This is the Beautiful Adhaan

This is the Beautiful Adhaan – The Call to Prayer

اللهُ اكبر اللهُ اكبر

اشهد ان لاّ إله الاّ الله - اشهد ان لاّ إله الاّ الله

اشهد انّ محمّد رّسُولُ الله -اشهد انّ محمّد رّسُولُ الله

حيّ على الصّلاة - حيّ على الصّلاة

حيّ على الفلاح - حيّ على الفلاح

اللهُ اكبر اللهُ اكبر- لا إله الاّ الله

This is the beautiful Adhaan, this is the call moving out from the minarets and spreads over the rooftops,

and down the avenues of the city, into the market place, moving into every home, jolting every heart in

every nook and corner. Sending its multiple signals and spiritual vibrations of sound through the doors

and windows of houses and offices. It inspires action, induces serenity of the soul and the remembrance

of Allah, penetrates into hearts and washes over souls with its clarity, purity and light, not to mention the shower of grace that can settle on the mind and heart of the aspiring soul through the remembrance of

Allah.

Its message is the message of remembrance and truth to overlay the social and communal atmosphere

with an Islamic cultural phenomenon whose sole purpose is to remember the truth embodied in the name

of Allah.

The call to prayer is spontaneous and exciting, even if it is pre-determined and unchanging in its ritualistic pattern of expression. There is an other-worldly, ethereal quality to the prayer call as it rises from the minarets of the mosques in an echoing ensemble of sound that is at once an active and insistent invitation to the faithful to interrupt their purely horizontal, mundane and earthly pursuits for a few moments of vertical, incisive spiritual expression through prayer of the inner mystery of themselves and their relation with the divine.

The Adhaan, the call to prayer is both a mystery and a shock to the senses of the faithful:

A Mystery – because the call makes immediate connections with the mystery “within” and “beyond” –

A Shock because the call to remembrance is so definitive and commanding even if one is busy, lazy, self-absorbed or simply reluctant to walk to the mosque.

The call to prayer sets the stage for the prayer ritual itself, sending the reverberations of the remembrance

of Allah as echoes of the Divinity throughout the cities – five times a day.

The faithful believers can set aside for a few moments the pressing needs of their day and replace mundane with the sacred by responding faithfully to the call to prayer – A ritual that exemplifies the purely private encounter between the soul of man and the spirit of Allah. Standing on his prayer carpet – the Musalla –

in a physical posture of reverence that bespeaks awe of the Presence, the believer folds his hands one

over the other and bows his head slightly, with is eyes cast down at the point on the earth where his head

will make the full prostration, the place where Allah comes closest to the faithful soul.

This is the Adhaan, that makes it a point to bring the believers closer to Allah – a pre-condition and a preamble to prayer – This is an appeal to the soul of humanity to turn to Allah, to follow the lead of Muhummed as His Messenger.

The Message of the unparalleled Adhaan :

Allah is Great – Allah is Great :

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah - I bear witness that there is

none worthy of worship but Allah.

I bear witness that Muhummed is the Messenger of Allah - I bear witness that Muhummed is

the Messenger of Allah.

Come to Prayer, Come to Prayer

Come to Success, Come to Success

Allah is Great, Allah is Great - There is no deity worthy of worship but Allah.

The sweet melodious voice proclaimed from thousands of thousands of minarets in the world – in the

morning and evening, at the declining of the sun and when the sun is in the mid-west and in the grim

silence of the night – this message is continued to be proclaimed , and will be proclaimed until the

Day of Judgment.

Researchers and Analysts have now found the truth of this wonderful Adhaan being proclaimed

right round the world for the full twenty-four hours – the time difference in the various parts of the

world – the difference in rising and setting of the sun, making the difference in various time of Fajr,

Luhar, Asr, Maghrib and Isha all over the world –

They say, Have a look at a map of the world and you will find Indonesia [a Muslim country] right on

the eastern side of the earth's central landmass. Indonesia consists of many numerous islands, the

principal ones being Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Celebes, all of which are well known.

It is the largest Muslim country in the world with 180 million inhabitants.

As soon as dawn breaks on the Eastern island of Celebes, at approximately 5.30A.M. local time, Fajr (dawn) Adhan (call for prayers) begins. Thousands of Mu'azzins in eastern Indonesia commence

proclaiming the Tawheed of the Almighty, Omnipotent and Omniscient ALLAH (Azzawajall) and the

Risaalat of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon Him and his Family).
The process then continues and advances towards the Western Islands of Indonesia.

The time difference between the Eastern and Western islands of Indonesia in one and half-hours.

Hence, one and a half hours after the echoes have been completed in Celebes, it echoes in Jakarta and

Java Island.
Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious process of calling Adhan ends in Indonesia, it has

already begun in Malaysia. Burma is then next in line, and within an hour of its commencement in Jakarta,

it reaches Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. No sooner the calling of Adhan ends in
Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western India, from Calcutta to Lukhnow. It then advances

towards Bombay and then to Srinagar and the environment of entire Kashmir resounds with this glorious proclamation.
Sialkot, a northern Pakistani city, has the same timing for Adhan. The difference between Sialkot,

Quetta, Karachi and Gowadar, [a city in Baluchistan, a province of Pakistan] is forty minutes, and

within this time, the Fajr Adhan is heard throughout Pakistan. Before it ends in Pakistan, it has already

begun in Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour.

Adhan resounds during this one hour in the environments of United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq,

Yemen, Somalia, and Arabia including Madinah Al-Munawarrah.

The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandra in Egypt is again one hour.

Adhan continues to resound in Syria, Jordan, and Sudan during this hour. Alexandria and Istanbul,

the principal city of Turkey, are situated on the same Geographical Longitude.

The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours during which Adhan

echoes throughout Turkey. Alexandra and Tripoli, the capital of Libya, are located at an hour's

difference from one another.

From Libya the Adhan continues into Tunisia, Algeria, Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, and

Marrakesh.
The process of calling Adhan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa.
Therefore the proclamation of the Oneness of ALLAH Azzawajall and the Apostleship of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon Him and his Family) that had begun in the eastern islands of Indonesia reaches the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean after nine hours. But just before the Adhan reaches the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the process of Dhuhr Adhan has already commenced in eastern Indonesia. By the time Dhuhr reaches Dhaka, Adhan for Asr prayer has already started. This has hardly reached Jakarta, one and a half hours later, when the time for Maghrib becomes due and no sooner has Mahgrib time reached Sumatra, then the time for Isha’ Adhan has commenced in Celebes! When the Mu'azzins of Indonesia are calling out Fajr Adhan, the Mu'azzins in Africa are calling out the Adhan for

Isha’prayers.

Similar analyses has been made beyond Africa through the Mediterranean, Europe, through the Atlantic,

the South Sea Islands, into the Americas and back again into the Pacific – together with the date-line demarcation, proves beyond any doubt the continuity of the Adhaan right through the 24 hours in a day.

We do not have the time to detail every country in the East and West, North and South - however, If we ponder over this phenomenon seriously, we can only conclude the amazing fact that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Mu'azzins around the world are always proclaiming the Oneness of Almighty ALLAH Azzawajall and the Apostleship of the noble Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him and his Family). Insha Allah, this continuous universal calling of the Adhan shall continue until the Day of Judgment.

It is the Adhaan – Where the Muazzins are promised great rewards on the Resurrection Day, so much so, that those who hear there Adhaan would intercede for them on that day.

It is the Adhaan, which if a Muazzin truly believes what he utters, he will undoubtedly enter paradise.

If any Muazzin calling for prayer for seven years out of sincere faith will be free from the fire of hell

It is the Adhaan that makes the Devil – the shaithanul La’een run away.

It is the Adhaan which is recited into the ears of the new born – babe which is made a Sunnah

It is the Adhaan that is being asked to recite at the time of grief or mishap.

It is the Adhaan – Where any Supplication at the time of Adhaan is not rejected.

It is the Adhaan where Rasoolullah (S) has said : Say as they (the muezzins) say, when you finish – ask

and it will be granted.

Innumerable proclamations from our Holy Prophet (S) insisting on the recitation of Adhaan during various situations, the replies to the Adhaan and the Duas supplicated during these times are not rejected – are so many.

Hence, the Majority of Mufassiroon are of the opinion – that whatever people may say, Such a wonderful phenomenon – Such wonderful Miracle that is to be maintained until the Day of Judgment can never be something that has come by chance. Something that can never be thought of after the receiving of the Obligatory Prayers from the Holy Mi’raj, which shows distinction between a Muslim and a kaafir.

Adhaan is a precondition to Prayer – So it is a phenomena, that has to be formulated on the

way to Mi’raj, where the Prayer was proclaimed by Allah Subhanah –

The Prayer and Mi’raj are consistent with one another – hence this miraculous Adhaan and prayer too have to be consistent with the Holy Mi’raj –

Mufassiroon site a wonderful hadith in this regard – A hadith, on the Noble Mi’raj that has been directly revealed by our Holy Prophet Muhummed (S) – found in the various thafseers – on ‘Ilmul Ghaib – the knowledge of the unseen – the knowledge which a few people are made to be aware of: A knowledge described as Thaqreer, to be dispensed in accordance with the intelligence of each individual:

إنَّ رسولَ اللهِ صلّى الله عَلَيْهِ وآلِهِ كانَ نَا ئِمًا فِي ظِلِّ الْكَعْبَةِ :

فأتَاهُ جِبْرِيْلُ – و مََعَهُ طَاسٌ فِيْهِ مَاءٌ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ

The Messenger of Allah was once sleeping in the shadow of the holy Ka’bah when Jibreel (A) came to him. With him was a bowl of water from Paradise.

فَاَ يْقَظَهُ وَاَمَرَهُ اَنْ يَغْتَسِلَ بِهِِ

Jibreel woke him woke him up and told him to wash himself with it.

ُثمَّ وُضِعَ فِيْ مَحْمِلٍ لَهُ ألْفُ ألْفِ لَوْن ٍ منْ نور

Then Prophet (S) was placed in a carriage of thousands and thousands of colours of light.

ثم صعد به حتّي إ نتهى إلى أبواب السّماء

Then he was carried up high up to the doors of the heavens

فَلَمَّا رَأتْهُ الْمَلائِكَة ُ– نَفَرَتْ عَنْ أبْوَابِ السَّمَاء

When the Malaaikah (The Angels) saw him in such brilliant splendour, they ran away from the doors of heaven

وَقالَتْ: مَا أشْبَحَ هَذاَ النُّوْرُ بِنُوْرِ رَبَّنَا

They said: “How can this be This is light is like the light of our Lord.!!”

فَأمَرَالله جِبْرِئِيْلَ فَقَالَ: اللهُ اَ كْبَرُ اللهُ اَ كْبَرُ - اللهُ اَ كْبَرُ اللهُ اَ كْبَرُ

فَتَرَاجَعَتِ الْمَلائِكَة ُ نَحْوَ أبْوَابِ السّمَاء ِ فَفُتِحَتِ الْبَابُ

Allah Azzawajall immediately commanded Jibreel to Proclaim the words Allaahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar – Jibreel (A) said: Allaahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allaahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar - Then the Angels returned to the doors of the heaven and the door was opened.

فدَخَلَ حَتىَّ إنْتَهَى إلىَ السَّمَاء ِالثّا نِيَة –

فَنَفَرَتِ الْمَلائِكَة ُ عَنْ أبْوَابِ السَّمَاء

Entered And they proceeded until they reached the second heaven – Here too the angels ran away from the doors of the heaven (because they could not believe such a powerful brilliance could come from the earth)

فقال رسول الله (ص) : اشهد ان لا إ له الاالله : اشهد ان لا إ له الاالله

Immediately Rasoolullah (S) said:

I Testify that there is no deity but Allah - I Testify that there is no deity but Allah

فَتَرَاجَعَتِ الْمَلائِكَة ُ وَعَلِمَتْ أنََّهُ مَخْلُوْقٌ

Then the Angels realized that the one who is testifying is indeed a creature of Allah.

ثُمَّ فُتِحَ الْبَابُ - فَدَخَلَ

Then the door opened and he went in.

ثمّ وُضِعَ في مَحمِل لهّ ُمن نور – وعرج به إلى السّماء مع جبرئيل –

ثمّ صُعِدَ به حتيّ إ نتهى إلى السّماء ثالثة

Then the Messenger of Allah mounted on the Mount of Light which had been sent down by the Lord of Might and ascended accompanied by Jibreel and reached the Third Heaven.

– فنفرت الملائِكة ُ عن أبواب السّنماء – ثمّ خرّت رُكعّا ً فقالت:

سُبّوُح قدّوس ربّنا وربّ ُ الملائِكةِ والرّ ُوح

The Angels in the third heaven ran away, bowed and glorified Allah

فقال جبريلُ : اشهد انّ مُحَمّد رسول الله

اشهد انّ مُحَمّد رسول الله

Then Jibreel (A) proclaimed : I testify that Muhummed is the Messenger of Allah - I testify that Muhummed is the Messenger of Allah.

فتراجَعَتِ ا لْمَلاَئِكَة ُ وَ فُتِحَ الْبَابَ

The Angels then returned and opened the doors

وَمَرَّ النَبِيَّ (ص) حَتيّ َ إ نْتَهَى إلىَ السَّمَاء ِ الرَّابِعَة

The Prophet (S) then proceeded from there to the 4^th Heaven

واجتمعت الملائكة ُ ثمّ جائت وسلّمَت على النبىّ (ص)

The Angels and gathered together and greeted The Messenger of Allah –

ففتحت ا لباب السّماء – خرج رسول الله (ص) الى السّماء رابعة

The doors of the heavens opened and the messenger ascended to the Fourth Heaven.

فَسَكَتَ الْمَلائِكَة ُ هُناك – ثمُ َّ فُتِحَتُ الأبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ واجْتَمَعَتِ الملائكة ُ

وجبرئِيلُ كمُل أ نْشَدَهُ الأذَان وإ قامُ الصّلاَة - (أوْ وجبريلُ بقيّة ُ الأذَان و أقامة)

There the angels of Allah said nothing and the doors of the heaven opened and the angels gathered and Jibreel completed reciting the Adhaan and Iqaamah (And in another narration – Then Jibreel recited the balance of the Adhaan and Iqaamah)

At this point Mufassiroon say that the Angels of Each of the heavens were incapable of enduring the true beauty dazzling beauty of Muhummed and on seeing his sacred light (Noor Muqadhdhas) they dispersed and then as they heard the chapters of the Adhaan and the Iqaamah they came back to his intimacy.

The doors of the heavens opened and the veils were lifted. These are proof of the fact that it is an indication to come out from these veils by means of these two Shahadhas.

اشهد انّ مُحَمّد رسول الله : اشهد ان لا إ له الاالله

We are not at liberty to proceed further as the subject of Adhaan goes deep – however, we shall give you a few explanations on the secrets and disciplines of Adhaan.

Why is it that you have to say Allaahu Akbar 4 times:

أوَّلاً بِهِ - قوَّاي مَلَكُوتِيَّة و مُلكِيَّة ُ الْمَمْلَكَت

When you say the first Allaahu Akbar it introduces the greatness and Majesty of the Lord to the invisible and visible powers of your own Kingdom.

وَثَانِيًا به - َملإ كَة ُ اللهِ مُوَكَّلَه ُ بِهِ ملكوتَ قوَّاي مُنْتَشِرَهُ فِى المَمْلَكَة ِالنَّفس

The second Allaahu Akbar introduces the greatness and Majesty of the Lord to the Angels of Allah in charge of the invisible powers spread in the kingdom of the soul

وَثَالِثاً به - مو جودات عَوَالِمُ الغَيْبِ وَ شَهَادَات

The Third Allaahu Akbar introduces the greatness and majesty of the Lord to the beings of the invisible and visible worlds.

ورابعًا به - ملإ كَة ُ اللهِ مَُوَكََّلَهُ به مَلَكُوْتُ سَمَاوَات وأرْضِيْن

The Fourth Allaahu Akbar introduces the Greatness and Majesty and Glory of Allah to the Angels in Charge of the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earths.

Mufassiroon say, that is the reason why Thakbeer is repeated in the Adhaan and the Aqaamah as well as in Salaah.

If, a believer feels in his heart – even an atom of greatness with regard to anybody else, other than Allah Azzawajall, Mufassiroon say, that this man’s heart is sick and is controlled by the Shaithaan. It is quite possible that shaithaan’s intrusion would cause the sovereignty of the Majesty of other than Allah in the

heart to be more than that of Allah’s and the heart would regard him greater than Allah. If this is so, the

man would be counted among the hypocrites.

And there are so many deeper aspect to this which is beyond the scope of this program.

Then the second proclamation of the Adhaan –

اشهد ان لإ له الاالله

This is a testimony confining Godhood exclusively to Allah – I testify that there is no deity But Allah.

Why should this testimony be included in the Adhaan – Disciplines pertaining to this are many but we will touch only that which we are able to understand .

The Believers utterances about confirmation of this divinity is to destroy whatever that may be in his heart

that may have been engraved by the intruding hands of Shaithaan and the Nafs-Ammarah. He must sweep such evil away so that he may become fit to stand in the presence of Allah Azzawajall. As long the idol –

the statues of loving the world and mundane affairs are still in the Ka’bah of his heart the Saalik will find no way to reach his goal.

Hence Testifying to divinity of Allah is to announce to the worldly and the heavenly powers that the false deities and the crooked objectives should be trampled upon so as to be able to ascend to the proximity of Allah – معراج قرب الي الله

لا مُئَثَّرَ في الْوُجُوْدِ إلاَّ الله

There is no effecter or influence in the world of existence except Allah

In fact this is the first stage of the truthfulness of your words and this truth is marked by complete

dependence on Allah

You take away the eye of greed and dependence from all beings – Then you will believe in Allah’s

Unity of Action.

When the Shahaadhah is repeated for the second time in Adhaan, it is for confirming it and a re-repetition

at the end of the Adhaan – Laa Ilaaha Illallaah – is to confirm them and that is why it is not mentioned

there the words – Ashhadu – I testify.

At the beginning الله ا كبر الله ا كبر اشهد ان لإ له الاالله

At the end : الله ا كبر الله ا كبر - لإ له الاالله

Then comes the Shahaadhaatur Risalaath –

اشهد انّ محمد رسول الله

Is the discipline of testifying to the Messengership of the Prophet of Allah implying testifying to the guardianship. This is clearly explained in a wonderful hadith:

Rasool (S) says: If a man spent his nights performing the Salaah, spent his days fasting, gave out all his

wealth in charity, and went to Hajj every year of his life, yet he did not know the guardianship of Allah’s Friend – to follow him and return to him in all his deeds, he would have no right to ask Allah, the Glorious,

for any reward – Nor would he be of the people of Faith.

Hence the discipline of testifying toe the Messengership is to convey to the heart the testimony of all the messengers being sent by Allah as well as the greatness of the state of the Khaathaman Nabiyy –

Now with quite an explicit tone we are to prepare our visible and invisible powers for the salaah

Announcing the presence to them by saying:

حي على الصلاة – Come to that enlivening prayer

is repeated twice. The repetition also has its specific meaning - Mufassiroon say that the repetition is intended to complete awakening: the first : حي على الصلاة is for awakening the inner powers of the Kingdom.

And the second : حي على الصلاة is the awakening of the outer kingdom

Since they also accompany the saalik on his journey – The discipline of the Saalik is to tell his heart and powers even the innermost recesses of the heart that the time of presence is near and to make preparations for that.

That is why Rasool (S) said:

إنّ الله لآ ينظر إلى صوركم ولكن ينظر إلا قلو بكم

Allah does not look at your appearances but He looks at your hearts.

Then we announce the General secret and and result of Salaath (سرّ الصلوة و نتيجة)

By calling حيّ على الفلاح Come to Prosperity – Come to the best of A’umaal - Come to the Best of 'Amal that would give you success and properity – so as to wake up the Fithrah the natural disposition – the innate nature of man, because prosperity and salvation are absolute happiness and all human beings love absolute happiness by nature. The truth of happiness is the absolute perfection and absolute comfort that is brought about in the salaath which is the best of deeds –

The Saalik will have to repeat this divine grace so as to remind the heart and to wake up his fithrath natural disposition.

No wonder Rasoolullaah (S) said :

و جعلت قرة عيني فى الصلاة

"AND THE COOLNESS OF MY EYES HAS BEEN MADE IN PRAYER."

When the Saalik reaches this stage he announces his presence by saying:

قد قامت الصّلوة

The Salaah has just begun.

Then he is to see himself at the presence of the Master, the King of Kings, the Absolute Great Allah Azzawajall and to inform his heart about the dangers caused by it due to the incapability and inefficiency of his self.

He has to feel ashamed of not carrying out the ‘Amr bil Ma’roof and Nahee anil Munkar – his duties of enjoining good and forbidding evil

He now has to approach his prayer with the steps of fear and hope towards the Generous Creator

He is not to regard himself as possessing traveling provisions and company.

He is to see his heart empty of safety

He should not think of his deeds as goods but keep on Hoping that he will receive the care and protection

of Allah.

رسول الله (ص) قال: إذا أذ ّ نت و أقمت صلىّ خلفك صّفان من الملآئِكة

Rasool (S) said: When you recite Adhaan and the Iqamah, two rows of angels will perform the salaath

behind you.

و إذا أقمت صلى خلفك صف من الملآ ئكة

But if you say the Iqamah only one row of angels will perform the salaath behind you.

It follows therefore that you as a saalik see yourself as an Imaam for the angels of Allah and this has a wide variety of implications.

Summing up – The Adhaan and the Iqaamah Open with the word Allah and end with Allah

الله ا كبر - لا إ له الاالله

الله ا كبر - Is recited in all the stages of the Salaath.

The professing of the Tauhidhs - The Unity of Allah – is done three times

Twice when we say : اشهد ان لإ له الاالله and at the end of the adhaan

- لا إ له الاالله

Let us therefore take heed when we hear the Adhaan – the most revered act prior to prayer – keep silent and listen to it with awe and reverence and let us reply every sentence that is being proclaimed in Adhaan in order that Allah showers His choices blessings on us and make it a habit of reciting both the Adhaan and the Iqaamah even when we are praying alone.

وآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا اَن ِالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن

السّلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته