THE FIRST BELIEVER

Having received the first Divine Communique concerning carrying the Message, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) returned home and informed Imam Ali (a.s.) about it.(15) Imam Ali (a.s.) received him with complete certainty and belief, and so did Khadijah, his great and supportive wife. Thus, sprang the first nucleus of the society of believers on the earth. 

It is particularly poignant, that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) never invited Imam Ali (a.s.) to Islam as he did others later on, because he was already a Muslim by God-granted nature. He was never polluted with the permissiveness of the Ignorant Era, and was never involved in any of its debased practices. As it is related: The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) informed Imam Ali (a.s.) of his Message and Call and he immediately believed in the truthfulness of the Final Message, and offered to receive and carry out the Messenger"s orders. That was why he was given the attribute of: "Karramallahu wajhah". May Allah grant him honor. This is amazing in the light of the fact that Imam Ali (a.s.) was still a mere boy of ten at the time!

Imam Ali (a.s.) had been prepared, as we said, to follow the Messenger, since the Prophet (s.a.w.) himself had built his personality and character and fixed its foundations on high moral and virtues.

Nothing new is added by saying that Imam Ali (a.s.) was not taken by surprise at hearing about the Blessed Message, because, as we know, he lived under the patronage and trust of the AI-Mustafa (s.a.w.) who would worship his Lord, the Exalted, and was far removed from the misconcepts, misconducts and irrational behavior which prevailed during the pre-Islamic era, prior to the revelation of the first Sura (chapter) of the Qur"an...(16)

Imam Ali (a.s.) knew about the Messenger of Allah"s (s.a.w.) worship and practices, as well as his ascendent mental and spiritual changes. He used to worship with him, follow him and do as he did, even at a tender age.

No sooner had the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) told him about the Divine call than he responded to it with all his heart and body and without being surprised. The only new departure was the practical way of applying the Message and the degree of responsibility to be shouldered, as the details of the Divine religion were revealed.

On entrusting the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) with the Divine task of carrying out his blessed call, he was told to begin with his household. Ibn Hisham, in his "Sirah" says: "...Then the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) began relating about Allah"s bounty--the Prophethood and secretly communicating it to those of his household whom he trusted most..." (17)

Thus, he talked to Imam Ali (a.s.) and Khadijah about his Message and later on to Zaid bin Harithah. No one except these, and some others of his close household, knew about it.

Imam Ali bin Hussein (a.s.), in a speech about the Islam of his father, Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.), said:

"....and he believed in Allah, the Exalted, and in His Messenger. He preceded the others in Islam and in reciting prayers by a three year interval."(18)

On his early acceptance, Imam Ali (a.s.) himself said:

"...I was the third of the trio (The Prophet, Khadijah and himself). Nobody else in this world had accepted Islam. I would even see the divine light of revelation and message and smell the heavenly fragrance of prophethood..." 

Having passed the stage of calling his close household, the Message came to the stage of calling potential individuals whom the Prophet (s.a.w.) believed would be responsive to his call. So, a number of people embraced Islam. They were mostly the youth of Mecca, the deprived and oppressed. They met to recite the Glorious Qur"an and to obtain information about the preachings of the religion of Allah, the Exalted. At that time, it was an underground movement.