Next, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called his loyal and trusted friend Abu Bakr to Allah. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam straight away, without any second thoughts. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to some of his people, «Allah sent me to you and you said, ‘You lied.’ But Abu Bakr said, ‘You speak the truth’» [related by Al-Bukhari].
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first man to enter Islam, and his family then entered Islam as a result of Abu Bakr embracing the new faith. His daughter, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), said, «I do not remember my parents believing in any religion other than the religion (of Islam)» [related by Al-Bukhari].
The blessing of Abu Bakr entering Islam was not limited to only his family; due to his calling others to Allah (Glorified is He) and his efforts, this blessing also affected a group of Companions who embraced the religion and became known as the earliest and foremost believers. This was because they were the first to enter Islam, embracing the faith before many others. These earliest believers included: Uthman ibn Affan (the man with two lights), Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam (a disciple of the Prophet), Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf, Saad ibn Abu Waqqas (the Prophet’s uncle) and Talha ibn Ubaydullah, may Allah be pleased with them all. All of those who answered Abu Bakr’s call and embraced Islam are among the ten who were given the good news they will enter paradise [Understanding the Companions in depth: the life of Abdullah ibn Abu Qohafa].
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