Bilal: The Voice of Faith That Defied Torture

Bilal ibn Rabah al-Qurashi al-Taymi was a freed slave of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. He was born in Sirat in the region of Syria and was among the clients of the Banu Taym.

Books of biography mention that Bilal Ibn Rabah married Hind Al-Khaulaniyyah, but she did not bear him any children. It is also said that he married Halah bint Awf, the sister of the noble companion Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, and she too did not bear him any children. Thus, he had no descendants, as mentioned by Ibn Ishaq and others.

Bilal ibn Rabah 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.

His conversion

Bilal ibn Rabah was the first slave to embrace Islam. He used to tend sheep for Abdullah ibn Jad’an. The Prophet Muhammad saw him while he was secluded in the cave with Abu Bakr 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. The sheep yielded more milk than it usually did. This incident led the Prophet 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 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 placed 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”.

The Jihad of Bilal ibn Rabah

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

Bilal ibn Rabah’s Appointment as the Muezzin

Bilal had the honour of being appointed as the muazzin (caller to prayer) by the Prophet Muhammad. 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 Makkah in the eighth year of the Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad 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.

The Death of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal passed away in Damascus, some say in Aleppo, in the twentieth 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.

Upon his death, he uttered, “Tomorrow, we will meet our beloved, Muhammad and his companions”.