Chapter of the book: Islam's Strict Prohibitions Against Killing Women, Children and Other Defenceless People · Read as PDF

An Address by the First Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddiq

Besides addressing armies, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq also admonished and instructed the general public of the Muslims.

As is recorded by Ibnu Abi Shaybah, on the authority of Thabit ibnu l-Hajjaj al-Kilabi, who narrated the following account:

ثنا ثَابِتُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ الْكِلَابِيُّ، قَالَ: قَامَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي النَّاسِ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «أَلَا لَا يُقْتَلُ الرَّاهِبُ فِي الصَّوْمَعَةِ»

Abu Bakr arose in front of a crowd to hold a sermon. He began by glorifying and praising Allah. Then he went on by saying: “Hark!¹⁹ The monk in his hut²⁰ must not be killed!”