What made the Ansar the most beloved of people to the Prophet ﷺ, and what is the history behind this blessed group?

As’ad Ibn Zurarar is the young chief who paved the way for the Ansar to embrace their Prophet ﷺ and became the ultimate “first” in almost every category from the people of Madinah.

From the moment he heard the Quran, his face changed and his heart turned towards Allah and his messenger ﷺ in a way that made him beloved to the righteous in the heavens and in the earth.

There is no other man from the Ansar who commanded greater respect and authority from the Prophet ﷺ and his companions, and no other man about whom it was said the throne of Allah shook at his death.

He was the man who operated the equivalent of a soup kitchen in Madinah, and led with courage and generosity without fear of persecution or poverty.

The heartwarming story of the beloved servant of the Prophet ﷺ who became more like a son to him. 

Introducing the aunts and uncles of Anas (ra) to properly appreciate this family of sacrifice, with emphasis on the life and vision of Umm Haram (ra). 

Ubahada inb al-Samit (ra) was a leader who immediately inspired awe in others and established Islam in so many ways in different parts of the world.

Al Bara’ Ibn Malik (ra) was a man who people looked down upon, but that led the way with his courage in some of the most pivotal battles of Islam.

Abu Ayyub Al Ansari (ra) was a man who loved the Prophet ﷺ with all of his heart, and gave his home and life to his cause.

Abdullah ibn Salam moved to Madinah in anticipation of the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ, and went on to become one of the greatest companions to ever live. A scholar who knew multiple scriptures, and was promised paradise on more than one occassion. 

Dr. Omar Suleiman talks about the journey of truth that took the son of a Zoroastrian chief from Persia, through the churches of Syria and Iraq, to eventually becoming one of the most beloved companions of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah.

Part 2 of the journey of Salman (ra) with Dr. Omar Suleiman takes us through the events that led this noble companion from the trenches of Madinah back to the heart of the Persian empire.

He was the man who the companions used to say was the most sincere amongst them in combining knowledge and action. Dr. Omar Suleiman talks about Abu Darda (RA) and a legacy of scholarship, spirituality, and wisdom that spanned Madinah to Syria and beyond.

Dr. Omar Suleiman talks about Abdullah Ibn Rawahah (ra), who with his piety as remarkable as his poetry, was the first of the poets who defended the Prophet ﷺ and most noted for his virtues.

Ka'ab Ibn Malik (ra) was an  eloquent poet who was silenced and then elevated through his story to be the most narrated about repenter in the history of Islam.

Hassan ibn Thabit (ra) was the most talented of poets, aided by Jibreel (as) as he defended the Prophet ﷺ against his enemies. While that same tongue fell into tragic error, we honor him for his years of service to Islam.

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab (ra) embodied sacrifice in every way, and would be seen defending the Prophet ﷺ from every direction. Every one in her family followed her noble example.

He was a young genius when the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, and now shares a reward in the recitation of every Muslim due to his compiling of the Quran. 

The young scholar who was described by Prophet ﷺ as the most knowledgeable of this Ummah in halal and haram, and who was told by the Prophet ﷺ that he loved him for Allah.

The greatest reciter of the Quran, and the Imam of Madinah during the reign of the rightly guided Khulafa.

A woman who excelled in every way, memorized the Quran, and sought martyrdom even in her home.

A look at the unique characteristics of the Asma’s of Madinah, with emphasis on Asma bint Yazid. They refused to be left out of any reward, and expressed the desire to be by the side of the Prophet (saw) in every situation.

He was the chief of his tribe, and a devoted idol worshipper. But when he embraced Islam, he would stop at nothing to get to Jannah even though he had a disability.

While his father undermined the Prophet (Saw) at every juncture, he served alongside the Prophet (saw) in his most difficult moments. He was the opposite of his father, and opposed him when he hurt the Prophet (saw).

They were the children of hypocrites who got married the night before Uhud. What followed was a miracle unique to Hanzala (ra), and a child who lived his father’s legacy.

His father was of the first to embrace Islam, and he was the last companion to die in Madinah. He was left early on to care for many sisters, yet ended up being one of the caretakers of this Ummah.

Allah praised them in the Quran for their piety and love to be purified. Each one of them had an incredibly beautiful story of sacrifice that was oft-repeated amongst the Companions.

The love the Prophet ﷺ had for her was unparalleled, and the lessons learned from their marriage serve as a timeless guide for every husband and wife. In this lecture, we focus on the marriage dynamics and position of our mother Aisha (ra) with our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Growing up in a house of sacrifice, she was destined for a life of greatness. In this lecture, we cover her childhood up until her wedding when she would move into the most significant house in Madinah with our Beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Our mother was known for how beloved she was to the Prophet ﷺ which made her an easy target of the hypocrites. In her defense, Allah revealed verses of the Quran in the wake of the great slander known as hadithatul ifk. And in her lap, the Messenger ﷺ would breathe his last breath.

A life marked by devotion that saw her through her multiple tragedies, and earned her the testimony of the greatest angel. The wife of our beloved Prophet ﷺ who was most noted for her private worship.

The series finale on the remarkable legacy and life of Aisha (ra). What was her life like after the death of the beloved Prophet ﷺ, and what were her unique distinctions that live on until today.

She came from a noble background, had her marriage contracted by Allah himself in the noble Qur'an, and would be first to join our noble Prophet ﷺ after his death.

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 example for our Ummah.

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.

Her marriage to the Prophet ﷺ coincided with a beautiful occasion, and her wedding was her most precious memory. 

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.

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 pondering upon in it's own right.

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.

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.

She was a Bedouin woman who served the traveler and wayfarer when suddenly her home was blessed with most beautiful guest of all ﷺ.

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.

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.

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 integrity in every moment of his life.

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 hateful enemies. 

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 companion would encounter.

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 horrific actions?

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.

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.

The story of how a feared enemy of Islam became it's greatest 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.

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.

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 and many places of the world including Gaza which weighs so heavily on us today.

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 story of selflessness and martyrdom is ever inspiring and impactful.

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.

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 the very end where after a painful reunification, came a beautiful ending.

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?

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.

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.

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 blessed connection for this Ummah.

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 in the process.

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 with the command to destroy their idol.

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.

Imagine the first Muslims, but amongst the Jinn. Who were the first converts amongst them, and how did that happen? When did Allah send them? And what was the connection of the Jinn Muslims to the rejectors of Ta’if?

So often confused for Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (ra), this prolific narrator of hadith escaped Ta’if in such a unique way that he was named after this incident. After this lecture, you will never read his name as a typo again.

As the Prophet ﷺ left the siege of Ta’if, a group of youth were making fun of the adhan. The Prophet ﷺ saw past their mockery and stuck to his hope of their becoming Muslim. In one of the most beautiful stories of the Prophetic lens, we gain new insight into how he brought the best out of people even in the worst of times.

Imagine having stoned the Prophet ﷺ as a child, only to realize who he was as an adult. How do you even become Muslim on that day? Were any of the children even listening to what he was saying while they carried out the brutal order to stone him? Since the Prophet ﷺ had hope in their Islam, did he get to see the fruit of that hope in his lifetime?

After the Battle of Badr, two cousins secretly conspired to kill the Prophet ﷺ. Neither of them could have predicted where this conspiracy would eventually take them.

He was named Muhammad before Islam. He was the knight of the Messenger ﷺ. He was the guardian of Madinah. He was the caliph's investigator. Who was he?

The Quraysh abuse a man who is performing umrah. But they quickly realize the consequences, because he may have been the most powerful Muslim in the world at the time.

Prior to his conversion, Ka’b ibn Zuhayr (ra) is responsible for the latest diss tracks coming out about Islam. He’s insulting the Prophet ﷺ, the Muslims, and making implications about Muslim women. But as the Prophet ﷺ’s power grows, the world is closing in on the poet. Where will he go?

Is your faith journey complicated? Wait until you hear this story. He embraced Islam. Then he left it. Then he committed the worst sins. He thought he could repent again. After so many twists and turns, you might be surprised at how his story ended.

Siblings with very different personalities can serve Islam in their own ways. Omar ibn al khattab (ra) was outspoken and larger-than-life. What about his older brother, Zayd ibn al-Khattab (ra), the silent giant of this ummah?

Who are The Firsts? To kick off the lecture series, Shaykh Dr. Omar Suleiman describes the 5 categories of firsts in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

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This episode was first recorded Nov. 26, 2019 and has been re-released in audio format.

Zaid Ibn Amr Ibn Nufaid (ra) is an absolutely remarkable figure in the history of Islam and has a story unlike any other from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Aside from being a monotheist before the coming of Islam, he would guide people to what pleased Allah based on intuition and fitrah (natural disposition).

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This episode was first recorded Dec. 5, 2019 and has been re-released in audio format.

We find Waraqa in the seerah and at the very beginning of Sahih Bukhari, but with little beyond his death – making the rest of his life a mystery. Who was he before that? What is his story? What is his status? Sh. Omar Suleiman tells the story of Waraqa Ibn Nawfal, the first to confirm the prophethood.

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This episode was first recorded on Dec. 9, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.

In episode 4 of the Firsts, dive into the many “firsts” accomplished by the best woman of her time, Kadijah bint Khuwaylid (ra), the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ first love and wife. Sh. Omar Suleiman describes the relationship and love between Khadijah (ra) and the Prophet ﷺ, her support, and her station as the first woman to believe in him.

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This episode was first recorded on Dec. 12, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.

In episode 5 of the Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman introduces us to Barakah Bint Thalaba, or Umm Ayman, the woman who never stopped caring. Umm Ayman was a second mother to the Prophet ﷺ after his mother passed. Not only is she the second woman to accept Islam, she is the only woman to have been with him from his birth till his death.

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This episode was first recorded on Dec. 19, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.

Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ love for Ali was immense. It is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ asked Allah to show love to those who love Ali and to show hate to those who hate Ali. Tune in to episode 6 of The Firsts as Sh. Omar Suleiman talks about the first child to embrace Islam, and the companion with more narrations about his virtues than any other. 

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This episode was first recorded on Jan. 20, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

Both Ali and Fatima were raised by the beloved Prophet ﷺ and had a special place in his heart. They were married by the Prophet ﷺ then counseled by him. Through their blessed marriage, a community came together and a community remains inspired. They faced obstacles that we all face in our marriage but by the guidance of Allah, the advice of the Prophet ﷺ, and the faith in their hearts, they were able to pull through and leave behind one of the greatest examples of a marriage ever to exist. And in studying this blessed family, we get to see our Prophet ﷺ in a new light: as a loving father, grandfather, and father in law.

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This episode was first recorded on Jan. 23, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

“Many came to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, asking whom he loved the most, including Ali (ra) and Fatima (ra). He had the most eloquent answer, while maintaining his character of honesty. Even though Fatima was very dear to him and his heart was very attached to her, he didn’t want to answer in a way that would hurt Ali, whom he loved as his own son. He looked at Ali and said, ‘She is more beloved to me than you, but you are more precious to me than her’, making them both very happy. ” 

In episode 8 of The Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman continues to talk about the love between Ali and Fatima and the love they had with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to the pain that was felt after the passing of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the passing of Fatima (ra).

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This episode was first recorded on Jan. 30, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (ra) was the ultimate “first”: quick to believe, quick to do good, never hesitant to follow the Prophet ﷺ, and had a natural instinct toward good. 

In Episode 9 of The Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman describes the noble character of Abu Bakr (ra), his friendship with the Prophet ﷺ, and his unmatched legacy.

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This episode was first recorded on Feb. 13, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

Abu Bakr’s (ra) character is best described by the words of Ali (ra), “he is the first to every good”. Abu Bakr (ra) was the ultimate trendsetter, the fastest to do the good deed. 

In Episode 10 of The Firsts, Sh. Omar Suleiman continues to talk about Abu Bakr (ra) and his elevation in the pursuit of good. The standards that he set and the inspiration that he had to achieve the good deed can motivate us to set our own goals and place higher standards on ourselves and our actions.

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This episode was first recorded on Feb. 12, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was keen to remember and honor “the firsts” for their support, suffering, and sincerity. Abu Bakr’s (ra) honor surpassed everyone’s, including that of Umar ibn al Khattab (ra). 

He surpassed everyone by a distance that no one could ever catch up to. His status is sanctified as the first after the prophets. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said the sun has never risen or set on anyone, after the prophets, that is better than Abu Bakr, and that he will be the first to enter Paradise in his nation.

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This episode was first recorded on Feb. 28, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

Zayd Ibn Haritha’s nickname was “the beloved of the beloved ﷺ”. The character of the Prophet ﷺ is exhibited in relationships he had with people before Islam was revealed, and his relationship with Zayd is one of them. 

Zayd was the first freed slave to become a Muslim. His life and the choices he made exemplify what it means to love the Prophet ﷺ.

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This episode was first recorded on Mar. 11, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.

A woman who believed in the promise of Allah, persevered through the worst of torture for Allah, and received the ultimate reward of Paradise from Allah. 

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The first to be tortured for the sake of Allah, and the first to make his Islam public according to some accounts. An inspiring story often lost in the midst of his peers.

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Whether he was under a stone in the hot desert, or on top of the Kaaba, no man called out more truthfully “One God” and ascended in rank like Bilal.

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What pushed Suhaib the Roman to travel the world, and what was he willing to sacrifice once he realized there was more to this life than trade and adventure? Suhaib al Rumi was the last of the first seven to publicize his Islam and one of the first to be promised Paradise.

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A young man from a powerful tribe who used his influence and home to help build the world’s greatest movement of Al-Islam.

There is possibly no woman or man through whom the Seerah flows like Lubaba. She is a part of everyone’s story, but her own story deserves its own reverence. The first woman after Khadijah, and the great Aunt of the Ummah.

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The first daughter of the Prophet (saw) and Khadijah (ra), Zaynab (ra) would spend almost 2 decades in a marriage of constant limbo because she chose to believe.



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He is the man who was so loved by the people that mothers sang lullabies to their children about him, and so loved by the Prophet (saw) that he would marry two of his daughters.

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Uthman (ra) had many qualities that set him apart, and those qualities shined brightest when he was slandered and under siege.

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Saad (ra) was just a teenager when he saw a moon in his dream that brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He endured a painful oath from his mother, who swore to starve herself in order to deter him from becoming a Muslim, and embarked on a journey to spread Islam throughout the world for decades.

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Although he was the most at risk, Abdullah Ibn Masood (ra) was the first to recite the Qur’an publicly. The Prophet ﷺ told him, "You are a wise young man" upon their first encounter. He was the 6th person to embrace Islam, which earned him the nickname "Sudus al-Islam" (one-sixth of Islam).


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