The Early Muslims
السابقون الأولون
Those who accepted Islam in the first years, in Makkah, when doing so was dangerous and the community was very small.
The first Muslims were few, and many of them had no tribal protection. Some were from leading families; several were enslaved. What they share is that they accepted Islam when there was no worldly advantage in it at all. Knowing this group helps explain why so many later events trace back to a small number of people who already knew each other well.
Many Companions belong to this group. SahabaMate currently holds entries for a small number of them.
Members
Companions in this group
أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيق
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
First Caliph
Muhajir · Companion of the Hijrah
Exploreعَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِب
Ali ibn Abi Talib
Fourth Caliph
Cousin of the Prophet ﷺ · Early Muslim
Exploreالزُّبَيْرُ بْنُ الْعَوَّام
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
Hawari
Early Muslim · Cousin of the Prophet ﷺ · Muhajir
Exploreبِلَالُ بْنُ رَبَاح
Bilal ibn Rabah
The first mu'adhdhin
Early Muslim · Muhajir
Exploreمُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْر
Mus'ab ibn Umayr
First teacher sent to Madinah
Early Muslim · Fell at Uhud
Exploreأَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ أَبِي بَكْر
Asma bint Abi Bakr
Dhat an-Nitaqayn
Early Muslim · Of the Hijrah
Exploreطَلْحَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّه
Talhah ibn Ubaydullah
Shielded the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud
Early Muslim · Muhajir
Exploreعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ بْنُ عَوْف
Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf
Merchant of Madinah
Early Muslim · Muhajir
Exploreسَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاص
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
Commander at al-Qadisiyyah
Early Muslim · Muhajir
Exploreسَعِيدُ بْنُ زَيْد
Sa'id ibn Zayd
Early Muslim
Cousin of Umar · Muhajir
Exploreأَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاح
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah
Amin al-Ummah
Commander in Syria · Muhajir
Exploreأُمُّ حَبِيبَة
Umm Habibah
Of Abyssinia
Daughter of Abu Sufyan · Early Muslim
Exploreأُمُّ أَيْمَن
Umm Ayman
She raised him as a child
Early Muslim · Of the Hijrah
Exploreخَبَّابُ بْنُ الْأَرَتّ
Khabbab ibn al-Aratt
Early Muslim
Enslaved in Makkah · Blacksmith
Exploreجَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِب
Ja'far ibn Abi Talib
Spoke before the Negus
Cousin of the Prophet ﷺ · Fell at Mu'tah
Exploreزَيْدُ بْنُ حَارِثَة
Zayd ibn Harithah
He chose to stay
Early Muslim · Commander at Mu'tah
Exploreأَبُو ذَرٍّ الْغِفَارِيّ
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari
Early Muslim
He went looking · Of Ghifar
Exploreعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُود
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
First to recite it aloud in Makkah
Early Muslim · Teacher of Kufa
Exploreخَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِد
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
The first to believe
Merchant of Makkah · Of the years before Madinah
Exploreعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حُذَافَةَ السَّهْمِيّ
Abdullah ibn Hudhafah as-Sahmi
Emigrant to Abyssinia
Carried the Prophet's ﷺ letter to Persia · Held by Rome
Exploreعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَحْش
Abdullah ibn Jahsh
Cousin of the Prophet ﷺ
First given a sealed command · Buried with Hamzah at Uhud
Exploreعُتْبَةُ بْنُ غَزْوَان
Utbah ibn Ghazwan
Among the earliest Muslims
Emigrated to Abyssinia · Founder of Basra
Exploreعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُوم
Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum
Blind Companion of Makkah
Called the second adhan · Left in charge of Madinah
Exploreفَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ الْخَطَّاب
Fatimah bint al-Khattab
Sister of Umar
Wife of Sa'id ibn Zayd · Early Muslim
Exploreسُمَيَّةُ بِنْتُ خَيَّاط
Sumayyah bint Khayyat
The first to be killed for this religion
Enslaved in Makkah · Early Muslim
Exploreأُمُّ الْفَضْل
Umm al-Fadl
Wife of al-Abbas
Among the earliest Muslim women in Makkah · Struck Abu Lahab after Badr
ExploreSources & review
Draft content — undergoing reviewAs-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية
Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary