Allah says in the Quran:
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَنًا حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
“And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his bearing and weaning is thirty months. [Until], when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, ‘My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have turned to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims.'”
— Surah Al-Ahqaf: 15
These verses were revealed regarding the excellence of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA).
The Blessed Journey to Syria
Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) developed a close friendship with the Prophet (PBUH) during a business journey to Syria. At that time, his age was eighteen, and the Prophet (PBUH) was twenty years old. During this journey, they both stayed near a Lote-tree (Sidr tree) along the way. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) had gone to meet a monk who lived there.
The Prophet (PBUH) was sitting under the shade of the tree. The monk asked Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), “Who is that sitting under the tree?”
He replied, “Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib.”
The monk immediately said, “By Allah! He is a Prophet. No one has ever sat under this tree after Hazrat Isa (AS) except him. He is the Final Prophet.”
Acceptance of Islam and the Prayer
When the Prophet (PBUH) reached forty years of age and received Prophethood, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) embraced Islam. Two years later, when his own age reached forty, he supplicated: “My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents!”
Hazrat Ali (RA) narrates:
“Among the Muhajireen (Emigrants), no one except Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) had the privilege of both of their parents accepting Islam.”
The second part of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (RA) prayer was for the righteousness of his children. As a result, his children also accepted Islam and became Muslims. Thus, the entire family of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) became Muslims.
This was indeed an immense blessing bestowed upon them by Allah!
