THE AMAZING STORY OF BILAL, THE FIRST AFRICAN MUSLIM

Bilal ibn Rabah was born in 680CE in Makkah, to his slave parents — Rabah and Hamamah

Bilal’s (R.A.) father was an Arab and his mother was an Abyssinian (Modern day Ethiopian). His father’s name was Ribah and his mother’s name was Hamama. According to different Islamic historians, Bilal (R.A.) had a dark brown complexion with tall slim body and thick-hair. He had a Muslim brother named Khalid and a sister called Aqra.

His mother Hamama, was a princess before she was captured and taken into slavery before the year of the elephant, which made Bilal to be born into slavery as well, one could say that the blue blood which flowed in his mom somehow flowed in his veins too.

Even before revelation of Islam, Bilal (R.A.) had a natural hatred for the customs and practices of infidels. When Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) announced his prophethood and started to persons who converted to Islam.

People who accepted Islam in the beginning had no supporters or sympathizers and infidels started torturing them brutally. Bilal (R.A.) was amongst the most oppressed Muslim at that time.

When Bilal’s (R.A.) master, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, found out about his conversion to Islam, he began to torture Bilal (R.A.) so that he renounce slam and return back to his old religion i-e worshiping idols. But Bilal (R.A.) refused to renounce Islam. His master Umayyah and other infidels used to take him out in the midday heat when the desert turned to a fatal hell. Then they would throw him naked on its scorching rocks and bring a burning hot rock, which took several men to lift from its place, and throw it onto Bilal’s (R.A.) body and chest. This savage torture was repeated every day until the hearts of some of his executioners took pity on him. Finally, they agreed to set him free on condition that he would speak well of their gods/idols, even with only one word that would allow them to keep their pride so that the Quraish would not say they had been defeated and humiliated by the resistance of their persevering slave.

But even this one word, which he could eject from outside his heart and with it buy his life and soul without losing his faith or abandoning his conviction, Bilal (R.A.) refused to say and began to repeat his lasting chant instead: “Ahad Ahad” (Allah is absolute/one). His torturers shouted at him, imploring him, “Mention the name of our idols ‘Al-Laat’ and ‘Al-Uzzaa’.” But Bilal (R.A.) answered, “Ahad … Ahad.” They said to him, “Say as we say.” But he answered them with remarkable mockery and caustic irony, “Indeed my tongue is not good at that.”

So Bilal (R.A.) remained in the melting heat and under the weight of the heavy rock and by sunset, they raised him up and put a rope around his neck. Then they ordered their boys to take him around the mountains and streets of Makkah. But Bilal’s (R.A.) tongue did not mention anything other than his holy chant, “Ahad … Ahad…” Bilal’s (R.A.) torture continued for several days but he remained patient, brave, firm, and expecting the reward in the Hereafter from Allah.

News of this slave reached some of Prophet’s companions and they informed the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) about Bilal (R.A.). Prophet (S.A.W.) sent Abu Bakr (R.A.) to negotiate for the emancipation of Bilal (R.A.).

Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) went to Umayyah and his people while they were torturing Bilal (R.A.). Abu Bakr (R.A.) shouted at them,

“Are you killing a man because he says, ‘Allah is my Lord?”‘
Then Abu Bakr (R.A.) shouted at Bilal’s master Umayah ibn Khalaf,

”Take more than his price and set him free.”
Umayyah liked Abu Bakr’s (R.A.) offer as he thought that selling Bilal (R.A.) to Abu Bakr (R.A.) was more profitable to him than his servant’s death.

Umayyah sold Bilal (R.A.) to Abu Bakr (R.A.). Abu Bakr (R.A.) immediately emancipated Bilal (R.A.) and Bilal took his place among free men. When Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) put his arm round Bilal, rushing with him to freedom,Umayah said to him,

“If you had refused to buy him except for one ounce of gold, I would have sold him to you.”

Abu Bakr realized it was appropriate not to answer, but because they violated the dignity of this man who had become his brother and his equal, he answered Umayah by saying,

“By Allah, if you had refused to sell him except for a hundred ounces, I would have paid it.”

Then Abu Bakr (R.A) departed with his Bilal (R.A.) to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), giving him news of his liberation and there was a great celebration. Bilal (R.A.) then became one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabi [Companion of Prophet (S.A.W.)].

(Muslim residents of Madinah), Bilal (R.A.) and Abu Rouwaiha (R.A.) were declared brothers unto each other.

When Muslims settled in Madinah, the Messenger (S.A.W.) instituted the ‘Adhan / Athan / Azan’. Prophet (S.A.W.) appointed Bilal a “Muezzin” the official who calls the worshippers to prayers. Being an African, Bilal (R.A.) missed the (h) in the Arabic word “Ash-Hadu”. Residents of Madinah first laughed at his defective pronunciation, but the Prophet (S.A.W.) rebuked them and told them how dear Bilal (R.A.) was to Allah for the stout-faith he showed during infidel’s tortures on him in Makkah. under Meccan tortures.

Bilal (R.A.) had a resonant high pitched voice which had a hypnotic quality, that exerted a strange pull on hearts. The moment people heard Bilal’s (R.A.) Athan, they left their jobs and came running to the mosque. On hearing the Athan, the Prophet (S.A.W.) would come for leading the prayers. Bilal would also say the “Iqama” before the prayers commenced.

He was among the selected few who performed the funeral rites of the Prophet (S.A.W.). It was Bilal who sprinkled water from a skin-bag over the grave of the Prophet (S.A.W.) and thus gained the rare privilege of administering the last funeral rites.

Abu Bakr Siddiiq (R.A.) took the command of the Muslims after the death of Prophet (S.A.W.). Bilal (R.A.), who felt oppressed in Madinah without the Prophet (S.A.W.), went to Abu Bakr (R.A.) and requested him that he wanted to join the Muslim Army who were fighting for the cause of Islam. Abu Bakr (R.A.) requested Bilal (R.A.) to stay in Madinah for some time as he badly needed Bilal’s help in many matters. After hearing Abu Bakr’s (R.A.) request, Bilal (R.A.) decided to stay in Madinah during the caliphate of Abu Bakr (R.A.).

When Umar Inb Khattab (R.A.) took over as Caliph after the death of Abu Bakr (R.A.), in spite of being quite old, Bilal (R.A.) requested Caliph’s permission to allow him to join Muslim Army and fight for the cause of Allah. Umar (R.A.) tried hard to keep him back but Bilal (R.A.) would not listen. So Umar (R.A.) had to grant his request and Bilal (R.A.) joined the Syrian Campaign.

Bilal’s (R.A.) last Adhan was during the caliphate of Umar (R.A.) when he visited Syria. The Muslims requested Umar (R.A.) to persuade Bilal (R.A.) to call one Adhan for them. Caliph Umar (R.A.) called Bilal (R.A.) when it was time for Prayer and requested him to call Adhan as he was used to do during the golden days of Prophet (S.A.W.). Bilal (R.A.) rose and call Adhan. When Bilal (R.A.) was calling the Adhan, all Muslims started weeping like children.

When Bilal was in Syria, he saw the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in dream, saying, “O Bilal, What is that, you did not visit me.” Bilal was worried; he rushed to Madinah and offered his tributes and greetings at the grave of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) weeping and rubbing his face with the grave.
When he saw Hassan and Husain, the grandsons of the Prophet, he rushed to embrace them. On their request, Bilal said Azaan with a shaking voice and tearing eyes. On hearing Bilal’s azaan, the people rushed to the Prophet’s Mosque. This was his last Azaan in Madinah.

Bilal spent his last days in Syria. He died in 18 AH at the age of 64, and was buried at Bab-Al Sagheer near Jama Umavi in Damascus. He served the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) for 25 years.

Islam raised him to the status that one of the strongmen like Omar bin Khattab addressed him as Saiyydana (our leader).
While on death bed, his wife Hind cried, ‘wa hazanaa’ (what a great grief), to which Bilal replied, ‘Wa Tarabaa’ (what a great joy); “Tomorrow I will meet with my loved ones — Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions,” he is said to have told his wife.

A movie has been made about him as well as a book has been written to document his heroic acts to the next generation of muslims

Bilal has been an inspiration to African muslims but there are some moral lessons to learn from Bilal, the Islam started as a message that gave hope to men who were slaves and it was clear that there is only one God and all men are equal and born free (every man was free at some point until some men started enslaving others)

The Jihad started as a way for the muslims to protect themselves from the attacks of the Idol worshippers who saw their Islamic religion as blasphemy against their gods.

Hope you learnt how faithful Bilal was to Allah and how Africa took part in making Islam what it is today?

Let me know if you found any other useful information in the comments.

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