How has Wikipedia's Bilal ibn Rabah article changed?

Wikipedia's first sentence called it "ethiopian born in mecca". Today it says "close companion of the islamic prophet muhammad". The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read "Sahabah of Muhammad". It now reads "Companion of Muhammad and first Islamic mu'azzin (c. 580–640)". We saved the article's opening at 6 moments between 2005 and 2025, and every claim links the exact revision.

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How Wikipedia rewrote the Bilal ibn Rabah article

The opening as it read in 2005

Bilal ibn Rabah (died c. 640 ) was an Ethiopian born in Mecca , whom Muhammad chose as his muezzin , and was the first black convert to Islam .¹ He was known for his beautiful voice with which he called people to their prayers. mother was Hamamah He was a slave owned by Umayya .² When he heard Muhammad preach, he decided to convert to Islam. When Umayya learned of his slave's conversion, he tortured Bilal in order to force his apostacy. Umayya commanded that Bilal be laid in the scorching sand in the desert, during the hottest hours of the day, with heavy rocks placed on his chest to prevent him from moving. Abu Bakr , upon witnessing this torture, bought Bilal from Umayya, and permitted Bilal to practice Islam freely. Muhammad later freed him completely and appointed him as muezzin. As soon as Abu Bakr asumed power, he stoped singing the adhan. Bilal also carried Muhammad 's spear, which was used from 624 onward to point the direction of prayer. He was present at Badr and all of the major events. He died in Damascus in 17 or 18 AH, but some say 20 AH, or even 21 AH when he was just over sixty years old. Some said he died in Madinah, but that is wrong. That is how it is in al-Isabah and other works such as the Tahdhib of an-Nawawi.³

This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 17929266.

The opening as it stood in 2010 12 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Bilal ibn Rabah ( ) or Bilal al-Habashi was an Ethiopian born in Mecca in the late 6th century, sometime between 578 and 582. The Islamic prophet Muhammad chose an African slave Bilal as his muezzin , effectively making him the first muezzin of the Islamic faith. He was among the slaves freed by Abu Bakr (see Muhammad and slavery ) and was known for his beautiful voice with which he called people to their prayers . His name can also be known as, "Bilal ibn Riyah" or "ibn Rabah" and he is sometimes known as "Bilal al-Habashi" or "Bilal the one from Ethiopia". He died sometime between 638 to 642, when he was just over sixty years old. Bilal Ibn Rabah, was an emancipated slave of key importance in Islam. He is said to have been one of the most trusted and loyal Sahaba (companion) of Muhammad and of Ali. His respected stature during the birth of Islam is often cited by Muslims as evidence of the importance of pluralism and racial equality in the foundations of the religion. *Bilal stands for "wetting, moistening" in Arabic. Islam in Black America: identity, liberation, and difference in African-American Islamic thought .

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Bilal ibn Rabah (580–640 AD) also known as Bilal al- Habashi , Bilal ibn Riyah, and ibn Rabah was one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . He was born in Mecca and is considered as the first muezzin , chosen by Muhammad himself. Born as a slave, Bilal was among the emancipated slaves freed by Abu Bakr due to the Islamic teachings of slavery (see Muhammad's views on slavery ). He was known for his beautiful voice with which he called people to their prayers . He died sometime between 638 to 642, when he was just over sixty years old. Bilal ibn Rabah rose to a position of prominence in Islam . His respected stature during the birth of Islam is often cited by Muslims as evidence of the importance of pluralism and racial equality in the foundations of the religion. " Slavery in Islam ." BBC News. Slavery: From Islamic & Christian Perspectives. Muslim Societies in African History . The History of Islam in Africa .

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Sahabah of Muhammad Bilal ibn Rabah ( , Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ , 580–640 AD) was one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . He was born in Mecca and is considered to have been the first mu'azzin , chosen by Muhammad himself. He was a former slave. Bilal ibn Rabah was known for his beautiful voice with which he called people to their prayers . He died in 640, at the age of 57. " Slavery in Islam ." BBC News. Slavery: From Islamic & Christian Perspectives. Muslim Societies in African History . The History of Islam in Africa .

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The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Companion of Muhammad and first Islamic mu'azzin (c.580–640) This article is about the companion of Muhammad . Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ ( ), c. 580–640 , was one of the most trusted and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . He was born in Mecca and is considered to have been the first mu'azzin in history, chosen by Muhammad himself. He was a former Abyssinian slave and was known for his voice with which he called people to their prayers . He died in 640, about the age of 60 (or just over 20 in Hijri years). " Slavery in Islam ." BBC News. Slavery: From Islamic & Christian Perspectives. Muslim Societies in African History . The History of Islam in Africa .

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The opening as it stood in 2025 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Companion of Muhammad and first Islamic mu'azzin (c. 580–640) This article is about the companion of Muhammad . Bilal ibn Rabah ( Arabic : بِلَال بْن رَبَاح , romanized : Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ ; c. 5 March 580 - 2 March 640 CE ), also known as Bilāl al-Ḥabashī or simply Bilal , was a close companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad . Born in Mecca , he was of Abyssinian (modern-day Ethiopia ) descent and was formerly enslaved. He is considered the first muʾazzin (caller to prayer) in Islam , personally chosen by Muhammad for his deep and melodious voice. He was a former slave and was known for his "deep, melodious, resonant" voice with which he called Muslims to the daily obligatory prayers . According to Islamic tradition , Bilal was one of the earliest converts to Islam and is often regarded as the first African or Black Muslim. He died in 640 CE, around the age of 59. " Slavery in Islam ." BBC News. Muslim Societies in African History . The History of Islam in Africa . The Life of Muhammad .

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