a technical usage among jurists, and a legislative usage in the language of the Lawgiver.

As for the jurists, they use sunnah to refer to that for which the one who performs it is rewarded, while the one who leaves it is not punished.

In the language of the Lawgiver, however, sunnah is the way prescribed by the Messenger ﷺ, whether it is obligatory—such that the one who neglects it is punished—or otherwise.

Thus, Anas’s hadith, “It is from the sunnah that, if one marries a virgin in addition to a previously married woman, he stays with her for seven nights,” (1) refers to an obligatory sunnah. And Ibn al-Zubayr’s hadith, “It is from the sunnah to place the right hand over the left hand in prayer,” (2) refers to a recommended sunnah. Therefore, when the term sunnah occurs in the speech of jurists, what is intended is its technical sense.

The author’s statement, “It is recommended for the one who hears it,” means the one who hears the adhan. This includes both men and women, and it includes responding to the first and the second caller to prayer when there are different callers to prayer.

He should respond to the first and respond to the second, due to the generality of the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “When you hear the caller to prayer, say what he says.” (3) It is also a form of remembrance for which a person is rewarded. However, if he has prayed and then hears a caller to prayer after the prayer, the apparent meaning of the hadith is that he should respond, due to its general wording.