Question: Is it correct to say اشهد ان امير المؤمنين على ولي الله words after the Shahadatayn in the Adhan? Please explain with references from the Quran and Hadith.
Answer: The Adhan is one of the symbols of Islam, and its words are only those transmitted from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is neither permissible to add to nor to omit from the Adhan. Whoever adds certain words to the Adhan is an innovator (bid’ati) and indeed deserving of curse. The narration from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zaid bin Abdur-Rabbah regarding the Adhan mentions that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered people to gather for prayer by ringing a bell, I saw in a dream a man holding a bell. I asked him: “O servant of Allah! Will you sell the bell?” He replied: “What will you do with it?” I said: “I will call people to prayer with it.” He said: “Shall I guide you to something better than this?” I said: “Why not?” He said: Then say:
الله اكبر، الله اكبر، الله اكبر، الله اكبر، اشهد ان لا إله إلا الله، اشهد ان لا إله إلا الله، اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله، اشهد ان محمدا رسول الله، حي على الصلاة، حي على الصلاة، حي على الفلاح، حي على الفلاح، الله اكبر، الله اكبر، لا إله إلا الله
In the morning, I told the Prophet (peace be upon him) about my dream, and he said:
ان هذا رو يا حق ان شاء الله
“Indeed, this dream is true, if Allah wills.”
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Teach Bilal these words so that he may call the Adhan, for his voice is better than yours.”
Similarly, it is established from Sunnah that in the Fajr Adhan, after “Hayya ‘ala al-Falah,” the phrase الصلاة خير من النوم is said twice.
Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
من السنة إذا قال المؤذن فى اذان الفجر حى على الفلاح قال الصلاة خير من النوم
In the morning Adhan, saying “As-Salatu Khayrun Minan-Nawm” after “Hayya ‘ala al-Falah” is from the Sunnah.
In principle, it is established that the statement of the Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that من السنة كذا is considered a Musnad and Marfu’ Hadith.
Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) in Al-Majmu’ (232/5), Imam Ibn Hummam (may Allah have mercy on him) in “At-Tahrir,” and his teacher Ibn Ameer Al-Hajj on (224/1) have transmitted this position from the majority of Usul scholars and Muhaddithin. Similarly, in the Hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Mahdhurah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught him the Adhan and said to say الصلاة خير من النوم، الصلاة خير من النوم in the morning Adhan. This Hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Mahdhurah through multiple chains in the following books.
Similarly, in the Hadith of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), it is mentioned that in the first Adhan of Fajr, الصلاة خير من النوم is said.
From Hazrat Abu Mahdhurah (may Allah be pleased with him), it is also established that there is a repetition (Tarjee’) in the Adhan, meaning the words of Shahadatayn are repeated: first softly and the second time louder. From the above authentic Hadiths, it is clear that only the mentioned words of the Adhan are established from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Neither addition nor omission is permissible. Words like أشهد أن عليا ولي الله are not part of the Adhan. Those who add these words commit innovations in religion and are innovators. Even in Ja’fari fiqh, these words are not established in the Adhan; rather, according to Ja’fari fiqh, saying these words in the Adhan is sinful and the one who says them deserves curse.
The difference between the Adhan recorded in the four authentic Ja’fari fiqh books and the Sunni Adhan is only that after حي على الفلاح, in Ja’fari fiqh, حي على خير العمل is said twice. The rest of the words of the Adhan are the same as those of the Sunni Adhan. In the reputable Shia book Al-Faqih Min La Yahduruhu Al-Faqih (188/1), Ibn Babawayh Qummi, after narrating the words of the Adhan, wrote:
هذا هو الأذان الصحيح لا يزاد فيه و لا ينقض منه والمفوضة لعنهم الله قد وضعوا اخبارا و زادوا فى الأذان محمدا و ال محمد خير البرية مرتين و فى بعض رواياتهم بعد أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله أشهد أن عليا ولي الله مرتين و منهم من روى بدل ذلك أشهد أن عليا أمير المؤمنين حق مرتين ولا شك فى أن عليا ولى الله و أنه أمير المؤمنين حقا وأن محمدا واله صلوات الله عليهم خير البرية و لكن ليس ذلك فى اصل الأذان وإنما ذكرت ذلك ليعرف بهذو الزيادة المتهمون المدلسون أنهم فى جملتنا
“This Adhan is correct; neither should it be increased nor decreased, and may Allah curse the Mufawwidah sect, for they fabricated many narrations and increased the words محمدا و ال محمد خير البرية to be said twice in the Adhan, and in some of their narrations, after أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله, أشهد أن عليا ولي الله is mentioned twice. Some of the Mufawwidah have narrated instead of these words the following: أشهد أن أمير المؤمنين حقا. It is certain that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is the wali of Allah and the true Amir al-Mu’minin, and Muhammad and the family of Muhammad are the best of creation, but these words are not part of the original Adhan. I have mentioned these words so that those who bear the accusation of being Mufawwidah may be recognized, yet they count themselves among the Ahl al-Tashi’.”
From the explicit statement of Ibn Babawayh Qummi, a Shia Muhaddith, it is clear that words like اشهد أن عليا ولي الله are not part of the original Adhan words but were fabricated and inserted into the Adhan by this cursed Mufawwidah sect. There is no evidence for them among the Imams of Hadith. In the footnote of Al-Faqih Min La Yahduruhu Al-Faqih (188/1), the Mufawwidah sect is described as:
فرقة ضالة قالك بأن الله خلق محمدا و فوض إليه خلق الدنيا فهو الخلاق و قيل بل فوض ذلك إلى على عليه السلام
“The Mufawwidah are a misguided sect. Their belief is that Allah created only Muhammad (peace be upon him), and after that, the matter of creation of the world was entrusted by Allah to Muhammad (peace be upon him). Therefore, he became the creator (the one who creates abundantly), and in their beliefs, it is also said that Allah entrusted the matter of creation not to the Prophet (peace be upon him) but to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).”
From the above explanation, it is clear that the Mufawwidah are a cursed sect who added these words to the Adhan, which have no relation to the Sunnah. In the reputable Shia book Al-Mabsut (99/1), printed in Tehran, by Abu Ja’far bin Muhammad Husayn al-Tusi, it is written:
فَاَمَّا قَوْلُ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا اَمِيْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَآلُ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ عَلٰي مَا وَرَدَ فِيْ شَوَاذِّ الْأَخْبَارِ فَلَيْسَ بِمَعْمُوْلٍ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْأَذَانِ وَلَوْ فَعَلَهُ الْاِنْسَانُ يَأْثَمُ بِهِ غَيْرَ اَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ فَضِيْلَةِ الْأَذَانِ وَلَا كَمَالِ فُصُوْلِه .
“Anyway, saying اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا اَمِيْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَآلَ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةَ in the Adhan, as mentioned in rare narrations, is not binding on anyone, and if a person says these words in the Adhan, he will be sinful; moreover, these words are not among the virtues and perfection of the Adhan.”
Similarly, in the reputable Shia book Al-Luma’ al-Dimashqiyyah (240/1), it is written:
“The mentioned Adhan (which is according to Ahl al-Sunnah) is what is transmitted in Shariah. It is not permissible to consider additional words legally correct, whether inside the Adhan or the Iqamah, such as the words testifying to the Wilaya of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and the words that Muhammad and the family of Muhammad are the best of creation or best of mankind. Although what is said in these words is indeed correct (i.e., that Sayyiduna Ali is the wali of Allah and Muhammad and his family are the best of creation), but incorporating every true and correct matter into acts of worship that are prescribed and limited by Allah is not permissible. Therefore, saying these words in the Adhan is an innovation and establishing a new Shariah.”
Similarly, in the Shia book Fiqh Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq by Muhammad Jawad (166/1), printed in Iran, it is written:
وَاتَّفَقُوْا جَمِيْعًا عَلٰي اَنَّ قَوْلَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ لَيْسَ مِنْ فُصُوْلِ الْأَذَانِ وَاَجْزَائِهِ وَاَنَّ مَنْ اَتٰي بِنِيَّةِ اَنَّهُ مِنَ الْأَذَانِ فَقَدْ اَبْدَعَ فِي الدِّيْنِ وَاَدْخَلَ فِيْهِ مَا هُوَ خَارِجٌ عَنْهُ
“Everyone agrees that the words اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ are not part of the Adhan and its components, and also that whoever says these words with the intention that they are part of the Adhan has innovated in religion and introduced into religion what is not part of it.”
Similarly, the Shia Muhaddith and Mufassir Sheikh al-Taifah Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Hasan al-Tusi wrote in his fatwa “An-Nihayah fi Mujarrad al-Fiqh wal-Fatawa” (69), printed in Qom, Iran:
وَاَمَّا مَا رُوِيَ فِيْ شَوَاذِّ الْاَخْبَارِ مِنْ قَوْلِ ”اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ وَآلَ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ “ فَمِمَّا لَا يُعْمَلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْاَذَانِ وَالْاِقَامَةِ فَمَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا كَانَ مُخْطِئًا
“In rare narrations, the statement اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ وَآلَ مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ is mentioned; these are among the words that are not acted upon in the Adhan and Iqamah, and whoever acts upon them is in error.”
From the above evidences, it is established that the words of the Adhan are among the symbols of Islam and were prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). No one is permitted to add to or omit from them. Whoever adds or omits in the Adhan is an innovator and deserving of curse. The same Adhan that is valid among Ahl al-Sunnah is also narrated in the main books of Ja’fari fiqh except for حَيَّ عَلٰي خَيْرِ الْعَمَلِ, and according to Ja’fari fiqh, including the words اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ عَلِيًّا وَلِيُّ اللهِ in the Adhan is sinful and an innovation; indeed, these words were fabricated by the cursed Mufawwidah sect and inserted into the Adhan, although these words are not part of the Adhan.
We confidently say that the words of Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna Hasan, Sayyiduna Husayn, Ali Zain al-Abidin (may Allah be pleased with them), who are considered the infallible Imams of Ahl al-Bayt by the Shia, cannot be established in the Adhan with authentic or even weak chains. During the time of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), the Adhan was given for prayer; did Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say these words in the Adhan? Some say that those who do not say these words in the Adhan do not love Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt. This is completely wrong. If the sign of love is to mention the name of the beloved in the Adhan, then the names of Sayyida Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and all her children, as well as the alleged twelve Imams and their children, should also be mentioned in the Adhan to openly express love. If the Adhan were started this way, it might not be completed even in twenty-four (24) hours, and the time for prayer would be missed. Above, it has been explicitly narrated from Shia Mujtahids that whatever is proven to be correct in reality cannot be inserted into the Adhan from one’s own side because the words of the Adhan are transmitted and fixed from Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). Adding to them is tantamount to deserving curse. May Allah grant us and all Muslims the ability to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) properly.
