Sunnats and Aadaab of Azaan and Iqaamah – Part 2

Sunnah Method of Calling Out the Azaan

1. Ensure that your intention for calling out the azaan is solely to please Allah Ta’ala.

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من أذن سبع سنين محتسبا كتبت له براءة من النار (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 206)

Hazrat Ibnu Abbaas (radhiyallahu anhuma) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who calls out the azaan for seven years with sincerity and the hope of attaining reward receives the guarantee of freedom from the fire of Jahannum.”

2. Call out the azaan on time with punctuality.

عن أبي محذورة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أمناء المسلمين على صلاتهم وسحورهم المؤذنون (السنن الكبرى للبيهقي، الرقم: 1999)

Hazrat Abu Mahzoorah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “The trustees of the Muslims over their salaah and sehri are the muazzins (i.e. the muazzins have been entrusted with the task of alerting the Muslims to the correct salaah time and sehri time).”

3. Call out the azaan outside the musjid, preferably from an elevated place so that the voice will travel further.

عن عروة بن الزبير عن امرأة من بني النجار قالت كان بيتي من أطول بيت حول المسجد وكان بلال يؤذن عليه الفجر فيأتي بسحر فيجلس على البيت ينظر إلى الفجر فإذا رآه تمطى ثم قال اللهم إني أحمدك وأستعينك على قريش أن يقيموا دينك قالت ثم يؤذن قالت والله ما علمته كان تركها ليلة واحدة تعني هذه الكلمات (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 519)

Hazrat Urwah bin Zubair (rahimahullah) reports that a woman from the tribe of Banu Najjaar relates, “My house was one of the highest houses around the Musjid (Musjid-e-Nabawi), and Hazrat Bilaal (radhiyallahu anhu) would call out the azaan of Fajr from the top of my house. He would arrive at the time of sehri and sit on the roof, looking at the horizon and waiting for the time of Fajr to set in. When he would see the time set in, he would stretch (due to sitting for a long time, waiting to see the time of Fajr set in) and make the following dua, ‘O Allah, I praise You (for allowing me to call out the azaan) and I seek Your assistance and beseech You to guide the Quraish (the family of Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) who had not yet embraced Islam) to Islam so that they may uphold and establish Your Deen (in the world).’” The woman further said, “He would then call out the azaan. I take a qasm by the name of Allah Ta’ala, I cannot remember him leaving out this dua for even a single day (i.e his dua for the Quraish before calling out the azaan).”

4. Call out the azaan in a loud voice.

عن عبد الله بن زيد رضي الله عنه قال… فأخبرته بما رأيت فقال إنها لرؤيا حق إن شاء الله فقم مع بلال فألق عليه ما رأيت فليؤذن به فإنه أندى صوتا منك (سنن أبي داود، الرقم: 499)

Hazrat Abdullah bin Zaid (radhiyallahu anhu) reports, “… I then informed Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) about the dream that I had seen (and the manner of calling out the azaan that I was taught in the dream). Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied, ‘Certainly it is a true dream insha-Allah. Stand up with Bilaal (radhiyallahu anhu) and tell him the words of azaan which you had heard in your dream so that he may call out the azaan with these words, since his voice is louder than yours.’” 

عن عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن بن أبي صعصعة الأنصاري ثم المازني عن أبيه أنه أخبره أن أبا سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال له إني أراك تحب الغنم والبادية فإذا كنت في غنمك أو باديتك فأذنت بالصلاة فارفع صوتك بالنداء فإنه لا يسمع مدى صوت المؤذن جن ولا إنس ولا شيء إلا شهد له يوم القيامة قال أبو سعيد رضي الله عنه سمعته من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 609)

It is reported from Hazrat Abdullah bin Abdir Rahmaan bin Abi Sa’sa’ah (rahimahullah) that on one occasion, Hazrat Abu Sa’eed Khudri (radhiyallahu anhu) said to him, “I see that you like to remain with your livestock (grazing them) in the open fields. When you are among your livestock or in the open fields, (and the time of salaah enters) and you wish to call out the azaan, then you should raise your voice and call out the azaan, for certainly the jinn, humans or any other creation that hears the voice of the muazzin as far as it reaches will testify on his behalf on the Day of Qiyaamah.” Hazrat Abu Sa’eed (radhiyallahu anhu) said, “I heard this from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).”