all its inhabitants, whether they live in its higher or lower districts, pray, fast, and break their fast according to the call to prayer from its mosque! Nor need we look far afield: I and others have witnessed, in one of Amman’s villages—al-Na‘ūr—that when we went to its mosque for the sunset prayer, the sun had not yet set, while the call to prayer was being proclaimed through the loudspeaker on the minaret, relayed by state radio from one of Amman’s districts! Such violations recur in many lands, as we have seen ourselves and heard similar reports from others. I have explained this elsewhere in my comments and guidance.
The point is that the praise of the muezzins mentioned in this hadith is no longer deserved by them today, because they do not observe the sun or ascertain the prayer times with which they have been entrusted. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed that they be forgiven if they fulfilled this duty, saying: “The imam is responsible, and the muezzin is entrusted. O Allah, guide the imams aright and forgive the muezzins.” (1)
It is to be hoped that those muezzins who have control over their own calls to prayer, and those rulers who are zealous for the rulings of the religion, will take an interest in the muezzins, guide them concerning the religious rulings governing their calls to prayer, and enable them to discharge the trust assigned to them. They know the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.”
“Surely in this is a reminder for whoever has a heart, or listens while fully present.”! *
3441- “No woman among you loses three children except that Allah, the Exalted, admits her into Paradise.” The most venerable of the women then asked, “O Messenger of Allah, and the mother of two—will she also be in Paradise?” He replied, “The mother of two will also be in Paradise.”
Ahmad recorded it (1/421): ‘Abd al-Samad narrated to us: Hammad narrated to us: Asim narrated to us, from Abu Wa’il, from Ibn Mas‘ud: