Abu Bakr’s role was crucial to restoring order after Prophet Muhammad’s death. The circumstances had been chaotic and disorganized since the Umma’s leader had passed away, hence it was now up to the newly elected khalifah, Abu Bakr, to direct the people and reinstate peace and stability upon them. It was not a simple task considering the numerous problems that were arousing.
Abu Bakr was faced with a great challenge. The Muslims weren’t fulfilling their duties to Islam or to their leader. For instance, some rejected Islam, several didn’t acknowledge Abu Bakr as their leader, others stopped paying the taxes or poor rates and some tribes broke their alliances with the Muslims. They were called apostates in relation to their treason. But Abu Bakr didn’t take action against them until he followed the prophet’s request to send an expedition to Syria.
He assigned Usama bin Zaid to lead the expedition even though the Ansar thought that there was no point of sending an expedition and that Usama wasn’t competent. Although it wasn’t an extreme success, it proved Abu Bakr’s determination and decisiveness as a leader, paving the path for him to deal with the apostates.
They were spread in Najd, Yamama, Oman and Bahrain. Abu Bakr wasn’t willing to show mercy and immediately declared war on them. He gathered an army and assigned Khalid bin al Walid to lead it. Many criticized his choice but nevertheless, he supported Khalid, proving his will power. Consequently, the Muslims won the battles called “ridda” against the apostates. They annihilated imposters and fake prophets like Musaylama in the battle of Aqraba in Yamama and other battles. As a result, the Umma returned to its peaceful state under Abu Bakr’s rule.
Abu Bakr shaped the Umma’s fate after the death of Muhammad. He was a key element in the process of restoring order and stability. According to historical resources, there is a chance that the future of the Islamic Umma would’ve deteriorated if it wasn’t for his presence and extremely significant role.
