However, when Allah had Ordained Muhammad (a.

However, when Allah had Ordained Muhammad (a.s) the Prophet, `Ali (a.s) was ten years old and he was not an infidel then!”[3] This question can be asked only about the persons who were infidels and polytheists and had embraced Islam leaving behind their evil ways. If `Ali (a.s) is recognized as the first to embrace Islam, and the earliest Muslim, it is because when the Prophet (a.s) was Ordained in to the Faith, he was the first to endorse his allegiance.

Even otherwise `Ali (a.s) was on the same Faith as was the Prophet (a.s) prior to his Annunciation! After the Annunciation, the Prophet (a.s) started his campaign of propagation of the Faith from his home only. It is quite natural that the best persons to vouch for the honesty and integrity are the immediate members of his family.

Therefore, when the Voice of Islam had not yet left the four walls of the Prophet’s home Khadijah and `Ali (a.s), who was eagerly waiting the felicitous moment, embraced Islam. Neither `Ali (a.s) doubted the veracity of the claims of the Prophet (a.s), as some others did later on, nor did he express surprise over his claims. These two personalities were the closest to the Prophet (a.s) and had precedence over all the others in embracing the True Faith!

Amir al-Mu’minin says: “At that time Islam was not there in any place outside the four walls of the Prophet (a.s) And Khadijah’s home. However the third Person in their group was I.”[4] [1] Nahj al-Balāghah [2] Al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, Page 177 [3] Al-Wāfī Besides this precedence in embracing Islam, these two had the privilege of being the first to offer the Islamic Prayer along with the Prophet (a.s).

For a long time after the Annunciation, these were the only two who were seen praying along with the Prophet (a.s). Therefore, Isma`il ibn Iyas says that his grandfather, `Afif, narrated that he used to visit Makkah for trading and used to be the guest of `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib. Once, near the Ka`bah he spotted a handsome, young person looking towards the sun and then facing the Ka`bah, saying “allahu-akbar”. In a while, a child came and stood on the right behind the young person.

Then a lady came and stood behind both of them. The young person did a genuflection and both the persons behind him followed suit. When he raised his head, they did the same. Then he prostrated and the two behind him prostrated too. `Afif was much impressed with this way of offering prayer. He asked `Abbas, who those three persons were?