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Life came to a standstill in Makkah, and thousands of Muslims stood like motionless air, repeating
in submissiveness and whispering the words of the Adhaan after Bilaal while the polytheists were in their
homes hardly believing what was happening.
Is this Muhammad (PBUH) and his poor followers who were expelled yesterday from their homes?
Is this really he, with 10,000 of his believers? Is this really he whom we chased away, fought and killed
his most beloved kin and relations? Is this really he who was speaking to us a few minutes ago while our
necks were at his mercy, saying, "Go, you are free!"?
But three nobles of the Quraish were sitting in the open space in front of the Kabah, as if they were
touched by the scene of Bilaal treading their idols with his feet and sending above its heaped wreckage
his voice with the Adhaan, spreading to all the horizons of Makah, like a passing spring. These three
were Abu Sufyaan lbn Harb, who had embraced Islam only hours ago, and `Attaab Ibn Usaid and Al-
haarith Ibn Hishaam, who had not yet embraced Islam.
`Attaab, with his eyes on Bilaal crying out the Adhaan, said, "Allah has honored Usaid in that he did
not hear this, or else he would have heard what would infuriate him." Al-haarith said, "By Allah, if I
were sure that Muhammad (PBUH) is telling the truth, I would follow him." Abu Sufyaan, the old fox,
commented on their speech saying, "I am not saying a word, for if I do, these pebbles will inform about
me."
When the Prophet left the Ka'bah he saw them, read their faces instantly, and said with his eyes
shining with the light of Allah and the joy of victory, "I know what you've said," and he told them what
they had said.
Al-Haarith and Attaab shouted, `We bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah. By Allah, no
one heard us, so we can't say somebody informed you!"
And they welcomed Bilaal with new hearts, which enclosed the echo of the words which they had
heard in the Messenger's speech just after he entered Makkah. "O people of the Quraish, Allah has
removed from you the arrogance of pre-Islamic paganism, and its boasting about forefathers. People are
descended from Adam, and Adam was from dust."
Bilaal lived with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), witnessing all the battles with him, calling to
Prayer and observing the rites of this great religion that took him out of darkness to light and from
servitude to freedom. The stature of Islam along with the stature of Muslims was elevated. Every day
Bilaal was getting closer to the heart of the Messenger of Allah, who used to describe him as "one of the
inhabitants of Paradise."
But Bilaal remained just as he was, noble and humble, always considering himself "the Abyssinian
who only yesterday was a slave." One day he was proposing to two girls for himself and his brother, so
be said to their father, " I am Bilaal and this is my brother, two slaves from Abyssinia. We were astray
and Allah guided us. We were two slaves and Allah emancipated us. If you agree on us marrying your
daughters, all praise is to Allah; if you refuse, then Allah is the Greatest."
The Messenger passed away to Allah, well pleased and well pleasing, and Abu Bakr As-siddiiq took
the command of the Muslims after him. Bilaal went to the caliph (successor) of the Messenger of Allah
and said to him, "O Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say, "The
best deed of a believer is jihaad in the cause of Allah."
Abu Bakr said to him, "So what do you want, Bilaal?" He said,"I want to defend in the cause of
Allah until I die." Abu Bakr said, "And who will call the Adhaan for us?" Bilaal said, with his eyes
overflowing with tears, "I will not call the Adhaan for anyone after the Messenger of Allah." Abu Bakr
said, "Stay and call to Prayer for us, Bilaal." Bilaal said, "If you emancipated me to be for you, I will do
what you want, but if you emancipated me for Allah, leave me to Whom I was emancipated for." Abu
Bakr said, "I emancipated you for Allah, Bilaal."