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Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (631–658) was the son of Islam's first caliph, Abū Bakr and Asma bint Umais. When Abū Bakr died, Ibn Abī-Bakr's mother remarried, to ˤAlī ibn Abī-Tālib, Muhammad's cousin. The boy was only three years old at the time; he became ˤAlī's adopted son and one of his supporters.

Ibn Abī-Bakr had a son named Qasim ibn Muħammad (not to be confused with the Prophet's son Qasim ibn Muhammad). From Ibn Abī-Bakr's son was the mother of Jafar as-Sasiq born.

Uthman

During the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph, the adult Ibn Abī-Bakr was stationed in the newly conquered province of Egypt, where he incited the soldiers against the rule of Uthman. Uthman was widely perceived to be ruling as a king and favoring his kin rather than following the traditional Arabian pattern in which the leader was merely "the first among equals". Uthman was accused of seizing lands that should have been shared, and of misusing donations to the zakat or "charity tax". Ibn Abī-Bakr was not alone in his resentment of Uthman; he was one of many early Muslims who felt that the Islamic community, the Ummah, was headed in the wrong direction. Ibn Abī-Bakr's half-sister Aisha was among the protesters.

In 651 CE, some of the Egyptian soldiers sent a deputation to Uthman. According to the account given by Wilferd Madelung, Ibn Abī-Bakr did not accompany this delegation, but preceded them to Medina. The events that followed are still a matter of much dispute. Wilferd Madelung recounts the story much as follows.

Once in Medina, the soldiers encamped around Uthman's palace and demanded reforms. Their bearing was insolent and threatening and Uthman indeed felt under siege. He temporized, offered an apology, and the soldiers, apparently satisfied, left briefly. However, Uthman is said to have reneged on his promises. Medina residents stoned him when he attempted to give a Friday sermon, and the contingent from Egypt returned and laid siege in earnest to Uthman's palace. Uthman seems to have had no troops at his command; they were all on the frontiers of his expanding empire. Some of Uthman's kin and supporters mounted a feeble resistance, throwing stones at the besiegers. However, Uthman's true protection was the edict of Muhammad that Muslims should not shed each other's blood. The soldiers hoped to gain their ends by threats, without having to resort to actual violence; Uthman refused to take up arms. Eventually the soldiers stormed the palace and murdered Uthman as he sat reading the Quran.

Muhammad Ibn Abī-Bakr was apparently deeply involved with the mutineers, even though he was not one of their formal leaders. According to several accounts, he was one of the small party that entered Uthman's palace by the roof and killed Uthman. He is said to have seized Uthman by his beard, berated him, and slashed him on his forehead. Kanana ibn Bishr is said to have given the killing blow .

When Uthman died in the hands of the rioters, Nayla bint Farasa, Uthman's wife, sent a letter to Muˤāwiyya stating:

"The rioters penetrated into the house. They burnt the gate, broke fine windows and looted property. Muhammad Ibn Abī-Bakr pulled the beard of the Caliph."

The assassination took place in Medina, then the capital of the burgeoning Islamic empire. There was great confusion afterwards, and some (either the mutineers, or concerned citizens, or both) are said to have approached ˤAlī, begging him to become caliph and put an end to the chaos. ˤAlī accepted, despite his disapproval of the murder of Uthman. However, he did not punish the rioters and mutinous soldiers—possibly because his own position was insecure and he did not have the power to do so, possibly because (some say) the mutineers were his strongest supporters.

Although Muˤāwiyya was reached by Nayla bint Farasa's letter, he didn't act. After the Battle of the Camel, ˤAlī shifted his attention towards Muˤāwiyya. Then did Muˤāwiyya vowe to avenge his kinsman Uthman and set himself against ˤAlī.

ˤAlī's brief tenure as caliph (656–661) was spent fighting against Muˤāwiyya, Aisha (Ibn Abī-Bakr's half-sister and one of the prophet Muhammad's widows), and the rebellious Kharijites.

ˤAlī appointed Ibn Abī-Bakr Governor of Egypt, then a newly conquered province of the Islamic empire. In 658 CE (38 A.H.), Muˤāwiyya sent his general Amr ibn al-As and six thousand soldiers against him. Ibn Abī-Bakr asked ˤAlī for help. ˤAlī is said to have instructed his foster son to hand the governorship over to his best general and childhood friend, Malik ibn Ashtar, whom he judged better capable of resisting Amr bin Aas. However, Malik died on his way to Egypt. Madelung accepts that Malik was poisoned by Muˤāwiyya, as do the Shia.

Ibn Abī-Bakr was easily defeated by Amr. Amr's soldiers were ordered to capture him and bring him, alive, to Muˤāwiyya. However, a solder named Muˤāwiyya ibn Hudayj is said to have quarrelled with the prisoner and killed him out of hand. Ibn Hudayj was so incensed at Ibn Abī-Bakr that he put his body into that of a dead donkey and burned both corpses together, so that nothing should survive of his enemy . However, Shi'a accounts say that the Muˤāwiyya who later became caliph was the actual killer of Ibn Abī-Bakr .

Ibn Abī-Bakr's death, particularly the way he died, greatly infuriated Aisha against Muˤāwiyya.

Shi'a view of Ibn Abī-Bakr

The Shi'a praise this young man for his devotion to ˤAlī and his resistance to a caliph the Shi'a believe to be a tyrant. Though his father Abū Bakr and his sister Aisha were fierce enemies of ˤAlī, Ibn Abī-Bakr was faithful to his stepfather.

According to a Shia book:

ˤAlī loved Muhammad Ibn Abī-Bakr as his own son and his death was felt as another terrible shock. ˤAlī prayed for him, and invoked God's blessings and mercy upon his soul. .

See also

• Family tree of Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr
• Sahāba

References

• Wilferd Madelung, The Succession to Muhammad, Cambridge University Press, 1997.

External links

• Biography

• http://www.hermetic.com/sabazius/mohammed.htm -Uthman became quite unpopular, and he was murdered by insurgents lead by the son of Abu Bakr, Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr, in 656 e.v

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