Muwatta Imam Malik (Riwayat Yahya)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Yahya bin Saeed Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) intended to make two pieces of wood so that when they were struck, their sound would reach the people and the people would gather for prayer. Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) was shown two pieces of wood and he said, "These pieces of wood are like the ones the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wants." Then it was said to him in a dream, "Why do you not give the adhan for prayer?" So when he woke up, he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and related his dream to him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered the adhan to be given.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you hear the call to prayer (adhan), then say as the caller (mu'adhdhin) says."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If people knew what reward there is in giving the adhan and in the first row, and could not attain it except by drawing lots, they would certainly draw lots for it. And if people knew what reward there is in performing the prayer at its earliest time, they would certainly hasten towards it. And if they knew what reward there is in offering the ‘Isha and Fajr prayers in congregation, they would certainly come to the congregation even if they had to crawl on their knees."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the call for prayer (iqamah) is made, do not come running to the prayer, but come with calmness and tranquility. Whatever part of the prayer you catch, perform it, and complete what you have missed. For when any of you sets out for the prayer, he is already considered to be in prayer."

Abdullah bin Abdur Rahman Ansari reported that Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "You take care of goats and the wilderness, so when you are in the wilderness among your goats, call the adhan for prayer in a loud voice, for the voice of the mu'adhdhin does not reach any jinn, nor human, nor anything else, except that it will bear witness for him on the Day of Resurrection." Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When the call to prayer (adhan) is given, Satan turns his back and flees while passing wind so that he does not hear the adhan. Then when the adhan is finished, he returns. When the iqamah is pronounced, he again turns his back and flees. When the iqamah is finished, he returns until he casts whispers into the heart of the one praying and says to him: 'Remember such-and-such, remember such-and-such,' about things he had not thought of before, until the person remains unaware of how many rak‘ahs he has prayed."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: There are two times when the doors of the heavens are opened, and it is rare that a supplicant’s prayer is not accepted: at the time when the call to prayer (adhan) is given for prayer, and the second is when the ranks are formed for jihad.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to give the adhan for Jumu'ah before its time? He replied: No! Not until the sun has declined.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about two issues: the first was whether the words of the adhan and iqamah should be said twice, that is, whether each phrase of the adhan and iqamah, such as «اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰه، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰه، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَوٰة، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاح», should be said twice or once. The second issue was: when should people stand for prayer when the takbir is called? Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) replied that no hadith has reached him regarding the adhan and iqamah, but he only knows what he has found the people of his city doing.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: If a few resident people intend to perform the obligatory prayer in congregation, is it sufficient to only say the iqamah (takbir), or is giving the adhan also necessary? Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: Saying the iqamah (takbir) is sufficient. And the adhan is obligatory in those mosques where prayer is performed in congregation.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked whether after the adhan the muezzin should greet the leader with salam and call him to prayer, and who is the person whom the muezzin first greeted with salam. Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, replied: I have not received any information that in the earliest times the muezzin used to greet the leader with salam first.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: A muezzin waited for the people but no one came, so finally he gave the iqamah and prayed alone. After he finished the prayer, people arrived. Should the muezzin pray again with those people or not? Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, replied: The muezzin should not pray again, and those who have come should each pray individually.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked that if a muezzin gave the call to prayer, then started offering voluntary prayers, and now people intend to establish the congregation with the takbir of another person, what is the ruling? Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) replied that there is nothing objectionable in this, whether the muezzin says the takbir or another person says it, both are the same.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that the adhan for the morning prayer has always been given before its time since ancient times, but the adhan for the other prayers should be after their time has begun.

Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) was informed that a muezzin came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) to inform him of the Fajr prayer, and found Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sleeping. So he said «الصَّلَوٰةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ» meaning, "Prayer is better than sleep, O Commander of the Believers!" Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered the muezzin to say this phrase in the call to prayer for Fajr.

Hazrat Malik bin Abi Amir Asbahi, who is the grandfather of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), says: I do not see anything remaining in the manner in which I found the Companions except the adhan.

It is narrated from Hazrat Nafi that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) heard the takbeer while he was in Baqi', so he hurriedly walked to the mosque.