بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Translation of Dr. Shams Jilani “Roshni Hira Say” (The light from Cave of Hira) by Dr. Rehan Asad
Chapter (53)
The description of those who first accepted Islam as their faith
During the last section we had reached to the point that one Arab sighted Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Khadija, & Hazrat Ali (RA) in state of worship that was strange to him. On this he tried to enquire about them. And Abu Lahab gave him the answer that these two guys are my nephew, Muhammad (PBUH) & Ali. The lady is the wife of Muhammad (PBUH).
When we saw the sequence provided by the historians, it appeared like this. The first among the men was Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), among the ladies, Hazrat Khaadija (RA), among the children’s, Hazrat Ali (RA) & among the slave; it was Hazrat Zaid (RA). But when we tried to review the principles of Islam, this sort of demarcation has been completely reject in its basic tenants that were based on caste, color, gender, race or any other form of demarcations. When we revisit this Hadith of Prophet (PBUH) in which he said, don’t speak ill of Warqa bin Naufal as I had sighted him in paradise. In first stance it appeared that the first person who accepted the invitation of Islam was him but up to that time, the Prophet (PBUH) was not instructed by Almighty Allah to give invitation of Islam. So on this review as we had done earlier the first one who accepted Islam was Hazrat Khadija (RA) & Hazrat Ali (RA). If we will categories them on the basis of age, gender & background then it will be like this “The first among the men was Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), among the ladies, Hazrat Khaadija (RA), among the children’s, Hazrat Ali (RA) & among the slave; it was Hazrat Zaid (RA)”. Now I am just asking whether these categorizations are against the code of piousness that is instructed in Holy Quran. And the second point I would like to elaborate here about the statement of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), before me almost fifty people has accepted faith of Islam. I am leaving the decision from both of the points on you. We all are the students & every point is a learning stance for you. Let’s think about it. This issue will be solved only when we were able to know that when the message of Dawa was started. If we consider that with arrival of first revelation the mission of Dawa was started then we have to accept Hazrat Warqa Bin Naufal as the first man who accepts Islam. If we accept that there was a gap & the Dawa was started with the second revelation then we have to accept that among the first reverts of Islam were Hazrat Khadija (RA), Hazrat Ali (RA) & Hazrat Zaid (RA). We didn’t able to find exactly when & how Hazrat Khadija (RA) reverted to Islam but one point I want to clarify here that from the writings of all the historians among Islamic history, she is considered among the first reverts towards Islam. So her name is completely clear from any of the doubt in this issue. And same is the case of Hazrat Ali (RA) & Hazrat Zaid (RA).
Cont’d for the next week
