Anas (1) reports, on the authority of several of his Anṣār uncles, that they said:

“The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was greatly concerned about the prayer and how to gather the people for it. Someone suggested, ‘Erect a banner when the time for prayer arrives; when they see it, they will notify one another.’ That did not please him.

They then mentioned the qunʿ (2)—the ram’s horn used by the Jews—but that, too, did not please him. He said, ‘That belongs to the affair of the Jews.’

Then they mentioned the bell (3), and he said, ‘That is the practice of the Christians.’

ʿAbd Allāh b. Zayd b. ʿAbd Rabbih (4) left, sharing the Prophet’s concern. In his sleep he was shown the formula of the adhān.

The next morning he came to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and informed him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, while I was between sleep and wakefulness, someone came to me and showed me the call to prayer.’

ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb—may Allah be pleased with him—had already seen the same vision but concealed it for twenty days. When he finally told the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—the Prophet asked, ‘What kept you from telling us?’

He replied, ‘ʿAbd Allāh b. Zayd preceded me, so I felt shy.’

The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—then said, ‘Bilāl, get up and take from ʿAbd Allāh b. Zayd what he tells you, and carry it out.’ So Bilāl made the adhān.

Abū Bishr said: ‘Abū ʿUmayr related to me that the Anṣār …’