Understanding the call to prayer and the history of the call to prayer for Muslims

The Call to Prayer for Muslims – In the Quran, there is the word call to prayer (أذن) in various forms, repeated 9 times. From this repetition 9 times, besides having the meaning of permission, ear, hurting, command, and also means calling.

However, specifically for the following word أذن – يؤذن مؤذن which means call, it is only mentioned once, namely in Surah Yusuf (12): 70. However, the target of the call in the verse is not related to the implementation of prayer, but tells the story of Prophet Yusuf along with his brothers.

Definition of Azan and its meaning

As one of the equivalents of the word adhan (أذن), the word نادى is repeated 53 times in the Al-Quran in its various forms. Of the 53 repetitions, the call to prayer besides having the meaning of a call or call, this word also means a request or a prayer.

If the word is intended for humans, then it has the meaning of a call or exclamation. Meanwhile, if the word is addressed to God, then it can be interpreted as a request or prayer.

In relation to calls or calls to prayer, the Al-Quran does not use the word adhan but uses the words ناديتم (QS al-Maidah 5: 58) and نودي (QS al-Jumu’ah 62: 9). The first word relates to the behavior of the Jews where they ridicule Muslims when they are rushing to the mosque when the call to prayer is echoed. While the word mentioned second is related to the call to prayer which is echoed on Friday as a sign that all activities must be stopped.

Adhan has the meaning of notification, which is a word of exclamation or a call that is intended for notification that the obligatory or fard prayer time will enter. The person who calls the call to prayer is called the muezzin.

While the word iqamah in terms of language means to establish, namely the words used as a sign that the obligatory prayer will begin. For sunnah prayers it is not sunnah to use the call to prayer or iqamah, except for sunnah prayers which are sunnah for congregation.

As well as tarawih prayers, Eid prayers, and so forth. The adhan and also the legal iqamah are sunnah muakkad for fard prayer, whether it is done in congregation or alone. Its implementation is sunnah in a loud voice, standing facing the Qibla.

When viewed in terms of language, the call to prayer has the meaning of announcement, announcement, and notification. As has been in the Al-Quran Surah Al-Kariem, namely:

وَأَذَانٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ يَوْمَ الْحَجِّ الأَكْبَرِ أَنَّ اللّهَ بَرِيءٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَرَسُولُهُ فَإِن تُبْتُمْ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّكُمْ غَيْرُ مُعْجِزِي اللّهِ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ) التوبة:٣

Meaning: And (this is) an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to humanity on the day of the grand pilgrimage that Allah and His Messenger are free from the polytheists. Then if you (the polytheists) repent, then repenting is better for you; and if you turn away, know that you cannot weaken Allah. And tell the disbelievers (that they will get) a painful punishment (QS. At-Taubah: 3)

Not only that, the call to prayer also means a call or call. This one meaning was used when Prophet Ibrahim AS was ordered to tell mankind to perform the pilgrimage:

وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ ر above

Meaning: And call people to perform Hajj, surely they will come to you on foot, and ride on slender camels that come from all over the far. (QS. Al-Hajj: 27).

If viewed in a shari’a way, the meaning of the call to prayer is a certain word that functions to notify the entry of fard prayer time. In the book Nailul Authar it is stated that the meaning of the call to prayer is an announcement of the time of prayer with a certain lafadz.

The History of the Muslim Call to Prayer

Said a friend named Abdullah bin Zaid, the Prophet Muhammad SAW had a desire to find a way to tell the time of prayer, but he had not yet found that way. In the early days in Medina, Muslims gathered in a mosque to wait for the prayer time.

However, when the prayer time came, no one told him. They will immediately pray alone, without any sign that the prayer time has arrived. It’s as if everyone knows.

As time went on and Islam had begun to develop, many of the Prophet’s companions lived far from the mosque. In fact, some others have increased busyness so that they cannot wait for prayer time at the mosque.

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Therefore, some friends gave suggestions to the Prophet Muhammad SAW to make a prayer sign. So that those who live far from the mosque or who have busy lives can pray properly.

The Companions of the Prophet had various suggestions regarding the sign of the start of the prayer time. Some have suggested using bells like the Christians. But there are also those who give suggestions to use trumpets like the Jews.

On the other hand, there is also a suggestion to set off fireworks at a high place. So that Muslims whose homes are far from the mosque can see the sign.

All of these proposals were ultimately rejected. When the condition of the Muslim community was deadlocked and did not find a solution at that time, quoted from Sirah Nabawi (Ibnu Hisham, 2018), there was a friend named Abdullah bin Zaid facing Rasulullah SAW. He told me about himself, who had just dreamed of seeing the call to prayer the night before. In the dream, he was visited by someone wearing a green robe and carrying a bell.

Initially, Abdullah bin Zaid intended to buy the bell that was brought by a person in a green robe. Where he wanted to use the bell to call people to pray. However, this person actually suggested to Abdullah bin Zaid to say a series of sentences that were used as a sign that the time for prayer had arrived.

The series of call to prayer referred to are Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, Asyhadu alla ilaha illallah, Asyhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah, Hayya ‘alash sholah hayya ‘alash sholah, Hayya ‘alal falah hayya ‘alal falah, Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar, and La ilaha illallah.

Rasulullah SAW then asked Abdullah to teach Bilal bin Rabah about how to recite the sentence. When Bilal bin Rabah made the call to prayer, Umar bin Khattab, who was at his house, heard the call to prayer. He also rushed to the Prophet Muhammad SAW and told him that he also had a dream about something similar to Abdullah bin Zaid. Namely the call to prayer as a marker of the entry of prayer time.

In a history, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have received revelations about the call to prayer. Therefore, he confirmed what Abdullah bin Zaid said. Since then, the call to prayer has officially become a prayer time marker. Meanwhile, according to a more authentic opinion, the call to prayer was first prescribed in the City of Madina in the first year of Hijriyah.

Bilal bin Rabah was the first muezzin in Islam. There are four reasons why Bilal bin Rabah was chosen by the Prophet Muhammad to be the muezzin. The first is because he has a good and loud voice, can live up to the sentences of the call to prayer that are echoed, is highly disciplined, and is courageous.

Since then, Bilal has continued to call to prayer. When the Prophet Muhammad SAW died, he was no longer willing to become a muezzin. The reason is, his tears will definitely fall when he comes to the sentence ‘Asyhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah’.

So that he can no longer continue the next sentence. However, when Caliph Umar bin Khattab arrived in Jerusalem, Bilal was asked to call to prayer again. Finally, he agreed to the request.

Meanwhile, according to Sheikh Abdullah As-Syarqawi, the Prophet Muhammad once called the call to prayer once. That is when he was on a trip. When it comes to the second creed, the Prophet Muhammad SAW echoed ‘Asyhadu anna Muhammadar Rasulullah’. While another history states that the Prophet Muhammad said ‘Asyhadu anni Rasulullah’.

5 Things Muslims Must Do When Hear the Azan

Apart from being a sign of the time when the prayer begins, the call to prayer is also a call from Allah SWT to His servants to carry out His commands by praying five times a day. Muslims will hear the call to prayer five times a day and night.

When hearing the call to prayer, Muslims are ordered to prioritize good manners. The call to prayer echo itself must be used as an alarm for Muslims to pay more attention to the good deeds that must be carried out while listening to it.

The adhan itself is a call to prayer that will always be echoed five times a day. Islam teaches several manners in every action, including hearing the call to prayer. The following are some things to do when you hear the call to prayer, including:

1. Listening With Mindfulness

The first thing to do when the call to prayer resounds is to listen attentively. The Sunnah recommends that when the call to prayer is recited, people, especially Muslims, should listen to it with great attention and repeat every sentence without using their voice. Say the call to prayer shortly after the muezzin recites it.

But when the muezzin says “Hayya ‘ala-Salah” (come to prayer) and “Hayya ‘alal-falah” (reaching success) one listening should say: “La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah” (There is no strength or power except with Allah).

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Prophet Muhammad once said:

“When you hear the call to prayer, repeat what the Muezzin said.” (Imam Malik – Al Muwatta)

2. Requesting Blessings for the Prophet SAW

The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

“When you hear the Muezzin calling for prayer, repeat his words and then ask Allah’s blessings on me, because one who asks Allah’s blessings on me once will be rewarded with ten blessings by Allah.” (Muslim, Book of Prayer, Hadith 384)

The text of the shalawat narrated is:

“Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ali Muhammad, kama sholaita ala Ibrahim wa ala ali Ibrahim innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma Barik ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammadin kama barakta ala Ibrahim wa ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hameedun Majeed.”

It means:

“O God, give your kindness to Muhammad and Muhammad’s family because You have bestowed kindness on Ibrahim and on the family of Abraham, You are Praised, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family as You have blessed Ibrahim and Abraham’s family, You are Praised, Glory be to You.” (Al- Bukhari , Book of Acts of the Prophet, Hadith 3370)

3. Pray

The following is a prayer that is recommended for us to read after listening to the call to prayer:

“Allahumma rabba hash-d-kyawati-t-tammati wa-s-Salati-l-qa’imati, and Muhammadanil-wasilata wal-fai’ati (wa-d-Darajata-r-rafi’ati) wa Bath-hammam there is no need for promises (we are together with mi’ad layuhliful).”

It means:

“O Allah, Lord of this most perfect calling, and regarding the soon-to-be-established Prayer, bestow upon Muhammad the favor of nearness (to you) and pre-eminence and place of distinction, and exalt him to the position of exaltation that You have promised him.”

This one prayer has variations, including ‘wa-d-darajat-r-rafiati’ and ‘innaka la tukhliful mi’ad’. Then the addition of “innaka la tukhliful mi’ad”. In the petition it was narrated by Imam Baihaqi in his Sunan and later accepted for action by the scholars as already mentioned by Ibn Abidin in Radd al-Muhtar, who quotes Shdadbulali’s Imdad al-Fattah and Fath al-Qadir from Ibn al-Humam.

Narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah, the Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

“Whoever after hearing the call to prayer says (the prayer given above) then intercession for me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih Bukhari – Book 11: 588)

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As narrated, I once heard Rasulullah SAW say:

“When you hear the call to prayer, repeat what the Muezzin said. Then ask Allah to increase my chanting because everyone who does it will receive ten rewards from Allah. Then invoke Allah to grant me Al-Wasilah (mentioned in the prayer above), which is a high rank in Jannah, fit for only one of Allah’s slaves; and i wish that i would be that man. If anyone asks Al-Wasilah for me, it is my duty to intercede for him.” (Sahih Muslim)

4. Answer the call to prayer

“Wa ana ‘asyhadu’ an laa ‘ilaaha’ illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa ‘anna Muhammadan’ abduhu wa Rasulullah, rodhiitu billaahi Rabban, wa bi-Muhammadin Rasulan wabil Islamamidina”

It means:

“And I also testify that there is no god who has the right to be worshiped but Allah, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad (peace be upon him) as my Messenger and with Islam as my religion.”

“…To be read in Arabic after Tasyahud Mu’aththar or words of confirmation of Faith.” (Muslim, Book of Prayer, Hadith 386)

5. Pray between Adhan and Iqamah

In the end, we can ask Allah SWT anything for ourselves and ask for His mercy and guidance, because our requests will be answered. The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

“Repeat the Muezzin’s words and when you are done, ask Allah what you want and you will get it” (Abu Dawud, Book of Prayer, Hadith 524)

Dawud’s “Book of Prayer”: Book 2: Hadith 521) narrated by Anas bin Malik:

“A request made between the call to prayer and the iqamah is not rejected”

From the explanation above, here are some summaries of what we should do after hearing the call to prayer:

  1. Must focus on listening to the call to prayer
  2. Repeat whatever the muezzin says except for hayya alas-shalah and hayya-ala-falah. Instead say la hawla wala quwwata illa billah .
  3. After finishing the call to prayer, send blessings on the Prophet Muhammad SAW
  4. Then say the wasilah prayer
  5. Pray between adhan and iqamah

Book Recommendations Regarding Adhan

1. The Power of Adhan

 

 

2. Thoroughly Peel the Azan and Iqamat

 

 

3. Seconds before the Maghrib call to prayer

 

 

This is a review of the call to prayer for Muslims that Sinaumed’s needs to know. You can get books related to adhan at sinaumedia.com. As #Friends Without Limits, sinaumedia always provides the best products so that you have #MoreWithReading information.