On one occasion, while Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was delivering a khutbah to the people, he asked them, “Tell me, who is the most brave and courageous person?” The people replied, “You are the most brave and courageous.”
Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded, “My condition is such that anyone who challenged me, I was able to combat him. However, I feel that the most brave and courageous person was Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). The reason for this is that I once saw the Quraish beating Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) while saying:
أنت الذي جعلت الآلهة إلها واحدا
So you are the one who has united all the gods into a single deity!
“While they were beating him, none of us had the courage to go close and defend him from the enemy. Coincidentally, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) arrived, plunged into the mob, punching one person and delivering a blow to another. Just as the man with imaan had addressed Fir‘aun and Haamaan saying, ‘Are you killing a man because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’?’, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said to the disbelievers at that time, ‘Woe unto you! Do you wish to kill a man simply because he says, ‘Allah is my Lord’?’”
After Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned this incident, he began to weep and said, “I entreat you in the name of Allah – was Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) superior or the believing man from the people of Fir‘aun?” When the people remained silent and did not answer, Hazrat ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) proclaimed, “By Allah! One moment in the life of Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was far superior to the entire life of that believing man. That man concealed his imaan while Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) exposed his imaan. Furthermore, that man sufficed on merely giving verbal advice, while Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) gave verbal advice and also physically defended and assisted Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”
(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/205)
