Chapter Three: The Call to Prayer

باب الاذان

Bab al-Adhan — The Institution of the Adhan

The adhan (the call to prayer) is one of the distinctive marks of Islam and one of its most exalted institutions. It is the announcement that summons believers to the worship of Allah five times a day, and its words constitute a comprehensive declaration of the fundamentals of the faith: the greatness of Allah, the testimony of His oneness, the testimony of the prophethood of Muhammad, the invitation to prayer and to success, and the assertion of Allah's supremacy.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ

"O you who believe! When the call to prayer (adhan) is made on the day of Friday (Jumu'ah), hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trade." (Sūrah al-Jumuʿah 62:9)

The 'call' (nida') referred to in this verse is the adhan. The command to 'hasten' (fas'aw) does not mean running; the scholars explain it means 'walk purposefully and respond promptly.' The verse also demonstrates that when the adhan is called, worldly business — even lawful commerce — must be set aside in favour of the prayer.

The Origin of the Adhan — The Vision of Abdullah ibn Zayd

In the early period of Madinah, the Muslims consulted on how to gather the community for prayer. Some suggested a bell (like the Christians), others a horn (like the Jews). It was at this time that Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Abd Rabbih (may Allah be pleased with him) had a vision in his sleep in which a man taught him the words of the adhan. He came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and reported his vision. The Prophet, peace be upon him, confirmed that this was a true vision, and commanded that Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) — who had a stronger and more beautiful voice — should call the adhan using these words.

The Words of the Adhan

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to prayer. Come to success. Come to success. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.

For the Fajr prayer, after 'Hayya ala al-Falah,' the phrase 'Al-Salatu khayrun min al-nawm' (Prayer is better than sleep) is added twice. This is known as the tathwib and is a sunnah of the Fajr adhan.

Responding to the Adhan

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ النِّدَاءَ فَقُولُوا مِثْلَ مَا يَقُولُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ

On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'When you hear the call to prayer (adhan), repeat what the muezzin says.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

The listener should repeat every phrase of the adhan after the muezzin. However, when the muezzin says 'Hayya ala al-Salah' (Come to prayer) and 'Hayya ala al-Falah' (Come to success), the listener responds instead with 'La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah' (There is no power and no might except with Allah). This is because 'hayya' is an imperative calling the listener to move, and the listener's response is to acknowledge that the ability to do so comes only from Allah.

The Du'a After the Adhan and the Al-Wasilah

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ النِّدَاءَ: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَٰذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ، حَلَّتْ لَهُ شَفَاعَتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

On the authority of Jabir ibn Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'Whoever says when he hears the adhan: "O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer about to be established, grant Muhammad al-wasilah (the highest station) and al-fadilah (excellence), and raise him to the praised station (maqam mahmud) which You have promised him" — for him my intercession shall be permitted on the Day of Resurrection.' (Sahih Bukhari)

Al-Wasilah is a station in Paradise reserved for one person alone, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that he hoped to be that person. He encouraged his companions to ask Allah to grant him this station. The maqam mahmud (praised station) is the station from which the Prophet will intercede for all of humanity on the Day of Resurrection.

Bilal's Adhan Before Fajr

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ: إِنَّ بِلَالًا يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يُؤَذِّنَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ

On the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: 'Bilal calls the adhan at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum calls the adhan.' (Agreed upon: Bukhari and Muslim)

In the Prophet's time, two adhans were called for Fajr: the first by Bilal, before the true dawn, as an announcement to rouse people from sleep; and the second by Ibn Umm Maktum (a blind companion), at the true dawn, marking the actual beginning of Fajr time and prohibiting eating and drinking for those who are fasting.

The Iqamah

The iqamah is the second call to prayer, made immediately before the congregational prayer begins. It is similar in wording to the adhan but shorter, with each phrase said once (except 'Allahu Akbar' at the beginning, which is said twice, and 'La ilaha illa Allah' at the end). The additional phrase 'Qad qamat al-salah' (The prayer has now been established) is inserted twice after 'Hayya ala al-Falah.' The Hanafi school holds that the iqamah has the same phrases doubled as the adhan (i.e., said twice each); other schools hold it is said once each.