138 / What One Who Hears the Call to Prayer Should Say

Many texts occur in the sunnah of the noble Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—concerning the call to prayer, which is the summons to prayer and the announcement, in prescribed words, that its time has begun. These texts demonstrate its virtue, its great importance, and its many benefits, both for the muezzin himself and for those who hear his call.

Among the virtues of the call to prayer is the report narrated by al-Bukhārī in his Sahīh from Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—say, “No jinn, human being, or anything else hears the reach of the muezzin’s voice without testifying for him on the Day of Resurrection.”1 The “reach of his voice” means its furthest extent and limit.

The hadith indicates that everyone who hears the muezzin’s voice—whether a human, a jinn, a tree, a stone, or an animal—will testify for him to that effect on the Day of Resurrection. It also indicates that it is recommended to raise one’s voice when giving the call to prayer so that more witnesses may testify for him, provided this neither exhausts nor harms him.

Another virtue of the call to prayer is the report narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “If people knew the merit of the call to prayer and the first row, and then found no way to attain them except by drawing lots, they would draw lots. If they knew the merit of going early to prayer, they would race to it; and if they knew the merit of the night and dawn prayers, they would attend them even if they had to crawl.”2

Drawing lots means casting lots. Going early means arriving early for the Dhuhr prayer, though it is also said to mean arriving early for every prayer. The night prayer is the ‘Ishā’ prayer.