On his deathbed, when reviewing the main events of his life, Abu Bakr gave expression to certain wishes and regrets. He said that there were three things that he did and which he wished he should not have done. There were three things which he did not do and wished that he should have done them. There were three things which he did not inquire from the Holy Prophet, and which he should have inquired.
Things which he did but should not have done.
The first thing, which he did but wished that he should not have done, was that he should not have insisted on Ali offering him allegiance as Caliph. The second thing was that when Faja’a Salmi was brought to him he should not have ordered him to be burnt alive, but should have killed him otherwise or let him free.
Thethird thing was that he should not have accepted the caliphate, but should have seen that either Umar or Abu Ubaida were declared as the Caliph, and he should become a Minister to the Caliph. When Ali was asked to take the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr, that annoyed Fatima, and Abu Bakr felt sorry for such annoyance. Faja’a was burnt to death, and that was against a tradition of the Holy Prophet which laid down that if a person professed to be a Muslim, he should not be burnt to death. Abu Bakr had no personal interest in the Caliphate, and, therefore, he always longed that someone else from among the Quraish should have become the Caliph, and he could have helped him as his Minister.
