Hz. Abu Bakr said, "Let my body enlarge so much in Hell that there will be no place for believers." Is this statement true? How should we understand it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

This statement is attributed to Hz. Abu Bakr. Hz. Abu Bakr (ra) said,

"Let my body enlarge so much in Hell that there will be no place for believers." (see Şemseddin Sivasi, Cihar-ı Yar-ı Güzin, p. 25)

There are some hadiths that confirm this statement, that is, that confirm the truth of Hz. Abu Bakr's statement, which is the perfect example of his loyalty:

"The most merciful person toward my ummah is Abu Bakr."

"If the belief of Abu Bakr were weighed against the belief of the realms, Abu Bakr's belief would outweigh." (see al Fathur-Rabbani, Sharhu Musnadi Ahmad, 1/52, Musnadu Ahmad 3/186,281, Musnadu Abu Dawud - Tayalisi hadith no: 2096)

There is no rebellion - God forbid - in this statement but the perfection given by belief. As a matter of fact, many great Islamic scholars have similar statements.  The following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi confirms this: "If I see the belief of my ummah safe, I am ready to burn in the flames of Hell." (Tarihçe-i Hayat, p. 630)

Some salaf scholars and saints uttered similar statements. However, since this issue does not have an aspect related to creed or fiqh, it may not have been included in the resources. 

Imam Ghazali attracts attention to the following issue: “If a person has a love of Allah in the form of immersion, that person will no longer like the pleasure of anything else.” (Ihya, 4/297)

Abu Sulayman ad-Darani: “If Allah put all people in Paradise and only me in Hell, I would accept it.” (Ihya, 4/337)

A great person who knew Allah said, “If Allah made me a bridge and made all people pass over me and put them in Paradise and only me in Hell, I would say,   ‘Since Allah regarded it appropriate, I would consent to it.” (Ihya, the same place)

According to Ghazali, it is possible for a person who places love of Allah truly in his heart and is overwhelmed with this love not to feel any pains or agonies. That we do not know about it does not mean that it is not possible for saints.” (Ihya, 4/349)

The love and compassion that a person who is at a peak in the love of Allah shows to the slaves of Allah is on behalf of Allah. This strengthens the love. Therefore, it is possible for close friends of Allah to make such sacrifices whether the resource of the statement of Hz. Abu Bakr is found or not.

Islamic scholars approached all people with the compassion of a mother. A mother does not want her child to be thrown into fire; she will throw herself into fire instead of her child; she will throw herself into fire in order to save her child from fire. Similarly, Islamic scholars wanted themselves to be thrown into fire for the salvation of the ummah. Besides, what makes them elevate to that level is that spirit.

People like us, who do not have the same mentality as those great people, might not be able to understand the sacrifice of Hz. Abu Bakr. We think that anybody who reads the following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, which emits sincerity and explains the fiqh aspect of the issue:  

“As the magazines Büyük Cihad and Sebilürreşad published, I declare that I will not use service to religion and belief, and Risale-i Nur as a means of worldly politics, spiritual perfection, high ranks and happiness in the hereafter, and salvation from Hell, which everybody likes; I will use it only for divine order and consent, which makes me maintain the secret of real sincerity, which is the real power of Nur. I said that I would accept to enter Hell so that a few people would be saved from Hell with belief in order to make a tiny piece of blessed sacrifice of Hz. Abu Bakr, who said,   

"I ask Allah to enlarge my body in Hell so that believers go to Hell and my body will be tortured instead of them."

Indeed, worship is not performed in order to enter Paradise or to be saved from Hell; otherwise it is spoiled. Rather, it is performed for the sake of divine pleasure and the Lordly command. (Emirdağ Lahikası-II, p. 152)

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