Believers in Makkah
The first Muslims
Men and women who believed in Makkah, when believing meant being mocked, boycotted or tortured. Here are 56 of the first Muslims, from Khadijah, the first person to believe, to the teenager whose house became the first school of Islam.
The call began in Makkah in 610 CE, and for years those who believed were mocked, boycotted and tortured. Khadijah was the first person to believe in his message. Abu Bakr, Ali, Umar and Uthman were among the first, as were Bilal, the first muadhdhin, Sumayyah, the first martyr, and Musab ibn Umayr, the first ambassador.
The house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, beside Mount Safa, became the first school of Islam. Many of the first Muslims later emigrated, first to Abyssinia and then to Madinah.
The first Muslims
56 peopleKhadijah bint Khuwaylid
First wife · first to believe
Died 619 CE
خديجةRead profileAli ibn Abi Talib
Cousin · son-in-law · fourth caliph
c. 600 CE to 40 AH (661 CE)
عليRead profileHamzah ibn Abdul-Muttalib
Uncle · the Lion of Allah
Died 3 AH (625 CE)
حمزةRead profileAbu Bakr as-Siddiq
The truthful · first caliph
c. 573 CE to 13 AH (634 CE)
أبو بكر الصديقRead profileUmar ibn al-Khattab
Al-Faruq · the second caliph
c. 583 CE to 23 AH (644 CE)
عمرRead profileUthman ibn Affan
Dhun-Nurayn · the third caliph
c. 576 CE to 35 AH (656 CE)
عثمانRead profileBilal ibn Rabah
The first muadhdhin
Died c. 20 AH (c. 641 CE)
بلالRead profileMus'ab ibn Umayr
The first ambassador
Died 3 AH (625 CE)
مصعبRead profileAbu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah
Trustworthy of this ummah
Died 18 AH (639 CE)
أبو عبيدة بن الجراحRead profileAbdullah ibn Mas'ud
Reciter of the Quran
Died 32 AH (c. 653 CE)
عبد الله بن مسعودRead profileSumayyah bint Khayyat
The first martyr
Killed in the early years of the call in Makkah
سميةRead profileAsma bint Abi Bakr
She of the two belts
c. 595 CE to 73 AH (692 CE)
أسماءRead profileTalhah ibn Ubaydillah
Shield of the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud
Died 36 AH (656 CE)
طلحة بن عبيد اللهRead profileAz-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam
The Prophet's ﷺ disciple
Died 36 AH (656 CE)
الزبير بن العوامRead profileSa'd ibn Abi Waqqas
The archer whose prayers were answered
Died c. 55 AH (c. 675 CE)
سعد بن أبي وقاصRead profileAbd ar-Rahman ibn Awf
The generous merchant
Died c. 32 AH (c. 652 CE)
عبد الرحمن بن عوفRead profileSa'id ibn Zayd
Son of the seeker Zayd
Died c. 51 AH (c. 671 CE)
سعيد بن زيدRead profileZayd ibn Harithah
The beloved of the Prophet ﷺ
Died 8 AH (629 CE)
زيد بن حارثةRead profileAmmar ibn Yasir
Son of the first martyrs
Died 37 AH (657 CE)
عمار بن ياسرRead profileAbu Dharr al-Ghifari
He said it aloud
Died 32 AH (652 CE)
أبو ذر الغفاريRead profileJa'far ibn Abi Talib
Spokesman of the Muslims in Abyssinia
Died 8 AH (629 CE)
جعفر بن أبي طالبRead profileKhabbab ibn al-Aratt
The blacksmith tortured with burning coals
Died in Kufa, 37 AH (657 CE)
خباب بن الأرتRead profileSuhayb ar-Rumi
The man who gave up his wealth to emigrate
Died in Madinah, about 38 AH (sources differ)
صهيب الروميRead profileAl-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad
The horseman of Badr
Died near Madinah, about 33 AH (sources differ)
المقداد بن الأسودRead profileUthman ibn Madhun
The first Emigrant to die in Madinah
Died in Madinah, about 2 AH (624 CE; sources differ)
عثمان بن مظعونRead profileKhawla bint Hakim
She carried the Prophet's ﷺ proposals
Lived in Makkah and Madinah (the year of her death is not recorded)
خولة بنت حكيمRead profileZayd ibn al-Khattab
The silent giant, Umar's older brother
Died at Yamamah, 12 AH (633 CE)
زيد بن الخطابRead profileHatib ibn Abi Baltaah
Forgiven because he was at Badr
Died in Madinah, 30 AH (650 CE)
حاطب بن أبي بلتعةRead profileTufayl ibn Amr ad-Dawsi
The chief of Daws who called his people to Islam with patience
Died at Yamamah, 12 AH (633 CE)
الطفيل بن عمرو الدوسيRead profileMistah ibn Uthathah
The relative Abu Bakr stopped supporting, and then forgave
Died about 34 AH (sources differ; some say 37 AH)
مسطح بن أثاثةRead profileFatimah bint Qays
The woman whose divorce became a source of law
The year and place of her death are not clearly recorded
فاطمة بنت قيسRead profileUmm Ayman
The Prophet's ﷺ nurse, who he called his mother after his mother
Died in Madinah, in the time of Umar or Uthman (sources differ)
أم أيمنRead profileSafiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib
The Prophet's ﷺ aunt, who brought a shroud for her brother Hamzah
Died in Madinah, about 20 AH (641 CE; sources differ)
صفية بنت عبد المطلبRead profileAbdullah ibn Umm Maktum
The blind Companion who called the adhan at dawn, and about whom a rebuke came down
Died at or soon after al-Qadisiyyah, about 15 AH (636 CE; sources differ)
عبد الله بن أم مكتومRead profileAl-Shifa' bint Abdullah
The Companion who could write, and who taught the Prophet's ﷺ wife Hafsah
Died in Madinah, in the time of Umar (sources differ)
الشفاء بنت عبد اللهRead profileAmir ibn Fuhayrah
The shepherd who fed the Prophet ﷺ in the cave and covered his tracks on the Hijrah
Killed at Bi'r Ma'unah, 4 AH (625 CE)
عامر بن فهيرةRead profileUtbah ibn Ghazwan
The seventh of seven with the Prophet ﷺ, who founded Basra and begged to be relieved of ruling it
Died on the road back to Madinah, about 17 AH (638 CE; sources differ)
عتبة بن غزوانRead profileKhunais ibn Hudhafah
Hafsah's first husband, an early Muslim of Quraysh who fought at Badr
Died in Madinah, about 3 AH (625 CE; sources differ)
خنيس بن حذافةRead profileAbu Hudhayfah ibn Utbah
The son of a Quraysh chief who left his family for Islam, and the father by adoption of Salim
Killed at Yamamah, 12 AH (633 CE)
أبو حذيفة بن عتبةRead profileAyyash ibn Abi Rabiah
The Companion who went back for his sick mother and was held in chains until Hudaybiyyah
Died in the conquest of Syria, about 15 AH (636 CE; sources differ)
عياش بن أبي ربيعةRead profileNu'aym ibn Abdullah
The quiet believer who sent Umar to his own sister's house
Killed at Yarmuk, about 15 AH (636 CE; sources differ)
نعيم بن عبد اللهRead profileAbu Ahmad ibn Jahsh
The blind brother of Zaynab bint Jahsh, who walked all of Makkah alone
Died in Madinah, after the death of Zaynab in 20 AH (year not recorded firmly)
أبو أحمد بن جحشRead profileRaytah bint al-Harith
The woman who died with three of her children on the road from Abyssinia to Madinah
Died on the road from Abyssinia to Madinah (the year is not recorded firmly)
ريطة بنت الحارثRead profileHamnah bint Jahsh
The sister of Zaynab, who lost her brother, uncle and husband at Uhud and fell into the slander against Aishah
Died in Madinah (the year is not recorded firmly)
حمنة بنت جحشRead profileMihja' mawla Umar
The first Muslim killed at Badr, a freed slave of Umar
Killed at Badr, 2 AH (624 CE)
مهجع مولى عمرRead profileUbaydah ibn al-Harith
The Prophet's ﷺ older cousin, first to be wounded at Badr
Died at as-Safra, on the way back from Badr, 2 AH (624 CE)
عبيدة بن الحارثRead profileZinnirah
The slave woman beaten blind by Abu Jahl, whose sight was given back
Lived in Makkah; the year of her death is not recorded
زنيرةRead profileAbu Jandal ibn Suhayl
The son of Suhayl who came to the Muslims in chains at Hudaybiyyah
Died in Syria, about 18 AH (639 CE; sources differ)
أبو جندل بن سهيلRead profileAbdullah ibn Suhayl
The son of Suhayl who left his father's army at Badr
Killed at Yamamah, 12 AH (633 CE)
عبد الله بن سهيلRead profileZaynab bint Muhammad
The Prophet's ﷺ eldest daughter, who stayed with her husband until he came to Islam
Died in Madinah, 8 AH (629 CE)
زينب بنت محمدRead profileKhalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-As
The Umayyad who dreamed of the Prophet ﷺ pulling him from a fire, and accepted Islam as one of the first
Killed in Ash-Sham, in the campaign of Abu Bakr (13 to 14 AH; sources differ on the battle)
خالد بن سعيد بن العاصRead profileUmm Kulthum bint Uqbah
The daughter of one of the Prophet's ﷺ worst enemies, who left home alone for Madinah at the time of Hudaybiyyah
Died in Madinah, in the caliphate of Uthman
أم كلثوم بنت عقبةRead profileAl-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam
The teenager whose house by Mount Safa became the first school of Islam
Died in Madinah, in the caliphate of Mu'awiyah (sources differ on the year)
الأرقم بن أبي الأرقمRead profileAbdullah ibn Jahsh
The Prophet's ﷺ cousin, the first commander in Islam, who prayed to be killed and mutilated for Allah's sake
Killed at Uhud, 3 AH (625 CE)
عبد الله بن جحشRead profileUkkashah ibn Mihsan
The man the Prophet ﷺ told that he had beaten the others to the seventy thousand
Killed at Buzakhah, in the wars against those who left Islam (about 11 to 12 AH)
عكاشة بن محصنRead profileLubabah bint al-Harith
Umm al-Fadl, the wife of al-Abbas and mother of Ibn Abbas, one of the first women to accept Islam
Died in Madinah, in the caliphate of Uthman
لبابة بنت الحارثRead profileMore on How to Muslim
- guide.howtomuslim.orgHis first 40 yearsBefore the revelation: Makkah, his marriage to Khadijah and the cave of Hira.
- quran.howtomuslim.orgSurah al-Alaq, mappedThe first five verses revealed, and the surah around them.
- quran.howtomuslim.orgSurah al-Muddaththir, mappedThe first command to warn, when the open call began.
- start.howtomuslim.orgThe Companions were reverts tooFor new Muslims: the first believers chose Islam, as you did. From The Open Door.
- nawaraacademy.comThe Firsts, as a courseA series on the forerunners of Islam, in order, free on Nawara Academy.
Questions & answers
Questions about the first Muslims
Short answers from this page, each with a link to read more.
Who was the first person to accept Islam?
On this site, the first person to believe in his message was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, his first wife. Abu Bakr, Ali, Umar and Uthman were also among the first Muslims.
Read more: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid The first believers
Who was the first martyr in Islam?
Sumayyah bint Khayyat is remembered as the first martyr, killed in the early years of the call in Makkah.
Read more: Sumayyah bint Khayyat
Who was the first muadhdhin?
Bilal ibn Rabah, who was known as the first muadhdhin. He died about 20 AH (c. 641 CE).
Read more: Bilal ibn Rabah
Where was the first school of Islam?
In the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, a teenager, beside Mount Safa in Makkah.
Read more: Al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam
Who was the first ambassador of Islam?
Musab ibn Umayr, known as the first ambassador. He died in 3 AH (625 CE).
Read more: Mus'ab ibn Umayr