Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah being whipped after he declared his Islamic Faith.

When Bilal's slave master, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, found out, he began to torture Bilal.[6] At the instigation of Abu Jahl, Umayyah bound Bilal and had him dragged around Mecca[9] as children mocked him.[9] Bilal refused to renounce Islam, instead repeating "Ahad Vahed" (God is absolute/one).[9] Incensed at Bilal's refusal, Umayyah ordered that Bilal be whipped and beaten while spread-eagled upon the Arabian sands under the desert sun, his limbs bound to stakes. When Bilal still refused to recant, Umayyah ordered that a hot boulder be placed on Bilal's chest.[6] However, Bilal remained firm in belief and continued to say "Ahad Vahed".[6] News of this slave reached some of Muhammad's companions, who informed the prophet. Muhammad sent Abu Bakr to negotiate for the emancipation of Bilal, who manumitted him after either purchasing him or exchanging him for a non-Muslim slave.[6][10][11][12]

Bilal rose to prominence in the Islamic community of Medina, as Muhammad appointed him minister of the Bayt al-Mal (treasury).[13][13] In this capacity, Bilal distributed funds to widows, orphans, wayfarers, and others who could not support themselves.[13][14]

Sunnis believed that Muhammad specifically chose Bilal to become the Mu'azzin (caller to prayer) of Islam.[14] It was believed that he chose him due to his beautifully unique voice. He personally taught Bilal how to call the Muslims to prayer.[14] However, other Sunni traditions suggest that a companion suggested to Muhammad that they should blow a trumpet or ring a bell in order to alert the Muslims before the time of each prayer.[14] According to the Sunni traditions Muhammad did not accept this suggestion because he did not want to adopt the Jewish or Christian customs.[14] One day, Abdullah ibn Ziyad, a citizen of Yathrib (Medina), came to see Muhammad.[14] Abdullah ibn Ziyad explained to him that while he was half-awake or half-asleep, a man appeared before him in his dream and told him that the human voice ought to be used to call the Muslims to prayer.[14] In addition, the man also taught Abdullah the Adhan along with the manner of saying it.[14] The Sunni historians state that Muhammad was pleased with the idea and adopted it.[14] After adopting the Adhan, Muhammad called Bilal and taught the Adhan to him.[14]

Shias, on the other hand, do not accept Abdullah ibn Ziyad's story.[14] They state that the Adhan was revealed to Muhammad just as the Qur'an al-Majid was revealed to him.[14] Shias believe that the Adhan could not be left to the dreams or reveries.[14] Furthermore, Sayed Ali Asgher Razwy states, "If the Prophet could teach the Muslims how to perform prostrations, and how, when, and what to say in each prayer, he could also teach them how and when to alert others before the time for each prayer." According to the Shia traditions, the angel who taught Muhammad how to perform ablutions preparatory to prayers and how to perform prayers also taught him the Adhan.[14]

In the Sīrat Abī Bakr Al-Ṣiddīq that compiled many narrations and compiled historical circumstances regarding the rule of Caliph Abu Bakr, Bilal accompanied the Muslim armies, under the commands of Said ibn Aamir al-Jumahi, to Syria.[21]

After Muhammad died in 632 AD, Bilal was one of the people who did not give bay'ah (the oath of allegiance) to Abu Bakr.[2][22][23][24] It is documented that when Bilal did not give bay'ah to Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab grabbed Bilal by his clothes and asked, "Is this the reward of Abu Bakr; he emancipated you and you are now refusing to pay allegiance to him?[2] Bilal replied, "If Abu Bakr had emancipated me for the pleasure of Allah, then let him leave me alone for Allah; and if he had emancipated me for his service, then I am ready to render him the services required. But I am not going to pay allegiance to a person whom the Messenger of God had not appointed as his caliph."[2] Similarly, al-Isti'ab, a Sunni source, states that Bilal told Abu Bakr: "If you have emancipated me for yourself, then make me a captive again; but if you had emancipated me for Allah, then let me go in the way of Allah." This was said when Bilal wanted to go for Jihad. Abu Bakr then let him go."[2][25] The following is a poem by Bilal on his refusal to give Abu Bakr bay'ah:

By Allah! I did not turn towards Abu Bakr,

If Allah had not protected me,

hyena would have stood on my limbs.

Allah has bestowed on me good

and honoured me,

Surely there is vast good with Allah.

You will not find me following an innovator,

Because I am not an innovator, as they are.[2]

Being exiled from Medina by Umar and Abu Bakr, Bilal migrated to Syria.[2]

Abu Ja'far al-Tusi, a Shia scholar, has also stated in lkhtiyar al-Rijal that Bilal refused to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr.[2]

Purnam Allahabadi, a Sufi poet whose works originated from the Mughal Empire, composed a Qawwali in which he mentioned how time had stopped when some companions blocked Bilal from delivering the Adhan (which he had seen in his dream), and appealed that it was incorrect.[26] Because the companion Bilal was of an Abyssinian origin, he could not pronounce the letter "Sh" (Arabic: Shin ش ). A hadith of Muhammad reports that he said, "The 'seen' of Bilal is 'sheen' in the hearing of Allah," meaning God does not look at the external but appreciates the purity of heart.[27]