It is well known that the Muslims’ transmission of the adhan is far more extensive than their transmission of a verse’s grammatical case ending, such as the accusative reading in His words, “and your feet,” and the like. Among (1) the rites of Islam, nothing is more widely known than the adhan; its transmission is therefore more extensive than that of [all the other] (2) rites of Islam.

If it is said, “But there has been disagreement concerning its form (3),” the reply is: Rather, every form established through sound transmission is valid and part of the Sunnah. There is no doubt that [the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—] taught Abū Mahdhūrah (4) the adhan (5), including tarjīʿ—the preliminary low-voiced recitation of the two testimonies before repeating them aloud—and the iqāmah with its phrases repeated twice, as in the adhan. Nor is there any doubt that Bilāl was commanded to recite the phrases of the adhan in pairs and those of the iqāmah singly, and his adhan did not include tarjīʿ. Thus, the report that the iqāmah phrases are recited singly is undoubtedly sound, and the report that they are recited twice is also undoubtedly sound. Scholars of hadith regard both as sound.

This is comparable to the different transmitted forms of the tashahhud (6). Eventually, however, reciting the iqāmah phrases singly—the form that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—taught Bilāl (7)—became prevalent in the Hijaz. As for the preliminary recitation in tarjīʿ, it is delivered quietly.

Some people say that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—taught it to Abū Mahdhūrah in order to make faith firm in his heart, not because it forms part of the adhan. For they agree that