1. Bilal Ibn Rabah (RA) was kept as slave
An Abyssinian, Bilal (RA) was kept as slave in Makkah. He (RA) was a slave of Ummayah bin Khalaf.
2 His master was a virulent enemy of Islam
Ummayah couldn’t tolerate the fact that Islam was being spread. Yet, Bilal (RA) his Ethiopian slave, converted into a Muslim.
Ummayah bin Khalaf was planning either to kill Him or to make him change his religion. But believe of Bilal (RA) on Allah didn’t let him fear from His master. He got succeeded in his plannings and sent Him for a punishment.
3. The inhuman punishment
In the Arabian Desert, Bilal (RA) was laid under the sparkling sun on the hot sand. Then, heavyweight hot rocks were placed on his body to make the situation worse.
He was burning due to the hot sand from the back of His body whereas, the upper body was burnt by the hot pieces of rocks. Also, He wasn’t able to move due to the weight of rocks.
4. The nights of lashes:
His believe made His master angrier. Bin Khalaf started lashing Him every night. He was tortured alternatively by Ummayah bin Khalaf and Abu Jahl.
5. Abu Bakr (RA)
Bilal (RA)’s punishment ended and He started living a free life as Abu Bakr (RA) bought him from Ummayah.
6. Bilal RA was the first Muezzin of Islam
Allah Almighty rewarded Him for His patience and He was made the Muazzin for the Mosque of Prophet (PBUH).
7. The death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
After the death of Prophet (PBUH), Bilal (RA) wasn’t able to continue living in Madinah. He left Madina but returned after few days when He saw Prophet (PBUH) in a Dream demanding Him to pay a visit.
8. The request of Hasan and Hussain (RA):
When Bilal (RA) moved back in Madina, Hussain and Hasan (RA) requested Him to give Azan. After few years, Bilal (RA) finally left Madinah forever.
He died in Damascus in 20 AH. His tomb is located in Bab al Saghir, a graveyard in Damascus.
A meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the implementation of the decree of the Head of our state “On Measures to Further Develop Domestic and Pilgrimage Tourism in the Republic of Uzbekistan” dated February 9, 2021, and the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers “On Additional Measures to Implement the “Umrah Plus” Pilgrimage Tourism Program dated January 9, 2026, as well as to expanding tourist flows from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore to Uzbekistan, reports Dunyo IA.
According to the MFA, the meeting, organized in a hybrid format, was attended by representatives of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan, the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Technical Regulation Agency, the khokimiyats of Bukhara and Samarkand regions and Tashkent city, JSC Uzbekistan Airways, JSC Uzbekistan Airports, domestic airlines, the Uzbekistan–Malaysia–Indonesia Travel Association, the Association of Umrah Pilgrimage Travel Agencies, as well as nearly 40 representatives of tourism companies.
Participants discussed in detail transport and logistics, service quality, and promotional measures aimed at increasing tourist arrivals to Uzbekistan from Southeast Asian countries. In particular, they considered increasing the number of flights from Malaysia, launching direct flights from Indonesia and Singapore, intensifying promotional activities for pilgrimage tourism under the “Umrah Plus” program, aligning infrastructure for foreign pilgrims with international halal standards, and strengthening coordination with tourism companies operating in this field.
The event was held in an open dialogue format based on the “problem–proposal–solution” approach, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange constructive views on existing challenges and opportunities in the sector.