What the adhan and iqamah are

The adhan is the call to prayer. A man stands and calls out, in a loud voice, that the time of a prayer has come. The person who calls it is the muadhdhin.

The iqamah is a second, shorter call. It is said just before the prayer begins, to tell people: stand up, the prayer is starting now.

Allah mentions the adhan in the Quran: when you call to prayer¹, and when the call is made for prayer on Friday².

Its virtue

• People would draw lots for it. Nabi ﷺ said: if people knew the reward of calling the adhan and standing in the first row, and the only way to get it was to draw lots, they would draw lots³.
• Everything that hears it is your witness. Any person, jinn or other thing that hears the muadhdhin's voice will speak for him on the Day of Judgement. So raise your voice, even alone in the open with your sheep⁴.
• A special honor. The muadhdhins will have the longest necks of all people on the Day of Judgement⁵. Scholars explain this as a sign of honor and standing.
• Shaytan runs from it. When the adhan is called, Shaytan runs away so he does not have to hear it⁶.

How the adhan began

In the early years in Madinah there was no adhan. People guessed the time and gathered for prayer. Some suggested a bell or a horn. Umar suggested sending a man to call people⁷. Then a Companion named Abdullah ibn Zayd was taught the words of the adhan in a dream, and Nabi ﷺ said it was a true dream⁸.

The words of the adhan

This is the adhan that Bilal called in Madinah¹⁷. It is the one you will hear in most masjids.

The extra words at Fajr

In the adhan for Fajr, after "hayya ala l-falah", the muadhdhin adds twice: As-salatu khayrun mina n-nawm, which means prayer is better than sleep. Nabi ﷺ taught this to Abu Mahdhurah, another of his muadhdhins¹⁸¹⁹. It is only in the Fajr adhan, not in the iqamah²⁰.

Where the schools differ

Nabi ﷺ taught the adhan in more than one way, so the schools follow slightly different forms. All are correct.

• Hanafi and Hanbali: the adhan of Bilal, as in the table above.
• Shafi'i: the same, but with tarji'. Tarji' means the muadhdhin first says the two shahadas (the two "I bear witness" lines, each twice) in a quiet voice, then says them again in a loud voice. This is how Nabi ﷺ taught Abu Mahdhurah²¹²².
• Maliki: with tarji' as well, but "Allahu akbar" is said only twice at the start, not four times²³.

The words of the iqamah

The iqamah has the same words as the adhan, plus one line: Qad qamati s-salah, which means the prayer is now starting. It comes after "hayya ala l-falah". The iqamah is said faster than the adhan, and in a lower voice.

• Single lines: Bilal was told to say the adhan in pairs and the iqamah in single lines, except "qad qamati s-salah"²⁴. This is the way of the Shafi'is and Hanbalis. The words Abdullah ibn Zayd was taught in his dream also match this²⁵.
• Malikis say even "qad qamati s-salah" once.
• Hanafis say every line in pairs, like the adhan. Nabi ﷺ taught Abu Mahdhurah an iqamah of seventeen lines, which is this way²⁶.

Is the adhan required?

Scholars agree the adhan and iqamah are part of Islam and should never be left out of a Muslim community. They differ on how strong the duty is:

• Hanafi and Shafi'i: a sunnah mu'akkadah, a strong sunnah that you should not leave. It is not a sin to skip it once, but a town that gives it up is blamed.
• Maliki: a strong sunnah for every masjid and group. For a town as a whole, it is a duty.
• Hanbali: a fard kifayah for men. That means it is a duty on the community: if one person does it, the rest are free. If no one does it, they all share the blame.

The adhan is called only after the time of a prayer has come. The one exception is Fajr. In Nabi's ﷺ time, Bilal called an early adhan at night, and then Ibn Umm Maktum called the real one at dawn²⁷. Many masjids today still have two adhans for Fajr. In Ramadan, keep eating until the dawn adhan, not the early one.

Who calls it, and when you are alone

The muadhdhin

• He should be a Muslim man, sane, and old enough to understand what he is doing.
• Choose someone with a loud, clear voice, as Nabi ﷺ chose Bilal²⁸. He should also be someone who knows the times well.
• It is good to be in wudu, stand, and face the qibla (the direction of the Kabah).
• Bilal turned his face to the right at "hayya ala s-salah" and to the left at "hayya ala l-falah"²⁹. He put his fingers in his ears to make his voice louder³⁰.

Women

Most scholars say women do not call the adhan, because it is called out loud to the public. Shafi'is and Malikis say it is good for a woman to say the iqamah quietly for herself, or for a group of women praying together. Hanafis and Hanbalis say she does not need to say either.

Praying alone at home

If you pray alone, at home or at work, it is a sunnah to say the adhan and iqamah yourself, quietly or out loud. Allah is pleased with a shepherd who calls the adhan alone on a mountain top and then prays, and He forgives him³¹. Hanafis add: if the adhan was already called in your town, you may rely on it, but saying it yourself is still better. At the very least, say the iqamah.

Travelling

Do not drop the adhan on a journey. Nabi ﷺ told two men about to travel: when you set out, call the adhan and the iqamah, and let the older one lead the prayer³². His muadhdhin called the adhan on journeys too³³.

On a very cold or rainy night, Nabi ﷺ told the muadhdhin to add at the end of the adhan: pray in your homes³⁴. Ibn Abbas did the same on a rainy Friday³⁵. This is a mercy, so people do not have to come out in bad weather.

Replying to the adhan

When you hear the adhan, repeat the words after the muadhdhin, line by line³⁶. This is a sunnah, and the reward is big.

• When he says "Allahu akbar" or the shahadas, say the same words.
• When he says "hayya ala s-salah" and "hayya ala l-falah", say instead: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah, which means there is no power and no strength except with Allah. Nabi ﷺ said that whoever replies like this, from the heart, will enter Paradise³⁷.
• At the Fajr words "as-salatu khayrun mina n-nawm", most scholars say repeat the same words.
• After the muadhdhin says the shahadas, you can also say: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger, and with Islam as my religion. Whoever says this, his sins are forgiven³⁸.

Reply to the iqamah in the same way. There is a report about a special phrase to say at "qad qamati s-salah", but its chain is weak, so repeating the words is enough.

When you cannot reply

• In salah: do not reply. Carry on with your prayer.
• In the toilet: do not say Allah's name there. Reply after you come out if the adhan has just ended.
• Reading Quran or talking: it is better to stop and reply, then carry on.
• A woman on her period can reply. It is dhikr (remembering Allah), not prayer.

The dua after the adhan

When the adhan ends, do these three things in order³⁹:

• Send salawat (blessings) on Nabi ﷺ, for example the salawat you say in the prayer. Whoever sends one blessing on him, Allah sends ten blessings on that person.
• Ask Allah to give Nabi ﷺ al-wasilah. Al-wasilah is a rank in Paradise that only one servant of Allah will have, and Nabi ﷺ hoped it would be him. Whoever asks for it for him will have his intercession.
• Ask for what you need. A man said the muadhdhins get more reward than us. Nabi ﷺ said: say what they say, then when you finish, ask, and you will be given⁴⁰.

The dua for al-wasilah, as Nabi ﷺ taught it⁴¹:

Between the adhan and the iqamah is a special time for dua. Nabi ﷺ said: a dua made between the adhan and the iqamah is not turned back⁴³⁴⁴. So while you wait for the prayer, make dua.

Between the adhan and the iqamah

• How long? There is no fixed time. Leave enough time for people to hear the adhan, make wudu, walk to the masjid and pray the sunnah. Most masjids wait 10 to 20 minutes. For Maghrib the gap is short, because its time is short. In Nabi's ﷺ time, the gap before Maghrib was only enough for two short rakat⁴⁵.
• Pray something. Nabi ﷺ said: between every adhan and iqamah there is a prayer, for whoever wants to pray⁴⁶. That is, you can pray two rakat of sunnah in this gap.
• When to stand up. Do not rush to stand when the iqamah begins if the imam is not yet there. Nabi ﷺ said: when the iqamah is called, do not stand until you see me⁴⁷. If the imam is already in front, stand during the iqamah.

Leaving the masjid after the adhan

Once the adhan is called, do not leave the masjid without praying, unless you have a real reason. A man walked out of the masjid after the adhan, and Abu Hurairah said: this man has disobeyed Abul Qasim (that is, Nabi ﷺ)⁴⁸.

A real reason is fine. For example: you need to renew your wudu, you are the imam of another masjid, or you have an urgent need. If you plan to come back, there is no problem.

Common questions

I heard the adhan on my phone app or on TV. Do I reply?

Many scholars say the sunnah of replying is for a real adhan called for a prayer time. A recording played on a phone is not a real adhan. But repeating the words is still good dhikr, so there is no harm in replying. A live adhan broadcast from your local masjid, on the radio or online, many scholars say you should reply to.

I am at work and pray alone in a quiet room. Do I need to say the adhan?

It is a sunnah, not a must. Say it quietly to yourself if you can, then the iqamah. If you only have time for the iqamah, say that. Your prayer is fine either way.

I hear adhans from two or three masjids at once. Which do I reply to?

Reply to the first one you hear. You may reply to the others too, for extra reward.

Can my young son call the adhan?

A boy who understands what he is doing may call the adhan, according to most scholars. It is a lovely way to teach him. For the main adhan of a masjid, an adult who knows the times well is better.

We are a few sisters praying together at home. Do we need an adhan?

No adhan is needed. Shafi'is and Malikis say one of you can say the iqamah quietly. Hanafis and Hanbalis say you do not need to say either. Follow what you were taught.

I missed a prayer and am making it up. Do I say the adhan?

Yes, you can. Nabi ﷺ once slept through Fajr on a journey. When he woke after sunrise, he told Bilal to call the adhan, and then they prayed⁴⁹. If you are making up several prayers, many scholars say: one adhan at the start, then an iqamah before each prayer. If others can hear you, say it quietly, so no one thinks a new prayer time has come.

The masjid's iqamah sounds different from the one I learned. Is it wrong?

No. Nabi ﷺ taught it in more than one way. Some say each line once, some say each line twice. Both are correct.