Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
In some narrations regarding the adhan, fifteen phrases have been mentioned, as is the common practice among the general public.
In some narrations, nineteen phrases are mentioned, and this is based on the adhan being given with tarji‘.
The meaning of this is that both phrases of the testimony (shahadatayn) are first said twice in a low voice, and then both are repeated twice in a loud voice.
Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah has established a chapter with these words:
“Chapter: What has been narrated regarding tarji‘ in the adhan.”
That is, regarding the statement of giving the adhan with tarji‘.
Then he brings here the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu,
from which tarji‘ in the adhan is established.
Thus, Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah himself says:
Abu ‘Isa said: The hadith of Abu Mahdhurah regarding the adhan is sahih, and it has been narrated from him through other routes, and this is the practice in Makkah, and it is also the view of al-Shafi‘i.
That is, the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah regarding the adhan is authentic.
It is narrated through various chains.
This is the practice in Makkah al-Mukarramah, and this is also the opinion of Imam al-Shafi‘i.
Imam Nawawi, under the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah, says:
“In this hadith is a clear proof and an evident indication for the madhhab of Malik, al-Shafi‘i, Ahmad, and the majority of the scholars that tarji‘ in the adhan is established and legislated, and it is to return to the shahadatayn twice in a raised voice after saying them twice in a low voice.”
(Nawawi, Sharh Muslim)
That is, the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah is a clear and evident proof that tarji‘ in the adhan is legislated, and it is that the phrases of the shahadatayn are first recited twice in a low voice, and then repeated twice in a loud voice.
This is the madhhab of Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi‘i, and the majority of the scholars.
The narration of Abu Mahdhurah is also found in detail in Muslim and Abu Dawud, in addition to Tirmidhi.
The jurists of the Hanafi school, rahimahumullah ajma‘in, do not accept tarji‘, and they have offered various interpretations of the narrations of Abu Mahdhurah.
Statement regarding giving the adhan with tarji‘:
The great hadith scholar, Mawlana ‘Abd al-Rahman Mubarakpuri rahimahullah, says:
“And those who do not accept tarji‘ have answered these narrations with responses, all of which are flawed and weak.”
(Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi)
That is, those who do not accept tarji‘ have given various answers to the narrations of Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu,
all of which are flawed and weak.
None of them are worthy of attention.
Their main evidence is the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd,
in which tarji‘ is not mentioned.
‘Allamah Mubarakpuri, may Allah have mercy on him, says regarding this that in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd, the words “al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm” (prayer is better than sleep) in the adhan of Fajr are also not mentioned.
And this addition is also established only from the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah.
Which the respected Hanafi jurists have accepted.
Then there is no reason not to accept the addition of tarji‘ from the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah as well.
I say: For this reason, it is said that although tarji‘ is not mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught this addition to Abu Mahdhurah afterwards. So when the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Abu Mahdhurah, it was an addition to what is in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd, so its practice is necessary.
(Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi)
That is, although the addition of tarji‘ is not mentioned in the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd, just as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Abu Mahdhurah the additional words “al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm” for Fajr, likewise he taught him the addition of tarji‘.
Therefore, its practice became necessary, so to accept half of a single hadith and reject the other half is not just.
Hazrat ‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri:
Author of Tafhim al-Bukhari (Deobandi)
Regarding the adhan with tarji‘, Hazrat ‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahimahullah expresses his position in these words:
Hazrat Abu Mahdhurah, whom the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam appointed as the mu’adhdhin of Masjid al-Haram after the conquest of Makkah, used to give the adhan in this manner (with tarji‘), as is the madhhab of Imam al-Shafi‘i rahimahullah.
And he also stated that the Noble Prophet ﷺ taught him in this way.
During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, he continued to give the adhan in this manner (with tarji‘),
and then throughout the long era of the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in, this remained his practice, and no one stopped him from it.
After that, the adhan continued to be given in this way in Makkah.
Therefore, this method of adhan can never be considered disliked (makruh).
The author of Bahr al-Ra’iq has also given this ruling, and in this later era, the Hanafi and hadith scholar Hazrat ‘Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahimahullah has also affirmed this ruling as correct.
(Tafhim al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Part 3, p. 50)
This brief detail has been given because the majority of our respected/Hanafi brothers are, firstly, not even aware of the adhan with tarji‘, and if by chance they hear it in some Ahl al-Hadith mosque, they listen with astonishment.
Rather, some people, while denying it, even begin to show displeasure.
It should be clear to them that they are doing so out of their own unfamiliarity.
As for the discussion of whether giving the adhan with tarji‘ is superior, or without tarji‘ as is commonly practiced, there is no need to enter into this verbal debate.
Both methods are permissible and correct.
For mutual agreement and tolerance, it is sufficient and adequate to understand this much.
Hazrat Mawlana ‘Ubaydullah Shaykh al-Hadith Mubarakpuri rahimahullah says:
“I say: This is the truth, that both ways are permissible, established, legislated, and both are Sunnahs from the Sunnahs of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.”
(Mir‘at al-Mafatih, vol. 1, p. 422)
That is, the truth is that both methods are permissible, established, and among the Sunnahs of the Prophet ﷺ.
Therefore, there is no reason for mutual fighting and quarreling over this matter.
May Allah grant Muslims sound understanding so that they stop fighting over such subsidiary issues and develop mutual agreement.
Amin.

Hadith Commentary:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah sometimes determines the meaning of a hadith through the title he establishes. Such a title is called a "Tarjumah Sharhiyyah" (explanatory heading). Accordingly, in the hadith it is stated that the adhan should be "shaf‘" (paired), and in the Arabic language, this means "to join together." It is possible that someone might think that this refers to joining one phrase to another when reciting. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, through the heading, has determined the meaning of this hadith to be that the phrases of the adhan should be said twice. And Allah knows best.

Benefits:

➊ In these hadiths, it is mentioned that the words of the adhan are to be said twice each, and the words of the iqamah are to be said once each. However, in other authentic hadiths, it is mentioned that at the beginning of the adhan, «اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» is to be said four times, and at the end, «لا إِلهَ إِلَّا الله» is to be said only once, as has already been mentioned in the previous hadith of Sahih Bukhari (604). The reconciliation between these hadiths and the hadith in which «اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» is to be said twice is that in it, «اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللهُ أَكْبَرُ» is counted as one phrase, because both are combined in a single breath, and at the end, there is consensus on saying «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله» once.

➋ Another form of adhan has also been narrated from Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu, which is called "tarji‘" in the adhan, meaning the testimony phrases are recited four times. He says that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught him an adhan of nineteen (19) phrases and an iqamah of seventeen (17) phrases. That adhan is:

«الله أكبر الله أكبر،


الله أكبر الله أكبر .»
Say these phrases in a loud voice, then say:

«أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله،

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله،

أشهد أن محمدًا رَسُولُ الله،

أشهد أن محمدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ»
Say these phrases in a low voice, then say the testimony phrases in a loud voice:

«أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله،

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ،

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ محمدا رسول الله،

أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله،

حي على الصلاةِ،

حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ،

حَيَّ عَلَى الفلاح،

حي على الفلاح،

الله أكبر الله أكبر،

لا إله إلا الله»
And the iqamah is:

«اللهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ،

اللَّهُ أكبر الله أكبر،

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله،

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله،

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ،

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ محَمَّدًا رَسُولُ الله،

حي على الصلاة،

حي على الصلاة،

حي على الفلاح،

حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ،

قَدْ قامت الصلاة،

قد قامت الصلاة،

الله أكبر الله أكبر،

لا إله إلا الله .»
[أبو داود: 502، حسن صحيح]

In the hadith of Sunan Abi Dawud (500), it is narrated from Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instructed him to say the two testimony phrases twice each in a low voice at first, and then to say the same phrases twice each in a loud voice, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instructed him to say «الصلاة خير من النوم» twice in the adhan of Fajr. This hadith is also authentic. From this, it is established that the words of «الصلاة خير من النوم» were themselves taught by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and this refutes those who say that the words of «الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ من النوم» were added to the adhan at the suggestion of Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu anhu. It is also known that in the adhan of Bilal radi Allahu anhu, the phrases are said twice each, and in the iqamah, each phrase is said once, whereas in the adhan of Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu, there is tarji‘, and in it, the phrases of the iqamah are said twice each. Imam Ibn Khuzaymah rahimahullah said: If the adhan is given according to Abu Mahdhurah radi Allahu anhu, then the takbir should also be doubled, and if the adhan is according to Bilal radi Allahu anhu, then the takbir should be said once. [فتح الباري]