Prayer

Jabir stated that God’s Messenger said to Bilal, “When you call the <i>adhan</i> speak deliberately, when you utter the <i>iqama</i> speak quickly, and leave between your <i>adhan</i> and your <i>iqama</i> time for one who eats to finish his food and one who drinks to finish his drink, and one who needs to relieve himself to do so. And do not get up to pray* till you see me do so.” * This sentence is addressed not only to Bilal, as the plural is used. Tirmidhi transmitted it and said, “I know it only from the tradition of ‘Abd al-Mun‘im, and it is an unknown <i>isnad</i>”

Ziyad b. al-Harith as-Suda’i said:

God's Messenger ordered me to call the <i>adhan</i> for the dawn prayer and I did so. Then Bilal wanted to utter the <i>iqama</i>, but God’s Messenger said to him, “The man of Suda' has called the <i>adhan</i>, and he who calls the <i>adhan</i> utters the <i>iqama</i>.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that when the Muslims came to Medina they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer, but no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and one of them said, “Use something like the bell of the Christians." Another said, “Use a horn like that of the Jews." But when ‘Umar said, “I suggest that you send a man to announce the prayer," God’s Messenger said, “Get up, Bilal, and summon to prayer." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Zaid b. “Abd Rabbihi said:

When God’s Messenger ordered a bell to be made so that it might be struck to gather the people for prayer, a man carrying a bell in his hand appeared to me while I was asleep, and I said, “Servant of God, will you sell the bell ?” When he asked what I would do with it and I replied that we would use it to call people to prayer, he said, “Shall I not guide you to something better than that?" I replied, “Certainly”; so he told me to say, “God is most great ...” and similarly in the <i>iqama</i>. When I told God’s Messenger in the morning what I had seen he said, “It is a genuine vision, if God will; so get up along with Bilal, and when you have taught him what you have seen let him use it in making the call to prayer, for he has a stronger voice than you have. So I got up along with Bilal and began to teach it to him, and he used it in making the call to prayer. ‘Umar b, al-Khattab heard that when he was in his house, and he came out trailing his cloak and said, “Messenger of God, by Him who has sent you with the truth, I have seen the same kind of thing as has been revealed," to which God’s Messenger replied, “To God be the praise!” Abu Dawud, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Ibn Majah did not mention the <i>iqama</i>. Tirmidhi said that this is a <i>sahih</i>, tradition, but that it did not make the story of the bell explicit.

Abu Bakra said, “I went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to the Morning Prayer, and he called every man he passed to prayer, or shook him with his foot.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Malik heard that the <i>mu'adhdhin</i> came to ‘Umar to call him to the Morning Prayer. Finding him asleep, he said, “Prayer is better than sleep," and ‘Umar commanded him to include it in the call to Morning Prayer. He transmitted it in <i>al-Muwatta’</i>.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b Sa'd b. 'Ammar b. Sa‘d, the <i>mu’adhdhin</i>* of God’s Messenger, said that his father told him from his father from his grandfather that God’s Messenger commanded Bilal to put his fingers in his ears, saying that it made the voice louder. * The <i>mu’adhdhin</i> here mentioned was Sa‘d, great-grandfather of ‘Abd ar-Rahman. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Mu‘awiya said that he heard God's Messenger say, “The <i>mu’adhdhins</i> will have the longest necks on the day of resurrection.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When a summons to prayer is made the evil turns his back and breaks wind so as not to hear the call being made, but when the summons is finished he turns round. When a second call to prayer is made he turns his back, and when the second call is finished he turns round to distract a man, saying, ‘Remember such and such ; remember such and such’, referring to something the man did not have in mind, with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “All jinn, men, or any other creatures who hear the voice of the <i>mu’adhdhin</i> as far away as it is possible to hear it will testify on his behalf on the day of resurrection.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God's Messenger as saying, “When you hear the <i>mu’adhdhin</i> repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes one blessing on me will receive ten blessings from God. Then ask God to give me the <i>wasila</i>, which is a rank in paradise fitting for only one of God’s servants, and I hope that I may be the one. If anyone asks that I be given the <i>wasila</i>, he will be assured of my intercession.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying:

When the <i>mu’adhdhin</i> says, “God is most great, God is most great,” and one of you makes the response, “God is most great, God is most great”; then says, “I testify that there is no god but God,” and he makes the response, “I testify that there is no god but God”; then says, “I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger,” and he makes the response, “I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger”; then says, “Come to prayer,” and he makes the response, “There is no might and no power except in God”; then says, “Come to salvation,” and he makes the response, “There is no might and no power except in God”; then says, “God is most great, God is most great,” and he makes the response, “God is most great, God is most great”; then says, “There is no god but God,” and he makes the response, “There is no god but God”; if he says this from his heart, he will enter paradise. Muslim transmitted it.

Jabir reported God’s Messenger as saying:

If anyone says when he hears the summons, “O God, Lord of this perfect call and of the prayer which is established for all time, grant Muhammad the <i>wasila</i> and excellency, and raise him up in a praiseworthy position (Al-Qur’an; 17:79) which You have promised,” he will be assured of my intercession. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to attack the enemy at dawn, and he would sometimes hear the <i>adhan</i>, so if he heard an <i>adhan</i> he stopped, but otherwise he attacked. Once on hearing a man say, “God is most great, God is most great,” God’s Messenger said, “You follow Islam.” Then hearing him say, “There is no god but God,” he said, “You have come forth from hell.” They looked at him and found that he was a goatherd. Muslim transmitted it.

Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas reported God’s Messenger as saying:

If anyone says when he hears the <i>mu’adhdhin</i>, “I testify that there is no god but God alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; I am satisfied with God as Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger, and with Islam as religion,” his sins will be forgiven him. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mughaffal reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Between every pair of <i>adhans</i> there is a prayer; between every pair of <i>adhans</i> there is a prayer.” Then he said on repeating it a third time, “for him who wishes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The <i>imam</i> is responsible and the <i>mu'adhdhin</i> is trusted. O God, guide the <i>imams</i> and forgive the <i>mu'adhdhins</i>.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Shafi’i transmitted it, and in another version by Shafi’i the wording of <i>al-Masabih</i> is used.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone makes the call to prayer for seven years seeking to please God, freedom from hell will be recorded for him.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. ‘Amir reported God’s Messenger as saying:

God is pleased with a shepherd on the top of a rock on a mountain who makes the call to prayer and prays. God says, “Look at this servant of Mine who makes the call to prayer, observes the prayer and fears Me. I forgive My servant and will cause him to enter paradise.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Three will be on mounds of musk on the day of resurrection:

a man who gives God and his patron their due, a man who leads people in prayer to their satisfaction, and a man who summons people to the five times of prayer every day and night.” Tirmidhi transmitted it and said that it is a <i>gharib</i> tradition.