Page "Abu Bakr" Paragraph 18

On his return from a business trip from Yemen, he was informed by friends that in his absence Muhammad had declared himself the Messenger of God, and proclaimed a new religion.

Tabari, the most famous Muslim historian, in his Ta ' rikh quotes from Muhammad Bin Sa ' ad Bin Abi Waqqas, who said: " I asked my father whether Abu Bakr was the first of the Muslims.

He said, ' No, more than fifty people embraced Islam before Abu Bakr ; but he was superior to us as a Muslim.

And Umar ibn Khattab had embraced Islam after forty-five men and twenty-one women.

As for the foremost one in the matter of Islam and faith, it was Ali ibn Abi Talib '" Other Sunnis and all Shi ' a Muslims maintain that the second person to publicly accept Muhammed as the messenger of God was Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first being Muhammad's wife Khadija.