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

Oct 1, 2020 · 50 min
Uthman Ibn Affan (ra): The Possessor of Two Lights
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Sep 27, 2020 · 35 min
Zaynab Bint Muhammad (saw): The First Daughter (ra)
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Sep 16, 2020 · 47 min
Lubaba Bint Al-Harith: The First Woman After Khadijah (ra)
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Sep 10, 2020 · 21 min
Al-Arqam Ibn Abil Arqam: The House of Islam
A young man from a powerful tribe who used his influence and home to help build the world’s greatest movement of Al-Islam.
Sep 3, 2020 · 44 min
Suhaib Al Rumi (ra): From Persia, to Rome, to Paradise
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Aug 26, 2020 · 58 min
Bilal Ibn Rabah (ra): The Voice of Certainty
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Aug 19, 2020 · 43 min
Khabbab Ibn Al Aratt (ra) - Under Burning Hot Coals
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Aug 12, 2020 · 39 min
Sumayyah (ra): The First Martyr
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox.
Aug 6, 2020 · 50 min
Zayd Ibn Al Haritha (ra): Loved and Liberated
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Mar. 11, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Aug 4, 2020 · 1 hr
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 3: There Will Never Be Another One
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Feb. 28, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 30, 2020 · 59 min
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 2: Setting His Own Standards
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Feb. 12, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 27, 2020 · 54 min
Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 1: Second to None in the Pursuit of God
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Feb. 13, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 23, 2020 · 1 hr 1 min
From Love to the Pain of Death
“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). Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Jan. 30, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 20, 2020 · 57 min
The Beautiful Marriage of Ali (ra) and Fatima (ra)
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Jan. 23, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 15, 2020 · 52 min
Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra): Courageous & Steadfast
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Jan. 20, 2020 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 13, 2020 · 40 min
Umm Ayman (ra): The Woman Who Never Stopped Caring
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Dec. 19, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 9, 2020 · 1 hr 21 min
Khadijah (ra): His First Love, Our First Mother
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Dec. 12, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 6, 2020 · 48 min
Waraqa Ibn Nawfal (ra): The First to Confirm Prophethood
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded on Dec. 9, 2019 and is being re-released in audio format.
Jul 3, 2020 · 42 min
Zaid Ibn Amr (ra): A One Man Ummah
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). Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded Dec. 5, 2019 and has been re-released in audio format.
Jul 2, 2020 · 42 min
Trendsetters, Revivers, and Strangers
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. Sign up here to get notes sent straight to your inbox. This episode was first recorded Nov. 26, 2019 and has been re-released in audio format.

The Firsts

Uthman Ibn Affan (ra): The Possessor of Two Lights

Zaynab Bint Muhammad (saw): The First Daughter (ra)

Lubaba Bint Al-Harith: The First Woman After Khadijah (ra)

Al-Arqam Ibn Abil Arqam: The House of Islam

Suhaib Al Rumi (ra): From Persia, to Rome, to Paradise

Bilal Ibn Rabah (ra): The Voice of Certainty

Khabbab Ibn Al Aratt (ra) - Under Burning Hot Coals

Sumayyah (ra): The First Martyr

Zayd Ibn Al Haritha (ra): Loved and Liberated

Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 3: There Will Never Be Another One

Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 2: Setting His Own Standards

Abu Bakr (ra) - Part 1: Second to None in the Pursuit of God

From Love to the Pain of Death

The Beautiful Marriage of Ali (ra) and Fatima (ra)

Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra): Courageous & Steadfast

Umm Ayman (ra): The Woman Who Never Stopped Caring

Khadijah (ra): His First Love, Our First Mother

Waraqa Ibn Nawfal (ra): The First to Confirm Prophethood

Zaid Ibn Amr (ra): A One Man Ummah

Trendsetters, Revivers, and Strangers