Virtues of the Muazzin – Part 5

1. It was the desire of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) to call out the azaan and they desired that their children also call out the azaan.
Below are some of the Ahaadith which illustrate the eagerness of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) to call out the azaan:

• The eagerness of Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) for Hazrat Hasan (radhiyallahu anhu) and Hazrat Husain (radhiyallahu anhu) to call out the azaan:

عن علي رضي الله عنه قال ندمت أن لا أكون طلبت إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيجعل الحسن والحسين مؤذنين (مجمع الزوائد، الرقم: 1836)

It is reported that Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) said, “I feel remorseful over the fact that I did not request Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) to appoint my two sons, Hasan and Husain (radhiyallahu anhuma), as muazzins to call out the azaan.”

• The eagerness of Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) to call out the azaan:

عن قيس بن أبي حازم قال قدمنا على عمر بن الخطاب فسأل من مؤذنكم فقلنا عبيدنا وموالينا فقال بيده هكذا يقلبها عبيدنا وموالينا إن ذلكم بكم لنقص شديد لو أطقت الأذان مع الخلافة لأذنت (السنن الكبرى للبيهقي، الرقم: 2002)

Qais bin Abi Haazim (rahimahullah) reports, “Once, we had come (to Madinah Munawwarah) to meet Umar (radhiyallahu anhu). During our conversation, he asked us, ‘Who calls out the azaan in the place where you live?’ We answered, ‘We have appointed our slaves to call out the azaan.’ Umar (radhiyallahu anhu), gesturing with his hands (in surprise, repeated our words) saying, ‘We have appointed our slaves to call out the azaan.’ He then remarked, ‘Certainly this is a major shortcoming on your side (that you have appointed such people to call out the azaan who are not knowledgeable in Deen). (Azaan is such a great ibaadah and its reward is so abundant that) had I been able to call out the azaan together with managing the affairs of khilaafah, I would have certainly accepted the position of a muazzin and called out the azaan.’”

   عن عمر رضي الله عنهما أنه قال لو كنت مؤذنا لكمل أمري وما باليت أن لا أنتصب لقيام ليل ولا لصيام نهار سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول اللهم اغفر للمؤذنين ثلاثا قلت يا رسول الله تركتنا ونحن نجتلد على الأذان بالسيوف فقال كلا يا عمر إنه سيأتي زمان يتركون الأذان على ضعفائهم تلك لحوم حرمها الله على النار لحوم المؤذنين (كشف الخفاء، الرقم: 2118)

It is reported regarding Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) that he had said, “Had I been able to call out the azaan (together with managing the affairs of khilaafah), certainly my happiness would have been completed. (The reward of calling out the azaan is so great that if I had the honour of being a muazzin and) if I had not performed any nafl salaah during the night (tahajjud) nor kept any nafl fast during the day, it would have not grieved me. I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) making special dua for the muazzins of this Ummah saying, ‘O Allah Ta’ala, forgive the sins of the muazzins!’ Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) made this dua three times. In surprise, I said, ‘O Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)! (You have elevated the position of the muazzin to such an extent that) you have now left us in the condition that we will be prepared to fight amongst ourselves with our swords in order to call out the azaan.’ Hazrat Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, ‘No, O Umar (radhiyallahu anhu)! A time will come where the desire of calling out the azaan will no longer be in the hearts of people, to such an extent that people will rely on the weak among them to call out the azaan. Those people (the muazzins) are such that Allah Ta’ala has made the fire of Jahannum haraam on their flesh, the flesh of the muazzins.’”