The Firsts with Dr. Omar Suleiman

The Firsts: The Forerunners of Islam is the series that visits trailblazers of the ummah. Those that rise to the occasion, and inspire a generation. Host Sh. Dr. Omar Suleiman dives into the stories of the giants who were the first of their kind in this world, and distinguished in the next. Listen in to revive the personalities buried in history.Let’s meet the Firsts. This series is brought to you by Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. We aim to make academic and Islamically-credible scholarship mainstream through accessible resources such as infographics, animations, podcasts, learning materials, and more. Visit www.yaqeeninstitute.org or download the Yaqeen app from the app store to continue dismantling doubts, nurturing conviction, and inspiring contribution, one truth at a time.

Afleveringen

Abu Mihjan (ra): The Sahabi With A Substance Use Disorder

13 juli 2026 · 20 min
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He was fierce on the battlefield, yet fighting a quieter battle within himself. Lees meer

Abu Mihjan (ra) had a weakness, but it never stopped his courage. He owned his struggle and still showed up for his community, time and again. What finally became his turning point?
Nu’ayman ibn Amr (ra): The Funniest Man in Medina

6 juli 2026 · 40 min
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One of the Prophet's ﷺ Companions was the kind of man who could walk into a room and have everyone laughing. Lees meer

Nu'ayman ibn Amr (ra) was a gem, beloved for the joy he carried wherever he went. He pulled pranks on the Prophet ﷺ himself, talked his way into mischief no one else would dare, and once sold a fellow Sahabi as a joke that people laughed about for a whole year.

But behind the laughter, he was carrying something heavier. He struggled with alcohol addiction, and he kept falling back into it.

What the Prophet ﷺ said when a Companion cursed him for it is not what you'd expect.

Discover the story of the funniest Sahabi who ever lived, the struggle behind the jokes, and three lessons on how the Prophet ﷺ dealt with someone who kept falling.
Abu Lubabah (ra): A Rope Only the Prophet ﷺ Could Untie

29 juni 2026 · 23 min
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Abu Lubabah (ra) was a top chief and one of the very first to pledge allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. But when he made a devastating mistake, he didn't run, deny, or cover it up. He went straight to the Prophet ﷺ's masjid and did something extraordinary. Lees meer

Learn what his powerful story teaches us about true self-accountability, honesty, and the mercy of Allah.

The verse that was revealed about him:

“Some others have confessed their wrongdoing: they have mixed goodness with evil. It is right to hope that Allah will turn to them in mercy. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 9:102)
Hatib (ra): Leaking the Prophet’s ﷺ Plans to the Enemy

22 juni 2026 · 47 min
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One of the Prophet's ﷺ closest companions did something that looked like a complete betrayal. Lees meer

Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah (ra) had been loyal for twenty years, through every hardship. Then he got caught doing the one thing no one expected. When he was brought in to answer for it, everyone assumed that was the end of him.

But the Prophet's ﷺ response is not what you'd expect for what he did. Discover the story behind Hatib's alleged betrayal, how the Prophet ﷺ handled it, and three lessons we can learn from it.
Mariya al-Qibtiyya (ra): Mother of the Prophet’s ﷺ Last Child

1 juni 2026 · 1 uur 7 min
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Mariya al-Qibtiyya (ra), “the gift of Egypt,” embraced Islam and her life with the Prophet ﷺ wholeheartedly, even as slander and jealousy tested her. Lees meer

She delivered a baby boy, Ibrahim (ra), who wouldn’t live past being a toddler.

Find out how the Prophet ﷺ reacted and remained steadfast in his belief in Allah even during this personal tragedy.
Salma (ra) and Ubaydullah (ra): A Legacy of Serving the Ahlul Bayt

4 mei 2026 · 11 min
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She was the midwife in the births of the Prophet ﷺ’s children and grandchildren. Lees meer

This was just one of the unique ways that Salma (ra), a freed-slave and the wife of Abu Rafi al-Qibti (ra), served the Prophet ﷺ’s family.

And she raised her own son Ubaydullah ibn Abu Rafi (ra) to shine in Islamic history as a teacher of the Prophet ﷺ’s descendants.
Abu Rafi al-Qibti (ra): The Man Inside the Prophet’s ﷺ Home

27 april 2026 · 29 min
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Meet Abu Rafi al-Qibti (ra), a little-known Coptic Christian from Egypt who embraced Islam and became part of the Prophet ﷺ’s family. Lees meer

How did this unfold? What was his role in the death of Abu Lahab and the birth of al-Hasan ibn Ali (ra)? What does his story teach us about how the Prophet ﷺ took and repaid loans?

Learn about a companion who was so close to the Prophet ﷺ, part of the Ahl al-Bayt, and highly praised by the Companions.
Abu Muwayhiba (ra): What Happened on the Prophet’s ﷺ Final Night

20 april 2026 · 14 min
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Little is recorded about Abu Muwayhiba (ra), a freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ. Lees meer

Yet in the final days of the Prophet's ﷺ life, it was Abu Muwayhiba who walked beside him through the darkness of night to a cemetery, and witnessed a moment no one else was given. What did the Prophet ﷺ confide in him? And what choice did he make that would change everything? Watch to discover the story of one of the most overlooked companions.
Thawban (ra): The One Called “An-Nabawi”

14 april 2026 · 36 min
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He was anxious to see the Prophet ﷺ every day, and even more anxious to be with him in Jannah. Lees meer

And by serving the Prophet ﷺ and keenly learning from him, Thawban (ra) went from being a prisoner-of-war to a freed-slave and then to becoming one of the greatest teachers of hadith — including many hadith about the signs of the Day of Judgment — to the ummah.
Safina (ra): He Spoke To A Lion

7 april 2026 · 26 min
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If you asked him his name, he would use the nickname the Prophet ﷺ had given him: a ship. Lees meer

He served the Prophet ﷺ in his expeditions, spoke to a lion, and narrated a hadith about the Khulafa al-Rashidin (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) at a critical moment in the ummah’s history.

Dr. Omar Suleiman also reflects on the importance of Muslims using good names and nicknames.