Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 379
sahih

Abu Mahdhura said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught him Adhan like this:

Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and it should be again repeated: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad Is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to the prayer (twice). Come to success (twice). Ishaq added: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; there Is no god but Allah.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو غَسَّانَ الْمِسْمَعِيُّ، مَالِكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَبُو غَسَّانَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذٌ، وَقَالَ، إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، صَاحِبِ الدَّسْتَوَائِيِّ وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عَامِرٍ الأَحْوَلِ، عَنْ مَكْحُولٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَيْرِيزٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَحْذُورَةَ، أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَّمَهُ هَذَا الأَذَانَ ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - ثُمَّ يَعُودُ فَيَقُولُ - أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ - مَرَّتَيْنِ - حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ - مَرَّتَيْنِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ زَادَ إِسْحَاقُ ‏"‏ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Isnad

10 transmitters
  1. 1Malik bin Abd al-Wahdal-Basra · d. 230 AH
  2. 2Muhammad bin MatrafMedina,'Asqalan · d. after 160 AH
  3. 3Mu'adh ibn JabalMedinah/Yemen/Makkah/Palestine/Syria · d. 18 AH/640 CE
  4. 4Ishaq bin Shahyn al-Wastial-Wasit · d. after 250 AH
  5. 5Mua'dh bin Hisham bin Abyal-Basra,Yemen · d. 200 AH
  6. 6Hisham bin Abi 'Abdullah al-Dastawa'ial-Basra · d. 154 AH
  7. 7'Amir bin Abd al-Wahdal-Basra
  8. 8Makhul al-Shami/al-DamashiqiSyria · d. ~ 110 AH
  9. 9'Abdullah bin MahayrazMakkah · d. 99 AH or before
  10. 10Abu Mahdhura al-JumhiMakkah/Medina · d. ~58 AH
References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 4, Hadith 6
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 4, Hadith 740 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The azan is to inform people about prayer time. Its words combine the Islamic doctrine of monotheism. In this hadith, Abu Mahthura narrated the words of the call to prayer as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught him when being appointed as a governor of Mecca in the eighth year after the Battle of Hunein. Although being concise, “Allah is the greatest" refers to His perfection and negates any meaning that may contradict so. It may mean that Allah is too great that we can realize His greatness. The testimony of faith has two parts. The first one is to prove monotheism, mean that no god worthy of worship except Allah, and negate its opposite of having any partnership. It is the testimony that has precedence and priority over any other issue in Islam. The other part is to declare and prove the message of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), which directly comes after the testimony of Allah’s oneness. Afterward, the caller urges Muslims twice to come to perform prayer, which mentioned after proving the Prophet's message, for we know the obligation of prayer from the Prophet’s teachings, not due to human realization. Then, the caller commands Muslims twice to come to success, victory, and permanent bliss, which reminds them of the events of the hereafter like resurrection and reckoning. In Abu Daoud's narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If it is Dawn (Fajr) prayer, you should say, 'Prayer is better than sleeping, prayer is better than sleeping.'" At the end, he concluded the call with, "Allah is the Greatest" twice then said, "There is no god but Allah." In narrations in Sunan Abu Daoud and An-Nasa'i, he mentioned "Allah is the Greatest" four times in the beginning. The words of the call to prayer are repeated more than once to make sure that lots of people know about the prayer time. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It clarifies some of prayer call's formula, and (2) The virtue of the companion Abu Mahthura, for the Prophet (ﷺ) taught him the call words himself..
Related hadiths5
Compare isnād across 5 related chains →