Abu Bakr (ra) and Ali (ra) held a special status in the early days of Islam. Abu Bakr (ra) was the first man to embrace Islam and a close lifelong friend of the Prophet ﷺ, who declared that Abu Bakr (ra) was “like my hearing.” Ali (ra) was the first boy to accept Islam, and he staunchly bore the banner of Islam in battle. Due to their respected status, they were sometimes accompanied by two similarly respected angels, Jibreel (as) and Mika’eel (as).
