Four Wives Story (Anecdote Illustrating Real Life)

Once upon a time. There was a rich merchant who had four (4) wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!" Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die. Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Anecdote about Three Friends

Four Wives Story: Why a Woman can't marry more than one Husband?

In a delightful report about how Imam Abu Hanifa received his name (his original name was Numan bin Thabit bin Zuta bin Mah), an account of why the wife is forbidden to take more than one husband is recounted. 'Abu Hanifa' is an unusual name because it means 'the father of Hanifah', and Hanifah was his daughter. It was not the custom in those days to do this. Normally, the name would be 'the father of the name of a son.' How this came about is quite edifying. One day Imam Abu Hanifa was asked a question that, for the first time in his illustrious career, he was unable to answer. The question was, "Why were women forbidden to marry more than one husband at a time?" To make a long story short, Abu Hanifa's daughter said that she knew the answer and would solve this question if her father would make a promise to her that if she succeeded in solving this problem, he would then assure her a place in history. Abu Hanifa agreed. So she gathered a group of women together and gave each of them a cup. Then she brought in a large bowl of milk and asked each of them to dip their cups in the milk and to fill their cups. They did so. She then asked them to pour back the milk into the bowl. They did this too. She then asked them to re-fill their cups taking back only their own milk that they had poured into the bowl. This, obviously, was impossible to do. Hanifah had clearly demonstrated the kind of predicament that would be created if a woman had several husbands. With more than one husband, if she were to become pregnant, she would have exceptional difficulties determining who the actual father was? Identifying parentage and lineage would then be insurmountable for the offspring. Imam Abu Hanifa was so pleased with her answer that he took the name 'Abu Hanifa', 'the father of Hanifah', so his daughter did indeed earn a place in history.

Wonderful Stories of Islam: Be careful what you Plant (Anecdote Illustrating Real Life)

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!" One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try." When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!" When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!" If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, you will reap improvements. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles. But If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness. If you plant pride, you will reap destruction. If you plant envy, you will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation. If you plant greed, you will reap loss. If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies. If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, you will reap guilt. So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today. Honesty in Islam

Power of Bismillah, Worth of Bismillah

Bismillah (In the Name of Allah) is the start of all good things, so we shall start with it. This blessed phrase is a mark of Islam, one constantly recited by all creatures through their tongues of disposition. If you want to perceive its inexhaustible source of strength and blessing, consider the following allegory: Travelers in Arabian deserts must travel under a tribal chief's name and protection, or else they will be bothered by bandits and unable to acquire what they need for the journey. Two people, one humble and the other arrogant, set out on a journey. The humble one obtained the name of a tribal chief; the arrogant one did not. The former traveled everywhere in safety. Whenever he met a bandit, he said: "I'm traveling in the name of this chief," and so was left alone. He was treated with respect in every tent he entered. In contrast, the arrogant one suffered disaster and constant fear, for he had to struggle and beg for every need. He became base and vile. O arrogant soul! You are that traveler, and this world is the desert. Your weakness and poverty are endless, and the enemies and privations to which you are exposed are beyond number. Given this, invoke the name of the Eternal Owner and the Everlasting Ruler of this world, for only this can deliver you from such begging and fear. Bismillah (In the Name of Allah) is a blessed treasure. It transforms your boundless weakness and poverty, by binding you to the Omnipotent and Merciful One's infinite Power and Mercy, into the most heeded intercessor at His Exalted Court. When you say Bismillah, you act in His name. You are like a soldier acting in the state's name, fearing no one, doing all things in the name of the law and the state, and persisting against all odds.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful)

What is the purpose of commanding human beings to begin every act in the name of Allah? The operative word here is name. When we wear name brands for instance we do that for a purpose - to be able to gain standing in a society where these names are recognized. A baby, for instance is named after someone whom one is fond of respected, thus reviving the memory of the name. Shaheed Murtaza Mutahhari in his book 'Understanding the Noble Qur'an' writes that the reason why we begin in the name of Allah is. He says "It is for the purpose of giving that act a sacred touch and making it blessed. When a human being who has a natural sentiment from Allah and considers Him a holy essence and a source of all Grace, begins an act in His name, it means that owing to His sanctity, nobility and greatness, the action to become sacred." Let us consider this! Would we say Bismillah... before we abused someone or stretched out our hands to steal? Another question that might come to mind when reciting Bismillah (In the Name of Allah) is what is the difference between Rahman and Rahim. Shaheed Murtaza Mutahhari writes: "The word Rahman denotes excess and therefore.Rahman means that Allah's mercy spreads everywhere and covers everything.The mercy of Allah has no exception. It does not include non-humans, nor does it include non-believers. It comprises the whole world.It is the extension of blessings to all existence while they exist, but many things are perishable. The word Rahim denotes stability.with its sense of stability and eternity it applies only to those who through their faith and good deeds have placed themselves in the path of Allah's particular blessings. So Allah's mercy is both universal and specific."

Shaytan, Shaitan, Satan, Devil: Where will I live, eat, sleep?

When Shaytan, Shaitan was ordered out of heaven by Allah, he asked three questions? Where will I live? Where will I eat? Where will I sleep? Allah told him that he, Shaytan, Shaitan would live with the person who did not say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before he/she entered his/her house. Shaytan, Shaitan would eat with the person who did not say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before he/she started to eat. Shaytan, Shaitan would sleep with the person who did not say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before he/she went to sleep.

Shaytan, Shaitan, Satan, Devil: Vomited (Importance of Bismillah)

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was once eating with a group of young children. Suddenly Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) smiled. The children asked him why he was smiling. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) replied: "Shaytan, Shaitan has just vomited." Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) then explained that there was a child amongst them who had forgotten to say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) and Shaytan, Shaitan had sat to eat with him. The child had just remembered and said: Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful), from the beginning to the end. Shaytan, Shaitan therefore vomited and thus the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) had smiled.

Significance of Bismillah, Importance of Bismillah: Stop from Jahannam

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) has said that on the day of judgement there will be some people who will have to go to Jahannam (Hell) because of their bad deeds. However, from these people, there will be some who had the habit of saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before they did anything or entered anywhere. Thus, when they will be taken to Jahannam (Hell) by the angels, they will be very sad but they will say Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) Allah will tell the angels - "STOP" Allah will tell them that He cannot let someone who says Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) calling Him Rahman and Rahim enter Jahannam (Hell).

Power of Bismillah, Worth of Bismillah: I can walk on water

Syed Murtadha was a great aalim (scholar) who lived many years ago. He had many students who attended his classes. At one of his classes he noticed that one of the students always came late. One day Syed Murtadha asked the student "Why are you always late?" The student replied that he lived across the river and always took the first ferry across but the ferry service did not start any earlier. Syed Murtadha wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it and gave it to the student. "Keep this with you" he said "and you will be able to walk across the river from tomorrow - but do not open the paper." The next day the student got to the river and put his foot tentatively on the water. He could not believe that he could actually walk on the water. For the next few days, he got to the classes on time. One day, he could not hold back his curiosity. He looked inside the folded piece of paper. On it was written Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful). For a moment he thought - "Is this all that helps me walk on water!" He put the paper in his pocket as usual and went to the river to go to his classes. This time he could not walk on the water and had to wait for the ferry. This meant that he was late for his class. When the class was over, Syed Murtadha called him over and said "You looked into the paper when I had told you not to!" With Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) you can move mountains provided you have trust and faith in Allah.

Worth of Bismillah, Significance of Bismillah: Ring in the Stomach of the Fish

There was once a lady who always said Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before she did anything. She knew that Allah would then always be with her. One day, she put her ring in the cupboard and as usual she said Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before she put it away. She knew that it would be safe. Her husband took the ring and threw it in the river. He wanted to prove to her that only saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) would not keep it safe. He thought that in the evening he would ask her where the ring was and it would not be there. Later that morning, the lady went to the market to buy some fish. When she was cleaning the fish at home she found her ring inside the stomach of the fish. She wondered how it got there but then put it back in its place in the cupboard saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful). When her husband came back from work, he asked her where the ring was. She brought it from the cupboard. He was so surprised! He told her what he had done and apologized to her. He also truly believed that Allah is with the person who says Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) before he/she does anything.

Hazrath Bilal Ibn Rabah

Islam's First Muezzin, Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu / May God be pleased with him) or Bilal Ibn Rabah and he is sometimes known as "Bilal al-Habashi" or "Bilal the Ethiopian" originally was a black slave from Ethiopia. Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu) or Bilal Ibn Rabah, was one of the most trusted and loyal companion (Sahabi E Rasool) of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) after converting to Islam. Following is Islam's First Muezzin, Hazrat Bilal's (Radhiallahu Anhu) story of conversion to Islam

Note: Muezzin is a chosen person at the mosque who leads the call (Adhan) to Friday service and the five daily prayers (Salat).

The other day, when he came back from the desert, the signs of tiredness were seen in his face. The black man put his knapsack down and wiped the beads of perspiration from his forehead. The air was filled with dust churned up by the baaing sheep running towards the fold. The black man said to himself, "Now, perhaps I can take a rest for a while."

Since morning he had grazed the sheep under the hot sunshine of the desert, and in the afternoon had decided to rest a few minutes, but he could not. The heat of the desert sand and sun would not permit sleep.

He placed the sheep in the fold, and went to the water well. Just as he was about to wash his face with the cool water, he heard loud shouts, shouts of his Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf ibn Safwan (Umayyah ibn Khalaf was a leading member of the Quraish and head of the of Bani Jumah) and other people talking. Surely, something important has happened which caused Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf to shout that way!

The man's name was Bilal Ibn Rabah. Although he was from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) land, he lived in Makkah. When Bilal Ibn Rabah was sold to Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf, he was only a small boy. Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf always reminded him, "I am your owner, and you are my slave, you must obey me because your god has been made from wood and mine is from gold. This is the god's will." The shouting, cursing voice always made unpleasant noise in his ears.

Bilal Ibn Rabah washed his face, took his knapsack, and started to his room. His room was dark, four walls in the basement of the big, aristocratic house.

Bilal Ibn Rabah had not reached his room yet when he heard the shouts of his Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf raised again.

The shouts continued. Bilal Ibn Rabah wanted to know what was going on, but he was afraid of getting close enough to the Master's room to hear what Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf was saying and why he was so angry. Yet, he was irresistibly drawn toward the room. Quietly, he stood at the door. Carefully, he listened to the talk, which continued, with only occasional shouts from his Master Umayyah ibn Khalaf. He recognized the voices as those of the aristocrats of Makkah. The voice of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, son of Khalaf, who was more nervous than the others, was raised again.

Umayyah ibn Khalaf spoke with indignation, "We must not let Mohammad freely disturb the city. Mohammad treated our idols with disrespect."

Mohammad says, 'There is only one God and everybody must worship him.'

"Do you know what this means? It means that I, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, the noble person of Makkah and Bilal al-Habashi, the ignorant black slave must have the same God... Is that possible?"

At the same time, another aristocrat interrupted Umayyah ibn Khalaf's speech and said "Our misfortune is too great because everybody knows him. Mohammad is well-known for truthfulness, innocence and trustworthiness."

Umayyah ibn Khalaf paused a moment and then said, "so we are compelled to say to people Mohammad has become mad."

The others admired the thing, which Umayyah ibn Khalaf suggested. All Masters accepted this suggestion, and the meeting ended. They all got up to go to their homes, but before they came out of the room, Bilal Ibn Rabah had gone to his room.

Bilal Ibn Rabah's room seemed to him darker and smaller than ever. Umayyah ibn Khalaf's words did not bring tranquility to him for a moment. He thought of the prophet of God and... "Do people believe the aristocrat's words?" he asked himself. No.... No. They would never accept that. Mohammad is the most innocent and most truthful man in Makkah. Everybody knows him. When he says there is only one God and these idols are not God, he certainly tells the truth. But why were only the aristocrats and Masters afraid of Mohammad's religion (peace be upon him) and his God?

That night Bilal Ibn Rabah thought much and he found out so many mysteries and could not sleep until late.

The following day, Bilal the Ethiopian heard that people were talking about the madness of Mohammad (peace be upon him). Bilal the Ethiopian dared to speak several times to give the people understanding of who had scattered falsehood among them, but nobody believed him.

The days passed one after another. Every day there was news that another one added to Messenger of God Mohammad's followers. And also every day Bilal the Ethiopian heard about them that they were hurt or injured or killed.

Bilal the Ethiopian became heavy - hearted. He was not able to do anything about it, and sadness turned to anger. Many times he told himself, "I will revenge these cruelties." Then it was reported that Ammar ibn Yasir's father (Yasir ibn Amir) and mother (Sumayyah bint Khabbab) had been martyred on the rack at the hands of Abu Jahl. (Note: The first martyr in Islam was the old woman Sumayyah bint Khabbab.)

Bilal al-Habashi knew Ammar ibn Yasir. He was one of the innocent and honest youth in Makkah. Bilal al-Habashi also knew Abu Jahl, the Master of Ammar ibn Yasir very well.

Abu Jahl was one of the aristocrats of Makkah who was famous for cruelty and meanness. But in spite of this, he could not force Ammar ibn Yasir to quit God's Messenger and his religion.

In spite of this despairing news, one day Bilal al-Habashi, coming back from the desert, reached his decision. Instead of going to Master's house, he went directly to a house where God's Messenger dwelled.

Mohammad (peace be upon him) was a tall man, with a face shining with faith. When Bilal al-Habashi saw him, his heart became quiet. He felt that he had found his loss.

Mohammad's words (peace be upon him) were so hope giving for him that he did not want to leave. He concluded a promise with Mohammad, God's prophet (peace be upon him) and converted to Islam.

These comings and goings continued, the words of Mohammad (peace be upon him) had changed Bilal al-Habashi. He did not have endurance to see the idols anymore because he had heard the truth from God's messenger Mohammad (peace be upon him) and now he realized real God.

One morning, when Bilal al-Habashi left the house of God's Messenger, he went to Holy Kaaba. Nobody was there. He looked at the idols - the golden idols, the small wooden idols and the stone idols.

"Oh! You unable idols!" he shouted. "How can you defend yourselves? Woe is me that I worshipped these idols and fell crying at their feet."

Later he moved forward and spat at the face of one big idol and shouted, "oh, you unable gods! You do not deserve worship! You become extinct some day. You do not deserve for me to spend my time with you in this manner!"

Bilal Ibn Rabah left Holy Kaaba and returned to his master's house. When Bilal Ibn Rabah entered the house, he heard the shouts of Umayyah ibn Khalaf and his friends, but heedless of them, he went to his own room. For him nothing was more pleasurable than to bill and coo his newfound God, the One Who had given him power to curse the idols and spit on the big idol.

But in the room where Umayyah ibn Khalaf and his friends were sitting the door burst open and a man rushed into the room, went directly to Umayyah ibn Khalaf and whispered something into his ear. Umayyah ibn Khalaf's face flushed red with anger.

"Are you sure you have seen it exactly?" Umayyah ibn Khalaf asked the man.

"Yes, I am sure," was his reply.

"Have you seen him with Mohammad?" shouted Umayyah ibn Khalaf.

In a weak voice with head bowed, the man answered "yes, my master." Then pausing some moments, "And it is worse than that. I saw him spit on the big idol."

"His mouth will soon be a place for the snakes." Umayyah ibn Khalaf shouted, unable to control his rage.

Umayyah ibn Khalaf's friends were soon aware of the meaning of these words as his shouts continued into the night.

Next day Makkah's people saw Umayyah ibn Khalaf and his friends drag the bound Bilal Ibn Rabah to the city square.

Bilal Ibn Rabah remained quiet with shining black eyes looking to the sky.

All the people - young and old - followed them, anxious to know what destiny was waiting for Bilal Ibn Rabah.

The sun had reached the middle of the sky creating beads of perspiration on the black, naked body of Bilal Ibn Rabah. The white of Bilal Ibn Rabah's eyes had become red from the heat. He looked around at the people who stared wide - eyed back at him. He fell on the hot sands. Umayyah ibn Khalaf pushed aside the people and with a fiery torch stood over his head. Bilal Ibn Rabah closed his eyes, which only served to further infuriate Umayyah ibn Khalaf.

"Bilal," came the shout of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, "O' you unlucky slave, are you willing to repent, or do I burn your body by the fire?"

Bilal Ibn Rabah did not answer. He did not open his eyes. Umayyah ibn Khalaf's anger increased. He brought the torch forward to Bilal's body. The stench of burning flesh permeated gradually to everybody's nostrils. Umayyah ibn Khalaf was shocked as he heard Bilal's resonant voice split the silence.

Bilal the Ethiopian was among those who took the lead in accepting Islam. Abu Jahl made him lie on the burning hot pebbles, placed a heavy stone on him, the torture of which is, needless to say, beyond endurance. When the faithful Bilal was being tormented, Abu Jahl shouted at him, Disbelieve in Muhammad's God. Discard Islam. But Bilal just repeated, The One. The One, meaning God is the One, and I worship the One God.

"Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness..."

Umayyah ibn Khalaf anger flared. "Shut your mouth, you impudent slave!

"Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness..."

Bilal Ibn Rabah had learned these words from the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and Ammar ibn Yasir. The shouts of Bilal Ibn Rabah caused tumult among the people. Umayyah ibn Khalaf, while giving Bilal lashed, shouted, "I will not let him disobey my order! You must respect our idols!"

But Bilal's voice continued:

"Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness..."

One from among the crowd asked, "What does Absolute Oneness mean?"

A man answered, "He means unique God."

Bilal Ibn Rabah opened his eyes. He saw Ammar ibn Yasir and smiled. He remembered Ammar ibn Yasir's father (Yasir ibn Amir) and mother (Sumayyah bint Khabbab, the first martyr in Islam). Bilal Ibn Rabah shouted with a loud voice, "Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness..."

Umayyah ibn Khalaf's anger increased. But no matter how much he tortured Bilal Ibn Rabah, he heard nothing except "Absolute Oneness."

That day passed. The torture continued for days. But now Bilal Ibn Rabah went without any fear to the house of honorable Messenger Mohammad (peace be upon him) freely and listened to his words.

One day Umayyah ibn Khalaf, with the assistance of Oghbeh, one of the masters and aristocrats of Makkah, fell upon Bilal's unclothed body and pushed him into the hot sands again. Then Umayyah ibn Khalaf ordered a container to be prepared full of boiling water and sank Bilal into the boiling water. This time he suffered pain more that in the past, but again only the voice of "Absolute Oneness" was raised.

It was ordered that a big stone be brought. They tied Bilal's hands and feet and put the stone, which took four men to lift, on his chest. Then some of people told him, "If you want to be free, just show respect to the idols as we do now."

Bilal Ibn Rabah ridiculed them, "My tongue does not know your words."

Bilal's words were only "Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness..."

Whenever Bilal said these words, Umayyah ibn Khalaf became intensely angry. He tied Bilal's neck with a rope and made children and ignorant people drag him naked on the hot sands of the city.

Bilal resisted Umayyah ibn Khalaf so much, until he was bought and freed finally by Abu Bakr.

The days in Makkah came to an end. Bilal Ibn Rabah and the other followers went to Medina by order of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), who joined them there.

Bilal's patience, forbearance, and faith in God and creed to the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) caused him to be chosen by the Messenger of God Mohammad (peace be upon him) to call to prayer (Muezzin) the people in Medina.

When Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu) went to the housetop and said the prayer call, all the Muslims of Medina went to the mosque and prayed with the Messenger of God Mohammad (peace be upon him).

One day, the people of Medina heard the prayer call (Adhan), while there was much time left to pray. The people ran, confused toward the mosque. Everybody was waiting to know what had happened. When all were gathered, they realized that the enemy had set out of Makkah and were near Medina.

By order of the Messenger of God Mohammad (peace be upon him) each person immediately made ready to defend himself. Everyone took up his arms and when the Islam corps was ready, they set out of Medina to the place where the enemy was. The corns of blasphemy approached them, and from the opposite side, the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and his followers with the motto of "Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness... God is the greatest" came toward the enemy. Hazrat Bilal's (Radhiallahu Anhu) black face shown in the midst of them.

The fight began. When the corns of blasphemy beard the shouts of "Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness...", a fear came upon them. The voices of Hazrat Ammar ibn Yasir (Radhiallahu Anhu) and Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu) rang in their ears. Color drained from the face of Umayyah ibn Khalaf.

Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu) looked at every side to find Umayyah ibn Khalaf in the battlefield. Suddenly they stood face to face. Umayyah ibn Khalaf had lost himself. Hazrat Bilal (Radhiallahu Anhu) shouted, "I will not be quiet until colored my sword with your dirty blood!"

Moments later, when the enemy was defeated, Umayyah ibn Khalaf's body was among those of the enemy. Hazrat Bilal's (Radhiallahu Anhu) shout was as thunder as he moved away from the body of Umayyah ibn Khalaf and went to be at the side of the others to kill God's enemies with each stroke of his sword.

Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness... Absolute Oneness...