The desert sun was merciless. Blazing down on the sands of Makkah, it spared no one – least of all the man lying flat on his back, a heavy stone crushing his chest, his skin searing against the scorched earth. His lips were cracked. His hands trembled. And yet, from somewhere deep within him, a single word rose, again and again:
“Ahad. Ahad.”
“One. One.”
The slave master screamed. Onlookers winced. Though his body was battered, his spirit remained unbroken. His name was Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) – and, on that day, he wasn’t just defying his master. He was rising above him.
Bilal (RA): A slave with a different kind of freedom
Born into slavery in Makkah, Bilal (RA) was the son of an Abyssinian woman. His skin was dark, his status deemed low, and his life – by society’s standards – was worth little. But what no one saw was the strength Allah (SWT) had placed within him. A strength that would one day shake the idols of Makkah and echo across the world.
When the message of Islam began to spread quietly, Bilal (RA) listened. The call to worship one God, free from fear of idols or men, resonated deeply. This was haq – truth. Not freedom of the body, but of the soul. He embraced Islam quietly, wholeheartedly.
But secrets don’t stay hidden for long. His master, Ummayah ibn Khalaf, a fierce enemy of Islam, made Bilal (RA) a public example. For his defiance – for accepting Allah (SWT) as the True and Only Master – he was tied, beaten, starved, and dragged through the streets. Yet he never recanted. He never called out to the idols. He simply repeated:
“Ahad. Ahad.”
“One. One.”
Word of his torture reached the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who was deeply moved. The noble companion Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (RA), known for his compassion, went to Ummayah and negotiated Bilal’s (RA) freedom. And just like that, the chains of slavery fell – along with the chains of fear.
Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) was no ordinary free man. He was now a companion of the Prophet (SAW), a man who had proven with his body and soul that he would give everything for the sake of Allah (SWT).
The first voice of Islam
When the Muslims migrated to Madinah, they began building a new society in which faith was lived openly, without fear of persecution. One day, the Prophet (SAW) gathered his companions to discuss how to call people to the five daily prayers. Some suggested hoisting a flag, others suggested using the bell like the Christians or the trumpet like the Jews, but the Prophet (SAW) did not like any of these ideas. Then Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) shared a dream – of a man calling to prayer with his voice. The Prophet (SAW) affirmed it was a true dream.
Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) stood tall. His voice, deep and resonant, rose over the rooftops of Madinah:
“Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.”
“God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest.”
People froze. Doors opened. Hearts stirred. This was the first Adhan ever called. The sound of Islam had found its voice – and it came from a man who once couldn’t speak without painful consequence.
The beloved of the Prophet (SAW)
Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) wasn’t just the muadhin. He was beloved to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). He walked beside him, prayed behind him, and stood by him through every trial – not only in the mosque, but on the battlefield. Bilal (RA) fought in the most pivotal battles of Islam: Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq, proving that his courage extended far beyond words.
After the conquest of Makkah, Bilal (RA) stood beside the Prophet (SAW) at the Kaaba. When Abu Sufyan, a former enemy of Islam, expressed discomfort at Bilal (RA) and other formerly enslaved companions standing in such honored positions, the Prophet (SAW) rebuked him. It was a defining moment: Islam had shattered the social hierarchy of the Quraysh. Honor was no longer about lineage – it was about piety, sacrifice, and truth.
This commitment and act of beautiful submission led to today’s recommended practice of Tahiyyatul Wudhu, the 2-rak’ah nafl (voluntary) prayer to be performed after Wudhu.
A simple act. Yet Allah (SWT) sees everything – and raises in rank whom He (SWT) wills.
The day the Adhan broke hearts
Then came the day for which none was prepared. Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Seal of the Prophets of Allah (SWT), had passed away. The sun still rose, but the world went dark.
Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) tried to give the Adhan in Madinah. But when he reached the line
“Ash hadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool Allah.”
“I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
…his voice broke. Tears streamed down his face. He could not continue. The memories were too heavy. The pain, too deep. He stopped giving the Adhan and quietly left Madinah for the lands of Syria.
Years passed. He fought in battles. He lived among believers. And the Adhan never left his soul.
Two deeply cherished historical narrations – preserved in classical sources like Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir – offer glimpses into moving moments when Bilal’s (RA) Adhan left everyone speechless, but in tears.
Overwhelmed by longing, Bilal (RA) returned to Madinah. Upon his arrival, the Prophet’s (SAW) grandsons, Hassan (RA) and Hussain (RA), pleaded with him to call the Adhan once more. He agreed. As his voice rang out across the city, people rushed from their homes, overcome with emotion. It is said that no day after the passing of the Prophet (SAW) saw more tears in Madinah than that one.
In another narration, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) visited Bilal (RA) while he was residing in Syria, the companions requested that Bilal (RA) call the Adhan again. At first, he declined. But eventually, he agreed. As his voice filled the air, the companions silently wept – transported back to the golden era of Islam, to the days when the Prophet (SAW) walked among them. The sound of Bilal’s (RA) voice stirred hearts and broke them all at once.
Though these accounts are not found in the major hadith collections and their chains of narration are debated among scholars, they remain treasured in Islamic memory – echoes of love, longing, and devotion that continue to move hearts centuries later.
Bilal (RA): A legacy that still beckons
Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) passed away in Damascus, where his grave still stands in Bab al-Saghir Cemetery. But his voice lives on. Every time the Adhan is called in a city, a village, or a remote corner of the earth, it’s a reminder of a man who stood firm for truth. A man who was once enslaved, yet became Sayyid al-Mu’adhdhinīn – the Master of the Callers to Prayer.
His story is more than just a part of history – it’s a living lesson:
Bilal’s (RA) life calls us not just to prayer, but to purpose.
Dua
O Allah, raise the rank of Bilal ibn Rabah (RA), the one whose voice echoed Your greatness across Madinah, who bore cruelty for Your truth, yet never wavered in faith.
O Allah, let every Adhan called on this earth be a witness to his courage, devotion, and love for Your Messenger (SAW).
O Allah, make our hearts as steadfast as his and our voices as bold in proclaiming Your Oneness.
Ameen!
