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Who was the first to accept Islam?

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من أول من أسلم؟

A question on which hadith and sira scholars differ: who was the first person to accept Islam after the Prophet ﷺ's call? In Tadrib al-Rawi al-Suyuti gathers those who said Abu Bakr, those who said Ali, those who said Zayd ibn Haritha (may God be pleased with him), those who said Khadija, and other views, then reports the reconciliation chosen by Ibn al-Salah and al-Nawawi: of free men Abu Bakr, of boys Ali, of women Khadija, of freedmen Zayd, of slaves Bilal.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era

Contested: This record includes matters on which scholars differ. The speaker's views are labelled as his, and other views are marked where no cited source yet exists.

Converts and those who leave

The question

In the thirty-ninth type of Tadrib al-Rawi, commenting on al-Nawawi, al-Suyuti takes up the dispute over which Companion was first to accept Islam. He sets out the scholars' views and evidence and judges the chains of some of them. 1

The views

Ibn Ishaq's order of the first believers

Al-Suyuti quotes Ibn Ishaq's order of the first believers:

  1. Khadija;
  2. Ali;
  3. Zayd ibn Haritha;
  4. Abu Bakr, who made his Islam public and called others to God.

Through Abu Bakr's call, Uthman ibn Affan (may God be pleased with him), al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (may God be pleased with him), Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (may God be pleased with him), Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Talha ibn Ubayd Allah accepted Islam. These were the eight who led the way into Islam.

He also quotes Ibn Khalawayh: the first woman to accept Islam after Khadija was Lubaba bint al-Harith, wife of al-Abbas. 7 10

Opinions on the question

The question: The differing reports on who first accepted Islam, and how they are reconciled.

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame) · Sunni: Abu BakrMain reference

held by Ibn Abbas, Hassan, al-Sha'bi and al-Nakha'i among others. In support is the hadith of Amr ibn Abasa in Sahih Muslim: he asked the Prophet who was with him in this, and he answered "a free man and a slave"; with him that day were Abu Bakr and Bilal. The editor Awwama notes that this view has been ascribed to the majority and even claimed as consensus. 1 2
More opinions (4)

Sunni tradition (the museum's frame) · Sunni: AliMain reference

reported by al-Tabarani with a sound chain from Ibn Abbas, and from Zayd ibn Arqam, al-Miqdad, Abu Ayyub, Anas, Jabir, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and others. Al-Hakim reports from Muslim al-Mula'i that the Prophet received his mission on a Monday and Ali accepted Islam on the Tuesday. Al-Hakim claimed that the historians agreed on it, and this was disputed. 3 4 5

Sunni tradition (the museum's frame) · Sunni: KhadijaMain reference

al-Nawawi, adding to Ibn al-Salah, says this is correct according to a group of verifiers. It is the view of Qatada and Ibn Ishaq. Al-Tha'labi claimed consensus on it, the dispute being over who came after her. Ibn Abd al-Barr said they agreed that Khadija was first to believe, then Ali, and that the sound view is that Abu Bakr was the first to make his Islam public. 5 6

Sunni tradition (the museum's frame) · Sunni: Zayd ibn Haritha and other viewsMain reference

al-Zuhri said Zayd. Umar ibn Shabba said Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-As accepted Islam before Ali. Al-Mas'udi reported one view naming Khabbab and another naming Bilal. Al-Iraqi said one should say that the first man to believe was Waraqa ibn Nawfal. 5 7 8

Sunni tradition (the museum's frame) · Sunni: the reconciliation (Ibn al-Salah and al-Nawawi)Main reference

the most scrupulous course is to say: of free men Abu Bakr, of boys Ali, of women Khadija, of freedmen Zayd, of slaves Bilal. This reconciliation is also reported from Abu Hanifa. 9

People and things also explored

The conversion of Abu Quhafa· The conversion of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb· Ali's expedition to destroy al-Fuls, the idol of Tayy'· Ali's rulings on the apostate and the zindiq, and the ways he killed them· Amr ibn Ma'dikarib's apostasy after the Prophet's death· The Pledge of the Tree (Bay'at al-Ridwan)· The capture of Thumama ibn Uthal al-Hanafi and his acceptance of Islam· Conversion of Umayr ibn Wahb

Sources

  1. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 211
  2. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 212
  3. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 214
  4. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 216
  5. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 217
  6. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 218
  7. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 219
  8. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 221
  9. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 222
  10. Tadrib al-Rawi fi Sharh Taqrib al-Nawawi by al-Suyuti, with the gloss of Ibn al-Ajami — ed. Muhammad Awwama, vol. 5, Dar al-Minhaj, Jeddah 1437 AH / 2016 , p. 223
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Who was the first to accept Islam?”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/questions/awwal-man-aslama/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-04.

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People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story. Related

The conversion of Abu Quhafa

At Dhu Tuwa or upon the entry into Mecca, Abu Bakr led his aged, blind father Abu Quhafa to the Prophet to profess Islam; the Prophet remarked with tenderness that he should have gone to the old man instead, and instructed that his white hair be dyed.