The Azan and Iqaamah
33 hadiths
When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar
‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), and one of you says 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah', and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala as-salāh' (Come to prayer), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh' (There is no power or strength except through Allah), and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala al-falāh' (Come to success), and he says, 'Lā hawla wala quwwata illa billāh', and then he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'lā ilāh illa Allah', and he says 'lā ilāh illa Allah' from his heart, he will enter Paradise."
When you hear the Adhan (call to prayer), repeat what the Muezzin says
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you hear the Adhan (call to prayer), repeat what the Muezzin says."
If the Iqāmah for prayer is proclaimed, and the dinner is served, start with the dinner
‘Ā'ishah, ‘Abdullāh ibn 'Umar, and Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the Iqāmah for prayer is proclaimed, and the dinner is served, start with the dinner."
Whoever says upon hearing the muezzin: 'Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wahdahu la sharīka lah wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh, radītu billāhi rabban, wa bi Muhammadin rasūlan wa bil Islāmi dīna (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without any partner and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Muhammad as a messenger, and with Islam as a religion), his sins will be forgiven)
Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says upon hearing the muezzin: 'Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh wahdahu la sharīka lah wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh, radītu billāhi rabban, wa bi Muhammadin rasūlan wa bil Islāmi dīna (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without any partner and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Muhammad as a messenger, and with Islam as a religion), his sins will be forgiven)."
Whoever says upon hearing the call: O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer that is to be established, grant Muhammad Al-Wasīlah and Al-Fadīlah and resurrect him to the Praiseworthy Station that You have promised him, he will be granted my intercession on the Day of Judgment
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says upon hearing the call: O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer that is to be established, grant Muhammad Al-Wasīlah and Al-Fadīlah and resurrect him to the Praiseworthy Station that You have promised him, he will be granted my intercession on the Day of Judgment."
When you hear the Muezzin, say what he says and then invoke Allah's blessings upon me
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When you hear the Muezzin, say what he says and then invoke Allah's blessings upon me, for whoever invokes Allah's blessings upon me once, Allah will bestow His blessings upon him ten times. Then, ask Allah to grant me the Wasīlah, a high rank in Paradise that befits only one of Allah's servants, and I hope that I will be him. If anyone asks for Wasīlah for me , intercession will be permitted for him.”
'O Bilāl, call the Iqāmah for the prayer; give us comfort by it.'
Sālim ibn Abu al-Ja‘d reported: A man said: "I wish I had prayed and got comfort." When the people seemed to disapprove of his statement, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'O Bilāl, call the Iqāmah for the prayer; give us comfort by it.'"
Bilāl calls the Adhān at night; so, eat and drink until you hear the Adhān called by Ibn Umm Maktūm
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bilāl calls the Adhān at night; so, eat and drink until you hear the Adhān called by Ibn Umm Maktūm."
Bilāl was ordered to pronounce the Adhān in pairs and the Iqāmah in singles
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Bilāl to pronounce the Adhān in pairs and the Iqāmah in singles.
I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he was in a red leather tent. Bilāl stepped out with ablution water (that was left over from the Prophet's ablution. There were some people who managed to get some of it (seeking its blessing), whereas others just received a sprinkle of it
Abu Juhayfah Wahb ibn ‘Abdullāh As-Suwā'i (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he was in a red leather tent. Bilāl stepped out with ablution water (that was left over from the Prophet's ablution). There were people who managed to get some of it (seeking its blessing), whereas others just received a sprinkle of it. Then the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out wearing a red garment. It is as if I am looking right now at the whiteness of his legs. He performed ablution and Bilāl called the Adhān (the call to prayer). I kept watching the movement of his mouth (as he turned) to this side and that side and he said to the right and to the left: "Come to prayer, come to success!" Then a spear was fixed for him (in the ground). He stepped forward and performed two Rak‘ahs for the Zhuhr prayer, and he did not stop performing two Rak‘ahs until he returned to Madīnah.
As for this man, he has disobeyed the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)
Abu Ash-Sha‘thā' reported: As we were sitting in the mosque with Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) the Muezzin proclaimed the Adhān and then a man stood up in the mosque and started walking out. Abu Hurayrah followed him with his eyes until he went out of the mosque. Thereupon, Abu Hurayrah said: "As for this man, he has disobeyed the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)."
I see that you like sheep and wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep - or in the wilderness - and you want to call the Adhān, raise your voice
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Sa‘sa‘ah reported: Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "I see that you like sheep and wilderness. So whenever you are with your sheep - or in the wilderness - and you want to call the Adhān, raise your voice, for whoever hears the voice of the Muezzin, whether it be a human being, a Jinn, or any other creature, they will testify in his favor on the Day of Judgment." Abu Sa‘īd added: "I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)."
When the call to prayer is announced, the devil takes to his heels and breaks wind with noise so as not to hear the call
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the call to prayer is announced, the devil takes to his heels and breaks wind with noise so as not to hear the call. When the call to prayer is over, he returns. When the Iqāmah is announced, he takes to his heels, and after it is over, he returns again to distract the attention of the worshiper and make him remember things which were not on his mind before the prayer, saying: 'Remember such-and-such, and remember such-and-such,' until the worshiper forgets how many units of prayer he performed.”
The muezzins will have the longest necks among the people on the Day of Judgment
Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The muezzins will have the longest necks among the people on the Day of Judgment."
Indeed, it is a true dream, Allah Willing! Go and teach these words to Bilāl, and let him make the call to prayer with them, as his voice is more melodious than yours
‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that a bell be rung to gather the people for prayer, I saw a dream where a man was going around carrying a bell. I said to him: "O slave of Allah, are you selling this bell?" He said: "What will you do with it?" I said: "We will call the people to prayer." He said: "Shall I direct you to what is better than it?" I replied: ‘Yes.’ He said: "Say: 'Allah is the Greatest (four times); I bear witness that there is no god but Allah (twice); I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (twice); come to prayer (twice); come to success (twice); Allah is the Greatest (twice); there is no god but Allah.'" Then he stood close behind me and said: "Then, when the prayer is about to begin, say: 'Allah is the Greatest (twice); I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; come to prayer; come to success; the prayer is about to commence (twice) [In another narration: “And if it is the Fajr prayer, say: ‘prayer is better than sleep (twice).’”]; Allah is the Greatest (twice); there is no god but Allah.'" When I woke up, I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of my dream. He said: ‘Indeed, it is a true dream, Allah Willing! Go and teach these words to Bilāl, and let him make the call to prayer with them, as his voice is more melodious than yours.’ So I took Bilāl and taught him those words, and he made the call to prayer therewith. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb heard it while at home, and so he came out dragging his garment and saying: "By the One Who sent you with the truth, O Messenger of Allah, I saw the same dream that he saw!" Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "All praise is due to Allah."
It is part of the Sunnah that when the muezzin says in the Adhan of the Fajr prayer: Come to success, he then says: Prayer is better than sleep
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: It is part of the Sunnah that when the muezzin says in the Adhan of the Fajr prayer: Come to success, he then says: Prayer is better than sleep.
You are their leader; be considerate to their weak ones, and choose a Muezzin who does not take wages for his Adhān
‘Uthmān ibn Abu al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he said: "O Messenger of Allah, make me the leader of my people!" He said: "You are their leader; be considerate to their weak ones, and choose a Muezzin who does not take wages for his Adhān.”
The Muezzin of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to delay the Iqāmah until he would see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) coming out. On seeing him, he would pronounce the Iqāmah
Jābir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Muezzin of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to delay the Iqāmah until he would see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) coming out. On seeing him, he would pronounce the Iqāmah.
إن الله وملائكته يصلون على الصف المقدَّم
عن البراء بن عازب أن نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «إن الله وملائكته يصلون على الصف المقدَّم، والمؤذن يغفر له بمد صوته ويصدقه من سمعه من رطب ويابس، وله مثل أجر من صلى معه».
الإمام ضامن، والمؤذن مؤتمن
عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "الإمام ضامن، والمؤذن مؤتمن، اللهم أرشد الأئمة، واغفر للمؤذنين" .
كان لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مؤذنان بلال وابن أم مكتوم الأعمى
عن ابن عمر قال: كان لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مؤذنان بلال وابن أم مكتوم الأعمى.
كنت أؤذن لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
عن أبي محذورة قال: كنت أؤذن لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وكنت أقول في أذان الفجر الأول: حي على الفلاح، الصلاة خير من النوم، الصلاة خير من النوم، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله.
There is a prayer between every two Adhāns; there is a prayer between every two Adhāns." The third time, he said: "for whoever wills
‘Abdullāh ibn Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is a prayer between every two Adhāns; there is a prayer between every two Adhāns." The third time, he said: "for whoever wills."
كان المؤذن إذا أذن قام ناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يبتدرون السواري
عن أنس بن مالك قال: كان المؤذِّن إذا أَذَّن قام ناسٌ من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يبتدرون السَّوَاري، حتى يخرج النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهم كذلك، يصلون الركعتين قبل المغرب، ولم يكن بين الأذان والإقامة شيء.
كان يأمر المؤذن إذا كانت ليلة ذات برد ومطر يقول: ألا صلوا في الرحال
عن ابن عمر أنه أذَّن بالصلاة في ليلةٍ ذات برد وريح، ثم قال: ألا صلُّوا في الرحال، ثم قال: إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يأمر المؤذِّنَ إذا كانت ليلةٌ ذاتُ برد ومطر يقول: «أَلَا صلُّوا في الرِّحال».
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يُغِيْر إذا طلع الفجر
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُغِيرُ إِذَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ، وَكَانَ يَسْتَمِعُ الْأَذَانَ، فَإِنْ سَمِعَ أَذَانًا أَمْسَكَ وَإِلَّا أَغَارَ فَسَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَقُولُ: اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «خَرَجْتَ مِنَ النَّارِ» فَنَظَرُوا فَإِذَا هُوَ رَاعِي مِعْزًى.
Go back to your families and stay with them. Teach them (religion) and command them (to adhere to it), perform so-and-so prayer at so-and-so time, and when prayer becomes due, let one of you call the Adhān and let the oldest among you lead you in prayer
Abu Sulaymān, Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith, (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when we were young and of about the same age. We stayed with him for twenty nights. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was merciful and compassionate; so, he realized our longing for our families. He asked us about our families whom we had left behind and we told him about them. Thereupon, he said: "Go back to your families and stay with them. Teach them (religion) and command them (to adhere to it), perform so-and-so prayer at so-and-so time, and when prayer becomes due, let one of you call the Adhān and let the oldest among you lead you in prayer." Another version by Al-Bukhāri has this addition: "Pray as you saw me pray.”
I saw Bilāl going out to Al-Abtah to make Adhān. When he reached: "Come to prayer! Come to success!" He turned his neck right and left and did not turn around
Abu Juhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I saw Bilāl make the Adhān, turning his mouth from side to side, and both his fingers were in his ears. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in a red tent. (I think the narrator said that it was made of leather). Bilāl went in front of him with a stick and planted it in the flat ground. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prayed facing it, while dogs and donkeys passed in front of him, and he was wearing a red garment. It is as though I see the glitter of his shins." Another narration reads: "I saw Bilāl going out to Al-Abtah to make Adhān. When he reached: "Come to prayer! Come to success!" he turned his neck right and left and did not turn around."
The Muezzin is responsible for the Adhān, and the leader of the congregation is responsible for the Iqāmah
‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Muezzin is responsible for the Adhān, and the leader of the congregation is responsible for the Iqāmah."
Bilāl made a call to prayer before the break of dawn. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) therefore commanded him to return and make a call: Lo! The slave of Allah slept. Lo! The slave of Allah slept
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Bilāl made a call to prayer before the break of dawn. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) therefore commanded him to return and make a call: "Lo! The slave of Allah slept. Lo! The slave of Allah slept."
يا بلال قم فنادِ بالصلاة
عن ابن عمر قال: كان المسلمون حين قدموا المدينة يجتمعون فيتحيَّنون الصلاة، ليس يُنادى لها، فتكلموا يومًا في ذلك، فقال بعضهم: اتخذوا ناقوسًا مثل ناقوس النصارى. وقال بعضهم: بل بوقا مثل قرن اليهود. فقال عمر: أولا تبعثون رجلًا ينادي بالصلاة. فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يا بلال قم فنادِ بالصلاة».
كان الأذانُ على عَهدِ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مرَّتين مرَّتين، والإقامةُ مرَّة مرَّة
عن ابن عمر قال: إنّما كان الأذانُ على عَهدِ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مرَّتين مرَّتين، والإقامةُ مرَّةً مرَّةً، غير أنه يقول: قد قامت الصلاةُ، قد قامت الصلاةُ، فإذا سمعنا الإقامةَ توضأنا ثمَّ خرجنا إلى الصلاة.
كان ينام أوله ويقوم آخره، فيصلي
عن الأسود قال: سألت عائشة رضي الله عنها كيف كانت صلاة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بالليل؟ قالت: كان ينام أوله ويقوم آخره، فيصلي، ثم يرجع إلى فراشه، فإذا أذن المؤذن وثب، فإن كان به حاجة اغتسل، وإلا توضأ وخرج.