Story of Azan/Adhan/اذان

Story of Azan/Adhan/اذان , How did the words of azan originate?

We hear adhan/azaan five times a day. Do you know that there is a beautiful story behind the words of Adhan that we hear? let us read it now.

It is sunnah (Practice of Holy Prophet) muwakkadah to call the adhan for the prescribed salah to get the worshippers to assemble for the salah and join the congregation. The correct record of the inception of the salah is the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd Ansari and of Umar ibn Khattab radi Allahu anhu. The details of this will follow in the excerpt from hadith.

Story of Azan/Adhan/اذان – Opinion 1

Some people say that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ra had seen the dream about the adhan.

Opinion 2

Imam Ghazzali said that ten Sahabah ikram were taught the words of the adhan in their dream. Some others put the number of those who has this dream at fourteen.

Opinion 3

Some scholars say that adhan began with the judgment of Allah’s Messenger sallalahu alaihe wa sallam himself. An angel had guided him to it during the night of his journey to the heavens.

Opinion 4

Sayyiduna Ali radi Allahu anhu narrated that when Rasul Allah Sallalahu alaihe wa sallam reached near the throne, an angel came out,He asked Jibril AS “Who is he?” Jlbril  AS said, “By Allah who has sent you with the truth, I am the nearest of all to Allah, but I have never seen this angel before now.” The angel said, “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,” A voice from behind the screen said, “My slave spoke the truth.

I am the Greater! I am the Greatest!” Then the angel delivered the remaining words of the adhan.This tradition says that the Prophet  sallalahu alaihe wa sallam had heard the words of the adhan much before the dreams of the sahabah ikram.However, they were not prescribed as adhan for the salah. This is why he continued to offer the salah in Makkah without the adhan being called When he emigrated to Madinah, he consulted the sahabah.  some of them heard these words in their dreams. “This was followed by a revelation: “The words that you heard in the heaven are now mansun for adhan on earth.” And Allah knows best.

Story of Adhan

Abu Umayr reported on the authority of his uncle who was from the Ansar (the helpers of the Prophet): The Prophet (ﷺ) was anxious as to how to gather the people for prayer.The people told him: Hoist a flag at the time of prayer; when they see it, they will inform one another. But he (the Prophet) did not like it. Then someone mentioned to him the horn. Ziyad said: A horn of the Jews. He (the Prophet) did not like it.

He said: This is the matter of the Jews. Then they mentioned to him the bell of the Christians. He said: This is the matter of the Christians. Abdullah ibn Zayd returned anxiously from there because of the anxiety of the Apostle (ﷺ). He was then taught the call to prayer in his dream. Next day he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him about it.( part of riwayat from Sunan Abu DAwud 498)

Dream of Abdullah bin Zaid about Adhan

‘Abd Allah bin Zaid reported :when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 abd Allah, will you sell the bell? He asked; what will you do with it?

I replied; we shall use it to call the people to prayer. He said; should I not suggest you something better than that. I replied: certainly. Then he told me to say: Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great, Allah is most great.

I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to pray, come to pray; come to salvation; come to salvation. Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. He then moved backward a few steps and said: when you utter the IQAMAH, you should say:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ 

Allah is most great, Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to salvation. The time for prayer has come, the time for prayer has come: Allah is most great, Allah is most great. There is no god but Allah.

When the morning came, I came to the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) and informed him of what I had seen in the dream. He said: it is a genuine vision, and he then should use it to call people to prayer, for he has a louder 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 (Allah be pleased with him) heard it while he was in his house and came out trailing his cloak and said: Messenger of Allah. By him who has sent you with the truth, I have also seen the kind of thing as has been shown to him. The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) said: To Allah be the praise. (Taken from Riwayat of Abu Dawud 499)

Reference :Sunnan Abu Dawud and commentary on Mishkat al Masabih.

azan words /Azaan

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ 

Also read:

Replying to azaan

Do’s and Dont’s of hearing Adhan

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