The Illustrious Sahaabah The Illustrious Sahaabah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)
Once, while speaking about Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Hazrat Sa‘eed bin Musayyib (rahimahullah) said:
The desire to practice Islam was extremely great in the heart of Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). He would be subjected to continuous torture and persecution at the hands of the disbelievers. Whenever the disbelievers would try to force him to renounce Islam, he would staunchly refuse and openly declare “Allah! Allah!” (i.e. Allah is the only deity worthy of worship).
Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then met Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and expressed his desire saying, “If only we had some wealth through which we could purchase Bilaal (and free him)!” Thereafter, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) approached Hazrat ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and said to him, “Go and purchase Bilaal for me.”
Accordingly, Hazrat ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) approached the owner of Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), who was a woman, and said to her, “Will you sell me this slave of yours before (he is tortured until he dies and) you will not gain anything through him?”
The woman was quite surprised at the offer and exclaimed, “What will you do with this slave after purchasing him?” She then began to complain about him saying, “Really, there is no good in him!” However, Hazrat ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) eventually managed to purchase Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) from her, after which he sent him to Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). (Usdul Ghaabah 1/237)
Hazrat Qays (rahimahullah) mentions that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had purchased Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) through Hazrat ‘Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhu) for five ooqiyah of gold at the time he was being tortured and trapped under a heavy boulder.
The disbelievers were so frustrated due to Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) remaining firm upon his Islam that they mentioned to Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) later on, after he purchased him, “We would have sold him to you even if you insisted on paying us only one ooqiyah.”
To this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) spontaneously responded saying, “Really, even if you demanded one hundred ooqiyah from me for him, I would have purchased him from you all for that price!” (Siyar A‘laam Nubalaa’ 3/219)
After Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) purchased Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), he came to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and informed him of the purchase. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) if he would make him a partner in the ownership of Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) through allowing him to purchase a share in him. (Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) desired to share in the ownership of Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) so that he would also have a share in the reward when they freed him). Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), however, replied that he had already freed Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). (Siyar A‘laam Nubalaa’ 3/219)
Different amounts have been narrated regarding the price which Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) paid for Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).
Ibnul Atheer (rahimahullah) has mentioned three opinions (1) five ooqiyah, (2) seven ooqiyah (3) nine ooqiyah. (Usdul Ghaabah 1/237)
‘Allaamah Zahabi (rahimahullah) has quoted a narration of Sha‘bee (rahimahullah) which mentions that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had paid forty ooqiyah for Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu anhu). (Siyar A‘laam Nubalaa’ 3/219)
Haafiz ibn Hajar ‘Asqalaani (rahimahullah) has mentioned that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) purchased Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) by giving one of his slaves in exchange of him. (Isaabah 1/456)
Note: The value of one ooqiyah of gold is 40 dirhams.
