The Meaning of the Adhan and Iqamah: The Call to Prayer

What is the Adhan?

Adhan: to announce; to listen

Muslims meet their Creator formally five times a day: Fajr, Duhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Isha.

These meetings are important occasions designed to strengthen the bond a believer has with the King of all Kings. Each meeting prompts a proclamation of love and submission to al-‘Aliyyu, al-Kabeer (The Most High, The Greatest)

All noteworthy occasions have invitations, formal announcements and RSVPs and salah is no different.

Before the designated prayer times, the mu’addhin (person who recites the adhan) will call out the beautiful words of the adhan, gently summoning Muslims to prayer and also building a sense of longing and that comes with an invitation.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) explains that the one whose heart leaps with joy when they hear the adhan, in this world, bliss and triumph will accompany their ‘call’ [for reckoning] on the Day of Reckoning.

Source: Asrār al-Ṣalāt 1/23

We pray that we are all blessed with this fluttering excitement on hearing the adhan. Ameen.

There is a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that speaks of the discomfort Iblis [Shaytaan or Satan] sustains when the melodious words of the adhan are pronounced. “…Shaytaan takes to his heels and passes wind with noise during his flight in order not to hear the adhan…”

Source: Sahih Bukhari, 608

Shaytaan then engages in childlike, immature behaviour to try and distract the Muslim offering their salah. Coming across this hadith did not fail to raise a smile knowing how special Allah’s invitation is that even Shaytaan recognises its worth and is discomfited by it.

You may know the story of Mi’raj when the noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ascended to the heavens and was gifted with the daily salah. For us, the adhan is a worldly, tangible echo of the invitation to prayer offered intimately to our Prophet (and by association, his Ummah) in that heavenly world. Each time the adhan is issued in our world, it is a reverberation of the gift issued to the Prophet and his Ummah. SubhanAllah may Allah guide us to accepting His gift with open arms and an open heart.

What are the words of the Adhan?

Recital	Arabic	Transliteration	Translation
4x	الله اكبر	Allahu Akbar	Allah is the Greatest
2x	اشهد ان لا اله الا الله	Ash-hadu Allah ilaha illallah	I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
2x	اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله	Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah	I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger
2x	حي على الصلاة	Hayya ‘alas salah	Come to prayer
2x	حي على الفلاح	Hayya ‘alal Falah	Come to success
2x	الله اكبر	Allahu Akbar	Allah is the Greatest
2x	لا اله الا الله	La ilaha illallah	There is no god except Allah

 

In the Fajr prayer, the following proclamation is added twice after ‘Hayya ‘alal Falah’:

اَلصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ

Transliteration: As-salatu khayrum min an-nawm
Translation: Prayer is better than sleep

For most, leaving sleep to perform the Fajr prayer might make this morning prayer the hardest to offer. The above declaration provides motivation and encouragement without negating the struggle one might face. The sweetness of sleep can be surpassed with the sweetness of salah and there is something tremendously poignant about that.

In short:

The adhan begins with an affirmation of the supremacy of Allah. Then we move on to the profession of faith which consists of the Oneness of Allah, the negation of polytheism and the belief that Muhammad is the final Messenger of Allah. Coming to prayer leads to success and eternal success awaits in the Hereafter. This serves as an ultimate reminder about returning to Allah and the temporary nature of this life.  

RSVP: Stage One

A second definition of adhan is ‘to listen’. This is because when the adhan is announced, Muslims are encouraged to listen and respond just as you would RSVP an invitation. The tradition serves as an affirmation of shared belief and faith.

One is responding to the Adhan and the second is replying upon its full completion.

Regarding the immediate response upon recital of each proclamation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed Muslims to repeat each line of the Adhan with two exceptions:

After the Mu’addhin says:	You say:	Some thoughts:
الله اكبر	الله اكبر	This is an assertion of the greatness of Allah.
اشهد ان لا اله الا الله	اشهد ان لا اله الا الله	You honour His Majestic nature by testifying to His Oneness and negating polytheism. Allah is the Greatest and so it follows that you worship only Him.
اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله	اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله	You affirm your belief in Muhammad as the final prophet who spread Allah’s guidance on earth (peace be upon him).
حي على الصلاة	لا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِالله	You are being asked to come physically to the prayer. All of our mental and physical processes are only enabled by the Will of Allah. In acknowledgement of our weakness and fragility, we respond with: there is no power [to do good] or might [to avert evil] except through Allah.
حي على الفلاح	لا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِالله	While the above phrase is an invitation to come to prayer physically, this phrase is an invitation to come to prayer in the spiritual sense as the word فلاح means success. Once again, success is achieved only by the Will of Allah, so we respond accordingly in the hope that Allah guides us. The statement is an entrustment of one’s affairs to Allah and embodies complete submission.
الله اكبر	الله اكبر	Once again, you praise your Lord having affirmed His Strength and Might which cannot be equalled.
لا اله الا الله	لا اله الا الله	Testament of your devotion to Allah.

 

Responding to the call of the mu’addhin in this manner will insha’Allah be a testament to one’s eagerness to action the command of Allah [reading salah]. It is a key step in the preparation of salah and will help one’s Kush’u [attentiveness].

RSVP: Stage Two

This is to be recited upon the completion of the whole adhan:

اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ هٰذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيْلَةَ وَالْفَضِيْلَةَ ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا الَّذِيْ وَعَدْتَّهُ

Transliteration: Allahumma rabba hazihid da’watit taammati was-salaatil qaimati aati muhammadanil waseelata wal-fadheelata wab’ath-hu maqamam mahmudanil lazhee wa-’atta.

Translation: O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer, grant Muḥammad the status (the highest station in Paradise) and pre-eminence (superiority over the rest of the creation), and resurrect him to the praiseworthy station that You have promised him.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever says [the above] after the adhan shall receive my intercession on the Day of Judgement” (Sahih Bukhari, 614).

Iqamah

Iqamah: to establish

The iqamah is a sort of second call to prayer, issued immediately before the prayer is to begin. So while the adhan is an invitation and call to prayer, the iqamah announces that the prayer is about to be established i.e. start and summons Muslims to line up. It indicates that the Imam (who leads the prayer) has taken his place, facing the direction of the Qiblah and is ready to begin.

Because of their different aims, iqamah is shorter than the adhan and is not recited in the same manner. The tone and pace is quicker; is less melodic and is shorter.

Recital	Arabic	Transliteration	Translation
2x	الله اكبر	Allahu Akbar	Allah is the Greatest
1x	اشهد ان لا اله الا الله	Ash-hadu Allah ilaha illallah	I bear witness that there is no god except Allah
1x	اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله	Ash-hadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah	I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah’s messenger
1x	حي على الصلاة	Hayya ‘alas salah	Come to prayer
1x	حي على الفلاح	Hayya ‘alal Falah	Come to success
2x	قَدْ قَامَتْ الصَّلَاةُ	Qad qamatis-salah	Salah has been established (Salah is to begin)
2x	الله اكبر	Allahu Akbar	Allah is the Greatest
1x	لا اله الا الله	La ilaha illallah	There is no god except Allah

 Between Adhan and Iqamah

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Du’a is not rejected between the adhan and iqamah, so engage in du’a (supplication).”

Source: al-Tirmidhi, 212; Abu Dawud, 437; Ahmad, 12174

Some of us may be graced with the sound of the adhan reverberating through our homes, towns and communities during each prayer. Others may have to use technology to do so – in England for example, many Muslim households have access to receivers which allow them to tune into the local masajid (mosques) and hear the adhan and sometimes even the prayer live. There may be others who have access to neither but know that the reward for them is great when their struggle is greater.

May the mu’addhins of all communities be rewarded for sharing their melodious voices with us and may we all be guided and blessed to accept His invitations to eternal success.

Ameen.