Khilafat-e-Rashidah — Page 172
172 KHILAFAT-E-R A SHIDAH The other question was of Zakat. The Companions ra requested that if the departure of the army could not be stopped then he should make a temporary truce and tell them that the Zakat would not be levied that year. In the meanwhile their passions would cool down and a way would be found to resolve the differences. As at present they were emotional and ready to fight, it was not good to take Zakat from them. Hadrat Abu Bakr ra said, “It will not happen at all. In the age of the Holy Prophet sa , if they gave a piece of string to tie the knee of a camel in Zakat, and refused to give it now then he will have to fight till I get that piece of string”. On this the Companions ra said that if the army of Usama ra went out and no temporary truce was made with rebels then who would face the enemy, because there were only a few old and weak persons or some young ones. How could they face hundreds of thousands of enemies? Hadrat Abu Bakr ra replied, “If you cannot face them then Abu Bakr ra alone will come out to face them”. 30 This is the claim of the person who was not skilled in warfare, and about whom it was usually presumed that he was weak-hearted. What created this courage, bravery, certitude and confidence in him? Hadrat Abu Bakr ra took it that he was made Khalifah by Allah, the Almighty, and on him was the whole responsibility, so it was his duty to come out to fight. Success or 30 T a r i khul-Kham i s , Vol. 2, p. 201, by Husain bin Muhammad bin Al- Hasan Ad-Diy a r Bakari, publisher Mu’assasatu Shu‘b a t, Beirut.