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
179 episodes
Juwayriya bint al-Harith (ra): A Blessing to Her People
She was a distinguished woman due to her lineage, beauty, and nobility before Islam. But our mother would go on to be distinguished by a specific form of worship. She was a blessing to her people through her marriage to the Prophet ﷺ and an exa...
Safiyya bint Huyayy (ra): A Heart of Gold | The Firsts | Dr. Omar Suleiman
From the lineage of a noble Prophet, Safiyya was viewed with deep suspicion at times due to her roots. But she shined most with the Prophet ﷺ in regards to her love, care, and empathy.
Maymunah bint al-Harith (ra): A Blessed Wedding | The Firsts | Dr. Omar Suleiman
Her marriage to the Prophet ﷺ coincided with a beautiful occasion, and her wedding was her most precious memory.
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (ra): The Secret Keeper | The Firsts | Dr. Omar Suleiman
He was entrusted with the most sensitive of secrets due to the special sincerity he possessed. After the tragic death of his father, he lived as the trustee of this Ummah.
Tufayl ibn Amr (ra): The Hidden Legend
Behind the conversion of Abu Huraira (ra) and the legacy he would leave behind is a hidden legend from the tribe of al-Daws named Tufayl ibn Amr (ra). While he narrates not a single hadith, his complete story is full of wisdom and worth ponderi...
Abu Huraira (ra): The Preserver of Hadith
The most prolific narrator of ahadith from our beloved Prophet ﷺ, and the heart that Allah chose to give us access to the Sunnah like no other.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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.
Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): Becoming the Sword of Allah
The story of how a feared enemy of Islam became it's greatest general.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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.
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...
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?
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.