Table of Contents
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 1: Azhan, call to prayer
The azhan is a call to inform others in specific words that the timefor a prayer has begun. It is a call to the congregation, and is anexpression of the Islamic practices. It is obligatory or highlypreferred. Al-Qurtubi and others have said that the azhan, although ithas very few words, covers all essentials of the faith. It begins byproclaiming the greatness of Allah, pointing to His existence andperfection. It mentions His oneness and the denial of polytheism, andit confers the messengership of Muhammad, upon whom be peace. It callsto specific acts of obedience after testifying to Muhammad’smessengership, and it calls to a prosperity which is everlasting,pointing to the return to Allah. Then, in a manner of emphasis, itrepeats some of what was already mentioned.
Volume 1, Page 95a: Azhan, its Virtues and Excellence
Many hadith describe the virtues of the azhan and the one who callsit. Such hadith include the following:
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, “If the people knew whatwas in the azhan and the first row (of the prayer in virtue), and thatthey could not get it save by drawing lots, they would draw lots. Ifthey knew the reward for praying the noon prayer early in its time,they would race to it. And if they knew the reward for the night andthe morning prayers in congregation, they would come to them even ifthey had to crawl . ” (Related by al-Bukhari and others. )
Mu’awiyyah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “Thecallers to prayer will have the longest necks of all people on the Dayof Resurrection.” (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, and Ibn Majah.)
Al-Barra’ ibn ‘Aazib reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace,said, “Allah and His angels pray upon those in the first rows. And thecaller to prayer is forgiven, for as far as his voice reaches andwhoever hears him will confirm what he says. He will get a rewardsimilar to those who pray with him.” This hadith is related by Ahmadand an-Nasa’i. Al-Munzhiri says its chain is good.
Abu ad-Darda’ reported that he heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace,say, “If three people do not make the azhan and establish the prayeramong themselves, Satan gains mastery over them.” (Related by Ahmad.)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “Theimam is a guarantor, and the caller to prayer is one who is given thetrust. O Allah, guide the imam and forgive the caller to prayer.”
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamar said he heard the Prophet, upon whom be peace, say,”Your Lord, the Exalted, is amazed (and pleased) by one who is watchingsheep in his pasture, then goes to the mountain to make the call toprayer and pray. Allah, the Exalted, says, ‘Look at my slave there whomakes the call to prayer and establishes the prayer out of fear of Me.I have forgiven my slave and have allowed him to enter Paradise.”‘(Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and anNasa’i.)
Volume 1, Page 96: Azhan, The Event Behind ItsLegislation
The azhan was made part of the shari’ah during the first year afterthe migration to Madinah. The hadith clarify what led up to itsinstitution.
Nafa’ related that Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Muslims would gather andcalculate the time of prayer, and no one would call them. They spokeabout that one day. Some said, ‘We should have a bell like theChristians.’ Others said, ‘We should have a horn like the Jews.’Suggested ‘Umar, ‘Why don’t we have one person call the others toprayer?’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Stand, Bilal, and make the callto prayer.” (Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.)
Reported ‘Abdullah ibn (Zaid ibn) ‘Abd Rabbih, “When the Prophet was toorder the use of a bell to call the people to prayer, he disliked itbecause it resembled the Christian practice. While I was sleeping, aman came to me carraying a bell. I said to him, ‘O slave of Allah, willyou sell me that bell?’ Said he, ‘What would you do with it?’ Ireplied, ‘I would call the people to prayer with it.’ Said he, ‘Shall Inot guide you to something better than that?’ I said, ‘Certainly.’ Saidhe, ‘You should say, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahuakbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla ilaha illallah,Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah, ashhadu annaMuhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah. Hayya ‘alas-salah, hayyah ‘alassalah. Hayya’alal-falah, hayya ‘alal-falah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilahaillal-lah.’ Then he went a short distance away and said, ‘When youstand for the prayer, say, ‘Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu allailaha illal-lah, Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah Hayya’alas-salah, hayya ‘alal-falah. Qad qaamatis-salah, qad qaamatis-salah.Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah.’When the morning came,I went to the Messenger of Allah to tell him what I had seen. He said,’Your dream is true, Allah willing. Go to Bilal, tell him what you haveseen, and tell him to make the call to prayer, for he has the bestvoice among you.’ I went to Bilal and told him what to do, and he madethe call to prayer. ‘Umar was in his house when he heard it. He cameout with his cloak, saying ‘By the One who has raised you with thetruth, I saw similar to what he saw.’ The Prophet, upon whom be peace,said, ‘To Allah is the praise.” The hadith is related by Ahmad, AbuDawud, Ibn Majah, Ibn Khuzaimah and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassansahih.
Volume 1, Page 97: Azhan, How It Is Made
There are three ways to make the azhan:
-1- Make four takbir at the beginning and say the rest of the phrasestwice, without any repetition, except for the last statement of laillaha illa-lah. So, the azhan would be made up of fifteen phrases, asin the preceding hadith of ‘Abdullah.
-2- Make four takbir and then repeat ashhadu an la ilaha illal-lah,twice, and ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah twice, in a lowvoice, then repeat them again in a louder voice. Abu Mahzhura reportedthat the Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught him an azhan consisting ofnineteen phrases. This hadith is related by “the five.” At-Tirmizhicalled it hassan sahih.
-3- Make two takbir and repeat the “statements of witness,” making thenumber of phrases seventeen. Muslim records that Abu Mahzhurah relatedthat the Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught him the following azhan:Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu allailaha illal-lah. Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah, ashhadu annaMuhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah. Then repeat ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah(twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah (twice), hayya’alas-salah (twice), hayya ‘alal-falah (twice). Allahu akbar, Allahuakbar. La ilaha illal-lah. ”
Volume 1, Page 98: Azhan, At-Tathweeb: (Saying “Prayeris better than sleep” in the Morning Azhan).
It is part of the shari’ah that the caller to prayer say,”as-salaatu khairun min an-naum (prayer is better than sleep) in themorning azhan. Abu Mahzhurah asked the Prophet, upon whom be peace, toteach him the azhan, and he told him, “If it is the morning azhan, say,as-salaatu khairun min an-naum, as-salaatu khariun min annaum. Allahuakbar, Allahu akbar. La illaha illal-lah.” (Related by Ahmad and AbuDawud. ) It is to be said only in the morning azhan.
There are three ways to perform the iqamah:
-1- Saying the first takbir four times and everything else twice, withthe exception of the last statement of la ilaha illal-lah. Abu Mahzhurasaid that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught him the iqamahconsisting of seventeen phrases: Allahu akbar (4 times), ashhadu allailaha illal-lah (twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad arRasool-lal-lah(twice), hayya ‘alas-salah (twice), hayya ‘alal-falah (twice), qadqaamatis-salah (twice), Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah.This is related by “the five.” At-Tirmizhi grades it
-2- To say the beginning and ending takbir, and the phrase qadqaamatus-salah twice. Everything else is to be said once, making elevenphrases. This is based on the preceding hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zaid:”When you stand for the prayer, say “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.Ashhadu alla illaha illal-lah, ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-RasoolAllah.Hayya ‘alas-salah, hayya ‘alal-falah. Qad qaamat-issalah, qadqaamatis-salah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La illaha illal-lah.
-3- The same as in the preceding, but Qad qaamatus-salah is said onlyonce, making a total of ten phrases. Imam Malik chose this way, becausehe found the people of Madinah performing it thus. But says Ibnal-Qayyim, “It is not proven that the Messenger of Allah ever said ‘Qadqaamatus-salah’ only once.” Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr is of the view, “In everycase, it is said twice.”
Volume 1, Page 99: What Is Said During the Azhan
It is preferred that whoever is listening to the azhan repeat itwith the caller, except for the two hayya ‘alas-salah, hayya’alal-falah phrases, after which he should say La haula wa la quwatahilla billah (there is no power or might save Allah).
Says an-Nawawi, “Our companions hold that it is preferable for thelistener to repeat after the caller (to prayer), except when he comesto the two preceding phrases, for this shows that he approves of whatthe caller is saying. Those two statements are calls to the prayer, andit is only proper for the caller to prayer to say them. It ispreferable for the listener to say something, such as La haula wa laquwatah illa billah. It is confirmed in the two Sahihs from Abu Musaal-Ash’ari that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, ‘La haula wa laquwatah illa billah is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise.’ Ourcompanions say that to repeat the call to prayer is preferred foreveryone who hears the call, whether clean or unclean, in a state ofpost-sexual uncleanliness or menstruating, and so on, as it is aremembrance and all of those people who can should make it. Those whocan not do so are the ones who are praying, who are relievingthemselves, or are having sexual intercourse. If one is reciting theQur’an, or making remembrance of Allah (zhikr) or studying and so on,he should stop what he is doing and repeat after the caller to prayer.He may then return to what he was doing, if he wishes, or he can pray avoluntary or obligatory prayer.” Says ash-Shaf’i, “One should notrepeat after the call to prayer, but when he finishes he should repeatwhat he has said.” In al-Mughni, it says, “If one enters the mosque andhears the azhan, it is best that he wait until the caller finishes itbefore he begins to repeat it. This way he will catch both good deeds.If he does not repeat after the call but starts praying, there is noproblem. This is what Ahmad says on the subject.”
The Muslim should pray for the Prophet, peace be upon him, after thecall is over in any of the manners that have been related, and askAllah to give him the place of wasilah. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr related thatthe Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said, “If you hear the callto prayer, repeat after it. Then supplicate for me, for whoever makesone supplication for me, Allah makes ten for him. Then ask Allah togrant me the place of wasilah. It is a place in Paradise reserved for aslave from among the slaves of Allah. I hope to be him, and whoeverasks Allah to grant me the place of wasilah, my intercession becomespermissible for him.” (Related by Muslim.) Jabir reported that theProphet said, “Whoever says (after) hearing the call to prayer, ‘OAllah, Lord of this complete call and of the estabished prayers, grantMuhammad the place of wasilah, the most virtuous place and raise him toa praiseworthy position that you have promised him,’ will have myintercession made permissible for him on the Day of Judgement. (Relatedby al-Bukhari.)
Volume 1, Page 100: The Supplication After the Azhan
After the azhan, one should make individual supplications, as thatis the time when they will most likely be accepted. Anas reported thatthe Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “A supplication made between theazhan and the iqamah is not rejected.”
As to the authenticity of this report, it is related by Abu Dawud,an-Nasa’i, and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan sahih, and added “Theyasked, ‘What should we say, O Messenger of Allah?’ He responded, ‘AskAllah for forgiveness and well-being in this world and the Hereafter.”‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr related that a man said, “O Messenger of Allah, thecallers to prayer get more virtues than us.” He said, “Say what theysay and when they finish, ask and it shall be given.” (Related by AbuDawud with a sahih chain.)
On the same subject, reported Umm Salamah, “The Prophet, upon whom bepeace, taught me to say (after) the sunset call to prayer, ‘O Allah,this is the beginning of Your night and the end of Your day. I havesupplicated to You, so forgive me.”
Volume 1, Page 100a: Supplication during the Iqamah
It is preferred that one who hears the iqamah repeat the words,except when Qad qaamatus-salah is said, he should say, “Allahestablishes it and makes it everlasting.” Some of the companionsreported that when Bilal said this phrase, the Prophet would say “Allahestablishes it and makes it everlasting.”
Volume 1, Page 101: Conditions To Be Met By The Callerto Prayer
It is preferred that he meet the following conditions:
-1- It is a must that he make the azhan for Allah’s sake and not forwages. ‘Uthman ibn Abu al-‘Aas asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whombe peace, to appoint him as the imam of his people. He replied, “Youare their imam. Be careful about the weak amongst them, and appoint acaller to prayer who does not accept wages for his azhan.
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah andat-Tirmizhi, with a slightly different wording, who called it hasan. Healso said that the scholars agree with this, and that they hate to seethe caller receive wages for the azhan.
-2- He should be clean from major or minor impurities. Al-Muhajir ibnQanfazh reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said to him,”Nothing prevented me from returning (your salutations) except that Idislike to mention the name of Allah when I am not clean. This reporthas come from Ahmad, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Ibn Khuzaimah.The latter grades it sahih.
According to the Shafiyyah, making the call while one is not in a stateof cleanliness is permissible although disliked. According to Ahmad,the Hanafiyyah and others, it is permissible and is not disliked.
-3- He should be standing and facing the qiblah (the direction of theKa’bah). Said Ibn al-Munzhir, “There is agreement that it is sunnah forthe caller to be standing, for then he can be heard far away. It isalso sunnah that he face the qiblah while making the azhan. If he turnsaway from the qiblah, his azhan will be sound, but the act will bedisliked.
-4- He should turn with his head, neck and chest to the right uponsaying “Hayya ‘alas-salah” and to the left upon saying Hayya’alalfalah.” Says an-Nawawi, “It is the most authentic form.”
Reported Abu Juhaifah, “Bilal made the azhan, and I saw the movement ofhis mouth from this side to that side upon saying “Hayya ‘alas-salah”and “Hayya ‘alal-falah.” (Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
According to al-Baihaqi, this turning is not documented through soundchains. In al-Mughni, it states from Ahmad that the caller should notturn to the left or to the right unless he is at the top of a minaret,so that the people on both sides can hear him.
-5- He should insert his index fingers into his ears. Talking of hispractice, Bilal said, “I put my index fingers into my ears and made theazhan. (Related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Hibban.)
Says at-Tirmizhi, “The scholars prefer the callers to put their indexfingers into their ears while making the azhan.”
-6- He should raise his voice for the call, even if he is alone in thedesert. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdurahman related from his father that AbuSa’eed al-Khudri said to him, “I see that you love the sheep and thedesert. If you are with your sheep or in the desert, then raise yourvoice while making the call to prayer, for any jinn, human or thingwithin hearing distance of your voice will be a witness for you on theDay of Resurrection…I heard the Messenger of Allah say that.”(Related by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, an-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah.)
-7- He should pause between each phrase during the azhan and be quickin making the iqamah. Many narrations have reported that this act ispreferred.
-8- He should not speak during the iqamah. Some scholars dislike thathe should even speak during the azhan, although al-Hasan, ‘Ata andQatadah permit it. Says Abu Dawud, “I asked Ahmad, ‘May a man speakduring his azhan?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ ‘May he speak during the iqamah?’ Hesaid, ‘No,’ and that is because it is preferred that he make itquickly.”
Volume 1, Page 102: The Azhan Before and at theBeginning of the Prayer Time
The azhan is to be made exactly at the beginning of the prayer time,except for the morning prayer, when it may be said before dawn(provided that the people are able to distinguish between the earlyazhan and that of the proper time). ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar related thatthe Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, “Bilal makes the azhan duringthe night, so eat and drink until you hear the azhan of Ibn UmmMaktum.” (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) The wisdom behind allowingthe morning azhan a little earlier is made clear in a hadith recordedby Ahmad and others from Ibn Mas’ud: “None of you should let Bilal’sazhan prevent you from the pre-dawn meal, as he is making the azhan forthose who are praying to stop and for those who are sleeping to getup.” But Bilal made his azhan in exactly the same way as the regularazhan. At-Tahawi and an-Nasa’i relate that the time difference betweenBilal’s azhan and that of Ibn Umm Maktum was the time it took for oneto come down from the minaret and for the others to get up to it.
Enough time should be left between the azhan and iqamah for people toprepare themselves for prayer and get to the mosque. The hadith thatstate the time difference are weak. Al-Bukhari has a section entitledHow Much Time Is There Between the Azhan and Iqamah?, but no specificlength of time has been confirmed therein. Ibn Batal said, “There is notime limit set, except that of the time beginning and the peoplegathering for the prayer.” Jabir ibn Sumra said, “The callers to prayerof the Prophet would make the azhan and then leave some time, makingthe iqamah only when they saw the Prophet, upon whom be peace, coming(to the place of prayer). (Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, andat-Tirmizhi.)
Volume 1, Page 103: Whoever Makes the Azhan May Makethe Iqamah
This is so because the caller to prayer takes precedence in makingthe iqamah. Says Ash-Shaifi, “If a man made the azhan, he should followit up with the iqamah.” Of this, at-Tirmizhi says, “Most of thescholars agree with this opinion.”
Volume 1, Page 103a: When One Should Stand for thePrayer
Malik states in al-Muwatta, “I have not heard anything concerningthe specific time to stand for prayer. I have seen some peope laggingand others being quick.” Ibn al-Munzhir recorded that Anas would standwhen Qad qaamtus-salah was said.
Volume 1, Page 103b: Leaving the Mosque After theAzhan (and Before the Prayer)
It is not allowed to leave the call unanswered or to leave themosque after it has been made, unless there is some excuse or one hasthe intention to return for the prayer. Abu Hurairah related that theProphet, upon whom be peace, told them, “If one of you is in the mosqueand the call is made, he should not leave the mosque until he prays.”(Related by Ahmad with a sahih chain.) It is also related that AbuHurairah said about a man who left the mosque after the call had beenmade, “That man has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet, upon whom bepeace).” This is related by Muslim and others. Mu’azh at-Jahni relatedthat the Prophet said, “It is the utmost apathy and sign of disbeliefand hypocrisy that one who hears the call of Allah to salvation doesnot respond.” (Related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani.)
Commenting upon this, at-Tirmizhi says, “It has been related from morethan one of the companions that one who hears the call and does notrespond will have no prayer. Some said that this is the maximumimposition, which shows that there is no excuse for one who does notattend the congregational prayer without a valid reason.”
Volume 1, Page 104: The Azhan and Iqamah for Those WhoMissed the Proper Time of Prayer
One who sleeps through the time of a prayer or who forgets a prayermay make azhan and iqamah when he desires to pray. In a story recordedby Abu Dawud, when the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and his companionsslept through the time of the morning prayer, he ordered Bilal to makethe azhan and iqamah for the prayer. If one has missed many prayers, itis preferred to make one azhan at the beginning followed by an iqamahfor each prayer. Says al-‘Athram, “I heard Abu ‘Abdullah (Ahmad) beingasked what a man who had missed a prayer should do about the azhan. Hementioned the hadith of Hushaim from Abu az-Zubair…that theidol-worshippers kept the Prophet busy during four of his prayersduring the Battle of the Clans. When part of the night had passed, heordered Bilal to make the azhan and the iqamah and they prayed theafternoon, sunset, and night prayers in succession, each time followedby the iqamah.
Volume 1, Page 104a: The Azhan and Iqamah for Women
Said Ibn ‘Umar, “There is no azhan or iqamah for women.” (Related byal-Baihaqi with a sahih chain.) This was the opinion of Anas,al-Hassan, Ibn Sireen, an-Nakha’i, al-Thauri, Malik, Abu Thaur and thepeople of “juristic reasoning.” Ash-Shaifi, Ishaq and Ahmad said ifthey make the iqamah and azhan, there is no problem. It is related from’Aishah that she would make the azhan and iqamah and lead the women inprayer, standing in the middle of the row. (Related by al-Baihaqi.)
Volume 1, Page 105: Entering the Mosque After thePrayer Is Finished
The author of al-Mughni states, “If one enters the mosque after theprayer is finished, he may make the azhan and iqamah. Ahmad’s practice,based on what al-‘Athram and Sa’eed ibn Mansur recorded from Anas, wasto ask a person to make the azhan and iqamah, after which he would praywith (some people) in congregation. If a person wishes, he may praywithout making the azhan and iqamah. Says ‘Urwa, “If you reach a mosquewherein the people have already prayed, you may base your prayer ontheir azhan and iqamah, as theirs are sufficient for those who comeafter them.” This was the opinion of al-Hassan, ash-Sha’bi andan-Nakha’i. Al-Hassan, however, said, “I prefer that he makes theiqamah. If he makes the azhan, he should do so in a low voice and notaloud, for some people may consider it out of place.”
Volume 1, Page 105a: The Time Between the Iqamah andthe Prayer
It is permitted to talk between the iqamah and the prayer. One neednot repeat the iqamah, even if the interval is long. Reported Anas ibnMalik, “The iqamah was made while the Messenger of Allah was talking toa man in the corner of the mosque. He did not come to the prayer untilthe people had fallen asleep.” (Related by al-Bukhari) One time, theMessenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, remembered that he was inpost-sex impurity after the iqamah had been made, so he went to makeghusl and came back to lead the prayer without (a new) iqamah.
Volume 1, Page 105b: The Iqamah of One Who Is Not theDesignated Caller
If someone other than the appointed caller wants to make the azhan,he must obtain the latter’s permission. If the appointed or regularcaller is late and they fear that they will miss the time of the azhan,another person may make the call.
Volume 1, Page 106: Extraneous Additions to the azhan
The azhan is a form of worship. Muslims are not allowed to add orsubtract anything from it. There is an authetic hadith which states,”Whoever introduces something to this affair of ours will have itrejected.” We will discuss some of these acts here:
The caller saying, “I bear witness that our leader (Muhammad) is theMessenger of Allah.” Ibn Hajr is of the opinion that the word ‘leader’may not be added, although it is permissible on other occasions.
Shaikh Isma’il al-‘Ajluni records in Kashfal-Khafa’, “Wiping the eyeswith the index fingers and then kissing them after hearing the callersay ‘I bear withess that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,’ and withthe listener saying, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave andmessenger. I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, andwith Muhammad as the Prophet,” is based on ad-Dailami’s report from AbuBakr that when he heard the caller say, “I bear witness that Muhammadis the Messenger of Allah,” he would say the same, kiss the inside ofhis index fingers and wipe his eyes. The Prophet then said, “Whoeverdoes what my friend (Abu Bakr) did, then my intercession will bepermissible for him.” In al-Maqasid it says, “This is not true. Andwhat Abu Bakr ar-Raddad al-Yamani al-Mutasawaf recorded in Mujibatar-Rahmah wa Aza’im al-Maghfirah is not true. Its chain is of unknownnarrators and, moreover, the chain is broken.” There is another reportof equally dubious import from al-Khidrs and mentioned in the precedingbook: “Whoever says, upon hearing the caller say, ‘I bear witness thatMuhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ ‘Welcome O my love and thecoolness of my eyes, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, upon whom be peace,’ andthen kisses his index fingers and wipes his eye with them, he wellnever go blind; nor will he never be afflicted with an eye infection.”‘None of these practices can be attributed to the Prophet or hiscompanions.
Volume 1, Page 107: Singing the Azhan
To “sing” the azhan or to state it in improper Arabic by adding aletter or lengthening the sound of a vowel, and so on, is disliked. Ifit changes or obscures the meaning of what is said, it becomesforbidden.
Reported Yahya al-Baka’, “I saw Ibn ‘Umar say to a man, ‘I am mad atyou for the sake of Allah.’ Then he said to his companions, ‘He singsin making his azhan, and he takes wages for it.”‘
Volume 1, Page 107a: Zhikr and azhan
Making zhikr, supplications, and practices of a similar naturebefore the morning azhan are innovations to the sunnah. In al-Iqna andits commentary, a book of Hanbali fiqh, it is stated, “What somecallers do before the morning azhan (i.e. zhikr, chanting, loudsupplications and so on) are not part of the sunnah. No scholar hassaid that it is preferred to do such acts. In fact, they are hatefulinnovations introduced after the time of the Prophet and hiscompanions. No one is to order such acts, and no one is to blame onewho avoids such acts. If one has left money for such acts, it is notpermissible to use it for those acts, as they contradict the sunnah. InTalbis Iblis by Ibn al-Jauzi, it states, “I have seen people staying upa part of the night on the minaret admonishing the people, making zhikrand reciting the Qur’an in a loud voice. They keep people from sleepingand disturb those who are making late-night prayers. These are rejectedand evil actions.” Ibn Hajr says in Fath al-Bari, “What is done in theway of zhikr before the morning azhan, the Friday prayers and theprayers for the Prophet is derived neither from the azhan nor from theIslamic law.
Volume 1, Page 107b: To say aloud “Peace and blessingsupon the Messenger” after the azhan
This is a hated innovation. Ibn Hajr says in al-Fatawa al-Kubra,”Our shaikhs and others have given a legal verdict about the prayersand salutations for the Prophet after the azhan and how the callers toprayer do it. Their verdict is that (the prayers for the Prophet) hasits root in the sunnah, but the manner in which they perform it is aninnovation.” Muhammad ‘Abduh was asked about saying the prayers andsalutation for the Prophet subsequent to the azhan and he said, “Theazhan, as mentioned in al-Khaniyyah, is only for the prescribedprayers. It consists of fifteen phrases, the last being La ilahaillal-lah. Whatever is mentioned before or after it is an innovation.It has been introduced for rhythm, and nothing else. There is hardly ascholar who has allowed it, nor does it make any sense to say that itis a good innovation, for every innovation in matters of worship isevil. Whoever claims that it is not for melody is lying.”