Bilal ibn Rabah, The Mu'azzin

Bilâl was a black slave belonging to Umayyah ibn Khalaf. He was tall, thin and slightly hump-backed. Thick grayish hair crowned his head. He moved about silently - speaking only in reply. He was born to two slave parents, making him a slave. He used to travel to ash-Sham for Umayyah's trading caravan, braving the bitter cold of winter and the extreme heat of summer. His only recompense was a handful of dates each day that he ate to strengthen his body. At his master's house he would serve the guests while going hungry. He was overworked and mistreated as were Umayyah's other slaves.

Bilâl would often hear about Prophet Muhammad (saw), and Islâm, through the alarming dicussions between his master and guests. Soon he felt drawn to this religion. He would listen to Abu Bakr calling to Islâm, and slowly his heart was filled with faith. He went with Abu Bakr to the Prophet (saw) and declared his submission to Islâm. This was a daring move from a slave who belonged to a staunch enemy of Muhammad. He was the seventh person to accept Islâm.

Abu Bakr and others of the same tribal status, were spared from harm by the Quraysh. However, the wrath of the disbelievers fell upon the Muslims who had no tribe to defend them. Umayyah ibn Khalaf used to force Bilâl to go outside during the hottest part of the day wearing a suit of armour where he would then be thrown face down in the sand and leave him to bake in the sun. He would not return except to turn him on his back. He would have a gigantic rock placed on his chest and then say, "You will stay here until you die or deny Muhammad and worship Al-Laat and al-Uzzah." Bilâl used to endure this only by saying, "One, One."

Abu Bakr passed by one day while they were torturing him. He said to Umayyah, "Have you no fear of Allâh that you treat this poor man like this?" Umayyah replied, "You are the one who corrupted him, so you save him from his plight!" Abu Bakr replied, "Then sell him to me, you can state your price." Umayah who was not one to let a good deal pass by, sold Bilâl, he added, "I would have sold him to you even if you had offered me but an ounce of gold." Abu Bakr answered, "I would have bought him even if you asked a hundred ounces." Abu Bakr and Bilal went to the Prophet (saw) with the good news. There he announced, "I am setting Bilâl free, O Messenger of Allâh." This greatly pleased the Prophet (saw) not to mention Bilâl himself.

When the Muslims were settled in Madinah, Islâm became firmly established - salah, zakat and fasting were instituted. In the beginning, Muslims gathered for salah at the appointed times without being summoned. Later the Prophet (saw) thought about using a trumpet like that the Jews used to summon for prayers. He disliked the idea and ordered a clapper to be made to be beaten at prayer times.

Then Abdullah ibn Zayd came to him and said, "O Messenger of Allâh, 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 salah, whereupon he offered to show me a better way. It was to say four times: 'Allâhu Akbar', then to say twice: 'Ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illa Allâh', then twice: 'ash-hadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah', then twice: 'hayya 'alas-salah', then twice: 'hayya 'alal-falah', then 'Allâhu Akbar, Allâhu Akbar, laa ilaaha illa Allâh."

"It is a true vision insha Allâh," said the Prophet (saw) adding, "Go and teach it to Bilâl for he has a more beautiful and far reaching voice." For the first time Madinah resonated with the azan as Bilâl was saying it. It was only fitting that the one who uttered the word of Tawheed under the harshest of torture should utter it during the azan. When Umar heard the azan he rushed to the Prophet and said, "By the One Who has sent you with the Truth I had the same dream about it!" "Revelation has already preceded you," replied the Prophet (saw).

Badr was a day etched in Bilâl's memory. Quraysh was inflicted a heavy defeat and many were taken prisoner. Among them was Umayyah. When Bilâl saw him, the memories of what he, and other Muslims, has endured in Makkah came rushing back to him. He exclaimed, "The arch-enemy of Allâh - Umayyah ibn Khalaf! May I not live if he lives!" Now Umayyah was Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf's prisoner, and this fact dissuaded Bilâl from attacking Umayyah himself. But, because Bilâl kept crying these words, one of the sahabah killed Umayyah with his sword.

The Prophet (saw) entered the conquest of Makkah not as a proud conquerer, but as a humble servant of Allâh. He bowed his head so low that it almost touched his mount. After he ordered that all idols be destroyed, he stood at the door of the Ka'bah and said, "There is no god but Allâh alone. He has no associate..., O Quraysh, Allâh has taken you from the haughtiness of jahillyiah and its veneration of ancestors. Man springs from Adam and Adam sprang from dust," then he recited verses from the Qur'an until he said, "Verily the most noble of you in Allâh's sight is the most pious amongst you." [49:13] He ordered Bilâl to make the adhaan on the rooftop of the Kab'ah. Hearing his voice, a disbeliever exclaimed, "Look at this black man!" His friend replied, "When Allâh hates someone he turns him to the worst." Histroy however attests that Bilâl occupied a distinguised position among the Prophet's companions. Umar would often say, "Abu Bakr is our master and he freed our master." Meaning Bilâl. But Bilâl would say, "I am only a man who used to be a slave."

Bilâl was mu'azzin (the caller to salah) during the time of the Prophet (saw). After he would make azan, he would stand at the Prophet's door and say, "Hayya 'alas-salah, hayya 'alal-falah, the salah O Messenger of Allâh."

The sweet days with the Prophet (saw) soon came to an end. Everyone in Medina wept over the death of the dearest man ever on the earth. Bilâl was asked to make the azan before the burial of the Prophet. He started the call, "Allâhu Akbar...", but when he came to the name of the Prophet (saw) he was sobbing so heavily, he could not continue reciting the azan. He said, "By Allâh I will not say the azan anymore."

Bilâl asked the Caliph, Abu Bakr, to allow him to go to ash-Sham for jihaad, he spent the rest of his life there. He made azan only twice since then. The first was when Umar came to ash-Sham. The second was when he visited the tomb of the Prophet (saw) in Madinah. Upon hearing his voice, people started to cry for it reminded them of the days of the beloved Prophet (saw).

On his death bed, Bilâl's last words were, "Tomorrow I will meet my loved ones: Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his companions."

He died in Aleppo at the age of sixty four. His memory is still alive with us today whenever we hear the azan - for everywhere around the world, there can be heard the azan every second the clock ticks...

That was the honour our beloved Prophet (saw) gave to this blessed man, Sayyidina Bilal (ra).