The Firsts
The Firsts: The Forerunners of Islam is the series that visits trailblazers of the ummah. Those that rise to the occasion, and inspire a generation. Host Sh. Dr. Omar Suleiman dives into the stories of the giants who were the first of their kind in this world, and distinguished in the next. Listen in to revive the personalities buried in history.Let’s meet the Firsts. This series is brought to you by Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. We aim to make academic and Islamically-credible scholarship mainstream through accessible resources such as infographics, animations, podcasts, learning materials, and more. Visit www.yaqeeninstitute.org or download the Yaqeen app from the app store to continue dismantling doubts, nurturing conviction, and inspiring contribution, one truth at a time.
Episodes
136 episodes
Addas (ra) of Ta’if: The Brother of Yunus (as)
As the Prophet ﷺ lay battered and beaten in the garden after Ta’if, Allah sent him this one special slave who would be the only known human convert on the worst day of the Prophet ﷺ’s life.
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39:23
The Prophet ﷺ’s Bodyguard: Mughira ibn Shu‘ba (ra)
He came to Islam after a severely checkered past, but never let his flaws stop him from assuming his place in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. He used his strength and sense of movement to monitor the Prophet’s every move, and came back to Ta’if ...
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31:21
Urwa ibn Masud (ra): The Chief Who Resembled Isa (as)
A noble leader with a striking presence, he initially resisted the call of Islam and was a chief negotiator from Quraysh to the Prophet ﷺ in Hudaybiyyah. But when Islam entered his heart, he sought to lead his people to faith and lost his life...
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46:44
The Most Honored Man By The Prophet ﷺ
If you saw him in Madinah, you would be taken aback by how he was honored by the Prophet ﷺ and the companions like no other human being, and if you heard him speak then you would know he was special. The last uncle of the Prophet ﷺ and a blesse...
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Season 2
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Episode 132
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1:19:23
When Allah Guided the Children of Abu Lahab
The only enemy of the Prophet ﷺ mentioned by name in the Quran, yet his own children became Muslim and would read about their father’s punishment. The incredible story of the believing children of the Prophet ﷺ's uncle and how he received them....
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Season 2
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Episode 131
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1:06:39
Hakim ibn Hizam (ra): When Money Stops Mattering
The nephew of Khadijah (ra) and a core figure in the decade prior to the Prophet ﷺ receiving revelation. He held out on Islam because of his worldly focus, yet eventually embraced Islam and a new focus on the hereafter.
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Season 2
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Episode 130
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1:03:57
Mothers of the Prophet ﷺ: Amina and Halima al-Sa’diyya
The Prophet ﷺ spent some of his earliest years with his foster mother Halima al-Sa’diyya (ra), and never forgot the love she nurtured him with. What was it like to find her again in his final years of life?
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Season 2
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Episode 129
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1:03:57
The Prophet ﷺ’s Brother: Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith (ra)
He was the first cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, and his brother in that he was nursed by the same woman. He was one of the closest and most beloved people to him. When Islam came, he turned his back on the Prophet ﷺ and became a bitter enemy until th...
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Season 2
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Episode 128
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58:31
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (ra): Forgiving the Enemy
For two decades he was a chief antagonist of the Prophet ﷺ, only to be forgiven and given a position of leadership for the sake of the greater cause.
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Season 2
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Episode 127
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1:15:54
Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl (ra): The Pious Son of Pharoah
He was the son of the Pharoah of this Ummah who fought the Prophet ﷺ and his companions even up until the opening of Makkah. But through a journey of many twists and turns, came back to the Prophet ﷺ as one of his most loyal companions. His sto...
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Season 2
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Episode 126
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53:00
Amr ibn al-As (ra): From Rafah to Egypt
From his moments of opposing the Prophet ﷺ in practically every battle of Islam, and his seeking to remove the one place of refuge for the Muslims in Abyssinia, Amr (ra) doesn’t just turn a corner and embrace Islam, but he spreads it to Egypt a...
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Season 2
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Episode 125
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1:19:28
Amr ibn al-As (ra): His Wicked Father & “Better” Brother
Before understanding Amr ibn al-As (ra), you need to know about his father who was a staunch opponent of the Prophet ﷺ, and his brother Hisham (ra) who was a companion long before him, with a legendary story of his own.
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Season 2
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Episode 124
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1:07:51
Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): The Legendary Military General
After he became Muslim, he immediately became perhaps the greatest factor in the spread of Islam throughout the world. Learn about his military genius, his legacy and contributions, and his unexpected death.
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Season 2
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Episode 123
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1:11:19
Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): Becoming the Sword of Allah
The story of how a feared enemy of Islam became it's greatest general.
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Season 2
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Episode 122
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1:13:43
Abu Saeed al Khudri (ra): The Jewel of Madinah
He was given the lofty title of the Mufti of Madinah for his rare combination of Hadith and Fiqh. He narrates over 1000 ahadith from the Prophet ﷺ, and lived a long life of devotion all in his home city of Madinah.
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Season 2
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Episode 121
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58:16
Rabiah ibn Kab (ra): The Prophet’s Companion in Jannah
He fell in love with the Prophet ﷺ at first sight, lived in his blessed shadow until he died, and was promised his blessed companionship eternally in Paradise.
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Season 2
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Episode 120
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51:15
Saeed ibn Amir (ra): Haunted by Murder
He was a pious governor in Islam who would repent to Allah after witnessing the crucifixion of Khubayb (ra). How did Saeed and other companions who participated in the massacres of Bi'r Mauna and Al Rajee find their way back to Allah after such...
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Season 2
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Episode 119
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1:00:55
Khubayb ibn Addiy (ra): A Prisoner of Many Miracles
Khubayb (ra) is a man of many tragic firsts in Islam. But his story is also filled with many lessons of perseverance, ethics, and sincerity even in the midst of desperation. And for that Allah would bestow miracles upon him that no other compan...
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Season 2
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Episode 118
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51:15
Asim ibn Thabit (ra): Protector of Faith
Asim (ra) was one of the very first to protect our Prophet ﷺ, and of the most beloved companions of them all. Though he was pursued in vengence by an ambushing tribe, he was given a miracle through his last prayer witnessed even by his most hat...
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Season 2
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Episode 117
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43:51
Abu Dujana (ra): The Red Bandana
Only one man was worthy of fighting with the sword of the Prophet ﷺ, and he proved that he would honor it in more ways than one. The story of Abu Dujana (ra) is a story of a man who displayed bravery in the most difficult moments of battle, and...
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Season 2
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Episode 116
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50:41
Burayda ibn al-Husayb (ra): An Unlikely Convert
When the Prophet ﷺ suddenly encounters a chief of a nomad tribe during the Hijra, more people embrace Islam in the desert in an instant than at any point in the years preceding of the Prophetic call.
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Season 2
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Episode 115
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12:39
Suraqa ibn Malik (ra): The Bounty Hunter
He went out as a disbeliever hunting the Prophet ﷺ for 100 camels, then came back a believer with the bracelets of the ruler of Persia. A remarkable story about prophecy even in vulnerability.
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Season 2
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Episode 114
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15:45
Umm Ma’bad (ra): The Most Beautiful Description of the Prophet ﷺ
She was a Bedouin woman who served the traveler and wayfarer when suddenly her home was blessed with most beautiful guest of all ﷺ.
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Season 2
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Episode 113
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33:17
Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (ra): A Voice Like No Other
He came from Yemen as soon as he heard the call of the beloved Prophet ﷺ, then brought Islam back to Yemen. He distinguished himself by his love for the Qur’an, and his wisdom in judging all of his affairs by it's guidance.
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Season 2
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Episode 112
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1:08:26