It is recommended that the iqama be recited in single, non-doubled phrases, for it is meant only to alert those already present that the prayer is about to start; hence it does not require repetition.

It is, however, recommended to repeat the sentence “The prayer has begun” within the iqama, because that declaration is the very purpose of the iqama and therefore deserves special emphasis.

The hadith also teaches that important matters should be repeated when people have not caught them the first time, so that they can grasp and retain them—whether in sermons, study sessions, or any other forum of guidance and teaching. Al-Bukhari relates on the authority of Anas: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to repeat a statement three times so that it would be understood from him.”

The clearest proof for the permissibility of the two different wordings of the adhān—the call of Bilal and the call of Abu Mahdhurah—is that this proclamation is made five times a day from the highest vantage points, and the entire Muslim community, from the era of the Companions through that of the Followers, has responded to the muʾadhdhin (caller to prayer) without any recorded disagreement over the legitimacy of either form.