Adhan and Iqamah
Total Hadiths 208
Authentic Hadiths on the Origin and Method of Adhan and Iqamah
These authentic hadiths provide essential insight into the establishment and specific wording of the Islamic call to prayer. According to the narrations by Anas bin Malik, as the Muslim community grew in Medina, the Companions felt a strong need for a recognizable signal to announce the exact timings of prayer. Various suggestions were raised during their discussion, including lighting a fire or ringing a bell. However, to distinguish the Islamic practice, the Prophet Muhammad commanded Bilal to call the prayer using a distinct method. Bilal was explicitly ordered to repeat the phrases twice during the Adhan and to say them only once during the Iqamah. This established a beautifully clear and uniform standard for calling the believers to worship.
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، قَالَ نُبِّئْتُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، - قَالَ وَلاَ أُرَانِي إِلاَّ قَدْ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ، - عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ .
This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Abu Hurairah who reported it in a similar manner from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 518In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 128English translation : Book 2, Hadith 518
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ، مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ قَالَتْ كَانَ بَيْتِي مِنْ أَطْوَلِ بَيْتٍ حَوْلَ الْمَسْجِدِ وَكَانَ بِلاَلٌ يُؤَذِّنُ عَلَيْهِ الْفَجْرَ فَيَأْتِي بِسَحَرٍ فَيَجْلِسُ عَلَى الْبَيْتِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْفَجْرِ فَإِذَا رَآهُ تَمَطَّى ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَحْمَدُكَ وَأَسْتَعِينُكَ عَلَى قُرَيْشٍ أَنْ يُقِيمُوا دِينَكَ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ يُؤَذِّنُ قَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلِمْتُهُ كَانَ تَرَكَهَا لَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً تَعْنِي هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَاتِ .
Narrated A woman from Banu an-Najjar: Urwah ibn az-Zubayr reported on the authority of a woman from Banu an-Najjar. She said: My house was the loftiest of all the houses around the mosque (of the Prophet at Medina). Bilal used to make a call to the morning prayer from it. He would come there before the break of dawn and wait for it. When he saw it, he would yawn and say: O Allah, I praise you and seek Your assistance for the Quraysh so that they might establish Thine religion. He then would make the call to prayer. She (the narrator) said: By Allah, I do not know whether he ever left saying these words on any night.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 519In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 129English translation : Book 2, Hadith 519
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَدَاوُدُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ بِلاَلاً، أَذَّنَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فَيُنَادِيَ " أَلاَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ قَدْ نَامَ أَلاَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ قَدْ نَامَ " . زَادَ مُوسَى فَرَجَعَ فَنَادَى أَلاَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ نَامَ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ لَمْ يَرْوِهِ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ إِلاَّ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ .
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: Bilal made a call to prayer before the break of dawn; the Prophet (ﷺ), therefore, commanded him to return and make a call: Lo! the servant of Allah (i.e. I) had slept (hence this mistake). The version of Musa has the addition: He returned and made a call: Lo! the servant of Allah had slept. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by al-Darawardi from 'Ubaid Allah on the authority of Ibn 'Umar saying: There was a mu'adhdhin of 'Umar, named Mas'ud. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. This version is more correct than that one.
[1] Meaning either that he announced that he was heedless of the time, or that he was returning to sleep since some of the night yet remained, letting the people know that so they would not rush from sleep out of their homes. This narration appears to have occurred early after the Hijrah , since it is confirmed later in the life of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ that Bilāl would call the Adhān during the night, and then Ibn Umm Maktūm would call the Adhān after him with the onset of Fajr . This is supported by the narration recorded by Al-Bukhārī , Muslim , and others, wherein the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Indeed Bilāl calls the Adhān during the night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktūm calls the Adhān .” See Ma‘ālam As-Sunan by Al-Khaṭṭābī and ‘Awn Al-Ma‘būd .Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 532In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 142English translation : Book 2, Hadith 532
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، بِإِسْنَادِهِ مِثْلَهُ قَالَ " حَتَّى تَرَوْنِي قَدْ خَرَجْتُ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ " قَدْ خَرَجْتُ " . إِلاَّ مَعْمَرٌ . وَرَوَاهُ ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ لَمْ يَقُلْ فِيهِ " قَدْ خَرَجْتُ " .
This tradition has also been reported through a different chain of narrators in a similar way. This version says: “Until you see me that I have come out”. Abu dawud said: No one except Ma’mar has narrated the words “that I have come out”. And the version transmitted by Ibn ‘Uyainah from Ma’mar does not mention the words “that I have come out”.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 540In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 150English translation : Book 2, Hadith 540
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الزُّرَقِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، - رضى الله عنه - مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ .
This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain of narrators in a similar way by ‘Ali b. Abi Talib.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 546In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 156English translation : Book 2, Hadith 546
وَحَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَجِيدِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ أُمِرَ بِلاَلٌ أَنْ يَشْفَعَ، الأَذَانَ وَيُوتِرَ الإِقَامَةَ .
Anas reported: Bilal was commanded (by the Holy Prophet) to repeat the phrases twice in Adhan, and once in lqama.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 378dIn-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 5USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 739
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ الْمُرَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَسَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ .
A hadith like this has been transmitted by Hisham.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 381bIn-book reference : Book 4, Hadith 10USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 744
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ وَكِيعٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَالِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْمُزْدَلِفَةِ صَلَّى كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا بِإِقَامَةٍ وَلَمْ يَتَطَوَّعْ قَبْلَ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا وَلاَ بَعْدُ .
It was narrated from Salim, from his father, that the Prophet (S.A.W) joined them (Maghrib and 'Isha') in Al-Muzdalifah, and he prayed each of them with an Iqamah, and he did not offer any voluntary prayer before or after either of them.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 660In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 35English translation : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 661
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ وَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ بَعْدَ النِّدَاءِ حَتَّى قَطَعَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ عَصَى أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم .
It was narrated from Ash'ath bin Abi Ash-Sha'tha' that his father said: "I saw Abu Hurairah, when a man passed by in the Masjid until he parted from it - after the call. Abu Hurairah said: 'This man has indeed disobeyed Abu Al-Qasim (S.A.W).'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 683In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 58English translation : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 684
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْعَدَنِيُّ الْمَكِّيُّ، - وَيُكْنَى بِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّجُلُ الصَّالِحُ هُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ مُسَاحِقٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عِصَامٍ الْمُزَنِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا بَعَثَ جَيْشًا أَوْ سَرِيَّةً يَقُولُ لَهُمْ " إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ مَسْجِدًا أَوْ سَمِعْتُمْ مُؤَذِّنًا فَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا أَحَدًا " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ وَهُوَ حَدِيثُ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ .
Narrated Ibn 'Asim Al-Muzani: From His Father And He Was A Companion Who Said: "When The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Dispatched Any Army Or Battalion, He Would Say To Them: 'If You See A Masjid, Or Hear Someone Calling The Adhan, Then Do Not Kill Anyone.'"
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1549In-book reference : Book 21, Hadith 2English translation : Vol. 3, Book 19, Hadith 1549
