Timing of Sahabah becoming Muslims

Among Muslims, the timing of Sahaba becoming Muslims is of importance.

Introduction

After the Muslim conquests began, a Muslim's standing in the Islamic state depended on his services to the community, and especially on the length of time he had been a member of the community. Early converts (who had faced persecution with Muhammad) had a much higher status than later converts (who may have joined only after there were worldly reasons to do so). The first male convert may thus be presumed to have a special status.

To highlight the importance that was attached, one can see the controversies regarding the identity of the first male Muslim. Also, except for the Sahaba that merited extraordinary accomplishments, Sunni rank all Sahaba according to their time.

List

Here is a list of the of them becoming Muslims. Sources are provided in the article of each Sahaba. The first four converts to Islam were:^[1]

• Khadija - First Muslim and female convert.^[2]
• Ali ibn Abi Talib - First male to convert to Islam, he accepted Islam after Khadija.^[3]
• Zayd ibn Harithah - One of the first three people to convert to Islam
• Abu Bakr - One of the first four people to convert to Islam.^[4]

Some other early muslims are:

• Yasir ibn Amir - One of the early converts to Islam was also second martyr of Islam^[1]
• Ammar ibn Yasir - One of the early converts to Islam
• Sumayyah bint Khabbab - Seventh person to convert to Islam^[5] was the first martyr of Islam^[1]
• Abu Dharr al-Ghifari - One of the early converts
• Sa'd ibn Abi-Waqqas - One of the first people to accept Islam^[6]
• Lubaba bint al-Harith - Second woman to convert to Islam^[7]
• Bilal ibn Ribah - One of the early converts to Islam
• Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud - One of the early converts to Islam
• Jafar ibn Abi Talib - One of the early convert to Islam
• Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf - Among the first people to accept Islam
• Uthman ibn Affan - One of the early converts to Islam
• Zubayr ibn al-Awwam - One of the early converts to Islam
• Talha ibn Ubayd-Allah - One of the early converts to Islam
• Khalid ibn Sa`id - One of the early converts to Islam
• Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah - One of the early converts to Islam
• Khabbab ibn al-Aratt - One of the early converts to Islam
• Said ibn Zayd - Converted to Islam before Umar
• Fatimah bint al-Khattab - Converted to Islam before Umar
• Abu-Hudhayfah ibn Utbah - One of the early converts to Islam
• Mus`ab ibn `Umair - One of the early converts to Islam
• Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib - Converted to Islam in 616 A.Ds
• Asma bint Abu Bakr - About the eighteenth person to convert to Islam^[8]
• Umar - around the fiftieths or sixtieth or so person to convert to Islam, and he did so during 4 BH (617–618 CE)^[9][4]
• Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya - Among the first people to convert to Islam
• Abd-Allah ibn Abd-al-Asad - Among the first people to convert to Islam
• Sawda bint Zama - One of the early converts to Islam

See also

• Religious conversion#Conversion to Islam

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Razwy, Sayed A.A. (1997). "Abu Bakr the first Khalifa of the Muslims". A restatement of the history of Islam & Muslims : C.E. 570 to 661. Stanmore, Middlesex: World Federation of KSI Muslin Communities. ISBN 0950987913. Retrieved 31 July 2014. Abu bakr was the son of abu qahafa, and made his living as a merchant in Makkah. He accepted Islam after Khadija, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Zayd bin Haritha. 
2. ↑ http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/bios/khadija.htm
3. ↑ See Identity of first male Muslim for references
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tabari. Tarikh e Tabari. I (Muhammad ibn Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas) asked my father whether Abu Bakr was the first of the Muslims. He said, 'No, more than fifty people embraced Islam before Abu Bakr; but he was superior to us as a Muslim. He also writes that Umar Bin Khattab embraced Islam after forty-five men and twenty-one women. As for the foremost one in the matter of Islam and faith, it was Ali Bin Abi Talib.' 
5. ↑ Al-Isabah [vol 8 ./189-190] with additional details taken from 'at-Tabaqat al-Kubra Volume 8 pg 193.
6. ↑ Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqqas (radhi allahu anhu)
7. ↑ Marriage to a 'past': Parents should not reject a proposal without a good reasons - and being a revert with a past is not an acceptable one
8. ↑ Asma bint-Abu-Bakr
9. ↑ Suyuti. "Umar". History of the Caliphs. quoting al-Dhahabi: 'He (Umar) accepted Islam in the sixth year of prophecy when he was twenty-seven years old.'