◈ Can Someone Other Than the Mu’adhdhin Give the Iqāmah? Fiqh-Based Ruling and Scholarly Opinions ◈
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 319
❖ Question
Is it permissible for someone other than the appointed mu’adhdhin to give the iqāmah?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
✿ Main Ruling
✔ It is permissible for a non-mu’adhdhin to give the iqāmah.
This is supported by the narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn Zayd ibn ʿAbd Rabbih (رضي الله عنه) — the Companion who saw the adhān in a dream — which shows that a person who is not the regular mu’adhdhin may give the iqāmah.
✿ What is the Preferred Practice?
While it is allowed for others to give the iqāmah, the preferred and better practice is that:
➤ The iqāmah should be given by the same person who gave the adhān — i.e., the mu’adhdhin.
✿ Supporting Incident
In a narration involving Ziyād ibn Ḥārith al-Ṣudāʾī (رضي الله عنه):
- The Prophet ﷺ instructed Ziyād to call the adhān.
- After the Prophet ﷺ performed wuḍū’ and stood for ṣalāh, Bilāl (رضي الله عنه) began to give the iqāmah.
- The Prophet ﷺ then instructed that Ziyād should also give the iqāmah, not Bilāl.
📌 This shows the preference for the same person to perform both the adhān and iqāmah.
✿ Reliability of the Narrations
✔ These narrations (including that of ʿAbdullāh ibn Zayd) are not strongly authentic — they are ḍaʿīf (weak).
However…
✔ The majority of scholars have favoured the narration of Ziyād ibn Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه) because:
- The incident with ʿAbdullāh ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) happened earlier
- The narration of Ziyād reflects a later practice of the Prophet ﷺ
✿ Opinions of the Scholars
✔ Imām al-Ḥāzimī (رحمه الله) in his book al-Nāsikh wa al-Mansūkh writes:
“There is flexibility in this issue; both the mu’adhdhin and someone else may give the iqāmah.”
✔ This is also the opinion of:
- Imām Mālik
- Imām Abū Thawr
- Majority of scholars from Ḥijāz and Kūfah
❖ Opposing View
✔ The Hādawiyyah and Imām al-Shawkānī (رحمه الله) held the view that:
“Only the mu’adhdhin should give the iqāmah.”
✿ Summary
✅ It is permissible for someone other than the mu’adhdhin to give the iqāmah.
✅ However, the better and preferred practice is that the mu’adhdhin should give both the adhān and the iqāmah, as inferred from the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
📌 There is room for flexibility, and scholars have recognized both practices as valid.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
