Episode 3

Omar Suleiman - The Firsts (Episode 3): Waraqa Ibn Nawfal: The First to Confirm Prophethood

About this lecture

In this episode of *The Firsts*, Sheikh Omar Suleiman explores the remarkable life of Waraqa ibn Nawfal — the scholar, monk, and lone Christian of Mecca — who was the first person to confirm the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him. The lecture covers Waraqa's relationship to Khadijah, his decades-long pursuit of monotheism, the signs of prophethood that preceded the first revelation, and the deeply moving exchange between Waraqa and the Prophet after the cave of Hira. It also addresses the scholarly debate over whether Waraqa is considered a Sahabi, and closes with a profound reflection on how Waraqa's confirmation of prophethood fulfilled the very glad tidings that Isa, peace be upon him, had given his people in the Quran.