Adhaan

As'Salamu Alaikum wa Rahamatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

The word adhaan in Arabic means announcing or proclaiming.

In sharee’ah terminology it means announcing the time of prayer.

Lets see how the Adha'an got started :

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 499; classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/191 and Ibn Hibbaan, 4/572. al-Tirmidhi narrated that Imam al-Bukhaari deemed it saheeh, as it says in Sunan al-Bayhaqi, 1/390

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd said:

When the Messenger of Allaah (sallal lahu alahi wasallam ) ordered that a bell should be made so that it could be struck to call the people to prayer,

A man walked around me whilst I was sleeping [i.e., in a dream], carrying a bell in his hand. I said, “O slave of Allaah, will you sell this bell?”

He asked, “What will you do with it?”

I said, “We will call the people to prayer.”

He said, “Shall I not tell you of something better than that?”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Say: Allaahu akbar, Allaah akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaah akbar; ash-hadu an laa ilaah ill-Allaah, ash-hadu an laa ilaah ill-Allaah; ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah; hayya ‘ala al-salaah, hayya ‘ala al-salaah; hayya ‘ala’l-falaah, hayya ‘ala’l-falaah; Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar; Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah

(Allaah is most Great, Allaah is most Great, Allaah is most Great, Allaah is most Great. I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah, I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to success, come to success. Allaah is most Great, Allaah is most Great, there is no god except Allaah).”

Then he went a short distance away from me and said: “And when the prayer is about to begin (iqaamah), say:

Allaahu akbar, Allaah akbar; ash-hadu an laa ilaah ill-Allaah; ash-hadu anna Muhammadan rasool-Allaah; hayya ‘ala al-salaah, hayya ‘ala’l-falaah; qad qaamat il-salaah, qad qaamat il-salaah (prayer is about to begin); Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar; Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah

The following morning, I went to the Messenger of Allaah (sallal lahu alaihi wasallam ) and told him what I had seen.

He said, “This is a true dream, insha Allah. Get up with Bilaal and teach him what you saw, for he has a more melodious voice than you.” So I got up with Bilaal and taught him, and he gave the call to prayer.

‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab heard that in his house and he came out, dragging his lower garment and saying, “By the One Who sent you with the truth, O Messenger of Allaah, I saw the same as he saw!” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “To Allaah be praise.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 500; al-Nasaa’i, 647; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: In the first adhaan after the word al-falaah it said: Al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep).

Virtues of Adha'an

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 590; Muslim, 437.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the people knew what there is in the call to prayer and the first row, and they had no other way but drawing lots, then they would draw lots.”

It was narrated that Mu’aawiyah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The muezzins will have the longest necks of the people on the Day of Resurrection.” Narrated by Muslim, 387

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 212; Abu Dawood, 437; Ahmad, 12174 – this version narrated by him. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 489).
It was narrated that Anas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is not rejected between the adhaan and iqaamah, so make du’aa’.”

How to reply Adha'an

Narrated by Muslim, 385

It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the muezzin says ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar’ and one of you says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar’; then he says ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah’ and you say ‘Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah’; then he says, ‘Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allaah’ and you say, ‘Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allaah’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-salaah’ and you say ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah’; then he says, ‘Hayya ‘ala’l-falaah’ and you say ‘Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah’; then he says, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar’ and you say, ‘Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar’; then he says ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah’ and you say, ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah’ from the heart, you will enter Paradise.”