The Firsts

Yaqeen Institute

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.

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180 episodes
Updated May 4

Episodes180

Newest first

Jan 2, 2025 · 16 min
Abu Mahdhura (ra): The Kid Who Mocked Adhan
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.
Jan 2, 2025 · 20 min
The Children of Ta’if Who Stoned the Prophet ﷺ
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?
Dec 17, 2024 · 25 min
The Jinn Who Became Muslim
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?
Dec 17, 2024 · 28 min
Abu Bakra (ra): The Freed Slave of Allah
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.
Dec 10, 2024 · 31 min
The Prophet ﷺ’s Bodyguard: Mughira ibn Shu‘ba (ra)
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.
Dec 10, 2024 · 39 min
Addas (ra) of Ta’if: The Brother of Yunus (as)
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.
Sep 16, 2024 · 1 hr 3 min
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?
Sep 16, 2024 · 1 hr 3 min
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.
Sep 16, 2024 · 1 hr 6 min
When Allah Guided the Children of Abu Lahab
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.
Sep 16, 2024 · 1 hr 19 min
The Most Honored Man By The Prophet ﷺ
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.
Sep 16, 2024 · 46 min
Urwa ibn Masud (ra): The Chief Who Resembled Isa (as)
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.
Jun 3, 2024 · 53 min
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 story of selflessness and martyrdom is ever inspiring and impactful.
Jun 3, 2024 · 1 hr 15 min
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.
Jun 3, 2024 · 58 min
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 the very end where after a painful reunification, came a beautiful ending.
May 7, 2024 · 1 hr 7 min
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.
May 7, 2024 · 1 hr 19 min
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 and many places of the world including Gaza which weighs so heavily on us today.
Apr 16, 2024 · 1 hr 11 min
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.
Oct 9, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): Becoming the Sword of Allah
The story of how a feared enemy of Islam became it's greatest general.
Oct 3, 2023 · 58 min
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.
Sep 28, 2023 · 1 hr
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 horrific actions?

The Firsts

Abu Mahdhura (ra): The Kid Who Mocked Adhan

The Children of Ta’if Who Stoned the Prophet ﷺ

The Jinn Who Became Muslim

Abu Bakra (ra): The Freed Slave of Allah

The Prophet ﷺ’s Bodyguard: Mughira ibn Shu‘ba (ra)

Addas (ra) of Ta’if: The Brother of Yunus (as)

Mothers of the Prophet ﷺ: Amina and Halima al-Sa’diyya

Hakim ibn Hizam (ra): When Money Stops Mattering

When Allah Guided the Children of Abu Lahab

The Most Honored Man By The Prophet ﷺ

Urwa ibn Masud (ra): The Chief Who Resembled Isa (as)

Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl (ra): The Pious Son of Pharoah

Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (ra): Forgiving the Enemy

The Prophet ﷺ’s Brother: Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith (ra)

Amr ibn al-As (ra): His Wicked Father & “Better” Brother

Amr ibn al-As (ra): From Rafah to Egypt

Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): The Legendary Military General

Khalid ibn al-Walid (ra): Becoming the Sword of Allah

Abu Saeed al Khudri (ra): The Jewel of Madinah

Saeed ibn Amir (ra): Haunted by Murder