However, these suggestions were not acceptable to the Prophet (sa). Not long after, Abdullah, Zayd's son had a vision. In his vision a man with a clapper in hand, dressed in a green robe passed by, Abdullah noticed the clapper and asked if he would sell it. The man asked why he wanted it whereupon Abdullah told him that he wanted it to call his fellow Muslims to prayer. The man told him that he knew of a better way than that which was that the call to prayer should be made by a caller in this manner.

"Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great.
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allah,
Come to prayer, come to prayer.
Come to success, come to success.
Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great.
There is no god except Allah. there is no god except Allah."

Abdullah went to the Prophet (sa) and told him of his vision and Omar mentioned that he likewise had seen a similar vision. Happiness encompassed the Prophet’s face as he told Abdullah and Omar that they had both seen true visions and informed them that this was the method they would now use to call the people to prayer. The Prophet (sa) then asked one of his companions to look Bilal and ask him to come to him -- the former slave that had been so badly torture for his belief. Bilal had a very pleasant voice and Abdullah was asked to teach him the words with which he was to call the worshippers to prayer.

Bilal was honored to be chosen as the caller to prayer, and from that time onward, before each prayer, he made his way to the roof-top of the highest house near the Mosque and the sweetness of his voice would ring out across the City calling believers to the prayer. Later on the Prophet (sa) told his companions that when the call to prayer is made, satan, the stoned and cursed, turns his back and rushes away belching to prevent him from hearing the words of the call. The reason for his running away and belching is that all those who hear the call to prayer become a witness to it and satan does not want to be a witness.

However, once the call has finished he returns until the second call to prayer is made, then he runs away again only to return after it has finished to distract the minds of worshippers with his whispering, “Remember this, remember that”, putting in the mind of the believer irrelevant matters until he/she does not know how many units of prayer they have offered.

Lady Swaydah and Lady Ayesha

When Lady Swaydah arrived in Medina she lived in her quarters built onto the outside of the Mosque together with the daughters of the Prophet (sa). Later on Lady Ayesha came to live in the room next to her. Lady Ayesha had known the Prophet (sa) from a very tender age, she loved to be in his company and after his marriage to her he would often play and run races with her, but although he was very capable of out running her he always, out of the kindness of his heart, let her win until she was mature.

Although she was married to the Prophet her life had changed but a little, she still played with her girl friends from Mecca and also made new friends with the girls of Medina. However, the parents of her friends had taught their daughters that they must at all times respect the Prophet (sa) and not to make a nuisance of themselves. Fearing that he might disturb her, Prophet Muhammad (sa) would often take great delight watching her play with her friends from behind a curtain.

However, if her friends happened to realize he was there they would stop playing and try to slip away, whereupon the Prophet (sa) would reassure them that there was no need for them to go and to continue enjoying themselves. On many occasions he would sit down and join them in their games, just as he had done with his own daughters for he loved children and never turned them away.

Once, when the Prophet (sa) returned home after a journey he found Lady Ayesha playing with a small wooden horse that had a piece of cloth attached to its back. The Prophet (sa) was amused and inquired why she had tied the cloth to its back whereupon Lady Ayesha replied, "O Prophet of Allah (sa), don't you know, it is the winged horse of Solomon," and the Prophet (sa) smiled as happiness spread over his caring face.

Illness in Medina

The native people of Medina were, for the most part, immune to the fevers that came during certain seasons of the year, however, for strangers who happened to be in the City during these seasons there was always the risk that they might contract them.

One day, Lady Ayesha went to visit her father, Abu Bakr, and found that he, Bilal and Amir had been taken ill with the fever, although Bilal was nearing recovery he remained extremely weak. She spoke to her father but he answered her in a rhyme and she did not fully understand, although she remembered his words. Amir and Bilal also spoke to her in rhyme but once again she remembered them but did not fully comprehend.

Seeing them in such a pitiful condition distressed Lady Ayesha greatly so she returned home to the Prophet (sa) to tell him of their circumstances. The Prophet (sa) comforted her and gently asked what they had said so she repeated their words, whereupon the Prophet (sa) supplicated saying, "O Allah, make Medina as dear to us as You have made Mecca, or yet even dearer. Bless its water and grain for us and remove the fever from it as far as Mahya'ah." Allah accepted the supplication and they were no longer ill.