Prayer guide
The Adhan and Iqamah
The adhan is Islam's call to prayer — first taught in a dream to a Companion, then confirmed by the Prophet ﷺ as part of the Sunnah of every congregation.
Its Origin
When the Muslims arrived in Madinah, they had no agreed-upon call to prayer. They considered using fire (the Persians' custom), a horn (the Jews' custom), or a clapper (the Christians' custom). Allah inspired the Companion Abdullah ibn Zayd with the words of the adhan in a dream — and the next morning, when he came to the Prophet ﷺ to tell him, Umar arrived to say he had seen the same dream. The Prophet ﷺ confirmed: 'It is a true vision, by the will of Allah.' He told Bilal — whose voice was the most beautiful and far-reaching — to call it (Abu Dawud 499). Bilal became the first muezzin of Islam.
The Adhan
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar / Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar / Ashhadu an la ilaha illa-llah (×2) / Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulu-llah (×2) / Hayya 'ala-s-salah (×2) / Hayya 'ala-l-falah (×2) / Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar / La ilaha illa-llah
Allah is the Greatest (×4) / I bear witness that there is no god but Allah (×2) / I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (×2) / Come to prayer (×2) / Come to success (×2) / Allah is the Greatest (×2) / There is no god but Allah
In the Fajr adhan, after 'Come to success', the phrase 'As-salatu khayrun min an-nawm — Prayer is better than sleep' is added twice. This is established Sunnah (Abu Dawud 500, Ibn Majah 716). The Hanafi school adds the doubling in Fajr; the others follow the same pattern.
Responding to the Adhan
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'When you hear the call to prayer, repeat what the muezzin says — except in Hayya 'ala-s-salah and Hayya 'ala-l-falah, where you say La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.' (Bukhari 611, Muslim 385). After the adhan ends, send salah upon the Prophet ﷺ and recite the du'a of the adhan.
The Du'a After the Adhan
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ، وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ
Allahumma Rabba hadhihi-d-da'wati-t-tammah, wa-s-salati-l-qa'imah, ati Muhammadan al-wasilata wa-l-fadilah, wa-b'athhu maqaman mahmudan illadhi wa'adtah
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer about to be established, grant Muhammad the wasilah (the highest station in Paradise) and the eminence, and raise him to the praised station which You have promised him.
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever says this after hearing the adhan, my intercession is permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection.' (Bukhari 614).
The Iqamah
The iqamah is a shortened version of the adhan, given immediately before the congregational prayer begins. Each phrase is said once instead of twice, and after Hayya 'ala-l-falah is added: 'Qad qamati-s-salah, qad qamati-s-salah — The prayer has been established, the prayer has been established.' (Bukhari 605, the Sunnah-style iqamah). The worshippers stand to make the rows straight when the iqamah begins.