Bilal ibn Rabah

The Lineage of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah al-Qurashi al-Taymi, may Allah be pleased with him, was a freed slave of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, so may Allah be pleased with him. His mother was Hamama, and he was also known as Abu Abdurrahman. Some say he was known as Abu Abdulkarim, while others say Abu Amr, and yet others say Abu Abdullah.

He was born in Sirat in the region of Syria and was among the clients of the Banu Taym. Abu Umar mentioned that he had a brother named Khalid and a sister named Ghufayrah or Aqirah, who was a client of Umar ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him.

Physical Attributes of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him, was described in terms of his physical appearance as being very dark-skinned, slender, tall, and with broad shoulders, meaning that his upper back leaned slightly forward onto his chest, and he had thin calves. Additionally, he had a lot of hair and did not dye his gray hair.

Virtues of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him, possessed numerous virtues. Below are some of them:

• He was among the early converts to Islam, believing in it and having a pure heart, and he migrated early on.
• He was one of the first seven individuals to openly declare their Islam and dedicate himself to the cause of Allah. Despite the persecution he faced from his people, they made their children mock him as he circled the Kaaba saying, "One, One".
• One of his virtues was his vision of the Prophet Muhammad in Paradise. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "O Bilal, what preceded you to Paradise? Last night I entered Paradise and heard the rustling of your footsteps ahead of me". Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say about him: "Abu Bakr is our master, and he emancipated our master". Granting him the title of "master" is one of his great virtues.
• He served as the treasurer for the Prophet Muhammad's household.
• He carried the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad, which served as a barrier between him and passersby during prayer. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, mentioned that Bilal used to carry the cloak for the Messenger of Allah on the day of Eid while he was making the call to prayer.
• He was the first muezzin (caller to prayer) of the Prophet Muhammad, being the first to call the Adhan in Islam.
• He endured persecution for his faith and remained steadfast, placing strong trust in Allah.

The Islam of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him, was the first slave to embrace Islam. He used to tend sheep for Abdullah ibn Jad'an. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saw him while he was secluded in the cave with Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and called him, asking for some milk. Bilal informed him that he only had one sheep with him, so the Prophet asked him to bring it. The Prophet milked it and drank until he was satisfied, then he gave some to Abu Bakr and Bilal, may Allah be pleased with both of them. The sheep yielded more milk than it usually did. This incident led the Prophet, peace be upon him, to invite Bilal to Islam, and he accepted.

For three days, Bilal continued to visit the same spot to learn about Islam. Abu Jahl passed by Abdullah ibn Jad'an and informed them that their sheep had been grazing for three days without Bilal, who usually tended to them. They realized Bilal was going to the pasture of Ibn Abi Kabsha, so they prevented him from going there. One day, Bilal entered the Kaaba, but seeing no one from the Quraysh, he spat on the idols and proclaimed, "Destroyed be he who worships you!" When the Quraysh found out about this, they sought Bilal, but he escaped to the house of his master, Abdullah ibn Jad'an after Quraysh demanded him. Abdullah handed him over to them, and they gave him to Abu Jahl and Umayyah ibn Khalaf to do as they pleased with him.

The Torture of Bilal ibn Rabah by the Quraysh Disbelievers

After Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, declared his Islam, the polytheists began torturing him. He was a slave owned by Umayyah ibn Khalaf, who would put a rope around his neck and allow children to play with him while he repeated, "One, One". Umayyah would take him out in the scorching heat of midday and place a large rock on his chest, threatening to leave him like that until he died or renounced his Islam and worshiped their idols, all while Bilal continued to proclaim, "One, One". They would excessively torture him, hoping he would renounce his Islam, but Bilal remained patient and steadfast in his faith.

Additionally, Abu Jahl would torture him by laying him on his back under the scorching sun with a heavy stone on his chest until the sun melted him. He would demand that Bilal disbelieve in Allah, but Bilal remained firm in his Islam.

Bilal was among the believers who endured severe punishment from the disbelievers due to his Islam. They insisted he renounce Allah, but he met all of this with rejection, repeating "One, One". He once said, "If I knew any words that would anger them more than these, I would say them". Ibn Saad mentioned that among the forms of torture he faced due to his Islam was that they would take him and throw him into filth, saying to him, "Your lord is Lat and Uzza", while he would respond, "One, One". Sometimes he would answer them, "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, eventually bought him and set him free to rescue him from their torture.

The Jihad of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, participated in all the military expeditions alongside the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He fought in the Battle of Badr and witnessed all the major events. He also went to Syria during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, for jihad and remained there as a warrior until his death.

Bilal ibn Rabah's Appointment as the Muezzin

Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, had the honor of being appointed as the muezzin (caller to prayer) by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He called the adhan (call to prayer) in the presence of the Prophet, whether they were at home or on a journey. He was the first person to call the adhan in Islam. When Mecca was conquered in the eighth year of the Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ordered Bilal to climb on top of the Kaaba and call the adhan due to the beauty of his voice. Some accounts suggest that he also called the adhan during the caliphate of Abu Bakr.

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Bilal went to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, seeking permission to participate in jihad. However, Abu Bakr asked him to stay with him until his death. Bilal remained with Abu Bakr until his demise, and then he approached Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, seeking permission to join jihad. Umar gave him the same response as Abu Bakr, but despite this, Bilal went to Syria to participate in jihad. It is said that he called the adhan once for Umar in Syria.

Bilal saw the Prophet Muhammad in a dream, prompting him to return to his grave in Medina, where he wept and cried near it. Hasan and Hussain came to him, requesting him to call the adhan for them. He ascended to the roof and began to call the adhan, which moved people to tears as they remembered the Messenger of Allah.

The Actions of Bilal ibn Rabah during the Caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Bilal remained in Medina. It is reported that he was given permission to participate in jihad in Syria during Abu Bakr's caliphate, but he chose to stay in Medina.

In the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, Bilal was permitted to engage in jihad, and he went to Syria to fight. He continued his efforts in jihad during Umar's caliphate.

It's worth noting that Bilal ceased calling the adhan after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The Death of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, passed away in Damascus, some say in Aleppo, in the twentieth year of the Hijra, while others mention it was in the eighteenth year of the Hijra. It is said that he died in Damascus and was buried in its cemetery near the Small Gate. He was around sixty-three years old, or as some accounts state, he passed away in the twenty-first year of the Hijra at the age of seventy.

Another narrative suggests he died in Damascus in the twentieth year of the Hijra, having surpassed the age of sixty. Yet another account claims he died in Daryya, and his body was carried and buried near the Small Gate. Some sources mention his burial at Bab Kisan, a village in the vicinity of Damascus. He was laid to rest in the cemetery of Damascus near the Small Gate. Upon his death, he uttered, "Tomorrow, we will meet our beloved, Muhammad and his companions".