Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
It is called the third (adhan) because the takbir is also considered an adhan.

After the time of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, this practice became established: on Friday, a first adhan is given, then when the imam ascends the pulpit, the second adhan is given, and then at the time of starting the prayer, the third adhan, i.e., the takbir, is pronounced. Although the action of Uthman radi Allahu anhu cannot be considered an innovation (bid‘ah), since he was among the Rightly Guided Caliphs (khulafa’ rashidun).

However, he introduced this adhan out of necessity, because the population of Madinah had spread far and wide, and the adhan given at the time of the sermon was not sufficient for everyone to gather; by the time people arrived, the prayer would be over.

But where such a necessity does not exist, according to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, only the adhan for the sermon should be given, and it should be called out in a loud voice—not as ignorant people do, giving the adhan softly at the time of the sermon.

There is no basis for this (soft adhan).

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu that the third adhan is a bid‘ah (innovation).

That is, it is a new matter that did not exist in the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Now, except for the Ahl al-Hadith, no one else practices this Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Wherever you look, the practice of the Sunnah of Uthman is prevalent (Maulana Waheed al-Zaman).

Regarding Abdullah ibn Umar’s statement that it is a bid‘ah, Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah explains:

“It is possible that this was said by way of objection, and it is also possible that he meant that this adhan did not exist in the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and whatever did not exist in his time is called a bid‘ah (innovation) in the linguistic sense.” (Nayl al-Awtar)

That is, it is possible that Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said this by way of objection, and it is also possible that he meant that this adhan was not present in the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and whatever was not in his time is, from a linguistic perspective, called a bid‘ah, i.e., a new thing.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says: “It has reached me that the people of the western Maghrib even now only give one adhan, according to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.”

The position of the majority of the scholars of Ahl al-Hadith is also that acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is better, and if a necessity like that in the time of Uthman radi Allahu anhu is felt, then there is no harm in giving this adhan at a suitable place outside the mosque.

The statement of those who have declared the adhan of Uthman to be Sunnah is open to question.

Accordingly, Mawlana Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri rahimahullah has shed detailed light on this matter.

In conclusion, he says:

“The argument that the third adhan, which is among the ijtihad-based actions of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, is a Sunnah matter is not complete. Do you not see that Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu said: ‘The first adhan on the day of Jumu‘ah is a bid‘ah’? So if this argument were complete and the third adhan were a Sunnah matter, he would not have applied the term bid‘ah to it, neither by way of objection nor otherwise. For it is not permissible to apply the term bid‘ah to a Sunnah matter in any sense. So reflect.” (Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi)

Hadith Commentary:
At the beginning of the Book of Adhan, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah established a chapter with the following words:
“How much interval should there be between the adhan and the iqamah (second call to prayer)?” There, he supported a narration reported by Imam Tirmidhi rahimahullah that there should be such a pause between the adhan and the iqamah that the one eating may finish his food and the one in need may fulfill his necessity.

By establishing the aforementioned chapter, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah intended to make an exception to the previous chapter, which stated that there should be no separation between the adhan and the sermon (khutbah), and that the sermon is a part of the Friday prayer, i.e., the adhan for Jumu‘ah is legislated in a manner different from the other prayers.

For other prayers, there is some interval between the adhan and the prayer, but the adhan for Jumu‘ah should be directly connected to the sermon.

And Allah knows best.

The First Adhan on Friday at the Pulpit
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa’ib bin Yazid radi Allahu anhu that in the time of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and in the time of Abu Bakr and Umar radi Allahu anhuma, when the imam would sit on the pulpit on Friday, the first adhan would be given. al-kh [صحيح بخاري: 916]

Imam Sulaiman bin Tarkhan al-Taymi rahimahullah, an adherent of the people of hadith («مدلس من الطبقة الثانيه عند الحافظ ابن حجر رحمه الله، و من الثالثه عندنا»), narrated this same hadith from Imam Ibn Shihab with the following wording: «كان النداء علٰي عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم و أبى بكر و عمر رضي الله عنهما عند المنبر» etc. In the time of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Abu Bakr, and Umar radi Allahu anhuma, the adhan would be given at the pulpit. al-kh [المعجم الكبير للطبراني ج7ص 146۔ 147 ح 6646]

The chain of this narration up to Imam Sulaiman al-Taymi is authentic, but this narration is weak due to tadlis.

According to two types of people, this narration is absolutely authentic:
➊ Those who blindly rely on the classification of tabaqat by Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah.
➋ Those who completely deny that trustworthy narrators can be mudallis, i.e., the group al-Mas’udiyyin.

Note: The narration about giving the adhan at the door of the mosque [سنن ابي داود: 1088] is weak due to the ‘an’ of Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar, who is a mudallis, and is rejected and denounced because it contradicts the narration of Sulaiman al-Taymi.

.... For the original article, see...
Monthly al-Hadith, Issue 75, page 17
and Ilmi Maqalat, Volume 3, page 157