A proclamation to announce the beginning of the time of each of the five obligatory prayers is known as Adhaan. This is to remind Muslims of the time of prayer, so that they hasten towards the mosque and make preparations to offer their prayers.
The person who calls out the Adhaan is called a Mu'adh-dhin.
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
“Allah is the Greatest”
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah”
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًارَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًارَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
“I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”
حَیَّ عَلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ
“Come to Salaah”
حَیَّ عَلَی الْفَلَاحِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الْفَلَاحِ
“Come to Success”
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
“Allah is the Greatest”
لَاۤاِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
“There is no god but Allah”
When the phrase "Hayya ala's-Salaah" is said, one should turn his face towards his right looking over his right shoulder and when the phrase "Hayya ala'l-Falaah" is said, one should turn his face towards his left looking over his left shoulder.
In the Fajr prayer, after saying hayya ala’l falaah twice, the mu’adh-dhin says the following two times:
ٍٱلصَّلاَ ةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلنَّوم
ٍٱلصَّلاَ ةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلنَّوم
"Prayer is better the sleep"
Sleep brings comfort in the world and prayer brings comfort in the Hereafter; the phrase above is uttered in Adhaan because the comfort in the Hereafter is better than the comfort in the world.
Words recited by the Mu'adh-dhin
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًارَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الْفَلَاحِ
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
لَاۤاِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
Words in reply
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًارَّسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الصَّلٰوۃِ - لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
حَیَّ عَلَی الْفَلَاحِ - لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
وَأَنَا أَشَْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، رَضِيتُ بِاللهِ
رَبَّاً وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رِسُولاً وَبِالإِْسلاَمِ دِيناً
When you hear the Mu'adh-dhin proclaim: "Ashadu al-laa ilaaha illAllaah", reply: "Wa anna ashhadu al-la ilaaha illAllahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu. Radiytu billahi rabban wa bi-Muhammadin rasulan wa bi'l-Islami dinan" (I witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner and Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I have accepted Allah as my Lord, and Islam as my religion)
When you hear the Mu'adh-dhin proclaim: "Ashadu anna Muhammadar-RasoolAllaah" for the first time, one should say, "Sallallahu Alayka ya RasoolAllaah (Peace be upon you, O, Messenger of Allah)."
When the Mu'adh-dhin proclaims: "Ashadu anna Muhammadan RasoolAllaah" the second time, one should say:
قَرَّتْ عَيْنِيْ بِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰه اللّٰهُمَّ مَتِّعْنِيْ بِالسَّمْعِ وَالْبَصَرِ
"Qarrat ayni bika yaa RasoolAllaah. Allaahumma matt'ini bi's sami' wal basari" (My eyes are cooled by your mention O Messenger of Allaah! O Allāh make my hearing and sight beneficial to me) and kiss the nails of his thumbs or the tips of his index fingers and wipe his eyes with them - this is Mustahab.
When the Mu'adh-dhin says, "Hayya ala's-Salaah and Hayya ala'l-Falaah", reply: "La hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaahi'l-aliyyi'l-azeem (There is no power [to do good] or strength [to refrain from evil] except that granted by Allah, the Most High, the Greatest)."
In the Fajr prayer, when the Mu'adh-dhin proclaims, "As-Salaatu khayrun mina'n-nawm", one should reply:
صَدَقْتَ وَبَرَرْتَ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَطَقْتَ
"Sadaqta wa barirta wa bi'l-haqqi nataqta" (You have spoken the truth, and you have done a good deed, and you have uttered the words of truth).
The Prophet (eternal blessing of Allah upon him) said: "When you hear the Adhaan, repeat what the Mu'adh-dhin says".
It is Sunnah to recite the following Dua' on the completion of the Adhaan:
اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ هٰذِهِ الدَّعْوَۃِ التَّآمَّۃِ وَالصَّلَاۃِ الْقَآئِمَۃِ اٰتِ سَیِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدَا اِ۟لْوَسِیْلَۃَ وَ الْفَضِیْلَۃَ وَ الدَّرَجَۃَ الرَّفِیْعَۃَ وَ ابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدَا اِ۟لَّذِیْ وَعَدْتَّهٗ وَارْزُقْنَا شَفَاعَتَهٗ یَوْمَ اﻟْﻘِﻴٰﻤَﺔِؕ اِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِفُ الْمِیْعَادِؕ بِرَحْمَتِكَ یَاۤ اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِیْنَ
"O Allah! Owner of this perfect call and owner of this prayer to be performed. Bestow upon Muhammad a station in Paradise and a rank above the rest of creation, and raise him to the rank you have promised him."
Waseelah: An exalted station in Paradise that will be given to the Messenger of Allah (upon him is Allah's peace and blessings).
Al-Maqaam al-Mahmood: The praised station. In a hadeeth it is said that this is the station of Intercession. That is Messenger of Allah (upon him is Allah's peace and blessings) will be the first whose intercession will be accepted; and all others will request Messenger of Allah (upon him is Allah's peace and blessings) to intercede for sinners. This is the Praised Station.
The following ĥadīth have been mentioned in this regard:
Reported by Jaabir that the Prophet (upon him is Allah's peace and blessings) said: Whoever beseeches Allah at the conclusion of the call to prayer in these words: [Allāhumma rabba haadhi’hid...the prayer mentioned above], has earned my intercession on the Day of Judgement [Bukhari, #614].
Reported by Ibn Umar from the Prophet g that he said: When you hear the mu’adh-dhin call for prayer, repeat what he says after him; then send blessings on me – because whosoever asks once for blessings upon me, Allāh will bestow ten blessings upon him. After this, ask for Wasīlah to be given to me, for Wasīlah is an exalted station in Paradise and nobody except one Believer will attain it and I hope that I will be that person. So whoever asks Waseelah for me has earned my intercession [Bukhari, #611]
The Iqaamah is recited to announce the start of the Congregational Prayer (Jama'ah).
A person [muqeem] begins reciting the words of the Adhaan, quickly and in a low voice. This is known as Iqaamah, or Takbeer or the Call to Rise for Prayer.
There are a few differences between the Iqaamah and the Adhaan, and they are:
- One places their fingers in their ears during Adhaan, but not in Iqaamah.
- Adhaan is called outside the masjid and from a height; Iqaamah is said inside the masjid standing in the ranks behind the Imam.
- In the Iqaamah , the following phrase is said twice after saying "Hayya 'alal-falaah"
قَدْ قَا مَتِ الصَّلٰوۃُ قَدْ قَا مَتِ الصَّلٰوۃُ
Qad Qaamatis Salaah - Prayer is now about to commence (twice)
On hearing “Qad qaamatis-Salaah”, one should reply:
اَقَامَهَا اللّٰهُ وَ اَدَامَهَا
Aqaamahal laahu wa adaamahaa - May Allah allow (prayer) to abide and remain
It is disliked to keep standing while the Iqaamah is recited. Rather the Imam and the followers [muqtadī] should be seated and rise when the mukabbir [the person reciting Iqaamah] reaches the phrase: Hayya 'alal-falaah.
The right to recite the Iqaamah belongs to the person who called for prayer [muadh’din at that prayer time]. However, others can recite the Iqaamah by the permission of the muadh’din. If the muadh’dhin is not present, anyone in the congregation can recite the Iqaamah.
The person who calls out the Adhaan should:
- Be in the state of ritual purity [wudoo']
- Stand facing the Qiblah
- Stand outside the masjid, preferably on a tall structure such as the minaret.
- Put his index fingers in each of his ears
- Say the words as loudly as possible.
- Say the words one after the other slowly and clearly.
One should listen to the Adhaan until its completion, stopping doing anything else he or she is engaged in. One should listen to the Adhaan attentively and ‘reply’ to the Adhaan .
The Prophet (eternal blessing of Allah upon him) said: "When you hear the Adhaan, repeat what the Mu'adh-dhin says."
It is feared that a person who does not pause to listen to the Adhaan may be deprived of faith at the time of death]. See above "Replying to the Adhaan" for the wording.
One should accept the invitation made by the Adhaan and go to the mosque.
It is stated in a Hadith that duas made between Adhaan and Iqaamah will not be rejected.
A Junoob (a person upon whom Ghusl is necessary) too needs to repeat the words of the Adhaan. A woman who is in the menstruation period or post-natal bleeding does not have to repeat the words of the Adhaan.