Bilal ibn Rabah
Bilāl بِلَال | |
|---|---|
| Title | Sayyid-ul-Mu'azzinun |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ al-Ḥabashī بلال بن رباح الحبشي ባላል በን ሪባህ ሐበሺ c. March 5 580 |
| Died | 2 March 640 (aged 59–60) (3 Dhu al-Hijjah 19 AH) |
| Resting place | Bab al-Saghir Cemetery, Damascus |
| Parent(s) | Rabah (father) Hamamah (mother) |
| Known for | First Mu'azzin appointed by the Prophet Muhammad |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Lineage | Banu Jumah (disputed) |
Bilal ibn Rabah (Arabic: بِلَال بْن رَبَاح, romanized: Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ; c. 5 March 580 - 2 March 640 CE), also known as Bilāl al-Ḥabashī or simply Bilal, was a close companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born in Mecca, he was of Abyssinian (modern-day Ethiopia) descent and was formerly enslaved. He is considered the first muʾazzin (caller to prayer) in Islam, personally chosen by Muhammad for his deep and melodious voice.
He was a former slave and was known for his "deep, melodious, resonant" voice with which he called Muslims to the daily obligatory prayers. According to Islamic tradition, Bilal was one of the earliest converts to Islam and is often regarded as the first African or Black Muslim. He died in 640 CE, around the age of 59.