Question Summary:
Clarification on an incident regarding Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu

Question Detail:

Assalam alaikum MUfti Saheb:
About the life of Hazrat Abu Bakr radiallah anhu, it is mentioned that he decided to take the minimum wage of a labor for himself when he was appointed as the Khalifa. He also said that if this minimum wage was not sufficient, he would increase the minimum wage of the labor so that his wage would also increase.
I know that a similar incident is mentioned in Fazail Amaal and Hayatus Sahaba, but one of my friends wants to know the original source in the history books including Arabic text where this incident is mentioned.
Could you please give me the reference of this incident including the Arabic text? 
Jazakallah khair

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The incident of Hadhrat Abū Bakr Radhiyallāh Anhu conducting business is related in many books of history. Upon noticing that business was distracting his obligations as Khalīfah, he decided to free himself to attend to the demands of Dīn and public needs. He would receive a very small amount of money from the public funds that would suffice him and his family. The Arabic text is reproduced hereunder:
وَكَانَ رَجُلا تَاجِرًا، فَكَانَ يَغْدُو كُلَّ يَوْمٍ إِلَى السُّوقِ، فَيَبِيعُ وَيَبْتَاعُ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ قِطْعَةُ غَنَمٍ تَرُوحُ عَلَيْهِ، وَرُبَّمَا خَرَجَ هُوَ بِنَفْسِهِ فِيهَا، وَرُبَّمَا كُفِيهَا فَرُعِيَتْ لَهُ، وَكَانَ يَحْلِبُ لِلْحَيِّ أَغْنَامَهُمْ، فَلَمَّا بُويِعَ لَهُ بِالْخِلافَةِ قَالَتْ جَارِيَةٌ مِنَ الْحَيِّ: الآنَ لا تَحْلِبُ لَنَا مَنَائِحَ دَارِنَا، فَسَمِعَهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ: بَلَى لَعَمْرِي لأَحْلِبَنَّهَا لَكُمْ، وَإِنِّي لأَرْجُو أَلا يُغَيِّرَنِي مَا دَخَلْتُ فِيهِ عَنْ خُلُقٍ كُنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَكَانَ يَحْلِبُ لَهُمْ، فَرُبَّمَا قَالَ لِلْجَارِيَةِ مِنَ الْحَيِّ: يَا جَارِيَةُ اتحبين أَنْ أَرْعَى لَكِ، أَوْ أصرح؟ فَرُبَّمَا قَالَتِ: ارْعَ، وَرُبَّمَا قَالَتْ:صرح، فَأَيُّ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْهُ فَعَلَ، فَمَكَثَ كَذَلِكَ بِالسُّنْحِ سِتَّةَ أَشْهُرٍ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، فَأَقَامَ بِهَا، وَنَظَرَ فِي أَمْرِهِ، فَقَالَ: لا وَاللَّهِ، مَا تُصْلِحُ أُمُورَ النَّاسِ التِّجَارَةُ، وَمَا يُصْلِحُهُمْ إِلا التَّفَرُّغُ لَهُمْ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي شَأْنِهِمْ، وَلا بُدَّ لِعِيَالِي مِمَّا يُصْلِحُهُمْ فَتَرَكَ التِّجَارَةَ وَاسْتَنْفَقَ مِنْ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مَا يُصْلِحُهُ وَيُصْلِحُ عِيَالَهُ يَوْمًا بِيَوْمٍ (تاريخ الطبرى، ج 3، ص 432، دار التراث) 
 
Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu was a businessman. He used to buy and sell every day in the market place. He also owned a herd of goats. At times he used to tend to the goats himself and at times someone else would look after them.  He used to milk the people’s goats for them.
When he was appointed Khalīfah, a slave girl from the village said to him, “Now you do not have to milk our goats.” Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu heard this and replied, “I take a Qasm that I will continue to milk your goats for you. I hope that my becoming Khilāfah will not change my characters.” Hence Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu continued to milk the goats.
At times Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu used to ask the slave girl, “Do you wish that I graze the goats for you or milk them?” Sometimes the slave girl would reply, “Yes, graze the goats.” And on other occasions she would reply, “Yes milk the goats.” Whatever the girl would state was obeyed by Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu.
Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu remained in this condition for six months. Then he started to reside in Madīnah. He then reflected over his condition. He said, “By Allāh, business is becoming an impediment in looking after the people’s affairs. Their affairs will be better taken care of once I free myself to look after their needs. My family needs an amount of provisions that will suffice for them. Hence, Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallāhu Anhu left business and started to receive an amount from the public funds that would suffice for himself and his family on a day to day basis.   (Tārīkh al-Tabrī)
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Abdul Azīm bin Abdur Rahman,
Student Darul Iftaa
U.S.A.
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.