One day on the outskirts of Madinah the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam passed by a group of children who were laughing and mocking Sayyiduna Bilal’s RadhiAllahu anhu Adhan. On seeing the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam the children ran away, except for Abu Madhura who had as yet not accepted Islam. He was the oldest of this group and felt ashamed of their behaviour.
The Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam called him over to him, with Abu Madhura shyly walking towards the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. He started perspiring in apprehension and fear of a reprimand. But the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam calmly assured him not to be afraid and further asked him to continue the call to prayer as he had been repeating it mockingly with his friends. Abu Madhura started imitating Sayyiduna Bilal’s RadhiAllahu anhu call as he just been doing, when suddenly a change came over him as he reached Ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah
The Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam told him he could go once he finished, but Abu Madhura hesitated. He then said to the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, "Abu Madhura will now only go wherever the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam goes."
Moments earlier this boy had been ridiculing Islam’s call to prayer, but as his eyes fell upon the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Allah Ta’ala in His infinite mercy turned the mockery into reality and opened Abu Madhura’s heart to Islam. He later became the keeper of the keys to the Ka’aba and the Muadhdhan of Makkah where he performed the call to prayer for the next sixty years!
