Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Muhammad Umar Memon, Ibn Taymi-

yya’s Struggle against Popular Religion (The Hague: 

Mouton, 1976); Yusuf al-Qaradawi, The Lawful and 

the Prohibited in Islam (Al Halal Wal Haram Fil Islam), 

trans. Kamal El-Helbawy et al. (Indianapolis: American 

Trust Publications, [1980]); Vardit Rispler, “Toward a 

New Understanding of the Term bidaa.”  Der Islam 68 

(1991): 320–328.

Bilal

 

(d. ca. 641)  African slave and early convert 

to Islam who was freed and chosen to be the first 

person to call people to prayer

Bilal ibn Rabah was a man of Ethiopian ancestry 

born in m

ecca

 as a slave to one of the powerful 

branches of the q

Uraysh

 tribe, the Banu Jahm. 

According to Muslim sources, he was one of the 

early converts to i

slam

, but his owner would tor-

ture him to try to force him to give up his new 

religion and return to the worship of m

ecca

’s old 

goddess

es, Al-Lat and Uzza. He refused and would 

utter the words, “One, one!” in reference to the 

one God, a

llah

, while under torture. a

bU

  b

akr

, 

m

Uhammad

’s close associate, was moved by Bilal’s 

steadfast courage and purchased his freedom by 

exchanging one of his own slaves for him. Bilal 

later joined other Mecca Muslims in the 

hoJri

 to 

m

edina

 in 622. Muhammad appointed him to 

be the community’s first 

mUezzin

, the man who 

makes the call to 

prayer

, because of his melodious 

and powerful voice. He also served as Muham-

mad’s personal attendant. In his last years, Bilal 

participated in the conquest of s

yria

, where he 

spent the rest of his life.

Today there is a shrine for Bilal in the cemetery 

of  d

amascUs

, and his memory is kept alive for