What is the adhān and how should I respond to it?
The call to prayer — its words, its history (the dream of ʿAbdullāh ibn Zayd), the duʿāʾ after it, and what the Prophet ﷺ taught about responding.
10 passages from 9 books in the library
The adhān is the spoken call to prayer, delivered by the muezzin before each prayer. Al-Ghazali, in The Book of Prayer, advises that one hoping for others to join should "first make the Adhan" and then pray, and notes scholars held that someone praying who misses responding may respond after finishing, even once the caller has stopped. In The Mysteries of Supplication he relates the Prophet ﷺ taught that supplication "between the call to prayer and the establishment" of prayer is answered. Ibn Battuta describes muezzins calling at the Meccan Haram.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 9 books by Imam al-Ghazali, Ibn al-Qayyim, Imam al-Dhahabī, and Ibn Battuta — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
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"He should take a ritual bath for the standing. When the sun declines, the Imam delivers a short sermon and then sits while the muezzin calls the Adhan. The Imam then delivers the second sermon, joining the Iqamah with the Adhan, and finishes as the Iqamah ends. They then combine the Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers with one Adhan and two Iqamahs, shortening the prayer, and then proceed to the standing place."
14th century · Damascus, Syria
Madārij al-Sālikīn — the classical map of the spiritual journey — and a vast body of work on the soul, love, the traps of the ego, and the nature of the heart.
More on Ibn al-Qayyim →
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"repent, allowing the devil to prevail in that moment and snatch them during that shock. We seek refuge in God. It is narrated, In Egypt there was a man dedicated to a mosque for the call to prayer and prayer, exuding the grace of obedience and the light of worship. One day he ascended the minaret for the Adhan, as was his custom. There was a Christian's house under the minaret and he looked inside and saw the Christian's daughter becoming infatuated with her. He abandoned the Adhan, descended, went into the house and approached her. She asked him what he wanted and he replied, I want you. She said, why? He said, you have"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"due to his mercy towards them. A man asked, and two, O Messenger of God? He replied, and two. Another man asked, and one. He replied, and one. The second mannerliness is to call the Adhan in the ear of the newborn. Rafi narrated from his father who said, I saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, calling the Adhan in the ear of Al-Husayn when Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, gave birth to him. It is also narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said, whoever has a newborn and calls the Adhan in his right ear and the Ikama in his left ear, the mother of the boy a spirit will be"
13th–14th century · Damascus, Syria
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ — the monumental biographical dictionary of Islamic scholarship, from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ through al-Dhahabī's own era. A working-scholar reference used for seven centuries.
More on Imam al-Dhahabī →
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"who died in disbelief. It is narrated that he was a man in Egypt devoted to the mosque for the call to prayer and prayer, with the appearance of worship and the light of obedience. One day he ascended the minaret for the call to prayer, and beneath it was the house of a Christian. He looked inside and saw the daughter of the owner who was beautiful, and he became infatuated with her. He abandoned the call to prayer and descended to her. She asked him, What is your concern and what do you want? He replied, I want you. She said, I will not respond to you in a way that is suspicious. He asked her, Will you marry me?"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"In Sahihayn from Abu Huraira: The natural acts are five, including circumcision. The preceding hadith was on cleaning the joints. Chapter One: The Virtues of Salah, Prostration, Congregation, and the Call to Prayer The Virtue of the Call to Prayer The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Three on the Day of Resurrection will be on a mound of black musk, undisturbed by the reckoning and unaffected by fear until the accounts among people are finished: a man who recited the Quran seeking Allah's face and served as an imam leading people who were pleased with him; a man who called the adhan in a mosque,"
13th–14th century · Damascus, Syria
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ — the monumental biographical dictionary of Islamic scholarship, from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ through al-Dhahabī's own era. A working-scholar reference used for seven centuries.
More on Imam al-Dhahabī →
· Provenance →
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"Hajjaj ibn Arta narrated from a sheikh, from one of the callers to prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, who said: Bilal would call to prayer, and Ibn Umm Maktum would establish the prayer, and sometimes Ibn Umm Maktum would call to prayer, and Bilal would establish it. Its chain of narration is weak. Ibn Umar said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, Bilal calls to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum calls to prayer." And he was blind; he would not call to prayer until it was said to him, "It is morning, it is morning.""
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"finds companionship in his reading, and is diligent, there is no wrong in it, and Allah knows best. Among these practices is the communication among the muezzins regarding the adhan, their elongation by stretching the words, and their deviation from facing the qiblah entirely with their chests during certain phrases. Or when each muezzin performs the adhan separately without waiting for the other to finish, confusing the congregation with overlapping sounds."
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"If they are known, it is recommended to prevent and rectify them. Similarly, if a mosque has a single muezzin who calls the adhan before dawn, he should be prevented from calling it after dawn, as this may confuse people about fasting and prayer times. It is acceptable if there is another muezzin with a recognized voice who calls at dawn."
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
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"It is a large, beautiful city, abundant with palm trees, inhabited by various Arab groups, predominantly staunch Rafidites who openly profess their beliefs without fear. Their muezzin proclaims in the call to prayer after the two testimonies, I bear witness that Ali is the friend of Allah. He adds, come to the best of deeds after the call to prayer, and, after the last takbir, Muhammad and Ali are the best of people, whoever opposes them is an infidel."
14th century · Damascus, Syria
Madārij al-Sālikīn — the classical map of the spiritual journey — and a vast body of work on the soul, love, the traps of the ego, and the nature of the heart.
More on Ibn al-Qayyim →
· Provenance →
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"Allah the Exalted said, And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, he is hearing and knowing. The call to prayer drives away Satan, as previously mentioned. Zayd ibn Aslam once had responsibility over mines, where it was reported that many jinn were present. He instructed those there to frequently call the Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer."
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