In Muslim tradition, Bilal ibn Rabah (died c.640) was an Ethiopian born in Mecca, whom Muhammad chose as his muezzin, and was the first black convert to Islam. He was known for his beautiful voice with which he called people to their prayers.
He was a slave owned by Umayya . When he heard Muhammad preach, he decided to convert to Islam. When Umayya learned of his slave's conversion, he tortured Bilal in order to force his apostacy. Umayya commanded that Bilal be laid in the scorching sand in the desert, during the hottest hours of the day, with heavy rocks placed on his chest to prevent him from moving. Abu Bakr, upon witnessing this torture, bought Bilal from Umayya, and permitted Bilal to practice Islam freely. Muhammad later freed him completely and appointed him as muezzin.
Bilal also carried Muhammad 's spear, which was used from 624 onward to point the direction of prayer.
Bilal is also the name of a neo soul musician who took his stage name from the original Bilal.
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