Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and his virtue

Zirr (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The first to make their Islam known were seven people: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), his mother Sayyidah Sumayyah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Suhayb, Sayyiduna Bilal and Sayyiduna al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him). As for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah protected him through his uncle Abu Talib. And as for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Allah protected him through his people. As for all the rest, the Quraysh seized them, clothed them in coats of iron armour and left them in the scorching heat of the sun. There was not one of them but that he gave in to what they wanted, except Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). For he made his own self worthless for the sake of Allah, and he became worthless in the eyes of his people too. So they seized him and handed him over to the boys, and the boys would parade him around the streets of Makkah while he kept calling out: "Ahad, Ahad," that Allah is One.

Mansur (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The first to make Islam known were seven people: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Khabbab (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyidah Sumayyah (may Allah be pleased with her), the mother of Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him). As for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), his uncle protected him, and as for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), his people protected him. All the others were seized, and then the disbelievers clothed them in coats of iron armour and left them in the scorching heat of the sun, until every one of them had to endure the utmost hardship, so they gave them everything they asked for. Then the people of each one of those men would bring water in large leather sheets, throw them into it, and then lift them up by the sides. The exception was Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): the disbelievers put a rope around his neck and then ordered the boys to drag him between the two mountains of Makkah. Even in that state he (may Allah be pleased with him) kept saying: "Ahad, Ahad," Allah is One.

Sayyiduna Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I heard the sound of footsteps ahead of me, so I asked: 'Who is this?' The angels said: 'It is Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him).'" Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) informed Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) of this and asked: "By what deed did you get ahead of me to Paradise?" He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I have never incurred ritual impurity without then performing ablution, and I have never performed ablution without considering that I owe Allah two units of prayer, and I prayed them." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is because of this."

Qays (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) bought Sayyiduna Bilal for five uqiyah of silver and then freed him. At this Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "O Abu Bakr, if you freed me in order to make me your servant, then make me your servant if you wish; but if you freed me for the sake of Allah, then leave me free so that I may work for the sake of Allah." The narrator said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wept on hearing this, and then said: "Rather, I freed you for the sake of Allah."

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) is our master, and he freed our master, meaning Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him).

Hisham (may Allah have mercy on him) said that his father Urwah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was the treasurer of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and the muezzin of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) has outstripped the people of Abyssinia."