When the Prophet ﷺ began to call people to worship Allah alone, several people quickly believed in him. Khadîja رضي الله عنها supported and reassured him. Abû Bakr رضي الله عنه accepted Islam and invited other men to follow him. The young ‘Alî رضي الله عنه and Zayd Ibn Hâritha رضي الله عنه were also among the first believers.
In Mecca, life went on as usual.
The inhabitants gathered around the Ka‘ba, traded, traveled, and lived according to the customs of their ancestors. Many worshipped statues and asked them for things they could neither give nor prevent.
Then Allah chose Muhammad ﷺ as His Messenger.
The Prophet ﷺ began to call people to worship Allah alone, without associating anything with Him.
At first, only a few responded.
But, one by one, sincere men and women recognized the truth. Each of them became like a small light in the darkness.
And soon, these first lights began to illuminate Mecca.
Khadîja, the One Who Reassured the Prophet ﷺ
The first person from whom the Prophet ﷺ found support was his wife, Khadîja Bint Khuwaylid رضي الله عنها.
She knew her husband perfectly.
She knew his honesty, his kindness, and his noble character. She knew that he helped the weak, maintained family ties, welcomed guests, and supported those going through difficulties.
When the Prophet ﷺ received the revelation, he returned to Khadîja, shaken by what he had just experienced.
He confided in her:
— I feared for my life.
Khadîja did not mock him.
She did not doubt his words.
She replied with strength:
— Rejoice! By Allah, Allah will never humiliate you.
Then she reminded him of his beautiful qualities.
How could a man who did so much good be abandoned by Allah?
Khadîja understood that the good deeds, generosity, and noble character of the Prophet ﷺ could not lead to humiliation.
She was thus among the first to believe in him and accept his message.
She did not just speak words.
She truly supported him.
She stood by his side, reassured him, and believed in him when many others did not yet know what was beginning.
Her intelligence, sincerity, and faith were so great that Allah conveyed His greeting to her through the angel Jibrîl and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Abû Bakr, the Truthful
Among the first men who responded to the call of the Prophet ﷺ was Abû Bakr رضي الله عنه.
He was known for his sincerity and uprightness.
When he heard the message of Islam, he accepted it.
He believed in the Prophet ﷺ and stood by his side.
But Abû Bakr did not keep this truth to himself.
With insight, that is, with intelligence, wisdom, and understanding, he called others to worship Allah.
Through his efforts, several important men of Mecca accepted Islam.
Among them were:
‘Uthmân Ibn ‘Affân,
Talha Ibn ‘Ubayd Allah,
and Sa‘d Ibn Abî Waqqâs.
They responded favorably to his call.
Thus, around the Prophet ﷺ, the group of believers began to grow slowly.
They were still only a small number.
But each of them had chosen to follow the truth.
The Young ‘Alî
Among the first believers was also ‘Alî Ibn Abî Tâlib رضي الله عنه.
‘Alî was still very young.
According to some accounts, he was eight years old. According to others, he was a bit older.
He lived under the care of the Prophet ﷺ.
At that time, a year of famine had struck Mecca.
A famine is a difficult period during which food becomes scarce and expensive.
Abû Tâlib, the father of ‘Alî and the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, had a family to feed.
To help him, the Prophet ﷺ had taken ‘Alî into his home.
The young boy thus grew up with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
He observed his behavior, his sincerity, and his kindness.
And when he heard the call to Islam, he hastened to accept it.
Despite his young age, he chose to believe in Allah and follow His Messenger ﷺ.
Zayd, the Beloved of the Prophet ﷺ
Another man hastened to accept Islam.
His name was Zayd Ibn Hâritha رضي الله عنه.
Zayd held a special place with the Prophet ﷺ.
Before Islam, he had been separated from his family and had become a slave.
Khadîja رضي الله عنها owned him, then she gave him to the Prophet ﷺ at the time of their marriage.
Over time, Zayd came to know the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
He saw his behavior in daily life.
He observed his justice, his gentleness, and his way of treating others.
Then, one day, Zayd's father and paternal uncle learned where he was.
They set out to find him.
They wanted to find him and bring him back to his family.
Zayd's Father and Uncle Arrive in Mecca
When they arrived in Mecca, they asked where the Prophet ﷺ was.
They were told he was in the mosque.
They went there and called to him:
— O son of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib! O son of Hâshim! O son of the chief of his tribe!
They reminded him of the nobility of his family and the generosity of the inhabitants of the sanctuary.
Then they explained why they had come:
— We have come about our son who is with you. Be kind to us and accept the ransom we will give you to free him.
A ransom is a sum of money given to obtain the release of a person.
The Prophet ﷺ asked them:
— Who are you talking about?
They replied:
— Zayd Ibn Hâritha.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not immediately ask them for money.
He offered them something else:
— I will have him come and ask him to choose. If he chooses you, he will leave with you. But if he chooses to stay with me, by Allah, I am not a man to abandon someone who has chosen me.
Zayd's father and uncle were satisfied.
They replied:
— You have given us a fair answer and you have acted well.
The Prophet ﷺ had Zayd brought in.
When he arrived, he asked him:
— Do you know these two men?
Zayd looked at the visitors.
— Yes, he replied.
The Prophet ﷺ continued:
— Who are they?
Zayd explained:
— This one is my father, and the other is my paternal uncle.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said to him:
— You know me and you have seen how I treat you. Choose between them and me.
The moment was important.
Before Zayd stood his father and uncle, who had come from afar to find him.
They offered him the chance to return to his people.
But Zayd had also lived with the Prophet ﷺ and knew his behavior.
What would he choose?
To leave with his family?
Or to stay with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?
To be continued…
