Adhaan is the call to the obligatory prayers and in Arabic means ‘conveying.’ It was prescribed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ in Medina. In the beginning, Initially, Muslims would attend to the prayers in the masjid without adhaan. Then the Prophet ﷺ decided to use the bell to call people for salah. Yet, he disliked this act as it was used by the Christians The following hadith depicts how the calling of the adhaan came about for the Muslims.
According to the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allah ibn Zayd ibn Abd Rabbihi, when the Prophet ﷺ decided to use a bell even though he disliked it because it was like what the Christians used, ‘there appeared to me in a dream a man who was wearing two green garments, in whose hand was a bell. I said, “O slave of Allah, will you sell that bell?” he said, “What will you do with it?” I said, “We will call the people to prayer with it.” He said, “Shall I not show you something better than that?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Say, Allahu akbar Allah akbar … (to the end of the adhaan).”
When morning came, I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him what I had seen. He said, “This is a true dream, in sha Allah. Get up with Bilaal and tell him what you have seen, so that he can give the call, because he has a more beautiful voice than you.” So I got up with Bilaal and started telling him what I had seen, and he gave the call to prayer. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab heard that whilst he was in his house, and he came out, dragging his cloak behind him, saying, “By the One Who sent you with the truth, O Messenger of Allah, I saw the same as he saw.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “To Allah be praise.”’
(Narrated by Ahmad, 1588; al-Tirmidhi, 174; Abu Dawood, 421, 430; Ibn Maajah, 698).
The Prophet ﷺ stated this to be a true dream and so we learn that it was not suggested by a person. Rather it was directly from Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). The Prophet ﷺ then asked him to teach it to Bilal ibn Rabaah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the first muaddhin in Islam. When Umar ibn AI-Khattaab (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) heard Bilal (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) calling to prayer, he went to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him that he had the same dream that Abdullah ibn Zayd (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) had.
This beginning of adhaan was how Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) ordained its implementation. He decrees whatever He wills.
The words of the adhaan are:
الله اكبر
Allahu Akbar
“Allah is the Greatest” (four times)
اشهد ان لا اله الا الله
Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illalAllah
“I declare that there is no god but Allah” (twice)
اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله
Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasoolullaah
“I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” (twice)
حي على الصلاة
Hayya ‘alas-Salaah
“Come to the prayer” (twice)
حي على الفلاح
Hayya ‘alal-falaah
“Come to success” (twice)
الله اكبر
Allaahu Akbar
“Allah is the Greatest” (twice)
لا اله الا الله
laa ilaaha ill Allah
“There is no god but Allah” (once)
Adhan for the Fajr Salah
When used for calling to the first prayers of the day at dawn (Fajr), the statement:
لصلاة خير من النوم
as-salaatu khairun minan-nawm
“Prayer is better than sleep” is said twice in the adhaan after hayya ‘alal-falaah “Come to success”.
Responding to the Adhaan
When a Muslim hears the adhaan, he should respond to each call and repeat after the muaddhin. When the latter says hayya ‘alas-Salaah ‘Come to the prayer’, and Hayya ‘alal-Falaah ‘Come to success’, one should, however, say, Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa bilaah ‘There is no power or might except with Allah’ after each of these statements.
A Muaddhin
The person (a man) who calls the adhaan is called mu’adhin.
Any person, jinn or thing that hears the adhaan will testify for the muaddhin on the Day of Judgement.
Du’a After Hearing the Adhaan
After the Adhaan, the du’a to be recited as prescribed by the Prophet ﷺ:
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّداً الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَاماً مَحْمُوداً الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ
Allaahumma Rabba haadhihid-da ‘watitta ammati , was-Salaati l-qaa ‘i mati, aati Muhammadanil-waseelata wal-fadeelata, wab ‘ath-hu maqaaman-mahmoodan-illadhee wa’adtahu
Oh Allah, the Lord of this perfect call and the established prayer, give Muhammad AI-Waseelah (a high position in Paradise) and AI-Fadeelah (a rank above the rest of creation), and raise him on the honoured station which You have promised him.
Virtues of Adhaan
Narrated Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ):
Allah’s Apostle ﷺ said, “When the Adhan is pronounced Satan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adhan. When the Adhan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the Iqama is pronounced and after its completion he returns again till he whispers into the heart of the person (to divert his attention from his prayer) and makes him remember things which he does not recall to his mind before the prayer and that causes him to forget how much he has prayed.”
(Volume 1, Book 11, Number 582)
