The azhan is a call to inform others in specific words that the time for a prayer
has begun. It is a call to the congregation, and is an expression of the Islamic
practices. It is obligatory or highly preferred. Al-Qurtubi and others have said
that the azhan, although it has very few words, covers all essentials of the faith.
It begins by proclaiming the greatness of Allah, pointing to His existence and perfection.
It mentions His oneness and the denial of polytheism, and it confers the messengership
of Muhammad, upon whom be peace. It calls to specific acts of obedience after testifying
to Muhammad's messengership, and it calls to a prosperity which is everlasting,
pointing to the return to Allah. Then, in a manner of emphasis, it repeats some
of what was already mentioned.
Many hadith describe the virtues of the azhan and the one who calls it. Such hadith
include the following:
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said, "If the people knew what was in the
azhan and the first row (of the prayer in virtue), and that they could not get it
save by drawing lots, they would draw lots. If they 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 and the morning prayers in congregation, they would come to them even
if they had to crawl . " (Related by al-Bukhari and others. )
Mu'awiyyah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The callers to
prayer will have the longest necks of all people on the Day of 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 the caller to prayer is forgiven,
for as far as his voice reaches and whoever hears him will confirm what he says.
He will get a reward similar to those who pray with him." This hadith is related
by Ahmad and 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 prayer among themselves, Satan gains
mastery over them." (Related by Ahmad.)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "The imam is a
guarantor, and the caller to prayer is one who is given the trust. 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 watching sheep in his pasture,
then goes to the mountain to make the call to prayer and pray. Allah, the Exalted,
says, 'Look at my slave there who makes 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.)
The azhan was made part of the shari'ah during the first year after the migration
to Madinah. The hadith clarify what led up to its institution.
Nafa' related that Ibn 'Umar said, "The Muslims would gather and calculate the time
of prayer, and no one would call them. They spoke about that one day. Some said,
'We should have a bell like the Christians.' Others said, 'We should have a horn
like the Jews.' Suggested 'Umar, 'Why don't we have one person call the others to
prayer?' The Messenger of Allah said, 'Stand, Bilal, and make the call to prayer."
(Related by Ahmad and al-Bukhari.)
Reported 'Abdullah ibn (Zaid ibn) 'Abd Rabbih, "When the Prophet was to order the
use of a bell to call the people to prayer, he disliked it because it resembled
the Christian practice. While I was sleeping, a man came to me carraying a bell.
I said to him, 'O slave of Allah, will you sell me that bell?' Said he, 'What would
you do with it?' I replied, 'I would call the people to prayer with it.' Said he,
'Shall I not guide you to something better than that?' I said, 'Certainly.' Said
he, 'You should say, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu
alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla ilaha illallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah,
ashhadu anna Muhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah. Hayya 'alas-salah, hayyah 'alassalah. Hayya
'alal-falah, hayya 'alal-falah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah.'
Then he went a short distance away and said, 'When you stand for the prayer, say,
'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha 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 have seen, and tell
him to make the call to prayer, for he has the best voice among you.' I went to
Bilal and told him what to do, and he made the call to prayer. 'Umar was in his
house when he heard it. He came out with his cloak, saying 'By the One who has raised
you with the truth, 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, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah,
Ibn Khuzaimah and at-Tirmizhi, who called it hassan sahih.
There are three ways to make the azhan:
1. Make four takbir at the beginning and say the rest of the phrases twice, without
any repetition, except for the last statement of la illaha illa-lah. So, the azhan
would be made up of fifteen phrases, as in 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 low voice, then repeat them again in
a louder voice. Abu Mahzhura reported that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, taught
him an azhan consisting of nineteen phrases. This hadith is related by "the five."
At-Tirmizhi called it hassan sahih.
3. Make two takbir and repeat the "statements of witness," making the number of
phrases seventeen. Muslim records that Abu Mahzhurah related that the Prophet, upon
whom be peace, taught him the following azhan: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. Ashhadu
alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah. Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah,
ashhadu anna Muhammad 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, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah. "
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 the morning azhan. Abu Mahzhurah asked
the Prophet, upon whom be peace, to teach 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. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La illaha illal-lah." (Related by Ahmad and
Abu Dawud. ) 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, with the exception
of the last statement of la ilaha illal-lah. Abu Mahzhura said that the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, taught him the iqamah consisting of seventeen phrases: Allahu
akbar (4 times), ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah (twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad arRasool-lal-lah
(twice), hayya 'alas-salah (twice), hayya 'alal-falah (twice), qad qaamatis-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 qad qaamatus-salah twice.
Everything else is to be said once, making eleven phrases. 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, qad qaamatis-salah. Allahu
akbar, Allahu akbar. La illaha illal-lah.
3. The same as in the preceding, but Qad qaamatus-salah is said only once, making
a total of ten phrases. Imam Malik chose this way, because he found the people of
Madinah performing it thus. But says Ibn al-Qayyim, "It is not proven that the Messenger
of Allah ever said 'Qad qaamatus-salah' only once." Ibn 'Abdul-Barr is of the view,
"In every case, it is said twice."
It is preferred that whoever is listening to the azhan repeat it with the caller,
except for the two hayya 'alas-salah, hayya 'alal-falah phrases, after which he
should say La haula wa la quwatah illa billah (there is no power or might save Allah).
Says an-Nawawi, "Our companions hold that it is preferable for the listener to repeat
after the caller (to prayer), except when he comes to the two preceding phrases,
for this shows that he approves of what the caller is saying. Those two statements
are calls to the prayer, and it is only proper for the caller to prayer to say them.
It is preferable for the listener to say something, such as La haula wa la quwatah
illa billah. It is confirmed in the two Sahihs from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the
Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, 'La haula wa la quwatah illa billah is a treasure
from the treasures of Paradise.' Our companions say that to repeat the call to prayer
is preferred for everyone who hears the call, whether clean or unclean, in a state
of post-sexual uncleanliness or menstruating, and so on, as it is a remembrance
and all of those people who can should make it. Those who can not do so are the
ones who are praying, who are relieving themselves, or are having sexual intercourse.
If one is reciting the Qur'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 a voluntary
or obligatory prayer." Says ash-Shaf'i, "One should not repeat after the call to
prayer, but when he finishes he should repeat what he has said." In al-Mughni, it
says, "If one enters the mosque and hears the azhan, it is best that he wait until
the caller finishes it before 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 no
problem. This is what Ahmad says on the subject."
The Muslim should pray for the Prophet, peace be upon him, after the call is over
in any of the manners that have been related, and ask Allah to give him the place
of wasilah. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr related that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be
peace, said, "If you hear the call to prayer, repeat after it. Then supplicate for
me, for whoever makes one supplication for me, Allah makes ten for him. Then ask
Allah to grant me the place of wasilah. It is a place in Paradise reserved for a
slave from among the slaves of Allah. I hope to be him, and whoever asks Allah to
grant me the place of wasilah, my intercession becomes permissible for him." (Related
by Muslim.) Jabir reported that the Prophet said, "Whoever says (after) hearing
the call to prayer, 'O Allah, Lord of this complete call and of the estabished prayers,
grant Muhammad the place of wasilah, the most virtuous place and raise him to a
praiseworthy position that you have promised him,' will have my intercession made
permissible for him on the Day of Judgement. (Related by al-Bukhari.)
After the azhan, one should make individual supplications, as that is the time when
they will most likely be accepted. Anas reported that the Prophet, upon whom be
peace, said, "A supplication made between the azhan 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 "They asked, 'What should we
say, O Messenger of Allah?' He responded, 'Ask Allah for forgiveness and well-being
in this world and the Hereafter." 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr related that a man said, "O
Messenger of Allah, the callers to prayer get more virtues than us." He said, "Say
what they say and when they finish, ask and it shall be given." (Related by Abu
Dawud with a sahih chain.)
On the same subject, reported Umm Salamah, "The Prophet, upon whom be peace, 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 have supplicated to You, so forgive me."
It is preferred that one who hears the iqamah repeat the words, except when Qad
qaamatus-salah is said, he should say, "Allah establishes it and makes it everlasting."
Some of the companions reported that when Bilal said this phrase, the Prophet would
say "Allah establishes it and makes it everlasting."
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 for wages. 'Uthman
ibn Abu al-'Aas asked the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, to appoint him
as the imam of his people. He replied, "You are their imam. Be careful about the
weak amongst them, and appoint a caller to prayer who does not accept wages for
his azhan.
This hadith is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmizhi, with
a slightly different wording, who called it hasan. He also said that the scholars
agree with this, and that they hate to see the caller receive wages for the azhan.
2. He should be clean from major or minor impurities. Al-Muhajir ibn Qanfazh reported
that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said to him, "Nothing prevented me from returning
(your salutations) except that I dislike to mention the name of Allah when I am
not clean. This report has 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 state of 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 the Ka'bah). Said
Ibn al-Munzhir, "There is agreement that it is sunnah for the caller to be standing,
for then he can be heard far away. It is also sunnah that he face the qiblah while
making the azhan. If he turns away from the qiblah, his azhan will be sound, but
the act will be disliked.
4. He should turn with his head, neck and chest to the right upon saying "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 of his 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 sound chains. In
al-Mughni, it states from Ahmad that the caller should not turn 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 his practice, Bilal
said, "I put my index fingers into my ears and made the azhan. (Related by Abu Dawud
and Ibn Hibban.)
Says at-Tirmizhi, "The scholars prefer the callers to put their index fingers into
their ears while making the azhan."
6. He should raise his voice for the call, even if he is alone in the desert. 'Abdullah
ibn 'Abdurahman related from his father that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said to him, "I
see that you love the sheep and the desert. If you are with your sheep or in the
desert, then raise your voice while making the call to prayer, for any jinn, human
or thing within hearing distance of your voice will be a witness for you on the
Day 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 quick in making
the iqamah. Many narrations have reported that this act is preferred.
8. He should not speak during the iqamah. Some scholars dislike that he should
even speak during the azhan, although al-Hasan, 'Ata and Qatadah permit it. Says
Abu Dawud, "I asked Ahmad, 'May a man speak during his azhan?' He said, 'Yes.' 'May
he speak during the iqamah?' He said, 'No,' and that is because it is preferred
that he make it quickly."
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 early azhan and that of the proper time). 'Abdullah
ibn 'Umar related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said, "Bilal makes the azhan
during the night, so eat and drink until you hear the azhan of Ibn Umm Maktum."
(Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) The wisdom behind allowing the morning azhan
a little earlier is made clear in a hadith recorded by Ahmad and others from Ibn
Mas'ud: "None of you should let Bilal's azhan prevent you from the pre-dawn meal,
as he is making the azhan for those who are praying to stop and for those who are
sleeping to get up." But Bilal made his azhan in exactly the same way as the regular
azhan. At-Tahawi and an-Nasa'i relate that the time difference between Bilal's azhan
and that of Ibn Umm Maktum was the time it took for one to 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 to prepare themselves
for prayer and get to the mosque. The hadith that state the time difference are
weak. Al-Bukhari has a section entitled How Much Time Is There Between the Azhan
and Iqamah?, but no specific length of time has been confirmed therein. Ibn Batal
said, "There is no time limit set, except that of the time beginning and the people
gathering for the prayer." Jabir ibn Sumra said, "The callers to prayer of the Prophet
would make the azhan and then leave some time, making the iqamah only when they
saw the Prophet, upon whom be peace, coming (to the place of prayer). (Related by
Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and at-Tirmizhi.)
This is so because the caller to prayer takes precedence in making the iqamah. Says
Ash-Shaifi, "If a man made the azhan, he should follow it up with the iqamah." Of
this, at-Tirmizhi says, "Most of the scholars agree with this opinion."
Malik states in al-Muwatta, "I have not heard anything concerning the specific time
to stand for prayer. I have seen some peope lagging and others being quick." Ibn
al-Munzhir recorded that Anas would stand when Qad qaamtus-salah was said.
It is not allowed to leave the call unanswered or to leave the mosque after it has
been made, unless there is some excuse or one has the intention to return for the
prayer. Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet, upon whom be peace, told them, "If
one of you is in the mosque and 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
Abu Hurairah said about a man who left the mosque after the call had been made,
"That man has disobeyed Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet, upon whom be peace)." This is
related by Muslim and others. Mu'azh at-Jahni related that the Prophet said, "It
is the utmost apathy and sign of disbelief and hypocrisy that one who hears the
call of Allah to salvation does not respond." (Related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani.)
Commenting upon this, at-Tirmizhi says, "It has been related from more than one
of the companions that one who hears the call and does not respond will have no
prayer. Some said that this is the maximum imposition, which shows that there is
no excuse for one who does not attend the congregational prayer without a valid
reason."
One who sleeps through the time of a prayer or who forgets a prayer may make azhan
and iqamah when he desires to pray. In a story recorded by Abu Dawud, when the Prophet,
upon whom be peace, and his companions slept through the time of the morning prayer,
he ordered Bilal to make the azhan and iqamah for the prayer. If one has missed
many prayers, it is preferred to make one azhan at the beginning followed by an
iqamah for each prayer. Says al-'Athram, "I heard Abu 'Abdullah (Ahmad) being asked
what a man who had missed a prayer should do about the azhan. He mentioned the hadith
of Hushaim from Abu az-Zubair...that the idol-worshippers kept the Prophet busy
during four of his prayers during the Battle of the Clans. When part of the night
had passed, he ordered Bilal to make the azhan and the iqamah and they prayed the
afternoon, sunset, and night prayers in succession, each time followed by the iqamah.
Said Ibn 'Umar, "There is no azhan or iqamah for women." (Related by al-Baihaqi
with a sahih chain.) This was the opinion of Anas, al-Hassan, Ibn Sireen, an-Nakha'i,
al-Thauri, Malik, Abu Thaur and the people of "juristic reasoning." Ash-Shaifi,
Ishaq and Ahmad said if they 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
in prayer, standing in the middle of the row. (Related by al-Baihaqi.)
The author of al-Mughni states, "If one enters the mosque after the prayer 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, was to ask a person to make the azhan and
iqamah, after which he would pray with (some people) in congregation. If a person
wishes, he may pray without making the azhan and iqamah. Says 'Urwa, "If you reach
a mosque wherein the people have already prayed, you may base your prayer on their
azhan and iqamah, as theirs are sufficient for those who come after them." This
was the opinion of al-Hassan, ash-Sha'bi and an-Nakha'i. Al-Hassan, however, said,
"I prefer that he makes the iqamah. If he makes the azhan, he should do so in a
low voice and not aloud, for some people may consider it out of place."
It is permitted to talk between the iqamah and the prayer. One need not repeat the
iqamah, even if the interval is long. Reported Anas ibn Malik, "The iqamah was made
while the Messenger of Allah was talking to a man in the corner of the mosque. He
did not come to the prayer until the people had fallen asleep." (Related by al-Bukhari)
One time, the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, remembered that he was in
post-sex impurity after the iqamah had been made, so he went to make ghusl and came
back to lead the prayer without (a new) iqamah.
If someone other than the appointed caller wants to make the azhan, he must obtain
the latter's permission. If the appointed or regular caller is late and they fear
that they will miss the time of the azhan, another person may make the call.
The azhan is a form of worship. Muslims are not allowed to add or subtract anything
from it. There is an authetic hadith which states, "Whoever introduces something
to this affair of ours will have it rejected." We will discuss some of these acts
here:
The caller saying, "I bear witness that our leader (Muhammad) is the Messenger 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 eyes with the index
fingers and then kissing them after hearing the caller say 'I bear withess that
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,' and with the listener saying, 'I bear witness
that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with
Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as the Prophet," is based on ad-Dailami's report
from Abu Bakr that when he heard the caller say, "I bear witness that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah," he would say the same, kiss the inside of his index fingers
and wipe his eyes. The Prophet then said, "Whoever does what my friend (Abu Bakr)
did, then my intercession will be permissible for him." In al-Maqasid it says, "This
is not true. And what Abu Bakr ar-Raddad al-Yamani al-Mutasawaf recorded in Mujibat
ar-Rahmah wa Aza'im al-Maghfirah is not true. Its chain is of unknown narrators
and, moreover, the chain is broken." There is another report of equally dubious
import from al-Khidrs and mentioned in the preceding book: "Whoever says, upon hearing
the caller say, 'I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,' 'Welcome
O my love and the coolness of my eyes, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, upon whom be peace,'
and then kisses his index fingers and wipes his eye with them, he well never go
blind; nor will he never be afflicted with an eye infection."' None of these practices
can be attributed to the Prophet or his companions.
To "sing" the azhan or to state it in improper Arabic by adding a letter or lengthening
the sound of a vowel, and so on, is disliked. If it changes or obscures the meaning
of what is said, it becomes forbidden.
Reported Yahya al-Baka', "I saw Ibn 'Umar say to a man, 'I am mad at you for the
sake of Allah.' Then he said to his companions, 'He sings in making his azhan, and
he takes wages for it."'
Making zhikr, supplications, and practices of a similar nature before the morning
azhan are innovations to the sunnah. In al-Iqna and its commentary, a book of Hanbali
fiqh, it is stated, "What some callers do before the morning azhan (i.e. zhikr,
chanting, loud supplications and so on) are not part of the sunnah. No scholar has
said that it is preferred to do such acts. In fact, they are hateful innovations
introduced after the time of the Prophet and his companions. No one is to order
such acts, and no one is to blame one who avoids such acts. If one has left money
for such acts, it is not permissible to use it for those acts, as they contradict
the sunnah. In Talbis Iblis by Ibn al-Jauzi, it states, "I have seen people staying
up a part of the night on the minaret admonishing the people, making zhikr and reciting
the Qur'an in a loud voice. They keep people from sleeping and disturb those who
are making late-night prayers. These are rejected and evil actions." Ibn Hajr says
in Fath al-Bari, "What is done in the way of zhikr before the morning azhan, the
Friday prayers and the prayers for the Prophet is derived neither from the azhan
nor from the Islamic law.
This is a hated innovation. Ibn Hajr says in al-Fatawa al-Kubra, "Our shaikhs and
others have given a legal verdict about the prayers and salutations for the Prophet
after the azhan and how the callers to prayer do it. Their verdict is that (the
prayers for the Prophet) has its root in the sunnah, but the manner in which they
perform it is an innovation." Muhammad 'Abduh was asked about saying the prayers
and salutation for the Prophet subsequent to the azhan and he said, "The azhan,
as mentioned in al-Khaniyyah, is only for the prescribed prayers. It consists of
fifteen phrases, the last being La ilaha illal-lah. Whatever is mentioned before
or after it is an innovation. It has been introduced for rhythm, and nothing else.
There is hardly a scholar who has allowed it, nor does it make any sense to say
that it is a good innovation, for every innovation in matters of worship is evil.
Whoever claims that it is not for melody is lying."
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