Introduction

Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) is one of the most towering figures in all of Islamic history. The cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, the husband of Fatimah (RA), and the fourth Caliph of Islam — his life is layered with wisdom, courage, love, and sacrifice. But before all of those titles came to define him, he was simply a young boy raised in the house of the Prophet ﷺ, watching the dawn of a new faith with wide, perceptive eyes.

This is the story of the first child to accept Islam — and what it means that he did so.

 1. His Family: The House of Abu Talib

To understand Ali (RA), you must first understand the family he came from.

His father was  Abu Talib , whose real name was  Abd Manaf  He was the uncle and guardian of the Prophet ﷺ — a man of noble standing in Quraysh, deeply loved by the Prophet ﷺ, who called him his father and was in turn called his son.

Abu Talib had four sons, each approximately a decade apart  from the other:

1. Talib — the eldest

2. Aqeel

3. Jafar — who would later make the famous Hijrah to Abyssinia

4. Ali — the youngest, born roughly ten years before the Prophet ﷺ received revelation

=> Each of these brothers would carry their own remarkable story. But it is Ali (RA), the last born, who stands in a category entirely his own.

2. His Mother: The Forgotten First

Before speaking of Ali (RA) himself, it is impossible not to pause at his mother — Fatimah bint Asad (RA)— one of the most underappreciated figures in early Islamic history.

She holds a profound distinction: she was the first Hashimi woman to accept Islam — the first woman from the tribe of Banu Hashim, the Prophet's ﷺ own tribe, to embrace the message. Some scholars place her as among the tenth or eleventh person overall to accept Islam.

When the Prophet ﷺ informed her of his message, she did not hesitate for a single moment.

Her Role as a Mother to the Prophet ﷺ ↷

Fatimah bint Asad raised the Prophet ﷺ from the age of  six to twenty-five, when he married Khadijah (RA). The family lived in extreme poverty— a poverty that never truly left them — yet she would willingly sacrifice her own food to feed the Prophet ﷺ and her children.

The Prophet ﷺ loved her deeply. He would visit her often and sit with her for long stretches of time. He would tell his companions to distribute gifts among "the Fatimahs" — making sure she was always cared for.

Her Death: Wrapped in the Prophet's ﷺ Love

When Fatimah bint Asad passed away, the Prophet ﷺ:,Removed his own shirt and wrapped her in itCame to her home as she was dying,sat at her bedside and made du'a for her as she passed
She left this world with her eyes fixed on him ﷺ

He personally jumped into her grave and cleared it with his own hands so nothing would cause discomfort to her body

He led her janazah prayer himself ﷺ,What a Way to Leave This World Wrapped in the shirt of the Prophet ﷺ, staring at his face, as he made du'a for her.

Her Legacy

She was buried in Al-Baqee', and 46 ahadith are narrated from her.

She was a first, a mother, and a believer of the highest order.

 3.His Name: A Lion Before He Knew It

When Ali (RA) was born, his mother named him Asad — meaning lion.

His father, Abu Talib, was away on a journey at the time. When he returned and heard the name, he changed it to Ali meaning one of great nobility.

Yet the intention behind his mother's original name would prove prophetic. Years later, the Prophet ﷺ would give him the title  Asadullah — The Lion of Allah— because of the awe-inspiring way he carried himself in battle.

↳His mother named him a lion. His father gave him nobility. The Prophet ﷺ confirmed them both.

## 4. Raised in the Prophet's ﷺ Home

When Ali (RA) was still an infant, Makkah was struck by a severe famine. The family of Abu Talib, already living in deep poverty and burdened with many children, was struggling greatly.

The Prophet ﷺ — who had recently married Khadijah (RA) and whose financial situation had improved — went to his uncle **Abbas (RA)** and proposed:

> *"Abu Talib is going through a hard time because of all his children. How about we take two of his children and raise them, so he can get to a better place financially?"*

Abbas (RA) agreed. Together, they went to Abu Talib. He said:

> *"You can take them — as long as you leave me Aqeel."*

So the Prophet ﷺ picked up baby Ali and embraced him, saying: **"I'll take him."**

And Abbas (RA) took Jafar.

From that moment, **Ali (RA) was raised in the household of the Prophet ﷺ and Khadijah (RA).**

### A Miracle Hidden in Plain Sight

Something remarkable is often overlooked here. Two things *could* have happened — and didn't:

1. The Prophet ﷺ could have **officially adopted** Ali, making him his son, just as he adopted Zayd. But he didn't.

2. Khadijah (RA) could have **breastfed** Ali, making him her milk-son — which would have made him the brother of Fatimah (RA), and their marriage would have been forever forbidden.

Neither happened.

Allah (SWT) was planning something far ahead. The marriage of Ali and Fatimah (RA) — one of the most blessed unions in history — was being protected from the very beginning of Ali's life, long before anyone knew it would happen.

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## 5. The First Night: Watching Something New

Ali (RA) grew up inside the household of the Prophet ﷺ, witnessing everything — the stress, the wondering, the conversations with Khadijah (RA), the visit to Waraqah ibn Nawfal, and the pause in revelation that troubled the Prophet ﷺ so deeply.

Then came the night everything changed.

After Surah Al-Muddaththir was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ began to pray with Khadijah (RA). It was a developing form of Salah — not yet in its complete form — but it was prayer. And young Ali (RA) noticed.

He waited until they finished. Then he walked up to the Prophet ﷺ and asked:

> *"O Muhammad — what is this? What are you doing?"*

The Prophet ﷺ responded with complete seriousness:

> *"This is the religion of Allah, which He chose for Himself and sent messengers with. I call you to Allah alone, with no partners, and to reject the idols Lat and Uzza."*

He did not speak to him like a child. He did not say *"Don't worry, you'll understand when you're older."* He gave the young boy the full weight of the message.

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## 6. The Most Mature Ten-Year-Old

What happened next reveals the extraordinary character of Ali (RA).

He did not jump up and say *"I'm in!"*

Instead, this ten-year-old boy said:

> *"This is something I have never heard of before today. I cannot make this decision without first speaking to my father, Abu Talib."*

He wanted to consult his father. He recognised the gravity of the decision. He was not impulsive. He was not naïve. He was **mature beyond his years.**

The Prophet ﷺ smiled at him and said:

> *"If you're not going to become Muslim, then keep what you've heard to yourself."*

That night, Ali (RA) could not sleep.

He said: *"The words the Prophet ﷺ said to me kept repeating in my heart. I couldn't stop thinking about them."*

The next morning, he came back to the Prophet ﷺ and said:

> *"Repeat to me what you said yesterday."*

The Prophet ﷺ repeated the message. And Ali (RA) said:

> **"Aslamtu. I submit."**

He never even went to speak to Abu Talib. The truth had entered his heart overnight, and he could not wait.

The Prophet ﷺ received revelation on **Monday.**

Ali (RA) accepted Islam on **Tuesday.**

He was the **first child** — and among the very first people — to accept Islam.

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## 7. The Three Standing at the Kaabah

A merchant named **Uthayf Al-Kindi** narrated something that has stayed in the hearts of believers ever since.

He came to Makkah in the early days and was staying with Abbas (RA). One day, passing the Kaabah when the sun was at its peak, he saw something he had never seen before:

> A young man standing before the Kaabah with his hands raised. A boy beside him, raising his hands the same way. And a woman standing behind them both, doing the same.

No one else was doing this. No one else was even paying attention to them.

He went to Abbas (RA) and described what he saw.

Abbas (RA) said: *"Do you know who that is?"*

He said no.

Abbas replied: *"That is my nephew Muhammad ﷺ. And his cousin Ali. And his wife Khadijah. My nephew says his Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and that He has given him a new religion. I do not know of anyone else in the world who follows this religion except those three."*

Al-Qurtubi (RA) compared this scene to **Ibrahim (AS), Hajar, and Ismail** — a prophet, his wife, and his child standing before that same house of Allah, calling out to Him alone.

History had rhymed in the most beautiful way.

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## 8. His Role in the Early Mission

Ali (RA) did not only believe — he served.

The Prophet ﷺ noticed that Ali (RA) had a gift: he could **read people** well. He was perceptive, attentive, and socially sharp.

So the Prophet ﷺ would send him to the marketplace and around the Kaabah to identify anyone who seemed to be searching — anyone whose face showed the signs of a seeker.

This is how **Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RA)** first made contact with the early Muslim community. Young Ali (RA), walking through the marketplace, greeting people, sensing who might be ready to hear the truth.

He was not yet calling publicly. He was not yet speaking. But he was already serving the mission quietly and faithfully.

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## 9. Standing Alone at As-Safa

When the Prophet ﷺ made his first public call — standing on the hill of As-Safa and gathering the tribes of Quraysh — he addressed them all and asked:

> *"If I told you there was an army behind that mountain coming to attack you, would you believe me?"*

They all responded: *"Of course. You are Al-Amin — the truthful one."*

Then he called them to the Oneness of Allah.

Silence.

The same people who had just enthusiastically affirmed his honesty went completely quiet. They loved him too much to insult him, but they were not ready to follow him.

The Prophet ﷺ looked around and asked: *"Who will support me?"*

More silence.

And then — a hand went up.

It was Ali (RA). The young boy. The only one.

He said: *"I will believe in you and support you, O Messenger of Allah."*

The crowd did not rally around this. If anything, it made the moment more painful — that the only one to stand was the child. Abu Lahab cursed the Prophet ﷺ, mocked him, and everyone walked away.

The Prophet ﷺ walked home without a single adult convert from that gathering. Ali (RA) walked beside him.

And it is said that from that day, Ali (RA) noticed that every stone and every tree in Makkah would give salam to the Prophet ﷺ — while the people would turn their faces away.

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## 10. The Night of the Hijrah: Sleeping in the Bed

When the plot to assassinate the Prophet ﷺ reached its peak — when **seven tribes conspired together** to collectively strike him so that no single tribe could be held responsible — the Prophet ﷺ received the command to make Hijrah.

He asked Ali (RA) to sleep in his bed that night, wrapped in his green cloak, so that the plotters watching outside would think the Prophet ﷺ was still there.

Let that sink in.

The Prophet ﷺ was leaving. Ali (RA) knew that seven armed men were gathered outside ready to kill whoever was in that bed. And he had no hesitation.

Ali (RA) said: *"That night, I slept like I had never slept before."*

He was calm. He was at peace. He slept soundly while potential death waited outside his door.

Abbas (RA) later said: *"Wallahi — he freed every part of his body from Hellfire by offering it all for the Prophet ﷺ that night."*

When they burst in and discovered it was Ali (RA) and not the Prophet ﷺ, they were furious — but they left him. He got up, completely unharmed.

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## 11. Returning the Trusts — Then Walking to Madinah Alone

Before making his own Hijrah, Ali (RA) had one more task.

The Prophet ﷺ had been entrusted with the belongings of many people in Makkah — even enemies who were plotting to kill him held deposits with the Prophet ﷺ because of his reputation. He told Ali (RA) to **return every single trust** to its rightful owner before leaving.

This was a man they were trying to kill. And he still honoured every debt.

Once that was done, Ali (RA) made his own Hijrah — **alone, on foot, through the desert.**

No companion. No camel. No horse. He was too poor for any of it.

He made a strategic decision: sleep during the scorching day. Walk at night to avoid the heat.

He arrived in Madinah as the last of the emigrants, worn out from the journey. The Prophet ﷺ had been going out repeatedly to look for him, waiting anxiously. When Ali (RA) finally appeared, the Prophet ﷺ embraced him with deep relief and love.

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## 12. The Hadith of Khaybar

At the Battle of Khaybar, the Prophet ﷺ said something that made every companion's heart race:

> *"Tomorrow I will give the banner to someone who loves Allah and His Messenger — and who is loved by Allah and His Messenger."*

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) later admitted: *"I never desired a position of leadership so much as on that day."*

Every companion wanted to be that person.

The next morning, the Prophet ﷺ called for Ali (RA) — who at the time was suffering from a severe eye condition and could barely see.

The Prophet ﷺ applied his saliva to Ali's eyes. His vision was restored instantly.

He gave him the banner. And Allah granted victory through him.

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## 13. The Harun to His Musa

When the Prophet ﷺ left Ali (RA) behind in Madinah during the expedition to Tabuk, the hypocrites seized on this as an opportunity. They whispered to Ali (RA) that he was being sidelined — that the Prophet ﷺ didn't value him enough to bring him along.

It affected Ali (RA). He caught up with the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned what was being said.

The Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said:

> **"Are you not pleased, O Ali, that you are to me as Harun was to Musa — except that there is no prophet after me?"**

When Musa (AS) went to Mount Sinai, he left Harun (AS) in charge — his most trusted, his most beloved. This was not a demotion. It was the highest form of trust.

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## 14. His Character: Poverty, Jokes, and Depth

Despite everything — his closeness to the Prophet ﷺ, his bravery, his wisdom — Ali (RA) never left poverty behind. He and Fatimah (RA) lived simply their entire lives.

He would take up manual labour jobs to support his family. Once he worked an entire day and was paid with **twelve dates**. Knowing the Prophet ﷺ was hungry, he took six for himself and placed six in front of the Prophet ﷺ.

When the companions gathered, he secretly slid his six date *seeds* in front of the Prophet ﷺ's pile — so it looked like the Prophet ﷺ had eaten twelve dates and had twelve seeds.

He said to the companions: *"Look at what the Messenger of Allah does — he eats and leaves me hungry!"*

The Prophet ﷺ laughed and responded: *"Look at Ali — when he eats his dates, he swallows the seeds too!"*

This was the nature of their relationship. Deep love expressed through laughter. The Prophet ﷺ even gave Ali (RA) his favourite nickname: **Abu Turab** — Father of Dust — because of an incident where he found Ali sleeping on the ground. It was endearing, warm, and unique to their bond.

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## 15. What the Authentic Hadith Say About Him

Imam Ahmad (RA) stated:

> *"There is no Companion of the Prophet ﷺ about whom more narrations have been reported than Ali ibn Abi Talib."*

Among the authenticated hadith:

- **"Whoever takes me as his Mawla (close one), then Ali is his Mawla."**

- **"No one loves Ali except a true believer, and no one hates Ali except a hypocrite."** *(Sahih Muslim)*

- **"One of you has Jibreel with him, and the other has Mikaeel"** — said on the Day of Badr, pointing to Abu Bakr and Ali (RA).

- **"Whoever loves him loves me, and whoever hates him hates me."**

Imam Al-Shafi'i (RA) — one of the four great Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah — was accused of loving Ali too much. He responded with a poem that essentially said:

> *"If loving the family of the Prophet ﷺ is a sin, then that is a sin I will never repent of."*

Loving Ali (RA) is not a sectarian act. It is the Sunnah.

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## 16. Main Lessons from His Life

**A. Sincerity cannot be rushed**

Ali (RA) did not accept Islam on impulse. He thought, he felt, he processed — and then he submitted with his whole heart.

**B. One person standing for truth changes everything**

At As-Safa, when every adult was silent, a child raised his hand. That gesture was recorded in history forever.

**C. Courage is not the absence of fear — it is trust in Allah**

Sleeping in the Prophet's ﷺ bed while assassins waited outside, and sleeping peacefully — that is tawakkul in its purest form.

**D. Nobility is not in wealth**

Ali (RA) lived and died in poverty. Yet no one in Islamic history has more reported virtues or a higher standing.

**E. Love and brotherhood are intertwined**

The Prophet ﷺ treated Ali more like a brother than a son, despite the age gap. That relationship was built on genuine love, mutual respect, and shared sacrifice.

**F. Loyalty is active**

Ali (RA) did not just believe — he served. He returned trusts, walked through deserts, stood alone on hills, slept in beds meant to be attacked. His faith had hands and feet.

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## 17. A Simple Summary

Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) was raised from infancy in the home of the Prophet ﷺ and Khadijah (RA). He was the first child to accept Islam — processing the message overnight and submitting the very next morning. He stood alone at As-Safa when every adult stayed silent. He slept fearlessly in the Prophet's ﷺ bed on the night of Hijrah while armed men waited outside to kill him. He walked to Madinah alone and penniless after returning every trust. He fought with a lion's heart in every battle, bore the love of the Prophet ﷺ in the most documented way of any companion, and lived his entire life in poverty without once complaining. He was called the Lion of Allah, the Harun to the Prophet's Musa, and the one whose love marks the believer and whose hatred marks the hypocrite.

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## 18. The Beauty of His Legacy

Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) was born into poverty and stayed there.

He was raised in the Prophet's home but never felt entitled.

He stood alone when crowds stayed silent.

He slept calmly when death watched at the door.

He walked through the desert by himself when others had camels.

He laughed with the Prophet ﷺ over dates and seeds.

He wept at the grave of Fatimah bint Asad (RA).

He raised his hand at As-Safa when no one else would.

That hand — the hand of a child reaching up toward truth — is one of the most powerful images in all of Islamic history.

And from that Tuesday morning when he said *"Aslamtu"* — he never looked back.

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*Next week inshallah: The marriage of Ali and Fatimah (RA) — one of the most beautiful love stories in Islamic history.*