During this year Abu Bakr departed, by order of his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.—to Mekkah, and A’li Murtadza—u. w. b.—likewise started after him. The U’lamâ of biographies state that about the end of the month Dhu-l-qa’dah of the ninth year after the Flight the lord of apostleship intended to go on pilgrimage; but as it had reached the august hearing of his lordship that the idolaters were in the habit of circumambulating the house of Allah during the season of the pilgrimage in the same manner as in the time of ignorance, and in a state of perfect nudity, he was so disgusted that he felt disinclined to come in contact with them himself, but appointed Ssiddyq Akbar to the command of more than three hundred companions, and ordered him to go to Mekkah in order to teach the people the ceremonies of the pilgrimage and to recite to them the beginning of the Surah Berât,* as far as forty verses. Abu Bakr accordingly donned the Ehrâm in the place Dhu-l-hayfah, and started in conformity with the orders he had received. Meanwhile, Jebrâil descended and brought to his lordship information from the Lord of Glory to the following purport: ‘No one is to promulge the [Divine] message, except thyself and A’li,’ but according to another tradition, ‘except thyself or one of thy men.’ A’li the Commander of the Faithful—u. w. b.— being in the whole nation and tribe the nearest relative of the apostle of God, his lordship said to him: ‘Follow Abu Bakr, and take from him the commencement of the Surah Berât, which thou art to recite to the people at the time of the pilgrimage. Inculcate to the crowd also the following four maxims: 1. No person will enter paradise unless adorned with the decoration of the Faith. 2. No person is to encompass the Ka’bah in a state of nudity. 3. After this year no professor of idolatry and aberration shall go on pilgrimage. 4. All infidels and idolaters who have made a truce with God and His prophet, shall abide thereby till the expiration of it, and after that they shall obtain a respite of four months; but if after the expiration of this second period they do not become Musalmâns, it will be licit to take their property and to shed their blood.’ Jâber B. ’Abdullah, the Anssâry, who likewise went on pilgrimage with Ssiddyq, says: ‘When we arrived in A’rj, and the time for matutinal prayers was at hand, Abu Bakr Ssiddyq went forward to lead the devotions; but he had not yet begun them when he heard the noise made by the private camel of the lord of apostleship. He therefore stopped, and said: “This is the voice of the she-camel of his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.—and possibly his lordship has been ordered to go on pilgrimage; let us wait, therefore, and pray with him.” After a short time, however, A’li— u. w. b.—arrived, riding on his lordship’s camel, and Abu Bakr asked him: “Hast thou arrived as commander, or commanded?” He replied: “I am commanded; but give me the beginning of the Surah Berât, because I have been ordered to read those verses to the people, and to inform them of the four maxims.” Ssiddyq, therefore, surrendered those verses to him, and then held the prayers.’ Jâber continues: ‘When we arrived in Mekkah Abu Bakr one day preached a sermon before the Tarrawiah,* and taught the people the ceremonies of the pilgrimage. A’li got up, read the Surah Berât to the multitude, and rehearsed the four maxims. To each succeeding company to which Abu Bakr preached and explained the commandments, A’li likewise delivered his injunctions.’ It is related that when A’li informed the people of the four maxims, one man exclaimed: ‘If the oaths that have passed between us and thy uncle’s son were to be dissolved, I swear that we would follow thee.’ But A’li—u. w. b.—replied: ‘If I were not afraid to offend the apostle of God, who told me to undertake nothing till I return to him, I would certainly kill thee.’ It is related that when A’li the Commander of the Faithful—u. w. b.—arrived in Mekkah, he drew his sword, and said: ‘I swear by God, that no one shall perform the circumambulation naked, or I shall chastise him with the sword.’ Then every one who was in a state of nudity dressed himself, and those unwilling to do so abstained from circumambulating the house.
It is related that after Ssiddyq and A’li had terminated their business, they returned to Madinah, and the former asked his lordship: ‘What have I done that thou hast prohibited me to read the Surah Berât?’ He replied: ‘O Abu Bakr, thou hast done nothing to incur blame. Thou hast been my companion in the cave,* and thou wilt be my companion when I shall stand on the bank of the lake Kawthar;* but Jebrâil had come and said: “No one shall do it except thou, or one belonging to thee.” ’ In the Aa’lâmu-l-warâ it is related that A’li overtook Abu Bakr on the road, and that the latter asked him: ‘O A’li, what has happened? Perhaps something has been revealed with reference to me?’ A’li replied: ‘No; but the apostle of God—u. w. b.—has ordered me to take from thee the Surah Berât, and to read it to the idolaters.’ Hereon Abu Bakr retraced his steps, and spoke to the apostle of God as follows: ‘Verily, thou hast given me hopes that I would accomplish something whereat the people would be astonished, but thou hast revoked thy injunction when I was about to execute it. Has any [verse of the] Qurân been revealed with reference to me?’ The prophet replied: ‘No; but the faithful one [i.e., Gabriel] brought me the following words from the God the Most High: “Only thou, or a man belonging to thee, must do it.” But A’li belongs to me; he is my brother, my legatee, my heir, and my successor in the family and among my people. When I shall be no more he will pay my debt and fulfil my promise.’