Waraqa evidently referred to the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18. When the news reached Zaid(ra), the Prophet's(sa) freed slave, now about thirty years of age, and his cousin ‘Ali(ra), about eleven, they both declared their faith in him. Abu Bakr(ra), friend of his childhood, was out of town. As he returned he began to hear of this new experience which the Prophet(sa) had had. He was told that his friend had gone mad and had begun to say that angels brought him messages from God. Abu Bakr(ra) trusted the Prophet(sa) completely. He did not doubt for a minute that the Prophet(sa) must be right—he had known him to be both sane and sincere. He knocked at the Prophet's(sa) door and on admission into his company asked him what had happened. The Prophet(sa), fearing lest Abu Bakr(ra) should misunderstand, began a long explanation. Abu Bakr(ra) stopped the Prophet(sa) from doing so, and insisted that all he wanted to know was whether an angel had really descended upon him from God and had given him a Message. The Prophet(sa) wanted to explain again, but Abu Bakr(ra) said he wanted to hear no explanation. He wanted only an answer to the question whether he had had a Message from God. The Prophet(sa) said, "Yes" and Abu Bakr(ra) at once declared his faith. Having declared his faith, he said, argument would have detracted from the value of his faith. He had known the Prophet(sa) long and intimately. He could not doubt him, and he wanted no argument to be convinced of his truth. This small group of the Faithful then were the first believers of Islam: a woman full of years, an eleven-year-old boy, a freed slave living among strangers, a young friend and the Prophet(sa) himself. This was the party which made the silent resolve to spread the light of God all over the world. When the people and their leaders heard of this, they laughed and declared that these men had gone mad. There was nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. But as time went on, the truth began to dawn and as the Prophet Isaiah(as) (28:13) said long ago, precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; began to descend upon the Prophet(sa).