may Allah be pleased with him; among women, Khadijah; among boys, Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him; and among freed slaves, Zayd ibn Harithah.

Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam, he openly declared his Islam and called people to Allah and to His Messenger. He was a well-liked and gentle man, the most knowledgeable of Quraysh concerning their genealogies and their affairs. He was a merchant, a man of fine character and good reputation. The men of his people would come to him and enjoy his company for many reasons: because of his knowledge and the pleasantness of his companionship. Thus, he began calling to Islam those among his people whom he trusted. As has reached me, Uthman ibn Affan, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, and Talhah ibn Ubayd Allah embraced Islam at his hands. When they responded to him, he brought them to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and they embraced Islam and prayed. These were the eight people who were foremost in embracing Islam (1).

Thereafter, people entered Islam in succession. As for the foremost among the Helpers, they were those who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the night of al-Aqabah. They were six (2) at the first Aqabah, and seventy at the second; as were those who believed when Musab ibn Umayr came to them, teaching them the Quran. A great many people, as well as a group of women and children, embraced Islam with him.

His saying, exalted is He: “And the foremost—the first of the Emigrants,” refers to those who emigrated from their people and clans and left their homelands. “And the Helpers,” that is, among the Helpers: those from the people of Madinah who supported the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, against his enemies and gave refuge to his Companions. “And those who followed them in excellence”: it was said that they are the rest of the Emigrants and the Helpers, apart from the foremost—the first. ⦗163/b⦘

It was also said that they are those who follow their path in faith, emigration, or support, until the Day of Resurrection.

Ata said: They are those who mention the Emigrants and the Helpers with prayers for mercy and supplication.

Abu Sakhr Humayd ibn Ziyad said: I came to Muhammad ibn Kab al-Qurazi and said to him, “What do you say concerning the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?” He replied, “All the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, will be in Paradise—their righteous and their sinful alike.” I asked, “How can you say this?” He said, “O man, read the saying of Allah Most High: ‘And the foremost—the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers,’” until he reached, “‘Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.’ Then He said, ‘And those who followed them in excellence.’ He stipulated a condition for those who follow them: that they follow them in their good deeds, not their bad ones.”

Abu Sakhr said: It was as though I had never read this verse before (3).

We have related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Do not revile my Companions. By Him in whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend gold equivalent to Mount Uhud...”