The bravery of Abu Bakr as- Siddiq

Once during his caliphate, Ali ibn Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) stood up before the people and delivered the following sermon:

“O people, who is the bravest of all people?” Those that were present answered, “You are O leader of the believers.” Ali said, “Lo, I never entered a duel with another man except that I came out victorious over him. And yet the bravest of all people was none other than Abu Bakr as-siddiq (May Allah be pleased with him). We once built a command center for the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), and we said “who will stay with the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him),so as to prevent the polytheists from attacking him?” By Allah not a single one of us approached (to volunteer for the job) except for Abu Bakr who with his sword unsheathed, stood over the head of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him). Abu Bakr then fought against anyone who tried to attack the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and so He is the bravest of all people”.

“I remember the time when I saw the Quraish opposing the prophet (Peace be upon him) and physically shaking him violently, and all the while they were saying to him, have you taken our gods and made them onto one God, by Allah not a single one of us stepped forward (to defend him) except for Abu bakr who struggled against and struck one man and pushed violently another, and all the while he was saying (to them) : woe upon you, are you fighting against a man because he says: My Lord is Allah?”. Ali then lifted the robe he was wearing and began to cry until his beard soaked in tears. He then continued, “I ask you by Allah was the believer from the family of pharaoh better or Abu bakr?” the attendees of the gathering then began to cry along with Ali who said, “by Allah, Abu bakr for an hour is better than the believer of the family of the pharaoh even if clones of him were to fill the entire earth: the latter kept his faith a secret, while the former openly proclaimed his faith.”

Source: The biography of Abu bakr as-siddiq by Dr. Ali Muhammad Muhammad As- Sallaabee quoted from “Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah(3/271,272)