Sunday, May 19, 2013

Brief Comments on Riyaadh al-Saaliheen #71

The Adhaan: its ruling and its virtues & the reward for the Mu`adhdhin is greater than that of the Imaam:


بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

[Sharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen (5/25-31) of Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله]

Chapter: The Merits of Adhaan:

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي النِّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ لاَسْتَهَمُوا، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي التَّهْجِيرِ لاَسْتَبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الْعَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ لأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا

“If the people knew what is the reward of making the call (for the prayer) and (of being in) the first row (in the prayer), and if they found no other way to get this privilege except by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it. If they knew the reward of the noon prayer, they would race for it, and if they knew the reward of the morning (i.e. Fajr) and `Ishaa’ prayers, they would present themselves for the prayer even if they had to crawl to reach there.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (615, 652, 653, 654, 2689) and Saheeh Muslim (437)]


Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

The author (Imaam al-Nawawee) رحمه الله said in his book “Riyaadh al-Saaliheen”: “Chapter: The Adhaan” meaning its merits and what has been mentioned regarding it. The Adhaan is the signpost and the call for the Salaah; i.e. the time for the Salaah has entered. The Adhaan is when the caller calls to inform the people that the time for Salaah has approached. (The time of the Adhaan differs when the days are longer or shorter. When the days are longer in summer, the Adhaan for the prayers are delayed, except for Fajr. And in the winter, the days get shorter so the Adhaan is rushed.) Whatever (the season is), the Adhaan is given only when the time for Salaah has approached; due to the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

وَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ

“and when the stated time for the Salaah becomes due, then one of you should pronounce its call (i.e. the Adhan)” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (628, 631, 685, 819, 4302, 6008, 7246) and Saheeh Muslim (674)]

The Adhaan - which is legislated - is for made calling for the five compulsory prayers and its obligation came in the second year of the Hijrah, after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم migrated to Madeenah (from Makkah). The Adhaan was legislated when the Companions were discussing on how to inform (the people) that the time for Salaah has come. Some of them said: We should light a big fire so that the people can know that the time for Salaah has approached. Others suggested that they should use a bell to announce the approaching of the time. The bell was the means by which the Christians used to call the people for their prayers. Some others said that they should blow the trumpet like the horns used by Jews. All this was disliked by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Then a man rushed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from among the Sahaabah, and he was `Abdullaah Ibn Zaid رضي الله عنه. He saw in his dream a man carrying in his hand a bell. He (Zaid) said to him: Will you sell that (to me)? The man asked him: What are you planning to do with it? He (Zaid) said: So that I can use it to inform the people of the Salaah timings. The man said: Shall I not guide you that which is better than this. He said: Sure. The man recited to him the call of Adhaan and the Iqaamah. So next day when Zaid woke up he came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and informed him of what he saw. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “This is a true dream.” Then he صلى الله عليه وسلم taught it to Bilaal رضي الله عنه. So Bilaal called it out and what is now famously known as the Adhaan.

[Translator’s Note: Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله then mentioned about the ruling of the first Adhaan for Jumu`ah of `Uthmaan رضي الله عنه, which you can read it here.]

Another issue is regarding the statement in the Adhaan:

الصلاة خير من النوم
As-Salaatu khairum-min an-naum
The Salaah is better than sleep

Some of the latter-day (scholars) were of the opinion that it should be said in the first Ahdaan (that is given in the night), which precedes the (actual) Adhaan of Fajr. But they made a big mistake in their analogy, because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded Bilaal رضي الله عنه to say it in the Morning Prayer by saying: “When you give the first Adhaan for Fajr (meaning the actual Adhaan when the time has approached), then say: ‘The Salaah is better than sleep.’”*

[Translator’s Note: The Hadeeth on the authority of Bilaal رضي الله عنه with these wordings is mentioned in Sunan Ibn Maajah (715) but it graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. What is authentic is the Hadeeth reported from Abu Mahdhoora رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم taught him to say this in the Fajr prayer. [Sunan Abu Dawood (500) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee] Also it is authentically reported that Bilaal رضي الله عنه came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to call him for the Fajr prayer, and was told: "He is sleeping." So he (Bilaal) said: “As-Salaatu khairum-min an-naum, As-Salaatu khairum-min an-naum” (The prayer is better than sleep, the prayer is better than sleep). These words were approved of (by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) in the Adhaan for the Fajr, and that is how it remained. [Sunan Ibn Maajah (716) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]]

It is well known that the Adhaan for a (particular) prayer is not made except when the time for prayer has already entered due to the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

وَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ

“and when the stated time for the Salaah becomes due, then one of you should pronounce its call (i.e. the Adhaan)” [Already referenced above]

So he صلى الله عليه وسلم named it as “the first Adhaan” in comparison to the Iqaamah, because the Iqaamah is the second Adhaan. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had said:

بين كل أذانين صلاة

“between each two Adhaans there is a prayer,” (meaning, between every Adhaan and Iqaamah there is a prayer) [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (624, 627) and Saheeh Muslim (838)]

And it is reported in the Saheeh Muslim, from the Hadeeth of `Aaishah رضي الله عنها that she said:

فَإِذَا سَكَتَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ وَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْفَجْرُ وَجَاءَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ قَامَ فَرَكَعَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ خَفِيفَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الأَيْمَنِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ لِلإِقَامَةِ ‏

“And when the Mu’adhdhin had finished the call (for the) Fajr prayer and he saw the dawn clearly and the Mu’adhdhin had come to him, he stood up and prayed two short rak'ahs. Then he lay down on his right side till the Mu’adhdhin came to him for Iqaamah.”  [Saheeh Muslim (736), it is also reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree with a slight different wordings (626, 994)]

This is clear that by “the first Adhaan for Fajr” it is meant the Adhaan which is called after the time has entered. As for the Adhaan which is given out in the last part of the night, then this is not for Fajr; but rather it is the Adhaan for waking up those who are sleeping and bring back those who are offering night prayers so that they can have their Suhoor if it was the month of Ramadhaan.

Giving the Adhaan is among the best deeds (a person can do), and it is better than leading the prayer; meaning: the reward of the Mu’adhdhin is greater than the reward for the Imaam. This is because the Mu’adhdhin proclaims loudly the Greatness of Allaah and the Tawheed of Allaah, and bears witness to the Messengership of the Messenger of Allaah and moreover, he calls the people to the prayer and success five times throughout the day and the night. But the Imaam does not do that. The Mu’adhdhin – no one hears his voice either the tress, stones or any other living creature – except that it will bear witness to him on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, the status of calling out the Adhaan is higher in the Sharee`ah than status of leading the prayers.

Question: So if someone says: If it is like this, then why did the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم not called out the Adhaan nor did the Righteous Khulafaa’?

The scholars answered: This is because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Righteous Khulafaa’ were busy in dealing with the affairs of the people, since they were the leaders (and responsible) for taking care of the affairs of the Ummah. As for the Adhaan during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, then it was not like the one in our time. Nowadays, if a person wants to call the Adhaan, then he does nothing more than to look at the watch to determine if the time for prayer has entered or not. But during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, they had to keep track of the Sun and follow the shadows till they knew when the Sun has passed the zenith and they would also keep track till they knew that it has set. Then they also had to keep track of the twilight and then the Fajr. So this is subjected to great difficulty (if a person were to manage the affairs of the Ummah as well as keep track of prayer timings).

Therefore the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Righteous Khulafaa’ did not called the Adhaan, not because its status was lower than that of leading the prayer, but because they were busy with the responsibilities they had upon them. And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم clearly mentioned the virtue of calling the Adhaan when he said:

“If the people knew what the reward of making the call (for the prayer) is… and if they found no other way to get this privilege except by casting lots, they would certainly cast lots for it.”

Subhaan-Allaah! The meaning of this is that if the people knew about its virtues and reward, they would have casted lots to determine whose turn it was to give the Adhaan. But nowadays, people, unfortunately, do not like to give the Adhaan. If it is said to one of them: Give the Adhaan. He will respond back: You give the Adhaan. Therefore, if you are traveling, then you should try to be the Mu’adhdhin. But it is also known that a group has its Ameer (leader) either while traveling or on a trip. So if the Ameer appoints a person to give the Adhaan, then others should not step forward and give the Adhaan (while the Mu`adhdhin is present), because now a proper Mu`adhdhin has been appointed. Similarly, if the Ameer appoints someone as an Imaam to lead the prayer, then no one should step forward to lead the prayer in his presence. This is because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

وَلاَ تَؤُمَّنَّ الرَّجُلَ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَلاَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلاَ تَجْلِسْ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَأْذَنَ لَكَ أَوْ بِإِذْنِهِ

“No man must lead another in prayer in latter's house or where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of honor in his house, except that he gives you permission or with his permission.” [Saheeh Muslim (673)]

Allaah guide us all to that which is good and correct.

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