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.

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.

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.

She was most elegant and wise, and left behind her legacy through her support of the Prophet ﷺ, her students, her children, and the likes of Imam Hassan Al Basri who were brought up in her home.


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This is the story of the family of Umm Salama (ra).  A blessed family that was the first to make 3 Hijrahs, yet was painfully separated more than once.

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The Najashi of Abyssinia (Modern Day Ethopia) gave shelter to the Muslims when no one would, and eventually became a Muslim himself. But did you know that his uncle and brothers once sold him into slavery and that his character was shaped by that betrayal?

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Before he earned his wings in Paradise, Jafar Ibn Abi Talib (ra) earned a special place in the heart of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He went down in history as the eloquent young man who brought an Abyssinian king to Islam.

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Saaed (ra) and his wife Fatima (ra) embraced Islam early on and were instrumental in the eventual conversion of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (ra). Saeed (ra) lived a life of anonymity despite being amongst the 10 most prominent of those promised Paradise.

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Abu Dharr Al Ghifari (ra) was an ascetic that would always live as a stranger. He was the first to use the greeting of asalaamu alaikum and the most truthful of earth’s inhabitants.

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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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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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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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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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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. 

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

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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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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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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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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.