CHILDREN’S CORNER
Name of the Book: Goodnight Stories from the Lives of the Sahaba
Authors: Mohd. Harun Rashid, Ishrat J. Rumi
Editor: Dr Saniyasnain Khan
ISBN: 978-81-7898-860-1
Page: 136
Binding: Hardbound
Availability: www.goodwordbooks.com
Goodnight Stories from the Lives of Sahabah is the answer to every child’s longing to hear a good bedtime story. It contains a careful selection of eighteen magnificent tales from the lives of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad retold in age-appropriate language. A simple text and fabulous colour illustrations, which bring the narratives vividly to life, make the message of the Prophet and his Companions more meaningful for children. The book offers a special dimension to these wonderful goodnight stories and acts as a foundation on which to build a growing knowledge of Islam. Here is a beautiful story from the book:
THE FIRST MU’AZZIN OF ISLAM
We hear beautiful adhan from the mosque five times a day. But do we ever think about the person who gave the first adhan and called people to prayer for the first time?
His name was Bilal al-Habashi and he was a great Companion of the Prophet. Bilal was born in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). That is why he is known as Bilal al-Habashi, for the old name of Abyssinia was Habash.
At a young age Bilal came to Makkah as a slave of a Makkan woman. When the Prophet Muhammad began calling people to worship the One God, Bilal heard him and accepted Islam. But after he became a Muslim, the deniers of truth started to mistreat him. He was harassed at every opportunity and was often beaten by the people. Sometimes one person would get tired of hitting him and then another would take his place. Sometimes it was Abu Jahl’s turn and sometimes it was Umayyah bin Khalaf’s. Then others would take a turn. Each one of them would beat him mercilessly until he got tired, and no mercy was ever shown to him.
If it was daytime and the sun was hot, they would force Bilal to lie on the scorching sand of the desert with a huge rock holding him down. His body would soon be covered with bruises and festering wounds. Prodding him with their feet they would then ask:
“So, tell us now, Bilal, will you give up the religion of Muhammad?”
In reply, Bilal would only weakly cry: “Ahad, Ahad... The One, the One... Allah.”
And it was night when they waylaid him, they would tie him up with chains and lash him with sticks. The deniers of truth showed such cruelty in torturing Bilal that it easily surpassed the ruthlessness of many ignorant Arabs.
One day Abu Bakr was passing by while Bilal was being tortured in this way. Abu Bakr was greatly outraged to see Bilal’s plight and the cruelty of his tormentors. He asked his torturers: “Don’t you fear Allah? How long will you torture this poor man?”
“It is you who have spoiled him by teaching him Islam. If your heart bleeds for him, free him yourself!” Retorted Umayyah. Abu Bakr bought Bilal there and then and set him free.
When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, Bilal also migrated like many other of the Prophet’s other Companions.
In Madinah, it soon became a custom for the Muslims to gather and wait for the Prophet to declare that it was the time for prayer. But with their numbers increasing day by day, it was becoming more and more difficult for them to keep track of the prayer time as some of them lived far away from the mosque or used to work in the fields on the outskirts. The Prophet therefore asked the Muslims to devise a way to summon them for prayers five times a day. Everybody tried to think of something.
Some suggested lighting up a big fire on top of the mountain. Others thought it would be a good idea to ring a bell, while yet others suggested blowing a horn. The Prophet did not like any of these suggestions.
One morning the Prophet was sitting in the mosque with some of his Companions. A Companion called Abdullah ibn Zayd walked into the mosque, greeted the Prophet, and announced: “Last night I had a dream, a beautiful dream. In all my life I have never seen a dream more beautiful than this.”
“Tell us about your dream, Abdullah!” said the Companions. “In my dream I saw a man in green garments, carrying a bell. I asked him: Would you sell me your bell?’ ‘What do you need a bell for? He asked. We need it to call the people for prayers,’ I replied. ‘You don’t need a bell. Let me teach you something better than ringing a bell’ Then he taught me the words of the adhan: Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar. The Prophet and his Companions were delighted with Abdullah’s dream.
Immediately, the Prophet called Bilal, because he had a beautiful voice, and taught him the words of the adhan. Thus, Bilal became the first Mu'azzin of Islam.
Since that day Muslims all over the world use the adhan to call people to prayer.
Bilal acted as the Mu’azzin of the Prophet, even when the Prophet was travelling. Whenever people would hear Bilal’s voice calling out the adhan, they instantly knew that the Prophet was nearby.
"The tree teaches us the
lesson that if we seek to
progress outwardly, we
must first strengthen
ourselves inwardly”
