٣٢. عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:
«مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ: (أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، رَضِيتُ بِاللّٰهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِالْإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا) غُفِرَ لَهُ ذَنْبُهُ».
32. Sa‘d b. Abu Waqqas reported that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: If anyone says on hearing the Muadhdhin: I testify that there is no god but Allah alone Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as my Messenger and with Islam as my din (code of life), his sins would be forgiven.” (Muslim, Salah, 13. Also see Tirmidhi, Salah, 42/210; Nasai, Adhan, 38/677; Ibn Majah, Adhan, 4)
Explanations:
The essence of being a servant of Allah is being respectful to Him. As our respect gains perfection, so does our servanthood. There are some signs of Allah in this universe and showing our respect and love to them also means to love and honor Allah. Showing disrespect to those signs also means being disrespectful to Allah. Those are the signs and marks that evoke the feeling of being close to Allah, such as the Noble Qur’an, Ka’bah, the Prophet, adhan, prayer, sacrifice, and hills of al-Safa and al-Marwa. Allah commanded that we avoid disrespectful acts towards those signs that He established on the Earth. [1] And it is told that those who honor and show respect to these signs will be rewarded. In the following noble verses, it is stated that:
“Such (is the Pilgrimage): whoever honors the sacred rites of Allah, for him it is good in the Sight of his Lord.” (Al-Hajj; 22:30)
“Such (is his state): and whoever holds in honor the symbols of Allah, (in the sacrifice of animals), such (honor) should come truly from piety of heart.” (Al-Hajj; 22:32)
Call to prayer (adhan) is one of the important signs of Islam:
Through call to prayer, the principles of Islam are announced loudly five times a day; the unbelievers are being invited to the faith; and the believers are being invited to worship in congregation and to unity and solidarity.
When call to prayer is recited in a place, it means that there are Muslims living there and the land is a land of Islam. In that sense, the call to prayer was the essential part of conquests and victories throughout Islamic history. A newly conquered land turned into the land of Islam with the recitation of the conquest adhan and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) identified whether a place was the land of Islam or not in accordance with the practice of adhan.[2]
The adhan that is recited in its original language (Arabic) can be easily recognized by the Muslims of the world, no matter what language they speak, and its message can be understood.
The adhan is the continuation of the mission of prophets, because the adhan is a call to the greatest pillar of Islam and to the essence of all acts of worship, i.e. prayer.
Through adhan, Allah the Almighty invites His servants to His presence. For this reason, adhan shows the value that Allah attaches to His servants.
Those kids that adhan is recited into their ears receive the first essence of national and spiritual discipline by this divine invitation.
Therefore, adhan is one of the important signs to which Muslims must show their respect.
The first manifestation of showing respect to adhan is to recite it in the state of ritual purity. (Tirmidhi, Salah, 33/200, 201)
The other indication is to repeat adhan during the recitation of the Muadhdhin. Those Muslims who do that gain the same divine rewards as the Muadhdhin and Allah responds to their prayers.
To repeat adhan with the Muadhdhin is necessary (wajib) according to school of Hanafi law. Hence, upon hearing the adhan, it is also wajib to stop recitation of the Qur’an, saying supplication, greeting others, and talking. Other schools of law view that repeating adhan with the Muadhdhin is recommended but not obligatory. Those views hold same for the call to stand up for the actual start of the ritual prayer (al-Iqamah).
According to some narrations, it is recommended to say “La Hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is neither might nor any power except with Allah)” after hearing Hayya ‘ala al-Salah and Hayya’ala al-Falah. (Muslim, Salah, 12; Abu Dawud, Salah, 36/527)
After “Qad qamat al-Salah” is recited, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) prayed by saying “أَقَامَهَا اللّٰهُ وَأَدَامَهَا” “May Allah establish it and cause it to continue.” (Abu Dawud, Salah, 36/528)
Some scholars are of the view that after Muadhdhin says “Assalatu Khayrun min an-nawm” (Prayer is better than sleep), one should say “صَدَقْتَ وَبَرِرْتَ” “You said the truth and you did well.”
For those who hear more than one call to prayer at the same prayer period, it is enough to repeat this after one call to prayer.
After the call to prayer ends, one says blessings and praises (salawats) to the Messenger of Allah and recites the supplications that were taught in the sayings of the Prophet. Even though these supplications seem like they are said for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), in reality, they are for the benefit of the one who recites them. As a matter of fact, when a person says one blessing (salawat), Allah shows mercy on him ten times and forgives his sins. Again, through our prayers for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to have high level, he will have the right of intercession for the whole of humanity.
Those who repeat the sentences of adhan which is the sign of Islam and who recite the supplications show that they are loyal Muslims who obey Allah. They emphasize that power and might belong only to Allah and do not get carried away by wrong feelings such as that their worships are based on their personal superiority. They accept the divine invitation with the whole of their hearts.
Another indication of being respectful to the call to prayer is to stop all sermons and speeches.
Terms “al-Wasila” and “Station of Praise and Glory” mentioned in the first two ahadith are among the high ranks and levels of being close to Allah and having the right of intercession. Allah the Almighty says:
“And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for you: soon will your Lord raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory!” (Al-Isra; 17:79)
At the Station of Praise and Glory, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) will have a right of intercession not only for his followers but also for the entire community of sinners, and will pray Allah to manifest His mercy and grace in the hearts of humans during their hard times.
The Station of Praise and Glory, the best and the highest place in Paradise also refers to the spread and acceptance of Islam by humanity and the repetition of Prophet Muhammad’s name continuously trough the call to prayer and other means.
The recommended supplication mentioned in the third hadith expresses the fundamentals of faith and Islam. As we mentioned earlier adhan also consists of similar content. Thus, a Muslim refreshes his faith and submission by repeating the fundamentals of his religion five times a day. Because of this consciousness that he keeps alive, he is protected from being carried away by the material world.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) informed us that the doors of heaven will be opened while adhan[3] or al-iqamah[4] is being pronounced and during the time between adhan and al-iqamah,[5] and the supplications will be accepted.
Since adhan is so virtuous, those who recite it also take their share from its virtue. As a matter of fact, exegetes of the Qur’an argue that the following verse of Qur’an also refers to the virtues of Muadhdhins:
“Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says, “I am of those who bow in Islam”?” (Al-Fussilat; 41:33)
Many ahadith are reported about the virtues of Muadhdhins. In one of them, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the adhan and for standing in the first row (in congregational prayers) and found no other way to get that privilege except by drawing lots they would draw lots.” (Bukhari, Adhan, 9, 32, Shahadah 30; Muslim, Salah 129)
Whoever hears the voice of the Muadhdhin, whether a human being, a jinn or any other creature, will be a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection. (Bukhari, Adhan, 5; Tawhid, 52; Bad’ al-khalk 12)
Since muadhdhins strengthen their faith and increase their good deeds through the recitation of adhan, they will be leaders on the Day of Judgment and will have a congregation behind them. (See Muslim, Salah, 14; Ibn Majah, Adhan, 5)
The end of those who do not show the proper respect to adhan is misery. The following story is a clear example to that:
One of the Christians from Medina used to say “Fire to the liar” whenever he heard Muadhdhin saying “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
One night his attendant entered into the house with a fire in his hands. At that time, the Christian man and his family was sitting inside of the house. A spark started up a fire and burned the house and those inside it.
Upon that, the following verse of Qur’an was revealed:
“When you proclaim your call to prayer they take it (but) as mockery and sport; that is because they are a people without understanding.” (Al-Maidah; 5:58) (Wahidî, p. 203; Qurtubi, VI, 146)