The correct view is that both are obligatory for the five prayers, whether performed within their prescribed times or made up afterward. The evidence is that when the Prophet ﷺ slept through the Fajr prayer while traveling and did not wake until after sunrise, he instructed Bilal to give the adhān and iqāmah (1). This indicates that both are obligatory. It is also supported by the general wording of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “When the time for prayer comes, let one of you give the adhān for you” (2), for this includes the arrival of its time both after its prescribed time has passed and within it.
However, if a person is in a town where the adhān for the prayer has already been given—for example, if a group sleeps in a room in the town and does not wake until after sunrise—they are not required to give the adhān, since the general adhān in the town suffices: the communal obligation has been fulfilled and thereby lifted. They must, however, give the iqāmah.
His statement, “for the five prayers,” applies so long as the prayers are not combined. If two prayers are combined, one adhān suffices for both, but an iqāmah must be given for each one.
In summary, the obligation of the adhān and iqāmah depends on several conditions:
- They must be men.
- They must be resident.
- It must be for one of the five prayers.
- It must be performed within its prescribed time.
- They must be a group. As for an individual praying alone, it is recommended in his case, because it is reported concerning a man who tends his sheep and gives the adhān for the prayer that Allah forgives him and rewards him for that (3). This indicates that the adhān is recommended for one praying alone, and that it is not