economic thought of the rightly guided caliphs 95need to find answers to new socio-economic problems, that either
did not exist during the time of the Prophet or existed but not on
the same scale. Various Caliphs contributed to the development of
economic jurisprudence in several ways and at different levels, as
shown below.
The First Caliph Abù-Bakr (632–634)Caliph Abù-Bakr, the Man
Caliph Abù-Bakr was tender hearted, gentle natured, approachable,
generous and pious. As far as precedence in Islam is concerned, he
was the first man, or one of the first three men, to have embraced
Islam. “Al-Siddiq”, the believing, he was nicknamed as he uncon-
ditionally believed in the Prophet and in what he said without any
shadow of doubt, particularly after the Prophet’s proclamation of vis-
iting Jerusalem and Heaven and returning to Makkah in one night
(the Night Journey). After embracing Islam, he spent his wealth in
the cause of God generously, buying Muslim slaves and setting them
free to save them from torture. He also participated in the prepa-
ration for Holy War to the full extent of his wealth. “I left them
God and His Messenger”, was Abù-Bakr’s answer when he was asked
by the Prophet about what he left for his family after donating all
his money in God’s cause. He was one of the closest associates of
the Prophet and the man who was chosen by Muœammad to accom-
pany him in his secret emigration to al-Medìnah—a great honour.
The next notable honour came when the Prophet chose him to lead
Muslims in congregational prayers during his final illness (Al-Suyùti,
d. 1511 A.C.).
Despite his short caliphate, the first caliph succeeded in estab-
lishing his leadership in the early crucial period of Islam after the
death of its Messenger. He had the ingredients for a charismatic
leader which helped him to gain the general acceptance of Muslims.
This was due to his closeness to the Prophet during his life, his early
response to the Islamic call as the first man to have embraced Islam,
his complete devotion to the Islamic movement since its early days,
his deputyship to the Prophet in congregational prayers, flalàh, dur-
ing the Prophet’s final illness, and the fact that he has been referred