3/6/09 THE BLACK AND BEAUTIFUL BILAL.....

When the Bilal calls the muazzan, the fine every Malaysian Muslim practice is to sit and or stand still as a sign of great respect. The call of muazzan, is a call for victory and greater submission to One.

Interestingly, such a prerequisite of the Muslim pray, in the early Muhammad days, is the responsibility of Bilal bin Rabah a black slave of Umaya who was bought over by Abu Bakar. He was a slave. A black slave. Why on earth he was chosen, to be the Muazzen? There must be lots better one. Historically, not much had been studied about Bilal. There seems simple description about him, tall black slave with nice loud voice. That sound perfect to call for the pray. Nice loud voice! My question is, is that the only reason why he was chosen as Muazzen?

(2) Going through his small life journey, Bilal was taken as slave when he was just a kid. In his long slavery life, he sees lots of suffering and all sort of nonsense. In fact the night when he was suppose to be taken as slave, the parent wanted to kill him rather surrendering him to those inhumane lords of the Quraish tribe, Umaya and Abu Sofyan. Slave is a man with nothing but strictly to obey whatever the master wants. He has no dignity, he has no value, his soul belong to the master, and could be taken at any time the master want. Torture, hard works, ill treatments are the slave ways of life. Making thing worst, all those, in those days, happening surrounding the Mecca, the Kaabah built by Abraham, a place among the hottest and driest on earth. All these harsh environments, are the best reason for the brewing temperament of the lords at any moment, and the salves would get the heat and the whips. Those are the days. The slaves being beaten, dragged, tortured under the killing hot sun of Mecca, can’t imagine that.

(3) As time goes by, Muhammad began to emerge among these cruelties. He began to walk the different direction. With Abu Sofyan being so proud of his 360 gods, Muhammad praised only One God. Bilal was among the first few followers of Muhammad, and when he was caught to change his faith, he was beaten to almost death. He was stoned. He was kicked. Tortured to die slowly in the most severe pains. But, the One God kind hand, through, Abu Bakar, a soft hearted passer by, bought him for 200 dinars and save his life and take him to freedom forever. He took six days to gain his consciousness from the torture of Abu Sofyan and Umaya.

(4) Bilal, in his own believe, was the ninth to be a Muslim, though some said he was the third. In fact, he was the first to suffer the persecution for Islam. Bilal was sort of Muhammad personal assistant for 22 years. He was always with Muhammad wherever he goes till the last breath of the prophet.

(5) In Muhammad struggle to spread Islam, he was met with all sort of resistances and challenges, not from others, but his own tribe, Bani Hashim, his own uncle Abu Lahab especially after the death of Abu Talib. He then chosen Madina as his home, and built his first Masjid there. Ali, Muhammad’s adopted son, was the person who requested for a structure high up, the minaret, to be built as a place to call the followers to the Masjid. Then come to the question, how should the calls be made; by using the flag, the bell (like the Christian), drum (but there are too much blood in the drum), a horn (like the Jews), a trumpet? Then came Abdullah bin Zaid, saying that he dreamt…. A human voice calling for the prayer….a real, an ordinary human voice. And thus, Muhammad chose Bilal to call for the prayers. That the beginning of Bilal professionalism as the Muazzen.

(6) Bilal, the slave, the top ten among the early loyal followers of Islam, was chosen as muazzen, I believe, because he was a slave, and then a freeman. He was freed because he believes in the freedom of mankind. He believes, Islam is the religion of freedom, freeing everybody to the equal standing and right in the eyes of One God. A man is not a slave of another man. I believe, that the reason, apart from his good voice is the hidden agenda that we must see. He was a freeman, then a slave, then a freeman, and tasked to call all human to freedom and submission to only One, the greatest. Bilal, to me is a symbol of success and honor with struggle and hardship. He deserve to be called a man of the heaven, he makes the heaven smile. There, the heaven, would be fill with men of freedom, men who struggle for the good deed, men who are willing to sacrifice their souls, with nothing to fear and favour, in all our deeds, except to Him and trusting Him for the ends. Let take our struggle of good deeds that way. Let honor Bilal with such believe. May his soul be blessed forever.

(7) Who knows, in case we never meet again, whatever our shared dreams, dear friends let keep up and fight for the best, for our people. He is always there with us, who want do the best for His people.

Kuala Lumpur, 6 June, 2009