Among Muslims, the timing of Sahabah becoming Muslims is of importance.
After the Muslim conquests began, a Muslim's standing in the Islamic state depended on his services to the community, and especially on the length of time he had been a member of the community. Early converts (who had faced persecution along with Muhammad) had a much higher status than later converts (who may have joined only after there were worldly reasons to do so). The first male convert may thus be presumed to have a special status. This importance that was attached is highlighted in the controversies regarding the identity of the first male Muslim. Also, except for the Sahabah that merited extraordinary accomplishments, Sunni rank all Sahabah according to their time.
The first four converts to Islam were: (Sources are provided in the article of each Sahabah.)
Khadija - First Muslim and first female convert.
Ali ibn Abi Talib - First male to convert to Islam, he accepted Islam after Khadija.
Zayd ibn Harithah - One of the first three people to convert to Islam
Abu Bakr - One of the first four people to convert to Islam.
Some other early Muslims are:
Yasir ibn Amir - One of the early converts to Islam was also the second martyr of Islam
Ammar ibn Yasir - One of the early converts to Islam
Sumayyah bint Khabbab - Seventh person to convert to Islam was the first martyr of Islam
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari - One of the early converts
Sa'd ibn Abi-Waqqas - One of the first people to accept Islam
Lubaba bint al-Harith - Second woman to convert to Islam
Bilal ibn Ribah - One of the early converts to Islam
Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud - One of the early converts to Islam
Jafar ibn Abi Talib - One of the early convert to Islam
Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf - Among the first people to accept Islam
Uthman ibn Affan - One of the early converts to Islam
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam - One of the early converts to Islam
Talha ibn Ubayd-Allah - One of the early converts to Islam
Khalid ibn Sa`id - One of the early converts to Islam
Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah - One of the early converts to Islam
Khabbab ibn al-Aratt - One of the early converts to Islam
Said ibn Zayd - Converted to Islam before Umar
Fatimah bint al-Khattab - Converted to Islam before Umar
Abu-Hudhayfah ibn Utbah - One of the early converts to Islam
Mus`ab ibn `Umair - One of the early converts to Islam
Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib - Converted to Islam in 616 A.Ds
Asma bint Abu Bakr - About the eighteenth person to convert to Islam
Umar - around the fiftieth or sixtieth or so person to convert to Islam, and he did so during 4 BH (617–618 CE)
Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Umayya - Among the first people to convert to Islam
Abd-Allah ibn Abd-al-Asad - Among the first people to convert to Islam
Sawda bint Zama - One of the early converts to Islam
