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A
LIST OF HAPPY INDIVIDUALS
WHO ATTAINED THE FELICITY OF RELIGION
AT THE BEGINING OF THE MISSION OF PROPHET- u.w.b.
The U'lama of the
nation agree that the first person the stature of whose ability became
honoured by the robe of religion was Khudyjah (peace be upon her); but a
number of pious men assert that Ali, (A.S.) was made happy by becomming
the first proselyte to the faith, and after him Zaid bin Hareth, the
freed slave of the prince of existence, was exalted by that gift, and
after that Abu Bakr (RAA) beleived the words of prophet-u.w.b. The
traditions now related may, however, also be adjusted as follows : The
first person who believed in the prophet ship of the prince of righteous
was Khudyjah (peace be upon her), the first who confessed it was Ali (A.S.)
it was Ali the select-u.w.b. and the first who attached himself to his
lordship was Zaid Bin Hareth.The priority of these three in believing
the words of Ahmad (SAW), the chosen respectacle of the blessings of the
Almighty Sovereign, is made clear as follows Sidiq Abu Bakr was the
first man, Ali Murtaza (i.e the select) the first boy, and Zaid Bin
Hareth the first liberated, who had professed the religion; and as for
the priority of Khudyjah, it needs no explanation. The other followers
who pronounced Kalimat are in this sequence, U'thman Bin U'ffan, Zobeir
Bin Ala'wam, Tolhah Bin Abdullah, Sa'ad Bin Abu Woqas, and Abbdur Rehman
Bin A'uf.Rauzat-us-Safa vol.1.Part II - p150.
The other sequence is
"Khadija was the first to accept his mission. She was the first to
believe in the revelation, to abandon the idolatory of her people, and
to join with him in purity of heart in offering up prayers to the All
Merciful.After Khadijah (peace be upon her), Ali was of the next
disciple. Often did the Prophet (SAW) go into the depth of the solitary
desert around Mecca, with his wife and young cousin, that they might
together offer up their heartfelt thanks to the God of all nations for
his manifold blessings. Soon after Zaid, the son of Harith became a
convert to new faith. He was followed by a leading member of the
Koreishite community of the name of Abdullah, s.o. of Abu Kuhafa, who
afterwards became famous in history as Abu Bakr. Five notables followed
in his footsteps, Othman, son of Affan, Abdur Rehman, son of A'uf; Sa'd
son of Abi Waqas; Zubair son of Awwam and nephew of Khadijah, presented
theselves beofre the prophet and accepted Islam at his hands. Spirit Of
Islam, Amir Ali pp.20-21.
An interesting and
authentic account of those who preceeded in accepting Islam is found in
Tareekh-e-Ahmadi : Sheikh Ahmad Hussain Khan (in Urdu) giving the name
of the narrator as well as the orginal sources. The following sources
are noteworthy which have given the sequence of early believers in the
oneness of God and the Prophethood of Mohammad b. Abdullah (SAW). The
first living being who accepted the Prophethood of Mohammad b. Abdullah
(SAW) was Khudaijah (peace be upon her) and there is complete unanimity
among all historians over this. As regards the second person Seerat
Hisham hold that Ali b. Abi Talib was first after Khudaijah (peace be
upon her) when he was 10 years old), some hold that Abu Bakr (RAA) was
the first. Ibne Aseer Jazri (Tareekh Kamil) "There is no difference of
opinion about Hazrat Khudaijah, as for Ali b. Abi Talib (AS) some hold
that Ali (AS) was first, some hold that Abu Bakr (RAA) was first. (Tareekh
Ahmadi (Urdu) P. 14.
Ibne
Ishaq holds that after the Holy Prophet (SAW) Ali b.Abu Talib (AS)
followed by Zaid b. Hariss followed by Abu Bakr (RAA). Tareekh Ahmadi
(Urdu) p.14
Ibne
Hajjar Asqalani (in his Kitabal-Asaba) writes that majority of learned
people hold that Abul Hasan Ali b.Abi Talib (AS) was the first to
accept Islam (he was born 10 years after the Prophethood of the Prophet
of Islam (SAW)). In Seeerat, Ibne Hisham it is stated that among men Ali
b. Abi Talib was the first to accept Islam and offered prayer and
whatever was revealed to Prophet (SAW) was testified by him (when he was
10 years old) and whatever was gifted by God to Ali (AS) one of it was
that he was brought up by the Holy Prophet (SAW). He was followed by
Zaid b. Hariss who accepted Islam and offered prayers. Tareekh Ahmadi
(Urdu) p. 14
Abdul Bar Maliki (In
istai-aab) has written that Mohd. Kaab Qarzi was asked by people
whether Ali b.Abi Talib (SA) accepted Islam first or Abu Bakr (RAA), he
said Ali b. Abi Talib is the first who accepted Islam (Ibne Abdul-Bar
says that there is no doubt that among these two Ali (AS) was the first
to accept Islam. However Salman Farsi, Abuzar-e-Ghaffari, Miqdad &
Khyabad, Jabir, Abu-Saeed Ansari and Zaid b. Arqam narrate that in
reality Ali (AS) is the first who embraced Islam. The abovementioned
grand companions have preferred Ali (AS) over others. Tareekh Ahmadi
(Urdu) pp 14-15.
In (Khasais) Nissai
has quoted for Afeef was told by Ibne Abbas b. Abdul Muttalib that by
God uptil now Mohammad b. Abdullah (SAW) Khudaijah (peace be upon her
and Ali (AS) are the only three souls on the path of Islam.
Tareek-e-Ahmadi (Urdu) p.16. |