"I have brought good tidings for you, Be patient, O family of Yasir. God has promised you a special place in Paradise."
— The Prophet ﷺ, before the martyrdom of Sumayyah bint Khabbat (RA), wife of Yasir ibn Amir (RA). Sumayyah (RA) was a Black Muslim woman and the first Muslim martyr.
Most Muslims will be quick to name Bilal ibn Rabah (RA) as the shining example of Islam's anti-racist message. The first muezzin and the Prophet's trusted minister of the Bayt al-Māl (treasury), Bilal's story of resilience and growth from Abyssinian slave to one of the Prophet's ﷺ closest companions earned him the adoration of the global ummah.
But Black Muslim history goes far beyond Bilal. From sahaba such as Sumayyah bint Khabbat (RA) to prominent Abbasid-era scholars such as Imam Musa al-Kadhim (rahimahullah), this section will explore the rich history of Black narratives in early Islam.
<aside> 📅 Join us on Tuesday, February 2 and February 16 from 6-7:30pm for a presentation from Ustadh Mustafa Briggs titled Beyond Bilal: Black History in Islam. This series will discuss everything from Black Prophets and prominent figures in the Qur'an, to the lesser-known Black Sahaba and scholars of the early generations, the history of Islam in Africa, and the legacy of contemporary African Islamic scholarship and its role in the International Relations of the Muslim World. See** **Notes.
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Photo: Muslims for American Progress
<aside> 🔦 Spotlight Dawud Walid is the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), and the co-author of the book Centering Black Narrative: Black Muslim Nobles Among the Early Pious Muslims.
Imam Dawud is one of the foremost voices on the topic of sacred activism and early Black Muslim narratives in Islamic History.
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[...] Many Muslims who are Black have been made to feel as if black people don't have real interpretative authority within Islam or can speak on behalf of our faith. This in part may be due to an unconscious omission to even deliberate white-washing of the early period of Islamic civilization. To be frank, darker skin among many Muslims is subtly, but sometimes even overtly, viewed as inferior to or not as beautiful as lighter skin. Exposing Muslim children, youth and adults to great personalities such as Sa'id bin Jubayr and Uways al-Qarani to Hashemites like Musa al-Kathim and mentioning their physical traits may serve in getting rid of inferiority complexes and boosting the morale of Muslims who are routinely subjected to anti-blackness.
— Imam Dawud Walid, Why Centering Muslims Who Were ‘Black’ in Early Islamic History Matters
Barakah bint Tha'alaba (RA), also known as Umm Ayman, was an Abyssinian slave of the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ parents. After their passing, she helped raise the Prophet ﷺ, after which she was emancipated. The Prophet ﷺ said regarding Umm Ayman that "She is the mother after my own mother. She is the rest of my family". She married Ubayd ibn Zayd (RA), and later the Prophet's ﷺ adopted son, Zayd ibn Harithah (RA).
Sumayyah (RA) was one of earliest converts to Islam and the mother of Ammar ibn Yasir (RA). She was a slave of Abu Hudhaifah (RA), who married her to Yasir ibn Amir (RA). Because they were Muslims of low social status in Meccan society, they were heavily persecuted by Abu Jahl, Abu Hudhaifah (RA), and the Banu Makhzum tribe. She became the first shaheeda (martyr) in Islamic history after being murdered by Abu Jahl. Her husband, Yasir (RA) was killed shortly after.
Abu Dharr (RA) was a Black Arab who was among the first who converted to Islam. His opposition to wealth-hoarding by elites and support of wealth redistribution led him to be regarded by modern scholars as laying the foundation of Islamic socialism.
<aside> 💡 Early Anti-Blackness in the Time of the Prophet ﷺ A sahih hadith collected by Imam Bukhari describes an incident of racism directed toward Bilal (RA) by Abu Dharr (RA).
During an intense quarrel, Abu Dharr called Bilal a "son of a Black woman" due to Bilal's Abyssinian heritage. After Bilal reported this to the Prophet ﷺ, he told Abu Dharr "you are someone who still displays jahiliyyah [pre-Islamic ignorance]". Out of remorse, Abu Dharr asked Bilal to tread on his other cheek if he’d like to.
Interestingly, Abu Dharr was reportedly a Black Arab. This incident describes how even people who are considered Black today can practice anti-Blackness, colorism, and tribalism.
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