Sitwat Mirza, London
Hazrat Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) was an Abyssinian who was born in slavery. He was exploited at the hands of cruel Makkans, yet Hazrat Bilal is renowned as an incredibly important black figure in Islamic history. Not only did he become one of the first nine blessed souls to accept Islam, but he was also the first muezzin of Islam– the person who says the azan or call to Muslim Prayer- and one of the most loyal Companions of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him).
The slave-owner of Hazrat Bilal humiliated and punished him for accepting Islam. A coarse rope was placed in Bilal’s neck; ruthlessly dragged across the streets, he was forced to lie on the scorching sand, continuously whipped until his body bled. In his biography of the Holy Prophet Sir William Muir wrote about Hazrat Bilal:
“In the depth of his anguish, the persecutors could force from him but one expression, Ahad! Ahad! ‘One, One (only God)!’ On such an occasion Abu Bakr passed by, and secured liberty of conscience to the faithful slave by purchasing his freedom.”
Hazrat Bilal was made to feel like a king in the presence of the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be on him) and his Companions, and came to be known as ‘Syedna Bilal’; Syedna is a title connoting respect. After the incident of the spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) called Miraj when he was spiritually transported to heavens, he told Hazrat Bilal that he had heard his footsteps wherever he went during the Miraj. Such was the heightened position of Hazrat Bilal in the eyes of Allah.
Indeed, Hazrat Bilal was appointed as the muezzin by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him), and would walk ahead of the Prophet with a spear in his hand, which he had the honour of keeping throughout his life time. When bonds of brotherhood were created between Muslims who had migrated to Medina and the inhabitants of the city, Hazrat Bilal was made brother of Abu Rouwaiha. Islam is a religion that fosters harmony amongst believers; it does not differentiate between the black and white, the rich and poor, or between a free man and a slave.
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) took special care in training Hazrat Bilal to spread love and invite his enemies to peace. The Prophet of Allah said to Bilal: “O Bilal, always live in humility and with contentment and die with those who feel contented.” The Prophet taught him to live a humble life, abstain from wealth, and give to the needy and the poor. One day Bilal brought for the Prophet some dates and told him that he had exchanged his own dates with some exquisite dates. The Holy Prophet told him that he should never do such a thing again. With the close supervision and leadership of the Prophet, Bilal became an incredibly honest and staunch Companion who exhibited great love for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
At the time of the Holy Prophet’s death, it was Hazrat Bilal who sprinkled water from a water-carrier made from animal skin over the grave of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Following this, whenever Bilal gave the call to Prayer, he would reminisce the blessed days he had spent serving the Holy Prophet and burst in tears. Later when the sound of his trembling voice echoed in the mosque, calling upon all those nearby to Prayer, people of Medina were mesmerised by the magical effect of Bilal’s azan and they wept in the memory of their beloved master, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Such was the way in which Allah chose Hazrat Bilal to be raised from the status of a slave to a position of righteousness and esteem, and such is the way in which Islam enjoins equality and social justice for all people.
Sources:
https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Sayyedna-Bilal.pdf
Voice of British Muslim Women 
Leave a comment