The Excellence of the Adhan and the Response to the Mu’adhdhin - Section 1

English translation

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.

English translation

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.)

English translation

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.

English translation

‘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.

English translation

‘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.

English translation

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.

English translation

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.

English translation

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.

English translation

‘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.)

English translation

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.

English translation

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.

English translation

‘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.

English translation

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.

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The <i>mu'adhdhin</i> will receive forgiveness to the extent to which his voice reaches, and every moist and dry place will testify on his behalf; and he who attends prayer will have twenty-five prayers recorded for him and will have expiation for sins committed between every two times of prayer.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Nasa’i transmitted up to “every moist and dry place will testify on his behalf,” adding “and he will have a reward equal to that of those who pray.”

English translation

‘Uthman b. Abul ‘As said that he asked God's Messenger to make him his people’s <i>imam</i> and that he replied, “You are their <i>imam</i>, but do according to what the weakest of them is capable of, and employ a <i>mu’adhdhin</i> who does not accept payment for his <i>adhan</i>.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

English translation

Umm Salama said:

God’s Messenger taught me to say when the <i>adhan</i> for the sunset prayer was called, “O God, this is the time when Your night comes on, Your day retires, and the voices of Your summoners are heard, so forgive me.” Abu Dawud transmitted it, as did Baihaqi in <i>ad-Da'awat al-kabir</i>.

English translation

Abu Umama, or one of the companions of God’s Messenger, said that Bilal began the <i>iqama</i>, and when he said, “The time for prayer has come,” God’s Messenger said, “May God establish it and cause it to continue!” During the whole of the <i>iqama</i> he made such responses as are found in ‘Umar’s tradition about the <i>adhan</i>. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “A supplication made between the <i>adhan</i> and the <i>iqama</i> is not rejected.” Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

English translation

Sahl b. Sa'd reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Two things are not rejected, or are seldom rejected:

a supplication when the call to prayer is made, and in stress when people are locked in battle.” A version has “and when rain is falling”. Abu Dawud and Darimi transmitted it, but Darimi did not mention “and when rain is falling”.

English translation

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told of a man who said, “Messenger of God, the <i>mu'adhdhins</i> excel us.”* To him God’s Messenger replied, ‘Say the same words as they say, and when you come to the end, if you make any petition it will be granted to you.” * This most probably means that they get a greater reward. The reply suggests how that may be counterbalanced. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Jabir said that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say, “When the devil hears the summons to prayer he goes off till he is as far away as ar-Rauha’.” The transmitter said that ar-Rauha’ is thirty-six miles from Medina. Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

‘Alqama b. Abu Waqqas said:

I was with <i>Mu'awiyah</i> when his <i>mu’adhdhin</i> called the <i>adhan</i>, and Mu'awiya repeated the <i>mu’adhdhin’s</i> words, but when he said, “Come to prayer, he said, “There is no might and no power except in God,” and when he said, “Come to salvation,” he said, “There is no might and no power except in God the High, the Mighty.” After that he repeated the <i>mu’adhdhin’s</i> words, then said, “I heard God’s Messenger say that.” Ahmad transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Huraira said:

We were with God’s Messenger when Bilal got up and made the call to prayer. When he finished, God’s Messenger said, “If anyone says the same as this sincerely, he will enter paradise.” Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) heard the <i>mu’adhdhin</i> uttering the testimony, he said, “I too, I too.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone calls the <i>adhan</i> for twelve years, paradise is guaranteed to him; sixty blessings will be recorded for him for every day’s calling of the <i>adhan</i> and thirty blessings for every <i>iqama</i>.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.