Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Bakr was a man to whom his people naturally gravitated; he was beloved, gentle, and the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about the lineage of Quraysh. He was also a merchant known for his upright character and generosity. Once he embraced Islam, he began inviting to Allah and to Islam those among his clan whom he trusted—his regular visitors and those who sat with him. Through his call, the following entered Islam: ‘Uthman, al-Zubayr, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah, and Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas. He brought them to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—after they had accepted Islam and performed the prayer. These eight persons were the first to forge ahead in Islam, to pray, and to testify to the truth.

Then the following accepted Islam: Abu ‘Ubayda ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Jarrah al-Fihri; Abu Salamah ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Makhzumi; al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Makhzumi; ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un al-Jumahi and his two brothers Qudamah and ‘Abd Allah; ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Muttalib ibn ‘Abd Manaf al-Muttalibi; Sa‘id ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl al-‘Adawi, together with his wife Fatimah, the sister of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab; Asma’ bint Abu Bakr; Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, the ally of Banu Zuhrah; ‘Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas, the brother of Sa‘d; ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud; Sulayt ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Shams al-‘Amiri and his brother Hatib; ‘Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘ah ibn al-Mughirah al-Makhzumi and his wife Asma’; Khunays ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi; ‘Amir ibn Rabi‘ah, an ally of the family of al-Khattab; ‘Abd Allah and Abu Ahmad, the sons of Jahsh ibn Ri‘ab al-Asadi; Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib and his wife Asma’ bint ‘Umays; Hatib ibn al-Harith al-Jumahi and his wife Fatimah bint al-Mujallal; his brother Khattab and his wife Fakhihah bint Yasar; Ma‘mar ibn al-Harith, their brother; al-Sa’ib ibn ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un; al-Muttalib ibn Azhar ibn ‘Abd ‘Awf al-‘Adawi al-Zuhri and his wife Ramlah bint Abi ‘Awf; al-Nahham—whose name was Na‘im ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Asad al-‘Adawi; ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah, the freedman of Abu Bakr; and Khalid ibn