Chapter 10: The Martyrdom Of Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr
Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr was brought up by the Commander of the Faithful and was one of the staunchest friends of the Ahl Al-Bayt.
Addressing this illustrious family, he says: “O descendants of Fatimah! You are a place of safety for my guardian and me. It is through you that on the Day of Judgment, the significance of my good actions will be greater. Since my love for you is sincere, I do not mind if somebody barks near me”
Although he was the son of the first caliph, Abu Bakr, and the brother of ‘Aisha, he was not called Khal ul-Mu'minin (like Mu’awiya was). He was abused and deprived of his father's legacy!
When Amr Ibn al-Aas and Mu'awiya Ibn Khadij conquered Egypt, the supply of water was cut off to Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr. When he had nearly died of thirst, he was killed. He was then enclosed in the skin of an ass and the bundle was thrown into a fire. When Mu'awiya learned of this, he was very pleased.1
Amr Ibn Aas entered Egypt without any opposition, and when he encountered Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr, he easily defeated him. Muhammad had no army, and he tried to fight with a handful of soldiers. The Syrians captured him and tortured him to death. Amr occupied Egypt, and it became a part of Mu’awiya's dominions.
Ali ('a) loved Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr as his own son. His death was another terrible shock he had to endure. He prayed for him and invoked God's blessings and mercy upon his noble soul.2
Hearing these facts, the Sunni’s do not question why these damned people treated Abu Bakr's son, Khal ul-Mu'minin Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr, so cruelly, but when Mu'awiya is cursed they immediately become angry?! So, you see the opposition to the progeny of the Holy Prophet (S) and it continues today.
Since Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr was one of the friends of the descendants of the Holy Prophet (S), the Sunni’s neither call him Khal ul-Mu'minin nor regret his murder. Since Mu'awiya was the bitterest enemy of the Ahl Al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet (S), they call him Khal ul-Mu'minin. May Allah save us from such fanatical perversity!
Allah says:
وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is Hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement” (4:93).
This Holy verse explicitly says that if a man kills a single believer intentionally, he deserves Allah's curse and his abode is in Hell. Wasn't Mu'awiya associated with the murder of believers?
Would you hesitate to call Mu'awiya accursed? Is it not a fact that in the Battle of Siffin the great companion of the Holy Prophet (S), Ammar Ibn Yasir, was martyred by Mu'awiya's order? All the prominent ulema say with one accord that the Holy Prophet (S) said to Ammar Ibn Yasir: “It will not be long before you will be killed by a rebellious and misguided group”
Have you any doubt that thousands of devout believers were killed by Mu'awiya's subordinates? Wasn't the pure and valiant warrior, Malik Ashtar, poisoned by Mu'awiya's order? Can you deny that Mu'awiya's chief officials, Amr al-Aas and Mu'awiya Ibn Khadij, brutally martyred the Commander of the Faithful's governor, the pious Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr? Not content with that, they put his body into the carcass of a donkey and set it on fire. If I were to give you the details about the believers killed by Mu'awiya and his officials, it would require not one night, but several.3
