Bilal bin Rabah (ra)

From: Sadia



Bilal bin Rabah (May Allah Be Pleased with Him)



His Birth and Early Life: Bilal bin Rabah (may Allah be pleased with

him) was born in Mecca 43 years before the Hijrah. Bilal spent his early

life in Mecca as a slave owned by some orphans from the Banu `Abd

Al-Dar, who were under the custody of Umaiyah bin Khalaf. After the

Prophet’s Mission and the emergence of Islam, Bilal was one of the pioneering

converts to Islam. When he embraced Islam, there were very few Muslims,

such as Khadijah bint Khuwailid, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, `Ali bin Abi

Talib, `Ammar bin Yasir and his mother Sumaiyah, Suhaib Al-Rumi, and

Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad.



His Forbearance of Persecution: At the hands of the polytheists of the

Quraish, Bilal suffered a great deal of persecution, maltreatment,

oppression and violence, which none but a true Muslim can bear. Many of the

converts had influential relatives in the Quraish who could protect

them, except Bilal, `Ammar bin Yasir as well as his father and mother, and

Suhaib. They were the object of the Quraish’s wrath and indignation.



It was the custom of Umaiyah bin Khalaf and a group of polytheists to

take Bilal in midday to a plain, when the sands became extremely hot,

slip him of his clothes, dress him in an iron shield and let him suffer

the burning heat of the sun and the scorching sands, while they flogged

him with whips. They then ordered him to revile the Prophet (peace be

upon him).



In spite of the relentless torture, Bilal uttered no words other than

“Ahadun Ahad” (He is the One and Only One, He is the One and Only One).

Whenever Umaiyah bin Khalaf lost hope of diverting Bilal from Islam

through torture, he would put a cuff around his neck and hand him over to

some boys and light-minded men to drag him throughout the valleys and

plains of Mecca.



Abu Bakr then bought Bilal from Umaiyah bin Khalaf for a high price and

set him free. Though he would sell Bilal at any price, Umaiyah demanded

a high price, but Abu Bakr was ready to pay generously in order to set

him free. Bilal was so pleased when Abu Bakr bought him and set him

free. Afterwards, he turned over a new leaf of his life, which he had

never experienced. He immigrated to Medina with the believers.



His Traits: Bilal was the Prophet’s muezzin throughout the Prophet’s

lifetime. After the Prophet’s death, once Bilal made Adhan. When he

reached “Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu-llah” (I testify that Muhammad is

the Messenger of Allah), he was in tears. He asked Abu Bakr to pardon him

from the task of making Adhan, as he would not bear to do that after

the Prophet’s death.



Bilal joined the first Muslim mission after the Prophet’s death and

stayed in Daria near Damascus. When `Umar bin Al-Khattab, who loved and

respected Bilal so much, visited Damascus, he ordered him to make Adhan.

`Umar used to say: “Abu Bakr is our master, who emancipated our

master,” meaning Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). When Bilal made Adhan,

he wept. `Umar and all other Companions who were present and who used

to hear Bilal’s voice during the lifetime of the Prophet, also wept. If

fact, the voice of Bilal moved their emotions and took their memories

to the past, which they loved most.



His death: Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) died while repeating

the phrase: “Tomorrow I shall meet the beloved company: Muhammad and his

Companions”. May Allah be pleased with him and reward him on account of

the great services he made to the cause of Islam.



Allah is Near "When my servants question you about Me, tell them that I

am near. I answer the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me.

Therefore, they should respond to Me and put their trust in Me, so that

they may be rightly guided." The Holy Quran, 2:186