Adhan

The (, IPA: ) is the Islamic call to prayer, usually recited by a muezzin, traditionally from the minaret of a mosque, shortly before each of the five obligatory daily prayers.

thumb|[[Fajr (prayer)|Fajr adhan at the Malmö Mosque in Sweden, 2012|300x300px]]

It is the first call summoning Muslims to enter the mosque for (obligatory) (prayers); a second call, known as the , summons those already in the mosque to assemble for prayer. Muslims are encouraged to stop their activities and respond to the by performing prescribed prayers, demonstrating reverence for the call to prayer and commitment to their faith.

The five prayer times are known in Arabic as (), (), (), (), and (). In Turkey, they are called , and ; the five calls to prayer are recited in different makams, corresponding to the time of day. On Fridays, the () is called () or Friday prayer. It is considered the most important prayer of Islam. In Turkey, is called .

Etymology

, Arabic for "announcement", from the root , meaning: "to listen, to hear, be informed about", is variously transliterated in different cultures. Another derivative of the word is (), meaning 'ear'.

Announcer

thumb|Islamic miniature depicting [[Gabriel|Jibril providing instructions on how to perform the call to prayer to Muhammad (golden flame) as well as Bilal ibn Rabah the first muezzin calling the Muslims to prayer from atop the Kaaba.]]

A muezzin () is a person designated by a congregation to recite the from its mosque. Typically, the call is made using a microphone and a recitation that is subsequently broadcast to the speakers, usually mounted on the upper part of the mosque's minarets, thus calling those nearby to prayer. However, in many mosques, the message can also be recorded. As Islamic prayers are recited at least five times daily, the call to prayer must be recited at least five times daily, as well. Thus, the would be made by replaying a previously recorded call to prayer without the presence of a muezzin.

This way, the mosque operator can edit or mix the message and adjust its volume, without having to hire a full-time muezzin, or in the event of a muezzin's absence. This is why, in many Muslim countries, the sound of the prayer call can be identical between one mosque and another, as well as between one Salah hour and another, as is the case at the London Central Mosque. In the event of religious holidays like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha—as in Indonesia, where the Six Kalmas ('phrases') have to be recited aloud all day long—mosque operators use this recording method to create a looping recital of the s. Where no can be heard, it is recommended that religious Muslims recite it before they begin their prayers.

The muezzin is chosen for his ability in reciting the clearly, melodically, and loudly enough for all people to hear. This is one of the important duties in the mosque, as his companions and community rely on him in his call for Muslims to come to pray in congregation. The congregation's imam leads its prayer five times daily. The first muezzin in Islam was Bilal ibn Rabah, a freed slave of Abyssinian heritage. According to the , the muezzin should have an elegant voice, as well, and should be wise about the times of prayer and Islam.

Words

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Details of what is recited and how many times

|-

! colspan="8" |Recital

! rowspan="3" style="width:30%;" | Arabic<hr>Quranic Arabic

! rowspan="3" style="width:30%;" | Romanization

! rowspan="3" style="width:30%;" | Translation

|-

! colspan="4" |Sunni

! rowspan="2" |Ibadi

! colspan="2" |Shia

! rowspan="2" |Quranist

|-

!Maliki

!Hanafi

!Shafi'i

!Hanbali

!Imami

!Zaydi

|-

!2x

! colspan="3" |4x

!2x

!4x

! colspan="2" |2x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ

| allāhu akbar

| God is greater

|-

! colspan="1" |4x

! colspan="7" |2x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | أَشْهَدُ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ

| ashhadu an lā ilāha illa llāh

| I testify there are no gods except God

|-

! colspan="1" |4x

! colspan="6" |2x

| None

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ ٱللَّٰهِ

| ashhadu anna muḥammadan rasūlu llāh

|I testify Muhammad is the messenger of God

|-

! colspan="8" |2x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | حَيَّ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَاةِ

| ḥayya ʿala ṣ-ṣalāh

| Come to prayer

|-

! colspan="8" |2x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | حَيَّ عَلَى ٱلْفَلَاحِ

| ḥayya ʿala l-falāḥ

| Come to success

|-

| colspan="5" |None

! colspan="2" |2x

|None

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | حَيَّ عَلَىٰ خَيْرِ ٱلْعَمَلِ

| ḥayya ʿalā khayri l-ʿamal

| Come to the best of deeds

|-

! colspan="4" |2x<br />

| colspan="4" |None

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | ٱلصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ ٱلنَّوْمِ

| aṣ-ṣalātu khayrun mina n-nawm

| Prayer is better than sleep

|-

! colspan="8" |2x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | ٱللَّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ

| allāhu akbar

| God is greater

|-

! colspan="5" |1x

!2x

! colspan="2" |1x

| dir="rtl" lang="ar" | لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ

| lā ilāha illā llāh

| There are no gods except God

|}

Repeating the two testimonies of faith is recommended according to the Shafi'i school. The first time should be said in low voice to oneself, and the second should be called out; this was the practice of the people of Mecca. The Maliki school uses the same adhan, except allāhu akbar should only be said twice in the beginning; this was the practice of the people of Medina. Both positions also use a narration in Sahih Muslim as evidence.

On rare situations where there is a serious danger to people going outside to congregate in mosques like heavy weather, or pandemics such as during COVID-19, the muezzin may say "ṣallū fī buyūtikum" (ْصَلُّوا فِي بُيُوتِكُم, pray in your homes) or "ṣallū fī riḥālikum" (ْصَلُّوا فِي رِحَالِكُم, pray in your dwellings) after "ḥayya ʿala ṣ-ṣalāh" and "ḥayya ʿala l-falāḥ".

Religious views

thumb|right|Photo of kalima at [[Bab al-Futuh|Bab al-Nasr of Shia Fatimid dynasty of Cairo with phrase: ʿalīyun walīyu -llāh]]

Shia

Shia sources state Muhammad, according to God's command, ordered the adhan as a means of calling Muslims to prayer. Shia Islam teaches that no one else contributed, or had any authority to contribute, towards the composition of the adhan.

Shia sources also narrate that Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi was, in fact, the first person to recite the adhan publicly out loud in front of the Muslim congregation.

The fundamental phrase lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh is the foundation stone of Islam along with the belief in it. It declares that "there is no god but Allah". This is the confession of Tawhid or the "doctrine of Oneness [of God]".

The phrase Muḥammadun rasūlu -llāh fulfills the requirement that there should be someone to guide in the name of God, which states Muhammad is God's Messenger. This is the acceptance of prophethood or Nabuwat of Muhammad.thumb|The [[qiblah of Mustansir of Shia Fatimid dynasty of, in Mosque of Ibn Tulun of Cairo showing Kalimat ash-shahādah with the phrase: ʿalīyun walīyu -llāh|left]]

According to the Shia belief, Muhammad declared Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor, at Ghadir Khumm, which was required for the continuation of his guidance. According to the hadith of the pond of Khumm, Muhammad stated that: "Of whomsoever I am the authority, Ali is his authority". Hence, it is recommended to recite the phrase ʿalīyun walī -llāh ("Ali is His [God's] Authority").

In one of the Qiblah of Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah (1035–1094) of Fatemi era masjid of Qahira (Mosque of Ibn Tulun) engraved his name and kalimat ash-shahādah as lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāh, muḥammadun rasūlu -llāh, ʿalīyun walīyu -llāh ().

Adhan reminds Muslims of these three Islamic teaching Tawhid, Nabuwat and Imamate before each prayer. These three emphasise devotion to God, Muhammad and Imam, which are considered to be so linked together that they can not be viewed separately; one leads to other and finally to God.

The phrase is optional to some Shia as justified above. They feel that Ali's Walayah ("Divine Authority") is self-evident, a testification and need not be declared. However, the greatness of God is also taken to be self-evident, but Muslims still declare Allāhu ʾakbar to publicize their faith. This is the reason that the most Shia give for the recitation of the phrase regarding Ali.

Sunni

Sunnis believe that the adhan was not written or said by the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, but rather by one of his companions. Abdullah ibn Zayd, a companion of Muhammad, reportedly had a vision in his dream, in which the adhan was revealed to him by God. He related this to his companions; later, this news reached Muhammad, who confirmed it. Because of his stunning voice, Muhammad chose a freed Habeshan slave by the name of Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi to make the call for prayers. Muhammad preferred the call over the use of bells, used by Christians, and horns, used by Jews.

thumb|265px|Sunni adhan in [[:ru:Мечеть имени Матея Коканулы|Matey Qoqanuly mosque, Kazakhstan|left]]

During the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jum'ah), there is one adhan but some Sunni Muslims increase it to two adhans; the first is to call the people to the mosque, the second is said before the imam begins the khutbah (sermon). Just before the prayers start, someone amongst the praying people recites the iqama as in all prayers. The basis for this is that at the time of the caliph Uthman he ordered two adhans to be made, the first of which was to be made in the marketplace to inform the people that the Friday prayer was soon to begin, and the second adhan would be the regular one held in the mosque. Not all Sunnis prefer two adhans as the need for warning the people of the impending time for prayer is no longer essential now that the times for prayers are well known.

Supplication

Shia

While listening to the adhan, it is recommended to repeat the same words silently, except when the adhan reciter (muezzin) says: "" and "" (ʾašhadu ʾan lā ʾilāha ʾillā -llāh and ʾašhadu ʾanna Muḥammadan rasūlu -llāh) they silently say:

Whenever Muhammad's name is mentioned in the adhan or iqama, it is recommended to recite salawat, a form of the peace be upon him blessing specifically for Muhammad. This salawat is usually recited as either ' (), ' (), or ' ().

Immediately following the adhan, it is recommended to sit and recite the following dua (supplication):