Those who said in the adhan: Prayer is better than sleep

The last words of the tathwib (the added call to prayer at Fajr) of Sayyiduna Abu Mahdhurah and Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to be: "Al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)."

Suwayd bin Ghafalah sent this message to his muezzin: When you reach 'Hayya 'ala al-falah' (come to success), say 'al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)', for that was the adhan of Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him).

Isma'il said: Once the muezzin of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to inform him of the Fajr adhan and said: 'al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)'. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) liked these words very much and said to the muezzin: Make these words part of your adhan.

Nafi' said: Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to say these words in his adhan: al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep).

Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) said: Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is part of the Sunnah to say in the Fajr prayer: al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep).

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib said: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to inform him of the time of prayer. He was told that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asleep. Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) called out loudly: 'al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)'. After that these words became part of the adhan.

Hisham bin Urwah narrates that his father used to say these words in his adhan: Al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep), Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah).

Al-Qasim bin Mukhaymirah used to say these words in the tathwib of his adhan: Al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep).

Hisham said: According to al-Hasan and Muhammad, the tathwib meant saying these words: Hayya 'ala al-salah, al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (come to prayer, prayer is better than sleep).

Imran bin Abi al-Ja'd said: Al-Aswad bin Yazid heard a muezzin say these words in the Fajr adhan: 'al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)'. He said: Do not add to the adhan words that are not part of it.

Ata said: Sayyiduna Abu Mahdhurah (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the adhan for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and he used to say these words in his adhan: al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep).

Ubaydullah bin Muslim said: I heard the muezzin of Umar bin Abd al-Aziz say in the adhan: al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep).