T h e St ra ig ht Pat h
61
moved by anything other than material reality, material utility and
the avoidance of harm. The Divine Book will guide only those who
are ready to accept such truths as have no force of external reality
to back them, their importance existing wholly in the mind. In
other words, the state of animality is characterized by belief in the
seen while the state of humanity is characterized by belief in the
unseen.
According to a tradition, the Prophet said of Abu Bakr’s
acceptance of Islam: “Whenever I invited someone to Islam, he
would show some doubt or hesitation. The only one who did not
do so was Abu Bakr, who accepted the faith without hesitation or
second thoughts as soon as I talked to him of Islam.” (
Al-Bidayah
wan-Nihayah
, Vol. III, p. 27)
In his evaluation of a thing purely on its merits, Abu Bakr
attained to the highest point of humanity. There were some who
accepted Islam because of the Prophet’s charisma, or the miracles,
or the ineffable style of the Quran, or the conquest of Makkah,
or the material gains brought by Islam; but Abu Bakr Siddiq had
reached such heights of conceptual thought that he could accept
or reject a thing purely on merit.
When, at the time of his death, Abu Bakr nominated Umar
Faruq to the Caliphate, there was a general feeling of unrest. Talha
ibn Ubaidullah came to him and said: “The people have sent me
to you as their messenger. They say that you have seen all along
how strict Umar has been with us. When you pass on your office
to him, what then will become of us? And then, if God questions
you about this choice, what answer will you give Him?” But one
who has attained to such a high state of humanity could see beyond
appearances: he knew that Umar’s strictness was not for his self
but for religion. He knew that his God-fearing heart was the
greatest surety of his firm stand on matters of truth. Uthman ibn
Affan pointed out that they should not look at what was on the
surface, but should consider what lay beneath, for what was inside
him far surpassed his exterior. Abu Bakr also held the same opinion
about Umar.
