The blessed Prophet ﷺ began the task of calling a distantly people to the worship of Allah ﷻ. The people were irreligious, only prostrating before idols that neither benefited them nor brought them any harm. They had no reason for it except that they held to the deities of their forefathers. They did possess any virtuous traits except those tied to self-glorification and egoism. Many a time, this was the very cause for raids, attacks and spilling of blood. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to them with what they did not recognise. The intellectually sound hastened to testify and discard the idols. Those blinded by leadership turned haughtily from him in order to not lose prestige.

The first upon whom the light of Islam shone was his wife Lady Khadīja bint Khuwaylid, Allah ﷻ be pleased with her, and ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib, his cousin, Allah ﷻ honour him – he was residing with him ‎ﷺ, and he ﷺ fed him and took care of him. This was because the Quraysh had suffered a famine. Abū Tālib had fallen on hard times and he had many children. The blessed Prophet ﷺ suggested to his uncle al-‘Abbās bin ‘Abd ul-Muttalib: “Your brother Abū Tālib has many children and people as you see are in difficulty. Come with me to him to lighten the responsibilities he has regarding his children. You take one, and I shall take one”. They both went and made the suggestion to him. al-‘Abbās took Ja’far bin Abī Tālib and he ﷺ took ‘Alī. He remained in his care like one of his own children until the advent of prophethood. Alī, Allah ﷻ honour him, attained the age of adulthood and followed the Prophet ﷺ in all matters. Never was he tainted with the stain of that time of ignorance, from bowing to idols or following one’s whims.

Zayd bin Hāritha bin Sharahīl al-Kalbī, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, the freed-slave of the Propher ﷺ, also responded to the invitation. He was also known as Zayd son of Muhammad, because when he ﷺ came to own him, he freed him and adopted him. An adopted son was considered to be a biological son; set to be next of kin. Umm Ayman, Allah ﷻ be pleased with her, also accepted. She was his ﷺ wet-nurse and wife of his freed-slave Zayd.

Outside the immediate household, the first to accept was Abū Bakr bin Abī Quhāfa bin ‘Āmir bin Ka’b bin Sa’d bin Taym bin Murra at-Tamīmī al-Qarashī. He was a friend of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ even before prophethood. He knew of the exemplary character and had never heard of a lie attributed to him since befriending him ﷺ. No sooner did he know of the mission of Allah ﷻ that he hastened to believe. He said: “My father and mother be sacrificed for you! You are the truthful one. I bear witness there is none worthy of worship except Allah and you are the Messenger of Allah.” He, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, was an eminent chieftain of the Quraysh, wealthy, honourable, most upright, generous with his wealth, beloved to his people and great a companion. For these reasons he was like a special council to the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ, where he ‎ﷺ would seek his advice in all matters. He ‎ﷺ has said regarding him, “I didn’t invite anyone to Islam except that he hesitated, except Abū Bakr.” 1

The invite to Islam was private, in order to not alarm the Arabs with such a momentous matter and not to subdue their acceptance. So, he ‎ﷺ was only inviting those he could trust.

Abū Bakr, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, also invited those men of Quraysh he could trust. Many accepted. Amongst them was ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān 2. When his uncle al-Hakam learnt of his embracing Islam, he tied him up and bemoaned: “You reject the religion of your forefathers for a new religion! By Allah I will not release you until you renounce your ways.” ‘Uthmān replied, “By Allah I will will not abandon it nor renounce it”. When al-Hakam realised his adamance upon the truth, he released him. ‘Uthmān, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, was a young man approaching thirty years of age.

Amongst them was az-Zubayr bin al-‘Awām 3, alongside his mother Safīya bint ‘Abd il-Muttalib. az-Zubayr’s uncle would torture him with smoke whilst he was imprisoned, in a bid to persuade him to return to the religion of his forefathers. Allah ﷻ strengthened him with a great resilience. He, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, was a young man, not exceeding the age of adulthood.

There was also ‘Abdurrahmān bin ‘Awf 4, who was named ‘Abd ‘Amr – slave of ‘Amr – in the age of ignorance. It was he ‎ﷺ who renamed him as ‘Abdurrahmān – slave of ar-Rahmān.

From them was, also, Sa’d bin Abī Waqqās 5. When his mother, Hamna bint Abī Sufyān bin Umayya, learnt of his embracing Islam, she said to him: “O Sa’d, I’ve heard that you have renegaded! By Allah no roof shall shelter me from the heat nor cold, and food and drink are forbidden unto me until you denounce Muhammad.” She remained in this state for three days. Sa’d, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, came to the blessed Messenger ‎ﷺ and complained about his mother’s state. Verse 8 of Sūrat ul-‘Ankabūt was revealed as divine instruction:

“We have enjoined on man kindness to parents; but if they strive to make you join with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not. To me is your return and I shall tell you what you used to do”

Allah ﷻ advises him regarding his parents. He ﷻ instructed him to be kind to them, whether they were Muslim or not. However, if they called him to associate with Allah ﷻ, disobedience would be unavoidable. All rights, no matter how great, are muted here; there is no obedience of the created through disobedience of the Creator ﷻ. He ﷻ informs that your return is to Him. Whomsoever believes or disbelieves amongst you, I will compensate you what you deserve. There are two points of interest in the conclusion of the verse: a reminder that recompense is with Allah ﷻ, so do not involve yourself in ill-treating them due to their polytheism, and secondly, there is encouragement to remain firm on the religion, to avoid a punishment in the Hereafter.

From them was Talha bin ‘Ubaydullah 6. He learnt of the Messenger ‎ﷺ and his blessed qualities from a Christian monks. When Abū Bakr, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, invited him, he heard from the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ that which Allah ﷻ bestowed him with. He saw the strengths of the religion which was far from the shortcomings of the Quraysh. So he abruptly embraced Islam.

Amongst those who were first to Islam was Suhayb ar-Rūmī, a slave, and also ‘Ammār bin Yāsir al-‘Unsīy. He, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, recalls: “I saw the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ when only five slaves, two women and Abū Bakr were with him.” His father, Yāsir, and mother, Sumayya, also became Muslims.

From the early Muslim forerunners was ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ūd, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him. He grazed small-cattle for some polytheists of the Quraysh. When he witnessed the overwhelming signs and the exemplary character to which he ‎ﷺ was calling, he abandoned worshipping idols. He was inseparable from the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ. He would frequent the Messenger ‎ﷺ without restriction. He walked in front of him ‎ﷺ, raised a curtain when he ‎ﷺ washed, awoke him ‎ﷺ from sleep, shod him when he stood and when he ‎ﷺ sat, he lovingly tucked them by his sides.

From amongst the very first was Abū Dharr al-Ghifāri, who was from the Bedouin Arabs. He, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, was eloquent and mild in speech. When he heard of the presence of a Messenger of Allah ﷻ, he said to his brother: “Ride into the valley and find out for me about this man who claims he is a prophet and brings news of the heavens. Hear what he says and then return to me.” His brother rode till he arrived in Makkah. He listened to the Messenger ‎ﷺ, and then returned to Abū Dharr. He informed, “I saw him calling to good character and he utters words that are not poetry.” He replied, “You have not satisfied me with what I wanted.” Abū Dharr prepared, lifted his water-skin with only a little water and headed for Makkah. Arriving at the masjid, he searched for the Prophet ‎ﷺ. He was not familiar with him and disliked asking anyone, for he knew of the hatred of the Quraysh for anyone who spoke to the Messenger of Allah. Night fell and ‘Alī, Allah ﷻ honour him, saw him. He realised he was a traveller, so he hosted him at his. Neither of them asked the other about anything, abiding by the Arab tradition of hosting: a guest is not questioned on the reason for his arrival until after three days. In the morning Abū Dharr took his water-skin and belongings to the masjid and remained there that day. He did not see the Messenger ‎ﷺ. Night fell and he turned in to rest. ‘Alī passed by him again and said: “It’s sure time a man knew where he was hosted the day before!” He raised him and took him without either of them asking the other about anything. On the third day the same thing happened. ‘Alī, Allah ﷻ honour him, asked: “Will you not tell me what brings you here?” He replied, “If you promise and vow to guide me then I will”. He promised, so he told him. ‘Alī said, “It is the truth, and he is indeed the Messenger of Allah. In the morning follow me. If I see any danger for you I will stop as though I am urinating. If I continue, follow me until you enter where I enter.” He did just that, and Abū Dharr followed his path until ‘Alī entered upon the Prophet ‎ﷺ, and he entered with him. He heard what he ‎ﷺ had to say and embraced Islam on the very spot. The Prophet ‎ﷺ said to him: “Return to your people and educate them until my command reaches you 7.” Abū Dharr said: “By the One in Whose hand my life is, I will announce it from the the mountain tops.” He left and came to the masjid. He announced at the top of his voice: “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” The people stood and attacked him, dropping him to the ground. ‘Abbās came and shielded him and cried: “Woe unto you! Do you not know that he is from the Ghaffār? Your trade route to ash-Shām passes by them.” He protected him from them. Abū Dharr, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, returned the following day and did the same. They struck him and raged at him. ‘Abbās shielded him again. Abū Dharr, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, was the most truthful of people and the most ascetic amongst them.

From the first was Sa’īd bin Zayd al-‘Adawī al-Qarashī and his wife Fātima bint al-Khattāb, the sister of ‘Umar, Allah ﷻ be pleased with them all. Also, Umm ul-Fadl, Lubāba bint al-Hārith al-Hilālīya, the wife of al-‘Abbās bin ‘Abd ul-Muttalib; ‘Ubayda bin al-Hārith bin ‘Abd ul-Muttalib bin Hāshim, the paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ; Abū Salma bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd ul-Asad al-Makhzūmī al-Qarashī, the maternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ and his wife Umm Salama; ‘Uthmān bin Maz’ūn al-Jumhī al-Qarashī and his brothers Qudāma and ‘Abdullah; and al-Arqam bin Abī il-Arqam al-Makhzūmī al-Qarashī, Allah ﷻ be pleased with them all.

From the early and first ones was Khālid bin Sa’īd bin al-‘Āss bin Umayya bin ‘Abd Shams al-Umawī al-Qarashī. His father was a chief of the Quraysh. When his father put on his turban, in his honour no one else of the Quraysh would wear it. Khālid bin Sa’īd saw a vision in which he was to be thrown in Hell and the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ caught him and rescued him from it. He came to him and said: “What do you call to O Muhammad?” He ‎ﷺ replied, “I call you to worship Allah alone, He has no partners. That you leave your practice of worshipping stone that neither hears nor sees, and that neither harms nor benefits. Be kind to your parents. That you don’t murder your children for fear of poverty. That you don’t sin in the open nor in secret. That you don’t murder a person that Allah has forbidden except to restore rights. That you don’t approach the wealth of an orphan except to do good and until they have reached maturity. That you measure and weigh justly. That you are just in your words, even if you judge against your kin, and that you honour those who you make promises to.” He, Allah ﷻ be pleased with him, accepted Islam. Consequently his father was enraged and tortured him, even holding back his food. He went to the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ and accompanied him, living alongside him ‎ﷺ. He would hide from his father on the outskirts of al-Makkah al-Mukarrama. His brother ‘Amar bin Sa’īd embraced Islam after him, Allah ﷻ be pleased with them both.

This is how these most valiant people entered the religion of Islam. The Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ did not have a sword to strike their necks until they obeyed him in humiliation. He had nothing they could covet; that such statesman would abandon their fathers and the wealthy amongst them, to follow a Messenger and eat of his excess wealth! Rather, many of them were more wealthy than he ‎ﷺ, such as Abū Bakr, ‘Uthmān, Khālid bin Sa’īd and others, Allah ﷻ be pleased with them all. The slaves who followed chose harm, hunger and difficulty by following the Messenger ‎ﷺ. Had they obeyed their chiefs they would have lived in this world with relative peace of mind and in luxury. By Allah! That is not so – were it not for the guidance of Allah ﷻ and the illuminating light of the religion upon them – they would have remained in the ignorance they were in and not the guidance upon which the Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ was on.

1. al-Bukhārī [3661, 4640]

2. ‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān bin Abī il-‘Āš bin Umayya bin ‘Abd Shams bin ‘Abd Munāf al-Umawī al-Qarashī

3. az-Zubayr bin al-‘Awām bin Khuwaylid bin Asad bin ‘Abd il-‘Uzza bin Qusayy al-Qarashī

4. ‘Abdurrahmān bin ‘Awf bin ‘Abd ‘Awf bin al-Hārith bin Zuhra bin Kilāb az-Zuhrī al-Qarashī

5. Sa’d bin Abī Waqqās Mālik bin Uhayb bin Munāf bin Zuhra bin Kilāb az-Zuhrī al-Qarashī.

6. Talha bin ‘Ubaydullah bin ‘Uthmān bin ‘Amr bin Ka’b bin Sa’d bin Taym bin Murra at-taymī al-Qarashī

7. al-Bukhārī 3861