Bilal ibn Rabah: dignity and belonging

Bilal ibn Rabah, may Allah be pleased with him, was an enslaved man in Makkah whose family came from Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia). In the eyes of Makkah's powerful families he counted for nothing. In Islam he became one of the most beloved companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the voice that called the Muslims to prayer. If you have ever felt like an outsider, his story is for you.

"Ahad, Ahad"

The companion Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the first seven people to declare their Islam openly were the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Ammar and his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb, Bilal, and al-Miqdad. The Prophet was protected by his uncle, and Abu Bakr by his clan. The others were seized, made to wear iron armor, and left in the burning sun. Bilal's own people handed him over to young boys, who dragged him through the streets of Makkah, and all the while he kept saying the same word (Sunan Ibn Majah 150, graded hasan):

He had no power, no wealth, and no family to protect him. The one thing he held on to was that Allah is One. It is the same word, ahad, that you recite in Surah Al-Ikhlas (Quran 112:1).

Freed and honored

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, freed Bilal from slavery. Years later, Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, a noble of Quraysh and the future caliph, used to say: "Abu Bakr is our chief, and he manumitted our chief", meaning Bilal (Sahih al-Bukhari 3754). The Arabic word Umar used is sayyiduna, our master. The man once treated as property was called "our master" by Umar ibn al-Khattab.

The voice of the adhan

In Madinah, the Muslims needed a way to call people to prayer. The companion Abdullah ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, saw the words of the adhan (the call to prayer) in a dream and told the Prophet, who said:

Indeed, it is a true dream, Allah Willing! Go and teach these words to Bilāl, and let him make the call to prayer with them, as his voice is more melodious than yours.

Sunan Abi Dawud 499 (hasan sahih, al-Albani)

So Bilal became the first muezzin (the one who calls the adhan) in Islam. The call he gave still rings out from masjids around the world, five times a day.

Footsteps in Paradise

One morning, at the time of the dawn prayer, the Prophet said to him:

O Bilāl, tell me of the most rewarding deed you have done in Islam, for verily I heard the scuffle of your sandals ahead of me in Paradise.

Sahih al-Bukhari 1149 and Sahih Muslim 2458

Bilal answered that the deed he hoped for most was a simple one: whenever he made wudu (ablution), at any hour of the day or night, he prayed with it whatever he was able to pray. Scholars explain from this hadith that it is recommended to pray after making wudu.

What his story means for you

Allah does not measure people the way the world does. The Quran says:

Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.

Quran 49:13 (Saheeh International translation)

And the Prophet said: "Indeed, Allah does not look at your appearance and wealth, but He looks at your hearts and deeds." (Sahih Muslim 2564).

Bilal had no powerful tribe, no money, and no status. Islam gave him a family: companions who called him master, and a Prophet who heard his footsteps in Paradise. If you are new to Islam, far from your family, or feel different from the people around you, know this: you belong here too.

You have finished the step on the companions. Try the questions below, and then move on to the Sunnah: how Muslims learn from the words and example of the Prophet.

Sources

• Sunan Ibn Majah 150 (hasan sahih, al-Albani; hasan, Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut) (opens in a new tab)

• Quran 112:1 (Saheeh International translation) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 3754 (opens in a new tab)

• Sunan Abi Dawud 499 (hasan sahih, al-Albani; graded sahih by the Hadith Encyclopedia) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih al-Bukhari 1149 and Sahih Muslim 2458 (agreed upon) (opens in a new tab)

• Quran 49:13 (Saheeh International translation) (opens in a new tab)

• Sahih Muslim 2564 (opens in a new tab)