Page 14 The Islamic Bulletin Volume XXX No. 30 “O mankind! We have created you from male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know one another. Surely, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” (Quran 49:13) Bilal Ibn Rabah (RA) May Allah be pleased with him The first Muezzin (Prayer Caller) and the first slave convert in Islam. The religion of Islam embraces the unity of mankind and equality of all people. From the very beginning the Islamic community consisted of men and women from various tribal, racial and social groups. Hazrat Bilal (580–640 AD) or Bilal Ibn Rabah, who was also known as “Bilal al-Habashi” or “Bilal the Ethiopian,” was the first Muezzin of Islam. One of the best known heroes of Islam, Bilal used to describe himself as “the Abyssinian, who was a slave.” Bilal was most probably the first African to convert to Islam and the greatest example of endurance. He stood firm in the face of oppression and has been an example to generations of Muslims on how to act when their faith is challenged. His life’s motto was “Ahad, Ahad” (Allah is One, Allah is One). Bilal was the son of an African princess, and an Arab who were both enslaved; thus he was born into slavery. Bilal was hard working and very loyal to his master, Ummayyah ibn Khalaf, the leader of the tribe. Ummayyah was one of the strongest opponents of the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him). Bilal was tall, thin and very strong. He had a thick crown of grayish hair and was very soft–spoken, speaking only when he was spoken to. Bilal would travel to Ash-Sham (Syria) with his master’s trading caravan under conditions of bitter winters and extreme summers. The only payment he got for this was food, mainly consisting of dates that he was given to maintain his strength. As all slaves he was mistreated and overworked. During the course of his work in Umayyah’s home he would serve guests their meals while he would go hungry. While serving the guests, Bilal would overhear them speaking about Prophet Muhammad (S). The comments were a mixture of envy and hatred, but there were also comments about Muhammad’s (S) integrity and honesty. He started feeling drawn to this religion as he heard Abu Bakr, Prophet Muhammad’s (S) closest friend, speaking of Islam and his heart started filling with “Iman.” Bilal went with Abu Bakr to the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) and declared his submission to Islam. This was not an easy step to take because at that time members of the Makkan community were ridiculed and harassed when they converted to Islam. He was the seventh person to accept Islam. While Abu Bakr and others in tribes were protected from harm by the Quraysh, the slaves that wanted to convert had no one to defend them. In pre-Islamic society, slaves were not treated well by their owners. Ummayyah, who was a great antagonist of Islam, subjected Bilal to all kinds of torture to make him change his mind. Being the heartless person he was, Ummayyah ordered his men to throw Bilal onto the baking desert sands during the hottest hours of the day and a burning rock was placed on his chest to make the effect more intense. Bilal refused to revert to polytheism and the response of this great hero of Islam was “Ahad, Ahad’ (He is One, He is One). This was all that he needed to say in order to receive the spiritual support to overcome the pain of the torture that was afflicted upon him. Even though many pleaded with him to say something favorable about their idols, he refused until eventually Umayyah and his men grew tired of torturing him. When Bilal was once asked on how he managed to bear the torture, he said: “I mixed the bitterness of the torture with the sweetness of Iman, and the sweetness of Iman conquered.” Umayyah could not accept Bilal’s denial to revert to their faith and sold him to Abu Bakr, saying that he was ready to sell him for even an ounce of gold. Abu Bakr’s response to this was: “I would have paid even one hundred ounces for him.” When the Prophet (S) migrated to Madinah many Muslims settled there. The Muslims were trying to figure out how to call people to prayer. Islam became firmly established and salat, zakat and fasting were instituted. Muslims would gather for salat at appointed times without being summoned. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) had thought of using a trumpet to summon the people like the Jews did, but then decided against it. One day Abdullah ibn Zayd came to him and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I had a dream last night. A man wearing two green garments came to me holding a bell, so I offered to buy it. When he asked me what I wanted it for, I told him that it was to summon people to salat (prayer), whereupon he offered to show me a better way. It was to say four times, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ then to say twice, ‘ashshadu alla ilaha illa Allah, then to say twice ‘ash-hadu anna Muhammad ur-rasulullah,’ then twice, ‘hayyah ‘alas-salah,’ then twice, ‘hayyah ‘alal-falah,’ then to say ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, laa ilaha illa Allah. “ So the institution of Adhan (call to prayer) was founded and Bilal was the first to be asked by the Holy Prophet (S). When the Holy Prophet (S), entered Makkah victoriously, not as a proud conqueror but as a humble servant of Allah, he ordered that the idols in and around the Ka’bah be destroyed. Bilal was once again asked to make the call to prayer from the rooftop of the Kab’ah. “I mixed the bitterness of the torture with the sweetness of Iman, and the sweetness of Iman conquered.”
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