Khadijah is the first to believe, followed on the same day by Zaid bin Harithah, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib and Abu Bakr. Through Abu Bakr, ‘Uthman, az-Zubair, ‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awf, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas and Talhah join. For three years the call spreads quietly, person to person.
As the book dates it: the first day of the call; the first three years were secret
Who was there
- KKKhadijah bint KhuwailidA respected businesswoman, his first wife and the first to believe; his only wife while she lived.
- ZHZaid bin HarithahThe Prophet’s freed slave and adopted son, among the first believers; he went with him to Ta’if and fell as the first commander at Mu’tah.
- AT‘Ali bin Abi TalibThe Prophet’s young cousin, among the very first believers, who slept in his bed on the night of the Hijrah and later married Fatimah.
- ABAbu Bakr as-SiddiqThe Prophet’s close friend, who believed on the very first day of the call, hid with him in the cave of Thawr, and led the prayer in his last days.
- UA‘Uthman bin ‘AffanAn early believer who married two of the Prophet’s daughters in turn and migrated to Abyssinia.
- ZAz-Zubair bin al-‘AwwamAn early believer brought to Islam through Abu Bakr.
- AA‘Abdur-Rahman bin ‘AwfAn early believer; in Madinah he declined his Helper brother’s offer of half his wealth and asked only for the way to the market.
- SWSa’d bin Abi WaqqasAn early believer and skilled archer.
- TUTalhah bin ‘UbaidullahAn early believer who shielded the Prophet ﷺ with his own body at Uhud.
- BRBilal bin RabahAn Abyssinian slave tortured for his faith and freed by Abu Bakr; the caller to prayer who gave the adhan from the Ka’bah’s roof.
- AUAbu ‘Ubaidah bin al-JarrahAn early believer who stood by the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud.