The first believers (3)

Life changed for the new Muslims who desired to reform the religious practice of their families and friends. After his conversion, Abu Bakr began to encourage others to abandon idol worship and follow Allah’s Messenger. A well-respected merchant, known for his generosity and intelligence, Abu Bakr was the foremost authority on Arab genealogy. His reputation and his character ensured that people gravitated to him, and if he deemed a person was sincere in finding the truth, he would talk to him about his new faith. Many people were interested in what he told them about Islam, and they went with him to the Prophet . Among those who became Muslim in this way were Uthman bin Affan Umwi, Zubayr bin Awwam Asadi, Abdul Rahman bin Auf Zuhri, Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas Zuhri and Talha bin Ubaydullah Tayim.

Many others from the Quraysh later became Muslims: Abu Ubaydah Amir bin Jarrah; Abu Salamah bin Abdul Asad and his wife, Umm Salamah; Arqam bin Al-Arqam; Uthman bin Madh’un and his brothers Qadam bin Madh’un and Abdullah bin Madh’un; Ubaydah bin Harith bin Muttalib bin Abdu Munaf; Sa’eed bin Zayd bin Amr bin Nafil and his wife (the sister of Umar), Fatimah bint Khattab; Khabbab bin Aratt, Ja’far bin Abi Talib and his wife, Asmaa bint Umays; Khalid bin Sa’eed bin As and his wife, Amina bint Khalaf, his brother, Amr bin Sa’eed bin As; Hatib bin Harith, his wife, Fakiha bint Yasir, and his other brother, Muammar bin Harith; Muttalib bin Azhar and his wife, Ramla bint Auf; and Na’im bin Abdullah bin Naham.

More believers came from other tribes to embrace Islam: Abdullah bin Mas’ood Hadhli; Mas’ood bin Rabi’a Qari; Abdullah bin Jahsh and his brother, Abu Ahad bin Jahsh; Suhayb bin Sinan Rumi; Ammar bin Yasir Ansi and his parents, Yasir and Sumayya; and Amir bin Fuhayrah.

Umm Ayman Barakah, the Prophet’s father’s Abyssinian slave who had looked after the Prophet during his childhood, also became Muslim, as did Ummul Fadal Lababatul Kubra bint Harith Hilalya, and Asmaa bint Abu Bakr Siddeeq.

These and others who embraced Islam in the early days of Islam are called the “Earliest Believers.” Scholars put their number at 130, but the exact time of their declaration of faith cannot be determined. Such a list includes those Companions also who embraced Islam after the Prophet began preaching his message openly.