In short
- In Arabic
- بلال بن رباح
- Name
- Bilal ibn Rabah; his mother was Hamamah
- Kunyah
- Abu Abdillah (other kunyahs are also reported)
- Origin
- Of Abyssinian (Ethiopian) descent, born into slavery in Makkah
- Accepted Islam
- Early, among the first seven to declare their Islam openly
- Freed by
- Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
- Known for
- The first muezzin of Islam
- Died
- In Damascus, about 20 AH (641 CE); some say 17 or 18 AH
- Buried
- Bab al-Saghir cemetery, Damascus
In short: Bilal was owned by Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the leaders of Quraysh. When he accepted Islam he was tortured in the heat of Makkah to make him leave it, and he kept repeating, "Ahad, Ahad", One, One. Abu Bakr bought him and set him free. In Madinah the Prophet ﷺ made him the caller to prayer. He fought at Badr and every battle after it, called the adhan from the roof of the Kaaba on the day of the Conquest, and after the Prophet ﷺ died he went to Syria, where he died.1
How he accepted Islam
Abdullah ibn Masud said the first to show their Islam openly were seven: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr, Ammar, his mother Sumayyah, Suhayb, Bilal and al-Miqdad. The Prophet ﷺ was protected by his uncle and Abu Bakr by his clan, but the others were made to wear iron armour and left in the sun. Every one of them gave in under the torture except Bilal, who no longer cared what happened to himself for Allah's sake. They handed him to boys who dragged him through the streets of Makkah while he said, "Ahad, Ahad".2
Abu Bakr bought him from Umayyah and freed him.1 Years later Umar used to say:
أَبُو بَكْرٍ سَيِّدُنَا، وَأَعْتَقَ سَيِّدَنَا
"Abu Bakr is our master, and he freed our master", meaning Bilal.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3754 · Umar ibn al-Khattab, narrated by Jabir · sahih
The first muezzin
In Madinah the Muslims discussed how to call people to prayer. Abdullah ibn Zayd saw the words of the adhan in a dream and told the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "It is a true vision, if Allah wills. Stand with Bilal and teach him what you saw, so he can call it, for his voice is louder than yours".3 So Bilal became the first muezzin of Islam. On the day of the Conquest of Makkah he climbed the Kaaba and called the adhan from its roof,1 and he was with the Prophet ﷺ inside the Kaaba when he prayed there.4 Learn the words on the adhan page.
Key events
At Badr, Bilal saw Umayyah ibn Khalaf, his old master and torturer, and called out to the Ansar, who killed him.5 He took part in Uhud, the Trench and all the battles. After the Prophet ﷺ died, Bilal asked to go to Syria to strive in the cause of Allah, and he lived there until his death.1 A well-known story says he returned to Madinah, called the adhan once more and the city wept; al-Dhahabi and other scholars said its chain is weak.6 See the Battle of Badr.
His virtues in the hadith
يَا بِلاَلُ حَدِّثْنِي بِأَرْجَى عَمَلٍ عَمِلْتَهُ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ دَفَّ نَعْلَيْكَ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ
At the Fajr prayer the Prophet ﷺ said to Bilal: "Bilal, tell me the deed you did in Islam that you most hope for, for I heard the sound of your footsteps ahead of me in Paradise." Bilal said he had done nothing he hoped for more than this: whenever he made wudu, by night or day, he prayed with it as much as was written for him.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1149; Sahih Muslim 2458 · narrated by Abu Hurayrah · sahih
This hadith is the basis of the two rakat after wudu. See how to make wudu.
His death
Bilal died in Damascus. Ibn Hajar gives 20 AH as the most reported year, with 17 and 18 AH also reported, and his age as a little over sixty. He was buried in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery.6
Lessons from his life
- Islam measures people by taqwa, not colour, birth or wealth.
- Steadfastness: one word, "Ahad", held firm under torture.
- Small, constant deeds: prayer after every wudu took him ahead in Paradise.
- Freeing the oppressed is among the greatest uses of wealth.
In the seerah
Bilal's life is woven into the life of the Prophet ﷺ. For the whole story in order, see the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ life timeline, and for the battles and turning points, the seerah events. More Companions are on the Sahaba page, and the meaning of the word is on Sahaba meaning.
Questions
Who was Bilal in Islam?
Bilal ibn Rabah was an Abyssinian Companion of the Prophet ﷺ, born into slavery in Makkah. He accepted Islam early, endured torture, was freed by Abu Bakr and became the first muezzin.
Why was Bilal chosen to call the adhan?
The Prophet ﷺ said his voice was louder (Sunan Abi Dawud 499, graded hasan sahih).
What did Bilal say when he was tortured?
"Ahad, Ahad", One, One, meaning Allah is One (Ibn Majah 150, graded hasan).
Who freed Bilal?
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq bought him from Umayyah ibn Khalaf and set him free. Umar said: "Abu Bakr is our master, and he freed our master" (Bukhari 3754).
Where is Bilal buried?
In the Bab al-Saghir cemetery in Damascus, Syria, where he died around 20 AH.
Sources
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, from Ibn Ishaq.
- Sunan Ibn Majah 150, from Abdullah ibn Masud, graded hasan.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 499, from Abdullah ibn Zayd, graded hasan sahih.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 397, from Ibn Umar.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2301, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf.
- Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah; al-Dhahabi, Siyar Alam al-Nubala.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1149; Sahih Muslim 2458, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3754, from Jabir.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, transliteration from Tanzil, English by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic is the standard wording of the collection named; gradings are given for every hadith outside al-Bukhari and Muslim.