As for the caller to prayer, he must be:
- Male.
- Muslim.
- Sane.
- Discerning.
- A single individual.
- Upright.
As for the time, it is stipulated that it be after the time for prayer has begun; therefore, an adhan given before it is not valid at all, according to the stronger view. The dawn adhan is excepted, according to the author’s wording.
It is Sunnah for him to sit briefly after the Maghrib adhan …
His statement, “It is Sunnah for him to sit briefly after the Maghrib adhan”: this involves two matters—“his sitting” and “briefly”—and thus comprises two Sunnahs:
The first is that he should sit, thereby creating an interval between the adhan and the iqamah.
The second is that the sitting should be brief. The author mentioned this because some scholars hold that the Sunnah concerning the Maghrib prayer is for it to be joined directly to the adhan (1). The author therefore clarified that it is preferable to sit briefly.
The evidence for this is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Pray before Maghrib; pray before Maghrib; pray before Maghrib.” On the third occasion, he said: “For whoever wishes,” lest people take it as an established Sunnah (2). This indicates that there should be an interval between the adhan and the iqamah for Maghrib.
It is also established in the two Sahih collections and elsewhere that, when the Maghrib adhan was given, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would stand and pray, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them and did not prohibit them (3). This was tacit approval