Tag: Bilal ibn Rabah

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New Muslims Prayer

What Do You Know about the Adhan?

The Adhan is the sound heard five times a day around the world summoning Muslims to prayer where in unison they, facing the Ka`bah, stand between the hands of God, professing their love to Him and worshipping Him.

So, what do you know about that call; what does it calling Muslims to, and what does the word itself mean?

How was it introduced into Islam? Who was the first to suggest the call to prayer? How did it develop throughout history?

Who is the first muezzin (caller to prayer) in Islamic history? Where was the first Adhan given?

Learn about all this here…

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His Companions New Muslims

Bilal Ibn Rabah: A Living Lesson on Human Freedom

The news of Bilal’s conversion to Islam was a shock to the chiefs of the Bani Jumah whose Abyssinian slave converted to Islam and followed Muhammad. What Bilal went through after that is a lesson of the true meaning of freedom and how Islam came to lay the grounds of human rights…

human freedom

Blackness of skin and bondage would not decry the greatness of the soul if it found its faith, adhered to its Creator.

As for Bilal, he adopted an attitude that would honor not only Islam, even though Islam was more worthy of it, but also all humanity. He resisted the harshest kind of torture like all pious great men.

Allah made him an example of the fact that blackness of skin and bondage would not decry the greatness of the soul if it found its faith, adhered to its Creator, and clung to its right.

Bilal gave a profound lesson to those of his age and every age, for those of his religion and every religion, a lesson which embraced the idea that freedom and supremacy of conscience could not be bartered either for gold or punishment, even if it filled the earth. He was stripped naked and laid on hot coals to make him renounce his religion, but he refused.

The Messenger (peace be upon him) and Islam made this weak Abyssinian slave a teacher to all humanity in the art of respecting conscience and defending its freedom and supremacy.

Strength of Faith   

They 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 his 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, 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 refused to say.

Yes, he refused to say it and began to repeat his lasting chant Instead: “One… One!” His torturers shouted at him, imploring him, “Mention the name of Al-Laat and Al-`Uzzaa.” But he answered, “One . . . One” 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.”

“One… One”

So Bilal 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. And Bilaal’s tongue did not mention anything other than his holy chant: “One… One.”

When the night overtook them, they began bargaining with him, “Tomorrow, speak well of our gods, say, ‘My lord is Al-Laat and Al `Uzzaa,’ and we’ll leave you alone. We are tired of torturing you as if we are the tortured ones.”

But he shook his head and said, “One… One.” So, Umayah ibn khalaf kicked him and exploded with exasperating fury, and shouted, “What bad luck has thrown you upon us, O slave of evil?

By Al-Laat and Al-`Uzzaa, I’ll make you an example for slaves and masters.” But Bilal answered with the holy greatness and certainty of a believer, “One… One.”

And he who was assigned to play the role of a sympathizer returned to talking and bargaining. He said “Take it easy, Umayah. By Al-Laat, he will not be tortured again. Indeed Bilal is one of us, his mother is our slave girl He will not be pleased to talk about and ridicule us because of his Islam.” But Bilal gazed at their lying cunning faces, and his mouth slackened like the light of dawn. He said with calmness that shook them violently, “One… One.”

Freedom

It was the next day and midday approached. Bilal was taken to the sun-baked ground. He was patient, brave, firm, and expecting the reward in the Hereafter.

Abu Bakr As-siddiq went to them while they were torturing him and shouted at them, “Are you killing a man because he says, ‘Allah is my Lord?’”

Then he shouted at Umayah lbn khalaf, “Take more than his price and set him free.” It was as if Umayah were drowning and had caught a lifeboat. It was to his liking and he was very much pleased when he heard Abu Bakr offering the price of his freedom, since they had despaired of subjugating Bilal.

And as they were merchants, they realized that selling him was more profitable to them than his death.

They sold him to Abu-Bakr, and then he emancipated him immediately, and Bilal took his place among free men. He lastly tasted freedom. When As-Siddiq put his arm round Bilal, rushing with him to freedom, Umayah said to him, “Take him, for by Al-Laat and Al-`Uzzaa if you had refused to buy him except for one ounce of gold, I would have sold him to you.”

Abu Bakr realized the bitterness of despair and disappointment hidden in these words. 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 saying, “By Allah, if you had refused to sell him except for a hundred ounces, I would have paid it.” He departed with his companion to the Messenger of Allah, giving him news of his liberation, and there was a great celebration; the first taste of freedom.

Thirteen Years Later… Allah is One

After the Hijrah of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Muslims to Al-Madinah and their settling there, the Messenger instituted the Adhan. So who would become the muezzin five times a day? Who would call across distant lands, “Allah is the Greatest” and “There is no god but Allah”?

It was Bilal, who had shouted thirteen years before while the torture was destroying him, “Allah is One… One.” He was chosen by the Messenger that day to be the first muezzin in Islam. With his melodious soul-stirring voice, he filled the hearts with faith and the ears with awe when he called:

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

Come to Prayer

Come to Prayer

Come to Success

Come to Success

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest

There is no god but Allah

Allah’s Justice

Fighting broke out between the Muslims and the army of the Quraish who came to invade Al-Madinah. The war raged fiercely and terribly while Bilal was there attacking and moving about in the first battle. Islam was plunged into the Battle of Badr, whose motto the Messenger ordered to be, “One… One.”

In this battle, the Quraish sacrificed their youth and all their noblemen to their destruction. Umayah Ibn khalaf, who had been Bilal’s master and who used to torture him with deadly brutality, was about to retreat from fighting. But his friend `Uqbah ibn Abu Mu`it went to him when he heard the news of his withdrawal, carrying a censer in his right hand. When he arrived he was sitting among his people. He threw the censer between his hands and said to him, “O Abu `Ally, use this. You are one of the women.”

But Umayah shouted at him saying, “May Allah make you and what you came with ugly!” And he did not find a way out, so he went out to fight.

What other secrets does destiny conceal and unfold? `Uqbah ibn Abu Mu’it had been the greatest supporter of Umayah in the torture of Bilal and other weak Muslims. And on that day, he himself was the one who urged him to go to the Battle of Badr where he would die, just as it would be the place where `Uqbah would die! Umayah had been one of the shirkers from war. Had it not been for what `Uqbah did to him, he would not have gone out fighting.

But Allah executes His command. So let Umayah go out, because there was an old account between him and one of the slaves of Allah. It was time to settle it. The Judge never dies. As you owe, you shall be owed to.

Indeed destiny would be very much pleased to mock the tyrants. Uqbah, whose provocations Umayah used to listen to and follow his desire to torture the innocent believers, was the same person who would lead Umayah to his death. By the hand of whom? By the hand of Bilal himself and Bilal alone! The same hands that Umayah used to chain and whose owner he beat and tortured. Those very hands were on that day, in the Battle of Badr, on a rendezvous that destiny had set the best time for, with the torture of the Quraish who had humiliated the believers unjustly and aggressively, robbed them of their human dignity and freedom. That is what really happened.

When the fighting began between the two sides, and the side of the Muslims shouted the motto, “One . . . One,” the heart of Umayah was startled, and a warning came to him. The word which his slave used to repeat yesterday under torture and horror became today the motto of a whole religion and of a whole new nation.

“One . . . One” Is it so? With this quickness? And with this rapid growth?

Served Right

The swords clashed in the battle and the fighting became severe. As the battle neared its end, Umayah lbn Khalaf noticed `Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah. He sought refuge with him and asked to be his captive, hoping to save his life. `Abdul Rahman accepted his supplication and granted him refuge. Then he took him and walked with him amidst the battle to the place where captives were held.

On the way Bilal noticed him and shouted, “The head of kufr (disbelief), Umayah lbn Khalaf! May I not be saved if he is saved!” He lifted up his sword to cut off the head which was all the time full of pride and arrogance. But `Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf shouted at him, “O Bilal, he is my captive!” A captive while the war was still raging? A captive while his sword was still dripping blood because of what he had been doing just moments before to the bodies of the Muslims?

No! In Bilal’s opinion, this was irony and abuse of the mind, and Umayah had scoffed and abused the mind enough. He scoffed until there was no irony remaining for such a day, such a dilemma, and such a fate!

Bilal realized that he would not be able alone to storm the sanctuary of his brother in faith, `Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf. So he shouted at the top of his voice to the Muslims, “O helpers of Allah! The head of kufr, Umayah ibn khalaf! May I not be saved if he is saved!”

A band of Muslims approached with swords dripping blood. They surrounded Umayah and his son, who was fighting with the Quraish. `Abdul Rahman ibn `Awf could not do anything. He could not even protect his armor which the crowd removed. Bilal gazed long at the body of Umayah, who fell beneath the smashing swords. Then he hastened away from him shouting, “One… One.”

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The article is excerpted from the book “Men Around the Messenger”, which is a translation based on Khalid Muhammad Khalid’s celebrated work in Arabic “Rijal Hawla Ar-Rasul” which represents the real inspirational stories of sixty-four Companions of the Prophet.

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His Companions New Muslims

Bilal ibn Rabah: A Miracle of Faith & Truthfulness

Whenever `Umar ibn Al khattab mentioned Abu Bakr he would say, “Abu Bakr is our master and the emancipator of our master”. That is to say, Bilal.

bilal

The magnificence of the religion which he believed in gave him, during his lifetime and in history, an elevated place among the great men of Islam.

Indeed, the man to whom `Umar would give the agnomen “Our Master” must be a great and fortunate man.

However, this man – who was very dark in complexion, slender, very tall, thick- haired and with a sparse beard, as described by the narrators – would hardly hear words of praise and commendation directed at him and bestowed bountifully upon him without bending his head, lowering his eyelids and saying with tears flowing down his two cheeks, “Indeed, I am an Abyssinian. Yesterday, I was only a slave!”

Bilal …A Miracle of Islam?

So who is this Abyssinian who was yesterday only a slave? He is Bilal ibn Rabah, the announcer of the time of Muslim prayer and the troublemaker to the idols. He was one of the miracles of faith and truthfulness, one of Islam’s great miracles. For out of every ten Muslims, from the beginning of Islam until today and until Allah wills, we will meet seven, at least, who know Bilal.

That is, there are hundreds of millions of people throughout the centuries and generations who know Bilal, remember his name, and know his role just as they know the two greatest Caliphs in Islam, Abu Bakr and `Umar!

Even if you ask a child who is still in his first years of primary school in Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia, or China, in the two Americas, Europe, or Russia, in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran, or Sudan, in Tunis, Algeria, or Morocco, in the depth of Africa and in the mountains of Asia, in every place on the earth where Muslims reside, you can ask any Muslim child, “Who is Bilal, child?” He will answer you, “He was the muezzin of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and he was the slave whose master used to torture him with hot burning stones to make him apostatize. But instead he said, “One, One.”

Whenever you consider this enduring fame that Islam bestowed upon Bilal, you should know that before Islam this Bilal was no more than a slave who tended herds of camels for his master for a handful of dates. Had it not been for Islam, it would have been his fate to remain a slave, wandering among the crowd until death brought an end to his life and caused him to perish in the profoundest depths of forgetfulness.

However, his faith proved to be true, and the magnificence of the religion which he believed in gave him, during his lifetime and in history, an elevated place among the great and holy men of Islam. Indeed, many human beings of distinction, prestige, or wealth have not obtained even one-tenth of the immortality which Bilal the Abyssinian slave gained. Indeed, many historical figures were not conferred even a portion of the fame which has been bestowed upon Bilal.

Indeed, the black color of his complexion, his modest lineage, and his contemptible position among people as a slave did not deprive him, when he chose to embrace Islam, of occupying the high place which his truthfulness, certainty, purity, and self-sacrifice qualified him for.

For him, all this would not have been on the scale of estimation and honor except as an astonishing occurrence when greatness is found where it could not possibly be.

People thought that a slave like Bilal – who descended from strange roots, who had neither kinfolk nor power, who did not possess any control over his life but was himself a possession of his master who had bought him with his money, who came and went amid the sheep, camels, and other livestock of his master – they thought that such a human creature would neither have power over anything, nor become anything.

But he went beyond all expectations and possessed great faith that no one like him could possess! He was the first muezzin of the Messenger and of Islam, a position which was aspired to by all the masters and nobles of the Quraish who embraced Islam and followed the Messenger. Yes, Bilal ibn Rabaah.

Oh what valor and greatness are expressed by these three words Bilal ibn Rabaah!

He was an Abyssinian from the black race. His destiny made him a slave of some people of the tribe of Jumah in Makkah, where his mother was one of their slave girls. He led the life of a slave whose bleak days were alike and who had no right over his day and no hope for his tomorrow.

First Hearing of Muhammad

The news of Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) call began and reached his ears when people in Makkah began to talk about it and when he began listening to the discussions of his master and his guests, especially Umayah ibn Khalaf, one of the elders of the Bani Jumah, of which Bilal was one of the slaves.

How often did he hear Urnayah talking to his friends for some time and to some persons of his tribe. Many times they talked about the Messenger with words that were overflowing with anxiety, rage, and malice!

Bilal, on the other hand, was receiving between those words of insane fury and rage the attributes of this new religion. He began to feel that they were new qualities for the environment which he lived in.

He was also able to receive during their threatening, thunderous talks their acknowledgement of Muhammad’s nobility, truthfulness, and loyalty. Yes indeed, he heard them wondering and amazed at what Muhammad came with. They said to one another, “Muhammad was never a liar, magician, or mad, but we have to describe him this way until we turn away from him those who rush to his religion.”

He heard them talking about his honesty and loyalty, about his manliness and nobility, and about his purity and composure of his intelligence. He heard them whispering about the reasons which caused them to challenge and antagonize him: First, their allegiance to the religion of their fathers; Second, their fear over the glory of the Quraish which was bestowed upon them because of their religious status as a center of idol worship and resort in the whole of the Arabian Peninsula; Third, the envy of the tribe of Bani Hashim that anyone from them should claim to be a prophet or messenger.

One day Bilal ibn Rabah recognized the light of Allah and heard His resonance in the depths of his good soul. So he went to the Messenger of Allah and converted to Islam. It did not take long before the news of his embracing Islam was spread. It was a shock to the chiefs of the Bani Jumah, who were very proud and conceited. The devils of the earth sat couched over the breast of Umayah ibn khalaf, who considered the acceptance of Islam by one of their slaves a blow that overwhelmed them with shame and disgrace.

Their Abyssinian slave converted to Islam and followed Muhammad. Umayah said to himself, “It does not matter. Indeed the sun this day shall not set but with the Islam of this stray slave.” However, the sun never did set with the Islam of Bilal, but it set one day with all the idols of the Quraish and the patrons of paganism among them.

                                                                                                                                                                    To be continued…

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The article is excerpted from the book “Men Around the Messenger”, which is a translation based on Khalid Muhammad Khalid’s celebrated work in Arabic “Rijal Hawla Ar-Rasul” which represents the real inspirational stories of sixty-four Companions of the Prophet.

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His Character New Muslims

Hijrah: Migration for Peace

Before the Hijrah

When the revelation came to him, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) climbed As-Safa mount and called out people and they gathered around him. He said: “Do you think that if I told you that there was a cavalry emerging from the foot of this mountain, would you believe me?” They said: “We have never known you to be a liar.” He (peace be upon him) said: “I am a warner to you of an imminent and severe punishment (warning them against Paradise).” Abu Lahab (the Prophet’s uncle) said: “May you perish! Did you call us together only for this?” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

He started inviting them to Islam and persuading them that the worship of idols is a kind of absurdness, but only Allah, the Creator of the Universe,  is worshiped. A number of people were convinced with his message and followed him. Yet, the masters and the rich among Makkans refused his new religion because they found that it established equity and justice among all people, something they detested. They fought him and tortured his followers. A lot of companions were subject to extreme and brutal torture at their hands.

I will cite a few stories of torture that show how cruel and savage were those people with the followers of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Umayyah and Bilal

And We have not sent you, (O Muhammad), except as a mercy to the worlds.

Umayyah ibn Khalaf (a Meccan pagan) had a slave called Bilal ibn Rabah who entered Islam. Umayyah inflicted extreme torture upon Bilal. He would take him in the glare of the torrid sun of Mecca, stripe him off, put him on the blazing sand in summer and place a huge rock on his chest. Nevertheless, Bilal did not relinquish his religion one iota.

`Ammar’s Family and the Tribe of Makhzum

`Ammar ibn Yassir was from the tribe of Makhzum. He embraced Islam, and his father, mother and brother followed him. When their tribe knew about that they got crazy. They burnt the house of `Ammar and took them to desert. They chained them and competed in torturing them. They would whip them, burn them and put big rocks on their bodies. However, the believing family remained steadfast to Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) would pass by them while tortured consoling them saying, “Yasir’s family, be patient! Your reward will be Paradise!”

Banu Makhzum found that torment is of no use with those believers. They tried to seduce them to leave Islam and they will pardon them but this was fruitless as well. Abu Jahal shouted at Summayyah, the mother of `Ammar, “Praise our gods (i.e. idols); disparage Muhammad!” Summayyah spat in his face and said: “How bad you and your gods are!.” Abu Jahal became furious with her. He raised his spear high and threw it on Summayyah’s belly. She passed away upon that, to be the first martyr in the history of Islam.

Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari

Abu Dharr Al­-Ghifari was from the tribe of Ghifar. He heard from travelers about a new Prophet called Muhammad (peace be upon him) who invited people to new religion. So, he moved to Mecca to know about the matter. He remained in the Ka`bah watching people there. `Ali ibn Abu Talib saw him and noticed that he was a stranger. He invited him to his house and told him about Muhammad. Abu Dharr went to the Prophet and accepted Islam. However, he resolved to infuriate the people of Mecca. He went to Ka`bah and shouted: “There is no God but Allah; and Muhammad is his Messenger.”

They gathered around him and started beating him. He was rescued by Al-`Abbas ibn `Abdul Muttalib who told them that Abu Dharr belonged to the tribe of Ghifar who may revenge to Abu Dharr.

The Prophet Himself

The torture was not limited to companions but it was inflicted as well upon the Prophet Muhammad himself. Ibn Mas`ud reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was praying at the Ka`bah, and Abu Jahl and his companions were sitting there. They said to one another, ‘Who will bring the intestines of the camel of so and so and put it on Muhammad’s back when he prostrates?’ So one of them went and brought it and waited until the Prophet (peace be upon him) prostrated, then he put it on his back, between his shoulders. They started laughing and leaning against one another (because of their laughter), and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was prostrating and did not raise his head until Fatimah came and removed it from his back. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) raised his head. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Finally, Allah (Glory be to Him) commanded the Prophet and his followers to migrate from Mecca to Medinah, a safe place where they would be able to practice the rituals of their religion freely and lead an Islamic way of life without being maltreated or wronged. Anyway, migration was another test to the faithful Companions. They were forced to leave their homelands, friends and families to another place where they will be strangers. Yet, the companions set another example in the sacrifice for their beliefs.

In Medinah, they put the first bricks of the Islamic state, that were built upon justice and brotherhood. The first thing the Prophet (peace be upon him) did when he went to Medinah was the establishment of social peace inside the Muslim community. He made the migrants as brothers of the people of Medinah. He also dealt with all the conflicts between the two big tribes of Medinah, Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj, and settled all the disputes between them.

As for non-Muslims, the Prophet (peace be upon him) chose the way of peace. He made a treaty with the Jews of Medinah that was based on mutual cooperation and common justice. He never breached any covenant with them. Yet, it was the Jews who breached the pact and violated their covenant with him.

Outside Medinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not mobilize armies to attack the nearby tribes or towns to spread Islam or to occupy them. Instead, he would send letters to kings and rulers inviting them with cultured and kind words to Islam, the last religion.

It was a migration to the open and boundless peace of Islam. The wars that the Prophet (peace be upon him) participated in were generally to defend the Islamic country and religion. Even during wars, the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade his soldiers to kill women, children, the aged or farmers, burn plants or damage houses, unless they are used for war purposes. All his life was peace and mercy for all mankind. Almighty Allah says,

 And We have not sent you, (O Muhammad), except as a mercy to the worlds. (Al-Anbiya’ 21:107)

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