Abu Bakr was the first free man to believe in Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam

1-11-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

What is the difference between a Muslim and a Mu'min? Who was the first person that believed in Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) Muhammad from the men is it: Abu Bakr or Ali or Zaid?

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

With regard to the first question, please refer to Fatwa 83219.

As regards the second question, the scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them   differed in opinion concerning the first person who embraced Islam at the hands of the Prophet, Muhammad,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ). Some of them are of the view that 'Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first person who embraced Islam. This is based on the opinion of Ibn 'Abbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him which was narrated by Ibn Sa'd with a chain of narrators which Shaykh Al-Albaani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him graded as Hassan [Good] However, this chain reads that 'Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him embraced Islam after Khadeejah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her.

However, Zayd Ibn Arqam  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said that 'Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first person who embraced Islam. [At-Tirmithi]

Some others said that Abu Bakr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first person who embraced Islam. This was said by Ibraheem An-Nakha'i and reported by At-Tirmithi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him who graded it as Saheeh [authentic]

Imaam Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: "This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah."

Also, some scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them   said that the first person who embraced Islam was Zayd Ibn Haarithah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him; this is said by Az-Zuhri as reported by 'Abdur-Razaaq in his Musnaf.

It is also said that the first person who embraced Islam was Khadeejah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her; this is the view of Ibn 'Abbaas and Ibn Ishaaq  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  them.

However, there are many authentic narrations that prove that the first person ever who embraced Islam was Khadeejah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her since the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) came back to her, right after having encountered the angel Jibreel (Gabriel)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention in Ghaar Hiraa', and she comforted him and said, "O no, I swear, By Allaah, He will never humiliate you…" [Al-Bukhari ]

Ibn Katheer  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said, "To reconcile between all these narrations, Khadeejah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her was the first person who embraced Islam among women, and the narrations mean that she even preceded men; Zayd  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first slave who embraced Islam; 'Ali  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first child who embraced Islam and Abu Bakr  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him was the first man who embraced Islam, and his acceptance of Islam was more beneficial than those mentioned above."

Allaah Knows best.

www.islamweb.net