Who was Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ?
The former slave who carried his faith under the rock of persecution — and became the voice that called the believers to prayer in Makkah itself after the conquest.
10 passages from 7 books in the library
Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ was an early believer who endured persecution and is remembered for his nearness to the Prophet ﷺ. Al-Ghazali, in the Book of Prayer, relates the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said he entered Paradise and saw Bilāl there. In the Remembrance of Death, al-Ghazali records the Prophet ﷺ telling him, "Spend, Bilāl, and fear not poverty," and elsewhere that Bilāl sold goods to settle the Prophet's ﷺ debt — a portrait of trust and devoted service.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 7 books by Imam al-Dhahabī, Imam al-Ghazali, and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
13th–14th century · Damascus, Syria
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ — the monumental biographical dictionary of Islamic scholarship, from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ through al-Dhahabī's own era. A working-scholar reference used for seven centuries.
More on Imam al-Dhahabī →
· Provenance →
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""Bilal ibn Abdullah was from the offspring of the people of Al-Sara. His mother was Hamamah from Banu Jumah." Al-Bukhari mentioned that Bilal was the brother of Khalid and Ghufrah, the caller to prayer for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he died in Al-Sham. He also mentioned the three kunyahs. Ata al-Khurasani recounted a moment with Ibn al-Musayyib, who spoke of Bilal, saying: "Bilal was deeply committed to his faith and endured torture for the sake of Allah."
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""For Allah's sake." Bilal then asked for permission to go for jihad, which Abu Bakr granted. Bilal went to Sham, where he eventually passed away. It is also reported that Bilal did not call the prayer for anyone after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he desired to engage in jihad. Abu Bakr wanted to prevent him, but Bilal said, "If you freed me for Allah's sake, then let me go my way." So, he was in Sham until Umar arrived at al-Jabiya."
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"Abu Bakr then approached al-Abbas, asking him to purchase Bilal. Al-Abbas did so and sent Bilal to Abu Bakr, who subsequently freed him. There is a narration that describes how Bilal's masters would lay him on his stomach, pressing him while insisting, "Your religion is al-Lat and al-Uzza." Yet Bilal would steadfastly declare, "My Lord is Allah, One, One."
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"Jabir reported that Umar stated: "Abu Bakr is our master; he freed Bilal, our master." Salim narrated that a poet praised Bilal ibn Abdullah ibn Umar, saying: "And Bilal, the servant of Allah, is the best of Bilals..." Ibn Umar replied: "You have lied; rather, Bilal, the Messenger of Allah's servant, is the best of Bilals.""
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"I have grown old, and my strength has weakened, and my end is near. So Bilal stayed with him. When Abu Bakr passed, Umar made the same request, but Bilal refused. Umar then asked, "Then who, O Bilal? Bilal replied, "Sa'd, who called to prayer in Quba during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"This was narrated by al-Bazzar in a shorter form without mentioning 'tyrants,' and its chain is sound. Muhammad ibn Wasi' reported visiting Bilal ibn Abi Burda and said to him, "O Bilal, your father narrated to me from his father about the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'There is a valley in Hell called Hahhab, which Allah has made obligatory to reside every tyrant, so beware, O Bilal, lest you be among its inhabitants.'" Another hadith states, "In Hell is a castle where the arrogant will be placed and locked within."
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
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"Secondly, the cloud is not mentioned in any hadith that is more authentic than this one. Thirdly, regarding the statement, and Abu Bakr sent Bilal with him, if he was 12 years old at that time, then Abu Bakr would have been 9 or 10 years old, and Bilal's age would have been even less. Where was Abu Bakr at that time? And where was Bilal? Both of these points are strange, unless it is said that this was when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was older."
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"Oppose the Self and Desires and Disobey Them And it is said that he would say to Bilal the muezzin, may God be pleased with him: "Give us rest with it, O Bilal," meaning: With the commencement of the Iqama, to enter into the prayer and witness the beauty we have mentioned, and thus the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family and companions, said: "The coolness of my eyes is in prayer.""
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"leaning on his hands. Rabah thought the man was barefoot. After the prayer, he asked Umar about the man. Umar replied, Did you see him, O Rabah? Rabah confirmed, and Umar said, I believe you must be a righteous man. That was my brother al-Hidr who gave me good tidings that I will indeed represent justice and fairness. Sheikh Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi commented that al-Ramli is considered doubtful by scholars."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The hadith forbidding Umm Ayman and others from storing anything for the next day was mentioned. The hadith forbidding Bilal from storing and saying, "Spend, Bilal, and fear not poverty from Him who possesses the Throne," was narrated by al-Bazzar from the hadith of Ibn Masud, Abu Huraira, and Bilal, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered and saw a basket of dates and said that."
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