Chapter 11: The Story of Bilal
Quote of the Day: "Don't look down on someone because, sometimes people with the worst pasts create the best future." ~ Umar (RA)
The story of Bilal is incredible when reflected upon. He was on the downside of advantage his whole life and different from Quraysh in every way. He had EVERY reason to have no self esteem.
He was the slave... but not all slaves are the same... he was the slave that was reviled. He wasn't the noble, beautiful slave that Yusuf (AS) was in the house of Al-Aziz, who struck awe in all who saw him. Black was not beautiful to Quraysh. His color made him stand out among the people.
He was a foreigner. He was Abyssinian in Arabia. We think we have minority and acceptance issues. How many people do you think in Mecca looked like him or shared his story? ***
He was reminded again and again that he was worthless. A master that continuously threatened to kill him and demonstrating the fulfillment of those threats in the most creative of ways. And if he were to be killed on anyone of those days? No police report, no human rights investigation, no protests, simply a dead slave laying between the mountains of Mecca.
With those thoughts, I tasted the sweetness of not just the emancipation of Bilal at the hands of Abu Bakr, but the absolute beauty of the response of Abu Bakr when Umayyah ibn Khalaf after having sold Bilal to him for 10 Uqiyah of gold said , "Abu Bakr, if you had refused to purchase him except for 1 Uqiyah I would have sold him to you!"
Abu Bakr said, "If you refused to sell him except for 100 Uqiyah, I would have purchased him."
May Allah be pleased with our master Abu Bakr, who freed our master Bilal, and allowed him to hear such beautiful words of assurance of his value. He was valueless as a slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, but he was invaluable as a slave of Allah, and the entire Ummah bears witness to that.
Who would've known that Bilal, a slave considered nothing greater than dirt, would be the first man to recite the adhan? Allah (SWT) knew.
Ramadan Challenge #8: The story of Bilal is simply put, amazing. I decided to put in Bilal's story, because it truly is inspiring. Now the challenge, that I'm giving you all, is to contribute the story of another inspiration figure is Islam, and there are a lot out there so get going. :)
p.s.
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