Adhān
Definition
The adhan is the Islamic call to prayer — the melodic announcement broadcast five times a day from minarets (or speakers) across the Muslim world, summoning the faithful to leave their worldly preoccupations and turn toward Allah. Al-Ghazali presents the adhan as a divine interruption of the day — a moment in which the created world itself seems to call the human being back to their primary purpose. The Muslim who hears the adhan and feels a genuine pull toward prayer is already showing signs of a living heart; the one who hears it as noise to be filtered out has a heart that needs attention.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Adhān.
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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"
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 12: Book of Marriage
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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."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 7: The Mysteries of Pilgrimage
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"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 captivated my mind and captured my heart. She replied, I will never answer you with immorality. He said, I will marry you. She said, you are a Muslim and I am a"
— Ibn al-Qayyim, The Disease and The Cure
Appears in
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