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A Slave Who Chose Faith Over Chains
Among the early Muslims who suffered the most in Makkah, the story of Bilal ibn Rabah رضي الله عنه stands out as a shining example of unshakable faith, patience, and dignity. His journey from slavery in Makkah to honor in Islam helps us understand what persecution meant in real human terms during the early days of the Prophet’s public call.
Who Was Bilal ibn Rabah?
Bilal ibn Rabah was an African slave in Makkah. His mother was an Abyssinian woman, and he was owned by the powerful Umayyah ibn Khalaf of Quraysh. Before Islam, Bilal had no social status. He had no tribe to protect him and no wealth to defend him. In the harsh tribal society of Makkah, this meant he was completely at the mercy of his master.
Yet, Allah chose this seemingly weak and voiceless man to become one of the strongest symbols of faith. He would later be known as Bilal al‑Habashi, the Abyssinian, one of the earliest believers and one of the closest companions of the Prophet ﷺ.
His Acceptance of Islam
When the Prophet ﷺ began calling people secretly to Islam, the message reached the hearts of a small group of men and women who were searching for truth. Bilal was one of them. The exact details of how he first heard the message are not heavily described in the sources, but the early historians agree that he accepted Islam in the earliest days, at a time when Muslims were few and weak.
Bilal heard the call to worship one God alone, without partners, and to abandon idols. This message went directly against the religion of Quraysh and the practices of his master. Yet Bilal accepted it, not for any worldly gain, but purely for Allah.
Allah describes the believers in such times in the Quran:
رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ
“Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah.”
(Surah al‑Ahzab 33:23)
Bilal would soon prove that he was one of these truthful believers.
The Beginning of His Torture
When Bilal’s Islam became known, his master Umayyah ibn Khalaf was enraged. For Umayyah, the religion of his slave was not just a personal matter. It was seen as rebellion against the gods of Quraysh and a challenge to the honor of his household.
Because Bilal was a slave and had no tribe to defend him, he became an easy target for punishment. What others from noble families were somewhat protected from, Bilal faced without any shield. The persecution of Bilal shows how Quraysh used social status and power to pressure Muslims to abandon their faith.
Torture Under the Burning Sun
The most famous scenes from Bilal’s life come from the days when Umayyah tortured him publicly. The early books of Seerah and hadith describe this period in vivid terms.
Bilal was taken out into the open desert of Makkah. The scorching sun of the Hijaz beat down upon him. Umayyah ordered that Bilal be laid on the burning sand. Heavy stones were then placed on his chest to crush him and prevent him from moving.
While he was in this state, Umayyah would tell him to recant his faith, to speak words of disbelief, and to praise the idols of Quraysh. Instead of obeying, Bilal would answer with a single word that would echo through history:
أَحَدٌ أَحَدٌ
“One, One.”
He was affirming the oneness of Allah. Each time he was ordered to call upon the idols, he responded by calling upon the One God alone.
The Prophet ﷺ later reminded the believers that people before them had suffered terrible ordeals for the sake of faith. He said:
«كَانَ الرَّجُلُ فِيمَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يُحْفَرُ لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَيُجْعَلُ فِيهَا، فَيُجَاءُ بِالْمِنْشَارِ، فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَيُشَقُّ بِاثْنَتَيْنِ، وَمَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ…»
“A man from among those who came before you would have a pit dug for him in the ground, and he would be placed in it. Then a saw would be brought and put on his head, cutting him into two. Yet that would not turn him away from his religion…”
(Sahih al‑Bukhari)
Bilal in Makkah was living this type of trial. His body was broken, but his heart remained firm.
Bilal’s repeated cry “Ahad, Ahad” is a powerful summary of his faith: Allah is One, and no pain, no threat, and no pressure can make the believer worship anyone else.
The Witness of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه
Among those who watched these painful scenes was Abu Bakr al‑Siddiq رضي الله عنه, the close companion of the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Bakr could not bear to see Bilal being tortured for saying there is only one God.
The early historians, including Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham, mention that Abu Bakr passed by while Bilal was being tortured. He saw the rock on Bilal’s chest and heard his words of tawhid. Abu Bakr then went to Umayyah and said he would buy Bilal.
Abu Bakr negotiated with Umayyah and purchased Bilal, then set him free for the sake of Allah. In some narrations, Umayyah tried to make himself feel superior by saying that he had cheated Abu Bakr in the price. Abu Bakr replied that even if Umayyah had asked for much more, he would have paid it to free Bilal.
Allah revealed verses that many scholars said fit perfectly the actions of Abu Bakr in freeing such oppressed believers:
وَسَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْأَتْقَى
الَّذِي يُؤْتِي مَالَهُ يَتَزَكَّى
وَمَا لِأَحَدٍ عِندَهُ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ تُجْزَى
إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِ الْأَعْلَى
وَلَسَوْفَ يَرْضَى
“And the righteous one will be spared [from the Fire],
who gives his wealth to purify himself,
and not for anyone who has done him a favor to be repaid,
but only seeking the Face of his Lord, the Most High.
And surely, he will be satisfied.”
(Surah al‑Layl 92:17‑21)
Whether these verses were revealed specifically about Abu Bakr or not, his freeing of Bilal is one of the clearest examples of this type of selfless action.
From Slavery to Honor in Islam
Freed from physical slavery, Bilal now lived openly as a Muslim, protected by his new status as a freed companion of Abu Bakr. Yet the marks of torture and hardship did not disappear from his memory. Instead, they became a badge of honor in the sight of Allah.
Islam turned the social order of Makkah upside down. A former slave, dark‑skinned and without noble lineage in Quraysh, became one of the most respected men among the Sahaba. The Prophet ﷺ honored Bilal in many ways and trusted him with one of the most special responsibilities in the community.
Bilal would become the first official mu’adhdhin of Islam, the one who called the believers to prayer. The same voice that once cried “Ahad, Ahad” under torture now rose above the rooftops of Madinah calling:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
“Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.”
The Prophet ﷺ said about the adhan and the mu’adhdhin:
«الْمُؤَذِّنُونَ أَطْوَلُ النَّاسِ أَعْنَاقًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ»
“The mu’adhdhins will have the longest necks on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Scholars explained that this means they will be distinguished, honored, and raised in rank. Among the foremost of them is Bilal.
The Dream of the Prophet ﷺ About Bilal
Bilal’s early suffering was not forgotten in the sight of Allah. There is a famous hadith that shows how high his status became. The Prophet ﷺ said:
«دَخَلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَسَمِعْتُ خَشْفَ نَعْلَيْكَ أَمَامِي، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِبِلَالٍ: بِمَ سَبَقْتَنِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ؟»
“I entered Paradise and I heard the sound of your footsteps ahead of me.”
The Prophet ﷺ then said to Bilal, “What is it that you have done that you preceded me into Paradise?”
(Part of a hadith in Sahih al‑Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
In some narrations, Bilal replied that he would make wudu frequently and pray extra prayers after it. Whatever the exact details, the point is clear. The man who was once dragged on the burning sands of Makkah is now heard walking before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Jannah.
Allah raises whom He wills. Social status in this world does not decide a person’s worth with Allah. Faith, sincerity, and patience under trials are the true measures of honor.
Returning to Makkah Victorious
Years after his torture in Makkah, Bilal returned to the city not as a slave, but as part of the victorious Muslim army when the Prophet ﷺ conquered Makkah. The idols around the Ka‘bah were being destroyed. The city that once oppressed him was now entering Islam.
On that great day, the Prophet ﷺ ordered Bilal to climb to the roof of the Ka‘bah and give the adhan. The same Quraysh who once humiliated him now heard his voice fill the air over their most sacred place.
The books of Seerah mention that some of the former enemies of Islam felt discomfort at seeing a former slave, an Abyssinian, standing above the Ka‘bah. Yet this was part of the wisdom of Allah and the message of Islam. True honor belongs to taqwa, not to skin color, tribe, or social class.
Allah says:
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ
“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the one who has the most taqwa.”
(Surah al‑Hujurat 49:13)
Bilal’s adhan from the Ka‘bah announced not only the prayer, but also the new order of justice and equality that Islam brought.
Lessons From Bilal’s Story in the Context of Persecution
The story of Bilal ibn Rabah is not just a moving tale. It explains, in a personal way, what “persecution of the Muslims” meant in the early Makkan period.
He had no worldly protector, yet he remained firm. His torturers had full power over his body, but no power over his heart. Outwardly he was alone on the burning sand, but inwardly he was with Allah. His repeated word “Ahad, Ahad” became a symbol of all the early Muslims who chose faith over fear.
In this period of Seerah, when we read of persecution, boycotts, and torture, Bilal’s story helps us see the faces behind those trials. It shows that from the very beginning, Islam embraced the weak, the poor, and the oppressed, and raised them to positions of dignity.
Bilal’s journey, from a tortured slave in Makkah to the mu’adhdhin of the Prophet ﷺ and a man of Paradise, is one of the clearest signs that the message of Islam came to break chains, not just of iron, but also of pride, racism, and injustice.