval Egypt: The Wafa Sufi Order and the Legacy of Ibn 'Arabi. Suny Press. ISBN 9780791460115.
- Vuckovic, Brooke Olson (2004). Heavenly Journeys, Earthly Concerns: The Legacy of the Mi'raj in the Formation of Islam. Routledge. ISBN 9781135885243.
- Spellberg, Denise (1994). Politics, Gender, and the Islamic Past: the Legacy of A'isha bint Abi Bakr. Colombia University Press. ISBN 9780231079990.