Adhan (Azan) — The Islamic Call to Prayer

What is the Adhan (Azan)?

The Adhan (Arabic الأذان) — commonly transliterated as Azan in the Indian subcontinent, Azaan, Athan, or Ajan in various regions — is the Islamic call to prayer. It is recited five times a day by the muezzin (mu'adhdhin) from the mosque to summon Muslims to the ritual prayer (salah). The Adhan is one of the most distinctive sounds of the Muslim world: heard in every city and village where Muslims live, it marks the daily rhythm of Islamic life.

The Full Text of the Adhan

The Adhan consists of a fixed set of phrases repeated in a specific order. According to the Sunni tradition (following Abu Mahdhurah, Bukhari 604), the standard Adhan is:

1. Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar — "God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest" — said 4 times (2×2)
2. Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa-llāh — "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah" — 2 times
3. Ashhadu anna Muḥammadan Rasūlu-llāh — "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" — 2 times
4. Ḥayya ʿalā'ṣ-ṣalāh — "Come to the prayer" — 2 times
5. Ḥayya ʿalā'l-falāḥ — "Come to success" — 2 times
6. Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar — "God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest"
7. Lā ilāha illa-llāh — "There is no god but Allah"

Fajr addition: In the pre-dawn Fajr adhan, an eighth phrase is inserted after "Ḥayya ʿalā'l-falāḥ":

Aṣ-ṣalātu khayrun mina'n-nawm, aṣ-ṣalātu khayrun mina'n-nawm — "The prayer is better than sleep" (2 times).

The Origin of the Adhan

Islamic tradition preserves the beautiful story of how the Adhan was legislated. When the first mosque was built in Medina, the Prophet ﷺ and his companions consulted about how to summon people to prayer. Suggestions of a bell (like the Christians) or a horn (like the Jews) were considered but rejected. Then a companion, Abdullah ibn Zayd, saw a vision in a dream of a man teaching him these very words. He came to the Prophet ﷺ, who confirmed: "This is a true vision, if Allah wills. Stand with Bilal and teach him these words, for his voice is more far-reaching than yours." The Prophet ﷺ appointed Bilal ibn Rabah, the freed Ethiopian slave with a beautiful, resonant voice, as the first muezzin (Ibn Majah 706, Abu Dawud 499).

Responding to the Adhan

Hearing the Adhan is a Sunnah opportunity for reward. The listener should:

1. Repeat what the muezzin says — The Prophet ﷺ said: "When you hear the call to prayer, say the same as what the muezzin says" (Bukhari 611).
2. Exception — When the muezzin says Ḥayya ʿalā'ṣ-ṣalāh or Ḥayya ʿalā'l-falāḥ, the listener responds instead with "Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh" (Muslim 385).
3. Send salawat on the Prophet ﷺ — After completing the responses, one blessing on the Prophet earns ten blessings from Allah (Muslim 384).
4. Recite the "wasilah" dua — This is the famous dua after Adhan that earns the Prophet's intercession (Bukhari 614).
5. Make personal dua — The Prophet ﷺ said: "The dua between the adhan and iqamah is not rejected" (Abu Dawud 521).

Sunni and Shia Differences in the Adhan

The Adhan is universal to all Muslims, with two notable variations in the Twelver Shia tradition:

• Addition after the second shahada — Twelver Shias commonly add: "Ashhadu anna 'Aliyyan waliyyu-llāh" ("I bear witness that Ali is the friend/vicegerent of Allah"). This addition is not part of the classical Adhan text and is not accepted by any of the Sunni schools; even within the Twelver tradition, many scholars regard it as recommended (mustahabb) rather than a required part of the Adhan.
• Additional phrase after "Ḥayya ʿalā'l-falāḥ" — Shia adhan adds: "Ḥayya ʿalā khayri'l-'amal" ("Come to the best of deeds") — a phrase that was recited during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime according to Shia sources but removed during the caliphate of Umar according to their tradition. Sunni schools do not include this.

All schools agree, however, that the core structure and the primary message — the affirmation of tawhid, the messengership of Muhammad ﷺ, and the call to prayer — are unchanged.

The Beauty and Rulings of Adhan

• Adhan is a communal obligation (fard al-kifayah) — every Muslim community must ensure it is called for each of the five daily prayers.
• Only the muezzin recites it aloud — Sunni tradition prohibits women from calling the public Adhan, though a woman may make a private call for prayer at home.
• Standing, facing the Qibla, in a state of purity — while the Adhan is valid without wudu, purity is strongly preferred.
• Voice quality matters — Bilal ﷺ was chosen for his resonant voice; muezzins traditionally learn maqam (melodic modes) that add to the beauty without being sung as ordinary music.

Modern Questions

Are Adhan apps and pre-recorded adhan valid?

A pre-recorded adhan (e.g. on a smartphone app or radio) can be used to notify Muslims of prayer time, but it does not fulfil the communal obligation of Adhan being called live for a specific prayer. Live Adhan by a human muezzin remains the Sunnah. Listening to a recorded Adhan is a good act, but the specific Sunnah responses are prescribed for hearing the actual live call.

Are Adhan ringtones permissible?

Scholars have differed. Many contemporary jurists discourage using the Adhan as a phone ringtone, because interrupting or cutting off the Adhan mid-phrase (when answering the call) shows lack of respect. Silent Islamic reminders are preferable.

Can I recite Adhan into a baby's ear at birth?

Yes — this is a beloved Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ was seen calling the Adhan into the ear of Hasan ibn Ali when he was born (Abu Dawud 5105). Some scholars add the Iqamah in the other ear, though the hadith on this is weaker.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Adhan and Iqamah?

The Adhan is the first, longer call summoning Muslims to come to the mosque. The Iqamah is a shorter second call, said immediately before the prayer begins, indicating that the congregation is about to start. Iqamah phrases are similar but shorter, and include the phrase "Qad qāmati'ṣ-ṣalāh" ("The prayer has been established") twice.

Is the Adhan only in Arabic?

Yes — the Adhan must be called in Arabic, following the Prophet ﷺ's explicit teaching. Translations may be shared for understanding, but the call itself is universally recited in the same Arabic words heard by Muslims of every nationality.

What was the "azan lyrics" originally sung to?

The Adhan is not "lyrics" in the musical sense — it is a divine call structured in seven phrases (eight for Fajr). Traditional muezzins may recite it in classical maqamat (melodic modes) such as Bayati, Rast, or Hijaz, which give the Adhan its haunting beauty without adding musical instrumentation.

What does "Hayya ala khayril amal" mean and why isn't it in the Sunni Adhan?

The phrase means "Come to the best of deeds" and appears in Shia adhan. Sunni scholarship holds that this phrase, if it existed during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime, was later removed by consensus of the companions to prevent confusion that jihad (or other deeds) might be considered greater than prayer. Shia tradition holds it was wrongfully removed. Muslims of different traditions can respectfully understand each other's form of the call.