I was just a young boy when the call to prayer first rang out in Madinah. You won’t find my name in any hadith, but I was there the morning everything changed—when the silence of dawn was broken by something beautiful and new.
Back then, we Muslims had no formal way to gather for prayer. Some people would watch the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ closely and follow him to the masjid — the mosque. Others simply guessed. Still, we all wished there was a sound, a signal, a voice that could bring our hearts together in worship.
I remember the morning when that voice was heard for the first time. The sun had not yet risen. I was helping my father sweep the courtyard when Bilal — the freed slave who had become one of the Prophet’s ﷺ closest companions — stood on top of the masjid roof. Then he called out, his voice strong and clear: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar...” which means “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest…”
I froze. So did my father. The whole street grew quiet. Every word echoed through the stillness like light filling darkness.
Later that day, I learned how it all began. A companion named Abdullah ibn Zayd — may Allah be pleased with him — had seen a dream. In the dream, a man told him to call the people to prayer using words that praised Allah and invited them to success. When Abdullah told the Prophet ﷺ about it, the Prophet ﷺ accepted the dream and said it was true. He then told Bilal to call the Adhan — that’s the Arabic word for the call to prayer — because his voice was deeper and stronger.
I remember feeling amazed that something so important — so lasting — could start with a dream. But that wasn't the only thing that stayed with me.
What truly struck me was the Prophet’s ﷺ humility. He didn’t insist on creating the call himself. He didn’t look for the most powerful person to do it. He chose Bilal — once a slave, now among the most honored — because of his sincerity and his voice.
That taught me something deep. I was a child then, full of hopes but unsure if someone like me mattered in the big world of grown-ups and great companions. But seeing the Prophet ﷺ listen to a dream… and seeing Bilal given such an honored role… it told me that in Islam, what matters most is not who you are, but how much you love Allah.
From that day, I waited eagerly for the Adhan each morning. It wasn’t just a call to prayer. It was a sign that Allah saw us, guided us, and included all of us — even a boy like me.
Story Note: Inspired by reports in authentic hadith collections, including Sahih Muslim 2330, and classical seerah narrations on the origin of the Adhan, including the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd and the humility of the Prophet ﷺ in choosing Bilal to call the people to prayer.
I was just a young boy when the call to prayer first rang out in Madinah. You won’t find my name in any hadith, but I was there the morning everything changed—when the silence of dawn was broken by something beautiful and new.
Back then, we Muslims had no formal way to gather for prayer. Some people would watch the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ closely and follow him to the masjid — the mosque. Others simply guessed. Still, we all wished there was a sound, a signal, a voice that could bring our hearts together in worship.
I remember the morning when that voice was heard for the first time. The sun had not yet risen. I was helping my father sweep the courtyard when Bilal — the freed slave who had become one of the Prophet’s ﷺ closest companions — stood on top of the masjid roof. Then he called out, his voice strong and clear: “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar...” which means “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest…”
I froze. So did my father. The whole street grew quiet. Every word echoed through the stillness like light filling darkness.
Later that day, I learned how it all began. A companion named Abdullah ibn Zayd — may Allah be pleased with him — had seen a dream. In the dream, a man told him to call the people to prayer using words that praised Allah and invited them to success. When Abdullah told the Prophet ﷺ about it, the Prophet ﷺ accepted the dream and said it was true. He then told Bilal to call the Adhan — that’s the Arabic word for the call to prayer — because his voice was deeper and stronger.
I remember feeling amazed that something so important — so lasting — could start with a dream. But that wasn't the only thing that stayed with me.
What truly struck me was the Prophet’s ﷺ humility. He didn’t insist on creating the call himself. He didn’t look for the most powerful person to do it. He chose Bilal — once a slave, now among the most honored — because of his sincerity and his voice.
That taught me something deep. I was a child then, full of hopes but unsure if someone like me mattered in the big world of grown-ups and great companions. But seeing the Prophet ﷺ listen to a dream… and seeing Bilal given such an honored role… it told me that in Islam, what matters most is not who you are, but how much you love Allah.
From that day, I waited eagerly for the Adhan each morning. It wasn’t just a call to prayer. It was a sign that Allah saw us, guided us, and included all of us — even a boy like me.
Story Note: Inspired by reports in authentic hadith collections, including Sahih Muslim 2330, and classical seerah narrations on the origin of the Adhan, including the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd and the humility of the Prophet ﷺ in choosing Bilal to call the people to prayer.
