First Child to Accept Islam (Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib’s (ra) Narration)

In relation to this, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad Sahib (ra) presents his view. He writes:

“There is a discord amongst historians in reference to who the first convert among the men was after Hazrat Khadijah (ra). Some name Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) Abdullah bin Abi Quhafah, while others say Hazrat Ali (ra), whose age at the time was only 10 years. Others assert that the freed slave of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Zaid (ra) bin Harithah was the first one to embrace Islam. However, to us, this argument is futile.

“Hazrat Ali (ra) and Zaid (ra) bin Harithah were among the house-folk of the Holy Prophet (sa) and lived with him as his own children. They were to follow whatever was said by the Holy Prophet (sa); as a matter of fact, no verbal declaration was even necessary. Thus, their names need not be included.” Whether the Holy Prophet (sa) issued a declaration or not, it was the same; they did not need any verbal declaration to accept Islam. “Among the rest, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) is unanimously accepted as the first and foremost in his acceptance of Islam.”

(Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra), p. 121)