A second issue arises here: the phrase al-ṣalātu khayrun mina’l-nawm ("Prayer is better than sleep"). Some later scholars claimed that it should be pronounced in the pre-dawn adhan, but they have committed a grave error. The Prophet ﷺ expressly instructed Bilal to include it in the Fajr adhan, saying, “When you give the first call for the morning prayer, say: Prayer is better than sleep.”

It is universally known that an adhan for any prayer is not called until its appointed time has begun, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “When the time for prayer arrives, let one of you make the adhan.” He referred to it as the “first” adhan only in relation to the iqamah, because the iqamah is a second adhan, as the Prophet ﷺ stated: “Between every two adhans there is a prayer.”

Sahih Muslim records on the authority of ʿAʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—that “When the first adhan for Fajr was called, the Prophet ﷺ would rise until the muʾadhin came and informed him that it was time for the dawn prayer.” This text is explicit proof that the first Fajr adhan is given after the entry of its time.

By contrast, the adhan sounded toward the end of the night is not a Fajr adhan at all; it is a call to rouse those asleep, to signal those already standing in worship to conclude, and—when it is Ramadan—to allow people to take their pre-dawn meal.

The adhan is one of the noblest acts of worship, and in merit it even surpasses leading the prayer. The rank of the muʾadhin in reward is higher than that of the imam, for the muʾadhin publicly proclaims the greatness and oneness of Allah, bears witness to the Messenger’s prophethood, and invites the people to the prayer.