The Great Sahabi
Bilal al-Habashi

Introduction

BILAL is a familiar figure in the brilliant history of Islam. He was the loyal proclaimer of Monotheism and the spokesman of the Holy Prophet. He was also an outstanding and revolutionary figure in the Islamic Revolution and his personality assumed great importance in the School of Islam. In fact he was a protege of the Holy Prophet and one of his most devoted companions. Besides all this he was one of the most unknown and deprived persons in the barbaric society which was governed by the harsh aristocratic system and despotic regime of the Age of Ignorance (before the advent of Islam) i.e. he was a slave and that too from Ethiopia which did not even enjoy geographical credit in the eyes of the Arabs.

He was a person subdued by the class system; a captive in the hands of the most harsh tribe of Bani Jumuh and under the scourge of one of the dirtiest polytheistic elements of the Age of Ignorance - Umayyah son of Khalaf. However, what is greater and more important than all these trials and tribulations of Bilal's life, and what manifests his personality and presents him as a paragon of virtue during the course of history and for all times to come, and lends him greatness, is his deep, revolutionary, and unflinching faith in Monotheism and it is unparalleled in the history of religions and the destiny of the great heroes of humanity, because it is a psychological miracle that a person who is an illiterate slave of about twenty years old and has been brought up in the most deplorable system of values and has become habituated to it, should completely reform himself in the shortest possible time and display an exact effect of this reformation in spite of the severest spiritual and corporal torture and say: Ali ad - proclamation of Monotheism.

Although Umayyah son of Khalaf stared at the black and afflicted face of Bilal with red and murderous eyes and increased the pressure of black and hot stones of the burning desert of the Peninsula on his chest and asked him to say: "I worship Lat and Uzza" (names of idols), but Bilal continued to say: Ahad, Ahad, Ahad till the last moment. What sort of change was this in such a man?

This book, which explains the character of Bilal and the role played by him in the advancement of the Monotheistic Movement of Islam with necessary research. Now that we are living in the period of Islamic revolution, we have decided to show to the present generation of the Islamic revolution and other generations of ours, those magnanimous and eternal faces of the followers of Islam in its early days. In the end we pray to Almighty Allah to keep the Muslim Ummah on His Right Path of Islam to obtain peace; progress and prosperity in both the worlds.

In one of the hilly areas adjoining Mecca there lived a tribe named Bani Jumuh. All the members of this tribe were idolaters and were engaged, like other tribes, in animal husbandry and farming. Certain rules and customs were also prevalent among them. Killing, plundering and stealing could be observed in these people. This wealthy and powerful tribe had been able to capture some persons to utilise their services as slaves and slave-girls.

In short, this tribe possessed very few moral virtues and no signs of goodness and decent behaviour could be observed in their life. Among the slaves of this tribe there was one named Rebah who excelled all others in the matter of morals; behaviour and integrity. This slave was entrusted the supervision of the property of the tribe and was liked by all.

When the 'Army of the Elephant' came to Mecca to demolish the Holy Ka'bah, Hamamah, the niece (sister's daughter) of Abraha, the Chief of the army, went to a nearby mountain for recreation and hunting. Soon some men, belonging to the tribe of Khath'am, reciding in the vicinity of Makka, like other savage and cruel tribes, attacked the soldiers of Abraha.

In accordance with the ways and customs of the Arabs this lady was attacked and eventually the golden royal camel-litter of this lady fell into their hands. As friendship existed between the tribes of Bani Khath'am and Bani Jumuh they (Bani Khath'am) kept the golden litter and jewels etc. with themselves and gave this lady to Bani Jumiffi as a present. In the circumstances one mom person was added to the slave-girls of this tribe.

Hamamah lived with this tribe for some time. She hoped that some developments would take place enabling her to join the army of Abraha. However, as time passed, she realised that she would not be able to get rid of this tribe and must stay on with them.

During the time of her stay with this tribe she was extremely impressed by the morals and good conduct of Rebali who was considered to be her guardian to some extent. On account of their compatibility with each other the Chief of the tribe gave her hand in marriage to Rebah.

These two captives began their new life and spent many years with each other with love and sincerity. During this period they were blessed with two sons and one daughter. The names of the sons were Bilal and Khalid and the name of the daughter was Ghufrah. Like them their children were also treated to be the slaves and slave-girl of this tribe.

After a few years Kilalaf, the chief of the tribe, passed away. He left behind some sons, the eldest of whom was Umayyah. He was a tall young man. He appeared to be very arrogant and harsh. All the members of the tribe were afraid of him and mostly looked at him with respect.After some time Rebah also died and Bilal and his mother, brother and sister continued to live with the tribe. Bilal was tall-statured with wheat coloured face which was more inclined to black. He held the title of "native-born" of this tribe and the members of the tribe, especially Umayyah were very kind to him.

The entire tribe liked him, so much so that they gave him the office of his father and entrusted him the supervision of their property as well as that of their idol-temple. Umayyah used to visit the city like his father along with the slaves. He developed special liking for this black slave who could not be compared with others.

In spite of all the hardships, which one feels ashamed to narrate, and which Bilal had to face one after the other, he remained solid and firm like a mountain and knew that success would follow patience. Amid all the tortures the free man of Africa elevated his soul by murmuring sweet referrals and prayers. And not only that these difficulties and torments did not weaken his faith but they increased his steadfastness and devotion. Although his body was wounded and his stomach was hungry and he cried on account of weariness his soul was strong and enlightened.

Of course, Bilal, the standard-bearer of freedom remained patient so that the zealous Muslims might know to what extent they should remain firm in the path of their faith and should not vacate the field, on account of a promise or a threat, and should not be intimidated by the drunken brawls, which came out of the throats of the harsh and unjust persons. They should not forsake their faith to please others and should stand before such persons like solid mountains and should know that the victory is theirs.

The steadfastness and self-sacrifice of Bilal put his master out of patience. He showed signs of extreme uneasiness so that his face underwent a change and he thundered: "How obstinate this man is? What should I do? I have tortured him as much as I could. He is not prepared to abandon his wrong thinking and faith. I, however, swear by Lat and Uzza that he must die in this condition. I snail do such thing that he will be buried under dust with all his ideals."

Bilal was a quiet and patient witness to all these words. Re received encouragement from other friends and said with a soul filled with love for the school of Islam and the Holy Prophet: "The only thing which you can do is that you may kill me. However, I am not afraid of being killed. On the other hand I will feel proud that I should be killed in the path of the Prophet of Allah and for the deliverance of the masses from cruelty and oppression. It is better to die with honour than to live in abjectness. Only those persons who are egotistic and do not believe in the Day of Judgement fear death. For me, however, it is nothing else but honour and perfection!"

Umayyah reflected every day and said to himself: "What else should I do? I have put all my plans into practice. I have subjected him to the severest torture". Of course, he imprisoned Bilal. He entrusted him heavy and tiresome tasks! He cudgelled him! He kept him hungry However, none of these things had any effect on Bilal except that they made him more firm and gave him the strength to cry out and to say things which must be said and to disgrace certain faces.

At last Umayyah decided to put his last Satanic plan into practice so that either Bilal should die or abandon his faith His plan was very harsh and fatal. No one possessed enough strength and perseverance to withstand his determination. This plan was equivalent to Bilal's death. The weather was hot and the sun was shining on the region of the Hijaz. The sand of the desert had assumed the shape of scorching Hell.

Umayyah caught the hand of the dejected and afflicted Bilal and walked to the desert till he reached the hot and burning sandy region. There he stripped the weak and lean Bilal and made him lie on hot stones which were red-hot like iron and also placed heavy stones on his chest. His skin was burning and he was finding it difficult to breathe. A moment later he felt the blows of the whip of his master. The greatest honour of all those persons who were with Umayyah was that every one of them whipped the weak Bilal and smiled victoriously. Unfortunately, however, they were deaf as well as blind because the cries and the persecution of Bilal were the cries of hundreds of thousands of innocent persons who were being persecuted unjustly and the cries of the masses whose ideals, aspirations and desires were the victory of the school of Islam and the elimination of polytheism, despotism, hypocrisy, imperialism and exploitation.

At times Bilal became unconscious owing to severe torture and when he regained his consciousness he had to face the angry yelling of his master who wanted him to disown Muhammad and his Lord. However, Umayyah said incredibly that Bilal said slowly with closed eyes and trembling voice: Ahad, Ahad, Uttering the words Ahad, Ahad the sincere companion of the Holy Prophet and faithful and loving slave of Allah threw the entire frame of the enemy into fire and he could not permit himself to believe that it was the same former Bilal. He could not tolerate that such a slave should have attained so great and high a position that he might be prepared to sacrifice his life for the sake of his monotheistic faith. However, Umayyah said with a dirty and unkind heart: "You must either die or disown Muhammad's Lord." But the resistant and undaunted Bilal who had been filled with passion for the Holy Prophet was not negligent even for a moment and repeated the eloquent and permanently effective word Ahad, Ahad (The slogan of monotheism, it means Allah is only One).

Umayyah got tired. At times he returned to the city alone and left Bilal to himself and at times he brought him to the city with himself. Days passed on and Bilal continued to be tormented and tortured. History does not record such steadfastness. And the historians, have not been able to record an identically perseverance and strength as was shown by Bilal and have not believed for a moment that the idols can be defeated and deliverance obtained as a present.

No. No. for I say that not only the historians but the people who were living with Bilal and had close contact with him and had heard about his severe torture and were eye witnesses of his persecution were wonder-struck and could not believe the steadfastness devotion and strength as was shown by Bilal.