Sayyiduna Uqba ibn Amir (radiallahu anh) relates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say: "Your Lord, the Exalted, is pleased with a shepherd of goats at the peak of a mountain, who makes the call to prayer (gives the Adhan) and offers prayer. Allah, the Exalted, says, "Look at this servant of mine; he gives the Adhan and Iqama for prayer out of fear for me. I have forgiven my slave and entered him into Paradise." (Sunan Abi Dawud no: 1196, Sunan Nasa'i no: 665 and Musnad Ahmad 4/157)

Sayyiduna Malik ibn al-Huwayrith (radiallahu anh) says that two men came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), wanting to travel. So the Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alahyi wa sallam) said: "When you set out, give the Adhan and the Iqama and then the oldest of you should be the Imam." (Sahih al-Bukhari no: 604)

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (radiallahu anh) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: "If a man is in a deserted land and the time of prayer arrives, thus he performs ablution (wudhu); and if he does not find water he performs the dry ablution (tayammum). If he gives the Iqama [and offers prayer], his two angels offer prayer with him, and if he gives the Adhan and Iqama, an army of Allah pray behind him - the two sides of which is not visible [due to it's sheer number]." (Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq no: 1955 and Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir of Tabarani 6/249)

The follower (tabi'ee), Tawus (radhmatullahi alaih) says: "When a man [who is alone] offers prayer with Iqama, his two angels pray with him. And when he gives the Adhan and Iqama, many angels offer prayer with him." (Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq no: 1952. Similar statements have been recorded in the same chapter of the Al-Musannaf from Abdullah ibn Umar, Mak'hul and Sa'id ibn al-Masayyab, radiallahu anhum).

It is stated in the renowned Hanafi Fiqh primer, Nur al-Idah: It is an emphasized (mu'akkada) Sunna to give both the Adhan and Iqama for obligatory prayers (fara'idh), even when praying alone, whether for current prayers or make-up prayers, whether on journey or at home, for men. It is [prohibitively] disliked for women to give both the Adhan and Iqama. (See: Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah Sharh Nur al-Idha, P: 194-195)

Both Adhan and Iqama are Sunnat for men only, and not women, rather it is disliked for women to give Adhan and Iqama, as reported from Ibn Umar, Anas and others (radiallahu anhum). The reason for this is that Adhan and Iqama are from the Sunnat of congregation, and the basis of men's prayer is that it is performed in congregation; thus, when they pray alone, they perform it as the congregational prayer. The basis of women's prayer, however, is that it is performed alone, and as such, Adhan and Iqama are not Sunna for them.

Secondly, where it is prohibitively disliked (makruh tahrim) for a man to omit the Adhan and Iqama, if he were to pray without giving the Adhan and Iqama, his prayer is still valid and he is not required to repeat it.

[Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari]

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 28th December 2010

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