Adhan – The Call For Prayers

Adan is the first call to Prayer. The Azan is uttered in a loud, albeit sweet, voice to announce to the faithful that it is time for the Obligatory Prayer and to invite them to offer the prayers. Those who perform Azan are known as Mu’ezzin.

The honor of being the first Muezzin goes to Hazrat Bilal, a black slave who converted to Islam. He had a lovely, resonant, and musical voice. He was appointed as Muezzin by the Prophet of Islam. The appointment of a black slave as the first person to call Muslims to prayer shows that in Islam, all human beings are treated as equals. Rich or poor, black or white, short or tall – all are equal in the eyes of Allah. It is the piety of each individual that makes the difference.

Azan is recited in a loud voice by the Muezzin facing the direction of the Kaaba in the following words, which are said in the order mentioned:

“Allahu Akbar” – recited FOUR times.
Meaning, “Allah is Most Great.”(four times)

“Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah.”(twice)

“Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him)  is the Apostle of Allah.”(recited twice)

“Hayya alas-Salah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Come to prayer.”(turning the face alone to the right and saying it twice)

“Hayya alal-falah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Come to Success.”(turning the face alone to the left and saying it twice)

“Allahu Akbar” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Allah is Most Great” (face back to front and saying it two times).

“La ilaha ill-Allah”
Meaning, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshiped except Allah.”(twice)

Morning (Fajr) Prayers
The following phrase is added after “Hayya alal-falah” in the Azan of the early morning prayers:
“As-salatu khairum minannaum” – recited Two times.
Meaning, “Prayer is better than sleep” (recited two times).

Iqamat
Iqamat is the second call to prayer and is uttered immediately before the beginning of the Obligatory Prayer (Fard). It is similar to Azan, but with the addition of the following sentence after “Hayya ‘alal-falah:”

“Qad qama-tis-Salah” – recited two times.
Meaning, “Prayer has indeed begun” (recited two times)

Repeating the words of the Adhan

Adan: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
You say: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

Adan: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
You say: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

Adan: Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa-llah.
You say: Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa-llah.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah.

Adan: Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa-llah.
You say: Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa-llah.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah.

Adan: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.
You say: Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah

Adhan : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.
You say : Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah.
I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah

Adan: Hayya ala-s-Salah, hayya ala-s-Salah *
You say: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. **
** There is no might or power except with Allah.
* Come to prayer

Adan: Hayya ala-l-falah, hayya ala-l-falah.*
You say: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.**
** There is no might or power except with Allah.
* Come to success

Adan : Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
You say: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

Adan : La ilaha illa-llah
You say: La ilaha illa-llah
There is none worthy of worship but Allah.

Source: Reference: Al-Bukhari 1/152, Muslim 1/288.

After The Adan
After replying to the call of Muaththin. You should recite in Arabic, Allah’s blessings on the Prophet.

O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad (peace be upon him) the intercession and favor, and raise him to the honored station You have promised him, [verily You do not neglect promises].

Reference:
Al-Bukhari 1/152, and the addition between brackets is from Al-Bayhaqi 1/410 with a good (Hasan) chain of narration. See ‘Abdul-Azlz bin Baz’s Tuhfatul-Akhyar, pg. 38.

Between the call to prayer and the Iqamah, you should supplicate Allah for yourself. Invocation during this time is not rejected.

Translation of Sahih Bukhari
Book no 11: Call to Prayers (Adan)

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 582: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “When the Adan is pronounced, Satan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the Adan. When the Adan is completed he comes back and again takes to his heels when the Iqama is pronounced and after its completion he returns 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 585: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri (radi Allahu anhu): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “Whenever you hear the Adan, say what the Muadhdhin is saying.

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 589: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the Adan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that except by drawing lots they would draw lots, and if they knew the reward of the Zuhr prayer they would race for it (go early) and if they knew the reward of ‘Isha’ and Fajr (morning) prayers in congregation, they would come to offer them even if they had to crawl.”

On a wet, rainy, muddy day
Volume 1, Book 11, Number 605: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Nafi (radi Allahu anhu): Once in a cold night, Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) pronounced the Adan for the prayer at, Dajnan (the name of a mountain) and then said, “Pray at your homes”, and informed us that Allah’s Apostle used to tell the Muadhdin to pronounce Adan and say, “Pray at your homes” at the end of the Adan on a rainy or a very cold night during the journey.”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 635: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Nafi (radi Allahu anhu): Once on a very cold and stormy night, Ibn Umar  (radi Allahu anhu) pronounced the Adan for the prayer and then said, “Pray in your homes.” He (Ibn Umar)(radi Allahu anhu) added. “On very cold and rainy nights, Allah’s Apostle used to order the Mu’adhdhin to say, ‘Pray in your homes.’ ”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 637: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abdullah bin Al-Harith (radi Allahu anhu):
Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) addressed us on a rainy and muddy day, and when the Muadh-dhin said, “Come for the prayer,” Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) ordered him to say, “Pray in your homes.” The people began to look at one another with surprise, as if they did not like it. Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) said, “It seems that you thought ill of it, but no doubt it was done by one who was better than I (i.e., the Prophet). It (the prayer) is a strict order, and I disliked bringing you out.”

Ibn ‘Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) narrated the same as above, but he said, “I did not like you to make you sinful (in refraining from coming to the mosque) and to come (to the mosque) covered with mud up to the knees.”

Congregation and coming to the mosque
Volume 1, Book 11, Number 620: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abu Huraira (radi Allahu anhu): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty-seven times greater than that of the prayer offered in one’s house or in the market (alone). And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward, and his one sin is taken off (crossed out) from his accounts (of deeds). When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah’s Blessings and Allah’s forgiveness for him as long as he is (staying) at his Musalla. They say, O Allah! Bestow Your blessings upon him, be Merciful and kind to him. And one is regarded in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer.”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 623: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Abu Musa (radi Allahu anhu): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The people who get tremendous reward for the prayer are those who are farthest away (from the mosque) and then those who are next farthest and so on. Similarly, one who waits to pray with the Imam has a greater reward than one who prays and goes to bed. ”

Supper served
Volume 1, Book 11, Number 640: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Aisha (radi Allahu anha): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If supper is served, and Iqama is pronounced, one should start with the supper.”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 641: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Anas bin Malik (radi Allahu anhu): Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, “If the supper is served, start having it before praying the Maghrib prayer and do not be hasty in finishing it.”

Volume 1, Book 11, Number 642: Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Nafi’ (radi Allahu anhu): Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said, If the supper is served for any of you and the Iqama is pronounced, start with the supper, and don’t be in haste (and carry on eating) till you finish it.” If food was served for Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu) and Iqama was pronounced, he never came to the prayer till he finished it (i.e., food) even though he heard the recitation (of the Quran) by the Imam (in the prayer).

Narrated Ibn Umar (radi Allahu anhu): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If any of you is having his meals, he should not hurry up till he is; satisfied even if the prayer has been started.”