The Call to Prayer and the Establishment of Prayer and the Reward of the Muezzins
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 45
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Book 1, Chapter 45
The Call to Prayer and the Establishment of Prayer and the Reward of the Muezzins
وَ فِيمَا ذَكَرَهُ اَلْفَضْلُ بْنُ شَاذَانَ رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ مِنَ اَلْعِلَلِ عَنِ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «إِنَّمَا أُمِرَ اَلنَّاسُ بِالْأَذَانِ لِعِلَلٍ كَثِيرَةٍ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ تَذْكِيراً لِلنَّاسِي وَ تَنْبِيهاً لِلْغَافِلِ وَ تَعْرِيفاً لِمَنْ جَهِلَ اَلْوَقْتَ وَ اِشْتَغَلَ عَنْهُ وَ يَكُونَ اَلْمُؤَذِّنُ بِذَلِكَ دَاعِياً لِعِبَادَةِ اَلْخَالِقِ وَ مُرَغِّباً فِيهَا وَ مُقِرّاً لَهُ بِالتَّوْحِيدِ مُجَاهِراً بِالْإِيمَانِ مُعْلِناً بِالْإِسْلاَمِ مُؤَذِّناً لِمَنْ يَنْسَاهَا وَ إِنَّمَا يُقَالُ لَهُ مُؤَذِّنٌ لِأَنَّهُ يُؤَذِّنُ بِالْأَذَانِ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَ إِنَّمَا بُدِئَ فِيهِ بِالتَّكْبِيرِ وَ خُتِمَ بِالتَّهْلِيلِ لِأَنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ اَلاِبْتِدَاءُ بِذِكْرِهِ وَ اِسْمِهِ وَ اِسْمُ اَللَّهِ فِي اَلتَّكْبِيرِ فِي أَوَّلِ اَلْحَرْفِ وَ فِي اَلتَّهْلِيلِ فِي آخِرِهِ وَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى لِيَكُونَ تَكْرَاراً فِي آذَانِ اَلْمُسْتَمِعِينَ مُؤَكِّداً عَلَيْهِمْ إِنْ سَهَا أَحَدٌ عَنِ اَلْأَوَّلِ لَمْ يَسْهُ عَنِ اَلثَّانِي وَ لِأَنَّ اَلصَّلاَةَ رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ فَلِذَلِكَ جُعِلَ اَلْأَذَانُ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى وَ جُعِلَ اَلتَّكْبِيرُ فِي أَوَّلِ اَلْأَذَانِ أَرْبَعاً لِأَنَّ أَوَّلَ اَلْأَذَانِ إِنَّمَا يُبْدَأُ غَفْلَةً وَ لَيْسَ قَبْلَهُ كَلاَمٌ يُنَبِّهُ اَلْمُسْتَمِعَ لَهُ فَجُعِلَ اَلْأُولَيَانِ تَنْبِيهاً لِلْمُسْتَمِعِينَ لِمَا بَعْدَهُ فِي اَلْأَذَانِ وَ جُعِلَ بَعْدَ اَلتَّكْبِيرِ اَلشَّهَادَتَانِ لِأَنَّ أَوَّلَ اَلْإِيمَانِ هُوَ اَلتَّوْحِيدُ وَ اَلْإِقْرَارُ لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالَى بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ وَ اَلثَّانِيَ اَلْإِقْرَارُ لِلرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ بِالرِّسَالَةِ وَ أَنَّ إِطَاعَتَهُمَا وَ مَعْرِفَتَهُمَا مَقْرُونَتَانِ وَ لِأَنَّ أَصْلَ اَلْإِيمَانِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ اَلشَّهَادَتَانِ فَجُعِلَ شَهَادَتَيْنِ شَهَادَتَيْنِ كَمَا جُعِلَ فِي سَائِرِ اَلْحُقُوقِ شَاهِدَانِ فَإِذَا أَقَرَّ اَلْعَبْدُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِالْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ وَ أَقَرَّ لِلرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ بِالرِّسَالَةِ فَقَدْ أَقَرَّ بِجُمْلَةِ اَلْإِيمَانِ لِأَنَّ أَصْلَ اَلْإِيمَانِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ بِاللَّهِ وَ بِرَسُولِهِ وَ إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ بَعْدَ اَلشَّهَادَتَيْنِ اَلدُّعَاءُ إِلَى اَلصَّلاَةِ لِأَنَّ اَلْأَذَانَ إِنَّمَا وُضِعَ لِمَوْضِعِ اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ نِدَاءٌ إِلَى اَلصَّلاَةِ فِي وَسَطِ اَلْأَذَانِ وَ دُعَاءٌ إِلَى اَلْفَلاَحِ وَ إِلَى خَيْرِ اَلْعَمَلِ وَ جُعِلَ خَتْمُ اَلْكَلاَمِ بِاسْمِهِ كَمَا فُتِحَ بِاسْمِهِ.
Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام was reported to have said as mentioned by al-Fadl ibn Shadhan (may Allah سبحانه وتعالى have mercy on him): "People were commanded to perform the adhan (call to prayer) for many reasons. Among them is that it serves as a reminder for those who forget, an awakening for the heedless, a means of informing those who are unaware of the prayer time due to being preoccupied, and it makes the mu'adhdhin (caller) a proclaimer of worship to the Creator, encouraging others to it, affirming His Oneness, proclaiming faith, and making Islam known to those who might forget. He is called the 'mu'adhdhin' because he announces the call to prayer. The adhan begins with 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah سبحانه وتعالى is the Greatest) and concludes with 'La ilaha illa Allah سبحانه وتعالى' (There is no god but Allah سبحانه وتعالى) because Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Exalted, willed that His Name be mentioned at the beginning and the end. It is repeated in pairs (two-by-two) to ensure that it is heard clearly and emphasized; if one statement is missed, the second will be heard. Furthermore, since the prayer itself is performed in units of two rak'ahs, the adhan was also structured similarly. The initial four takbirs (saying 'Allahu Akbar') serve to alert the listener since it begins abruptly and there is no preceding word to capture attention. Following the takbirs are the two testimonies of faith, as the essence of belief starts with the declaration of Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى Oneness and the acknowledgment of the Prophethood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. These two testimonies are linked because faith is rooted in both recognizing Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger, and just as other legal matters require two witnesses, so does faith in its complete form. The call to prayer is then followed by an invitation to salah (prayer), which is the purpose of the adhan, and a call to success and the best of deeds. Finally, it concludes with the mention of Allah’s سبحانه وتعالى Name, just as it began with His Name."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh