Mishkat al-Masabih

Jabir b. Samura said, “God’s Messenger used to observe the times of prayer more or less as you do, but he would delay the prayer after nightfall to a little after the time you observe it, and he would shorten the prayer.” Muslim transmitted it.

We observed the prayer after nightfall with God’s Messenger, and he did not come out till about half the night had passed. He then said, “Take your places,” and when we had done so he said, “The people have prayed and gone to bed, but you are still engaged in prayer as long as you wait for the prayer. Were it not for the weakness of the weak and the sickness of the sick, I would delay the prayer till half the night had gone;” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Umm Salama said, “God’s Messenger observed the noon prayer much earlier than you, but you observe the afternoon prayer much earlier than he.” Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas said that during the hot weather God’s Messenger delayed the prayer till it was cooler, but in the cold weather he observed it early. Nasa’i transmitted it.

‘Ubada b. as-Samit told that God’s Messenger said to him, “After my death you will have over you rulers who will be diverted by various matters from observing the prayer at its proper time till its time is past; so observe the prayer at its proper time.” On being asked by a man whether he should pray along with them, he replied, “Yes.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Qabisa b. Waqqas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “After my death you will have over you rulers who will delay the prayer, and it will be to your credit but to their discredit. So pray with them so long as they pray facing the qibla.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Ubaidallah b. ‘Adi b. al-Khiyar told how he visited ‘Uthman when he was besieged and said, “You are a leader who has been accepted generally, yet what you see has happened to you, and a rebel leader conducts our prayer and we abstain.” He replied, “Prayer is the best thing people do; so when people do good, do good along with them, but when they do evil turn aside from their evil-doing.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Umara b. Ruwaiba said that he heard God's Messenger say, “No one will enter hell who has prayed before the rising of the sun and before its setting," meaning the dawn and the afternoon prayer. Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Musa reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who observes the two cool times of prayer (at dawn and after nightfall) will enter paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn and the afternoon prayers. Those who spent the night among you then ascend, and their Lord asks them, yet He is best informed about them, “How did you leave My servants?” They reply, “We left them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jundub al-Qasri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When anyone prays the morning prayer he is in God’s protection; so see that God does not call you to account for withdrawing in any respect from His protection, for if He does this to anyone for any cause He will catch him and turn him over on his face in the fire of Jahannam.” Muslim transmitted it. Some MSS. of al-Masabih have al-Qushair instead of al-Qasri.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If people knew what blessing lies in the call to prayer and in the first row, then could do nothing but cast lots for it, they would do so; if they know what blessing lies in going to prayer early, they would race to do it i and if they knew what blessing lies in the prayer after nightfall and the morning prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying, "No prayer is more burdensome to the hypocrites than the dawn and the evening prayer; but if they know what blessing lies in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Uthman reported God’s Messenger as saying, "If anyone prays the evening prayer in company, it is as though he had remained awake in prayer half the night; but if anyone prays the Morning Prayer in company, it is as though he had prayed the whole night.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Do not let the Bedouin take away from you the name of your prayer al-maghrib (sunset) which the Bedouin call al-'isha (evening); and do not let the Bedouin take away from you the name of your prayer al-‘isha, for it is mentioned as al-‘isha in God’s Book,1 and for they use the verb from the root ‘atama of milking camels at nightfall.” 1. (Al-Qur’an, 24:58.)

‘Ali reported God’s Messenger as saying at the battle of the Trench,2 "They have restrained us from the middle prayer,3 the afternoon prayer. God fill their houses and their graves with fire!” 2. The siege of Medina by Quraish in 5 A.H. 3. Cf. (Al-Qur’an, 2:238.) (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas'ud and Samura b. Jundub reported God's Messenger as saying, "The middle prayer is the afternoon prayer.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Concerning God’s words, “The recitation of the dawn is witnessed,” (Al-Qur’an, 17:78). Abu Huraira quoted the Prophet as saying, "The angels of the night and the angels of the day are present at it.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Thabit and ‘A’isha said that the middle prayer is the noon prayer. Malik transmitted it from Zaid and Tirmidhi from both of them without a full isnad.

Zaib b. Thabit said that God’s Messenger used to pray the noon prayer in the extreme heat, observing no prayer more severe to his companions than it. Then was revealed, “And observe carefully the prayers and the middle prayer”; (Al-Qur’an, 2:238) and he said, “Before it there are two times of prayer and after it there are two times of prayer.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Malik heard that ‘Ali b. Abu Talib and ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abbas used to say, “The middle prayer is the morning prayer.” He transmitted it in al-Muwatta’, and Tirmidhi transmitted it from Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn ‘Umar without a full isnad.

Salman said that he heard God’s Messenger say, “He who goes out early to Morning Prayer goes out with the standard of faith, but he who goes out early to the market goes out with the standard of Iblis.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas said they mentioned kindling fire and the use of a bell, and mentioned the Jews and the Christians. Then Bilal was ordered to repeat the call to prayer twice and the statement that the time for prayer had come (al-iqama) once. Isma'il1 said that he mentioned it to Ayyub,2 and he said it was correct except regarding the iqama. (Bukhari and Muslim.) 1. Bukhari (Adhan, 3) gives a shorter form of the tradition than that above, mentioning Ismail b. Ibrahim in his isnad and telling how he made the enquiry of Ayyub. 2. Ayyub b. Abu Tamima.

Abu Mahdhura said that God's Messenger himself taught him how to make the call to prayer, telling him to say, “God is most great. God is most great. God is most great. God is most great. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger”; then to repeat, “I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. Come to prayer. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Come to salvation. God is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that in the time of God's Messenger the phrases in the adhan were uttered twice each and in the iqama once each, except for saying, ‘‘The time for prayer has come. The time for prayer has come.” Abu Dawud, Nasai and Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Mahdhura said that the Prophet taught him the adhan as consisting of nineteen words, and the iqama as consisting of seventeen words. Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

When I asked God’s Messenger to teach me the sunna relating to the adhan he wiped the forepart of his head and said: You must say, “God is most great. God is most great. God is most great. God is most great,” raising your voice while saying these words. Then you must say, “I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger,” lowering your voice while saying these words. Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony, “I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that there is no god but God. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger. Come to prayer. Come to prayer. Come to salvation. Come to salvation”; and if it is the Morning Prayer you must say, “Prayer is better than sleep. Prayer is better than sleep. God’s is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Bilal said, “God’s Messenger told me not to make the call to prayer twice for any of the prayers but the dawn prayer.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said that Abu Isra’il the transmitter is not considered by traditionists to be strong.

Jabir stated that God’s Messenger said to Bilal, “When you call the adhan speak deliberately, when you utter the iqama speak quickly, and leave between your adhan and your iqama time for one who eats to finish his food and one who drinks to finish his drink, and one who needs to relieve himself to do so. And do not get up to pray* till you see me do so.” * This sentence is addressed not only to Bilal, as the plural is used. Tirmidhi transmitted it and said, “I know it only from the tradition of ‘Abd al-Mun‘im, and it is an unknown isnad”

God's Messenger ordered me to call the adhan for the dawn prayer and I did so. Then Bilal wanted to utter the iqama, but God’s Messenger said to him, “The man of Suda' has called the adhan, and he who calls the adhan utters the iqama.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that when the Muslims came to Medina they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer, but no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and one of them said, “Use something like the bell of the Christians." Another said, “Use a horn like that of the Jews." But when ‘Umar said, “I suggest that you send a man to announce the prayer," God’s Messenger said, “Get up, Bilal, and summon to prayer." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

When God’s Messenger ordered a bell to be made so that it might be struck to gather the people for prayer, a man carrying a bell in his hand appeared to me while I was asleep, and I said, “Servant of God, will you sell the bell ?” When he asked what I would do with it and I replied that we would use it to call people to prayer, he said, “Shall I not guide you to something better than that?" I replied, “Certainly”; so he told me to say, “God is most great ...” and similarly in the iqama. When I told God’s Messenger in the morning what I had seen he said, “It is a genuine vision, if God will; so get up along with Bilal, and when you have taught him what you have seen let him use it in making the call to prayer, for he has a stronger voice than you have. So I got up along with Bilal and began to teach it to him, and he used it in making the call to prayer. ‘Umar b, al-Khattab heard that when he was in his house, and he came out trailing his cloak and said, “Messenger of God, by Him who has sent you with the truth, I have seen the same kind of thing as has been revealed," to which God’s Messenger replied, “To God be the praise!” Abu Dawud, Darimi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, but Ibn Majah did not mention the iqama. Tirmidhi said that this is a sahih, tradition, but that it did not make the story of the bell explicit.

Abu Bakra said, “I went out with the Prophet to the Morning Prayer, and he called every man he passed to prayer, or shook him with his foot.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Malik heard that the mu'adhdhin came to ‘Umar to call him to the Morning Prayer. Finding him asleep, he said, “Prayer is better than sleep," and ‘Umar commanded him to include it in the call to Morning Prayer. He transmitted it in al-Muwatta’.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b Sa'd b. 'Ammar b. Sa‘d, the mu’adhdhin* of God’s Messenger, said that his father told him from his father from his grandfather that God’s Messenger commanded Bilal to put his fingers in his ears, saying that it made the voice louder. * The mu’adhdhin here mentioned was Sa‘d, great-grandfather of ‘Abd ar-Rahman. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Mu‘awiya said that he heard God's Messenger say, “The mu’adhdhins will have the longest necks on the day of resurrection.” Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When a summons to prayer is made the evil turns his back and breaks wind so as not to hear the call being made, but when the summons is finished he turns round. When a second call to prayer is made he turns his back, and when the second call is finished he turns round to distract a man, saying, ‘Remember such and such ; remember such and such’, referring to something the man did not have in mind, with the result that he does not know how much he has prayed.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s Messenger as saying, “All jinn, men, or any other creatures who hear the voice of the mu’adhdhin as far away as it is possible to hear it will testify on his behalf on the day of resurrection.” Bukhari transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As reported God's Messenger as saying, “When you hear the mu’adhdhin repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes one blessing on me will receive ten blessings from God. Then ask God to give me the wasila, which is a rank in paradise fitting for only one of God’s servants, and I hope that I may be the one. If anyone asks that I be given the wasila, he will be assured of my intercession.” Muslim transmitted it.

When the mu’adhdhin says, “God is most great, God is most great,” and one of you makes the response, “God is most great, God is most great”; then says, “I testify that there is no god but God,” and he makes the response, “I testify that there is no god but God”; then says, “I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger,” and he makes the response, “I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger”; then says, “Come to prayer,” and he makes the response, “There is no might and no power except in God”; then says, “Come to salvation,” and he makes the response, “There is no might and no power except in God”; then says, “God is most great, God is most great,” and he makes the response, “God is most great, God is most great”; then says, “There is no god but God,” and he makes the response, “There is no god but God”; if he says this from his heart, he will enter paradise. Muslim transmitted it.

If anyone says when he hears the summons, “O God, Lord of this perfect call and of the prayer which is established for all time, grant Muhammad the wasila and excellency, and raise him up in a praiseworthy position (Al-Qur’an; 17:79) which Thou hast promised,” he will be assured of my intercession. Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas said that the Prophet used to attack the enemy at dawn, and he would sometimes hear the adhan, so if he heard an adhan he stopped, but otherwise he attacked. Once on hearing a man say, “God is most great, God is most great,” God’s Messenger said, “You follow Islam.” Then hearing him say, “There is no god but God,” he said, “You have come forth from hell.” They looked at him and found that he was a goatherd. Muslim transmitted it.

If anyone says when he hears the mu’adhdhin, “I testify that there is no god but God alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; I am satisfied with God as Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger, and with Islam as religion,” his sins will be forgiven him. Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mughaffal reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Between every pair of adhans there is a prayer; between every pair of adhans there is a prayer.” Then he said on repeating it a third time, “for him who wishes.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The imam is responsible and the mu'adhdhin is trusted. O God, guide the imams and forgive the mu'adhdhins.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Shafi’i transmitted it, and in another version by Shafi’i the wording of al-Masabih is used.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If anyone makes the call to prayer for seven years seeking to please God, freedom from hell will be recorded for him.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

God is pleased with a shepherd on the top of a rock on a mountain who makes the call to prayer and prays. God says, “Look at this servant of Mine who makes the call to prayer, observes the prayer and fears Me. I forgive My servant and will cause him to enter paradise.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

a man who gives God and his patron their due, a man who leads people in prayer to their satisfaction, and a man who summons people to the five times of prayer every day and night.” Tirmidhi transmitted it and said that it is a gharib tradition.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The mu'adhdhin will receive forgiveness to the extent to which his voice reaches, and every moist and dry place will testify on his behalf; and he who attends prayer will have twenty-five prayers recorded for him and will have expiation for sins committed between every two times of prayer.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Nasa’i transmitted up to “every moist and dry place will testify on his behalf,” adding “and he will have a reward equal to that of those who pray.”

‘Uthman b. Abul ‘As said that he asked God's Messenger to make him his people’s imam and that he replied, “You are their imam, but do according to what the weakest of them is capable of, and employ a mu’adhdhin who does not accept payment for his adhan.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.