"The first people to declare their Islam publicly were seven: The Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, 'Ammar and his mother Sumayyah, Suhaib, Bilal and Miqdad. With regard to the Messenger of Allah, Allah protected him through his paternal uncle Abu Talib. With regard to Abu Bakr, Allah protected him through his people. As for the rest, the idolators seized them and made them wear coats of chain-mail and exposed them to the intense heat of the sun. There was none of them who did not do what they wanted them to do, except for Bilal. He did not care what happened to him for the sake of Allah, and his people did not care what happened to him. Then they gave him to the children who took him around in the streets of Makkah while he was saying, 'Ahad, Ahad (One, One).'"  

كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَظْهَرَ إِسْلاَمَهُ سَبْعَةٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعَمَّارٌ وَأُمُّهُ سُمَيَّةُ وَصُهَيْبٌ وَبِلاَلٌ وَالْمِقْدَادُ فَأَمَّا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِعَمِّهِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَأَمَّا أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَمَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمِهِ وَأَمَّا سَائِرُهُمْ فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ وَأَلْبَسُوهُمْ أَدْرَاعَ الْحَدِيدِ وَصَهَرُوهُمْ فِي الشَّمْسِ فَمَا مِنْهُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ وَاتَاهُمْ عَلَى مَا أَرَادُوا إِلاَّ بِلاَلاً فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ فِي اللَّهِ وَهَانَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ فَأَخَذُوهُ فَأَعْطَوْهُ الْوِلْدَانَ فَجَعَلُوا يَطُوفُونَ بِهِ فِي شِعَابِ مَكَّةَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ أَحَدٌ أَحَدٌ  

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I have been tortured for the sake of Allah as no one else has, and I have suffered fear for the sake of Allah as no one else has. I have spent three days when Bilal and I had no food that any living being could eat but that which could be concealed in the armpit of Bilal.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَقَدْ أُوذِيتُ فِي اللَّهِ وَمَا يُؤْذَى أَحَدٌ وَلَقَدْ أُخِفْتُ فِي اللَّهِ وَمَا يُخَافُ أَحَدٌ وَلَقَدْ أَتَتْ عَلَىَّ ثَالِثَةٌ وَمَا لِيَ وَلِبِلاَلٍ طَعَامٌ يَأْكُلُهُ ذُو كَبِدٍ إِلاَّ مَا وَارَى إِبِطُ بِلاَلٍ  

A poet praised Bilal bin 'Abdullah and said: "Bilal bin 'Abdullah is better than any other Bilal." Ibn 'Umar said: 'You are lying. The Bilal of the Messenger of Allah is better than any other Bilal.'"  

ابْنُ عُمَرَ كَذَبْتَ لاَ بَلْ بِلاَلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ خَيْرُ بِلاَلٍ