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, “When the call to prayer is made, Satan turns and flees, passing wind loudly so that he will not hear the call. When the call is over, he returns. When the prayer is called to begin, he turns and flees [that is, when the iqāma is given]. When this second call is over, he returns and comes between a person and his own self, saying, ‘Remember such-and-such; remember such-and-such’—things he had not previously remembered—until the man no longer knows how many units he has prayed.”1

The hadith indicates that the call to prayer drives Satan away: when he hears it, he turns and flees so that he will not hear the call. Thus, as soon as he hears it, he flees out of aversion to listening to it; but once it is over, he returns, whispering evil suggestions in order to spoil the worshipper’s prayer.

There are many texts concerning the virtue of the call to prayer.

Furthermore, when a Muslim hears the call, it is recommended that he repeat what the muezzin says, as established in the two Sahīhs from Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “When you hear the call, repeat what the muezzin says.”2

In Muslim’s Sahīh, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—reported that the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said, “When the muezzin says, ‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,’ and one of you says, ‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest’; then he says, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah,’ and he says, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah’; then he says, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,’ and he says, ‘I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’; then he says, ‘Come to prayer,’ and he says, ‘There is no power and no strength except through Allah’; then he says, ‘Come to success,’ and he says, ‘There is no power and no strength except through Allah’; then he says, ‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest,’ and he says, ‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest’; and then