Today’s khutbah was about Abu Bakr, the famous companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The imam told the congregation that he was the first Muslim — or rather, the first to believe in the prophethood of Muhammad ibn Abdallah ibn Abdal Muttalib ibn Hashim.
On our way out of the mosque after the prayer, I asked our lad, “Who was the first Muslim?”
“I dunno,” he said, shrugging. Of course, he had tuned out during the sermon and hadn’t heard a thing.
“Well the imam said it was Abu Bakr,” I told him. “But really it was Khadijah.”
Perhaps the imam meant the first man to believe. Or the first adult male. Or the first free male. Or the first significant believer with unwavering faith. Or the best of the believers. As always, we give our esteemed sage his seventy excuses.
But if we are to be accurate in our preaching of the religion, shouldn’t we be more precise? Shouldn’t the congregation be taught who was really the first Muslim after the Prophet, peace be upon him?
That person was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, a successful merchant who came to be known as the Mother of the Believers. She was the first follower to recite the verses of the Quran, and the first to establish prayer, and one of the Prophet’s greatest supporters in the early years of his mission.
This too is a story our congregation should be taught. She shouldn’t be ignored because she is a woman, or reserved only for female congregants. Let the men of this community learn about that great woman too. Perhaps her life might teach us something about ours.
Last modified: 29 December 2023
