Nasai

1393. Commentary:

➊ In this narration, the "first adhan" refers to the call to prayer that is given at the beginning of the Friday sermon (khutbah). Nowadays, this is called the "second adhan." The "third adhan" mentioned in the hadith refers to the adhan that is given some time before the khutbah adhan, so that people may prepare for Friday. Nowadays, this is called the "first adhan." In this narration, the iqamah (second call to prayer) is also referred to as an adhan; thus, the khutbah adhan is called the first adhan, implying that the iqamah was the second adhan.

➋ "The people increased"—the population of Madinah gradually grew, and the number of Muslims also increased, while the Friday sermon was delivered only in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi). If there had been only one adhan (the khutbah adhan), worshippers coming from the outskirts of the city would have missed the Friday sermon, and even the Friday prayer. Furthermore, on Fridays, a market would be set up, and people would be busy buying and selling. There were no clocks; people would estimate the time for Friday prayer, which involved a strong possibility of mistakes and delays. Therefore, an adhan would be given in the marketplace at al-Zawra’ some time before the actual time, so that upon hearing it, buyers could quickly purchase what they needed, and shopkeepers could pack up their goods and return home. Then they could perform ritual bath (ghusl) and ablution (wudu), change their clothes, apply perfume, and arrive at the Prophet’s Mosque before the sermon to perform prayer as much as possible. Keeping these details in mind, consider the current practice of giving the khutbah adhan only 15 or 20 minutes before the sermon, and that too inside the mosque—what connection does this have with the adhan of Uthman radi Allahu anhu? And what similarity is there between the two? Moreover, nowadays, this need is fulfilled by clocks and similar means. In any case, Uthman radi Allahu anhu, due to the aforementioned necessity, added an adhan, and he had a precedent for this adhan. In the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there were two adhans for the morning (Fajr) prayer: one at the time, and one before the time, so that those who were very busy could get up at the first adhan and join the congregation. With only one adhan at the time, many people would miss the congregation, so an adhan would be given some time before the actual time. Uthman radi Allahu anhu, keeping this in mind, added an adhan before the khutbah, which the noble Companions radi Allahu anhum accepted, and gradually this became widespread throughout the entire Muslim world. It became the practice of the Muslims (sunnat al-muslimeen), and there has been consensus (ijma‘) on it from the Companions radi Allahu anhum to the mujtahids and imams of every era. Thus, this adhan is a necessity, it is the sunnah of a rightly guided caliph (khalifah rashid), and there is consensus on it from the Companions radi Allahu anhum until now. Therefore, keeping the above background in mind, it can be acted upon. «فعلیکم بسنتی و سنۃ الخلفاء الراشدین المھدیین» (Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Sunnah, Hadith: 4607). However, if there is no need for it somewhere, it is better to suffice with only one adhan, because this was the practice of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the first and second caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar al-Faruq radi Allahu anhuma. The statement of Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma calling this (first adhan) a bid‘ah (innovation) is in the linguistic sense, just as Umar radi Allahu anhu called the congregational prayer of Tarawih a bid‘ah, even though he himself established it permanently. And Allah knows best.

➌ "Zawra’" was a tall building in the marketplace. The adhan would be given there so that, due to its height, the adhan could be heard throughout Madinah, because for Friday prayer, the participation of all the people of Madinah was necessary, unlike other prayers, which could be performed in congregation in the local mosques of each neighborhood.

➍ "It became established"—because he was a rightly guided caliph, the people accepted it. According to some narrations, it began in Makkah during the era of Hajjaj, and in Basrah during the era of Ziyad. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
This refutes those who say that when the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would ascend the pulpit, three mu’adhdhins would give the call to prayer (adhan) one after another.
The meaning of "one mu’adhdhin" is that the special Friday adhan was given only by one mu’adhdhin, namely, Bilal (radi Allahu anhu). Otherwise, in the Prophetic era, several mu’adhdhins had been appointed who would give the adhan in turn at their respective times.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The position of Ibn Habib and others is that when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would ascend the pulpit, three muezzins would give the call to prayer (adhan) one after another, and after the third had finished the adhan, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would stand and begin the sermon (khutbah).
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) established this chapter heading to refute this position.
This is a claim for which there is no evidence.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/508)
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi (rahimahullah) writes that in the Haramain, it is customary that on Fridays and also on other days, several muezzins gather and give the adhan in loud voices.
This practice did not exist in the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), because in the Prophetic era, only one muezzin would give the adhan. However, this act cannot be called an innovation (bid‘ah) because its basis exists: the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructed Abdullah bin Zayd bin Abd Rabbih (radi Allahu anhu) to dictate the words of the adhan to Bilal (radi Allahu anhu).
In this way, both of them would call the adhan in loud voices.
(Sharh Tarajim Bukhari)
Shah Waliullah’s (rahimahullah) statement is questionable because the matter of teaching the adhan to Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) occurred only once; this act was not repeated on every occasion of the adhan.
Moreover, nowadays in the Haramain, only one muezzin gives the adhan; the practice of giving multiple adhans simultaneously has been discontinued.
(2)
Some narrations indicate that Umar (radi Allahu anhu) arranged for a third adhan to be given.
He ordered that the one giving the adhan should do so outside the mosque so that people would know the time for Jumu‘ah, and he also ordered that the adhan for the sermon should be given near the pulpit, as was the practice during the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu).
He said that the reason for arranging this third adhan was that the Muslim population had increased.
But this narration is not authentic because the one narrating from Mu‘adh (radi Allahu anhu) is Mak‘hul, and there is a break (inqita‘) between the two.
The correct view is that the arrangement for the third adhan was made by Uthman (radi Allahu anhu), as is found in the Sahihayn and other sources.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/507)
And Allah knows best.
(3)
In the Prophetic era, Abu Mahdhurah and Sa‘d al-Qarazi (radi Allahu anhuma) also used to give the adhan, but it is not established that they gave the adhan in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi); rather, they were appointed to give the adhan in the mosques of their respective tribes.
The name of Ibn Umm Maktum (radi Allahu anhu) is also found among those who gave the adhan, but he would only give the second adhan of the morning (Fajr); for the other adhans, only our master Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) was appointed, as Sā’ib bin Yazid (radi Allahu anhu) states: For all the prayers, whether on Friday or otherwise, there used to be only one muezzin, and he would give the adhan and say the iqamah (takbir).
He said that Bilal (radi Allahu anhu) would give the adhan for Jumu‘ah when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would ascend the pulpit, and when he would descend from the pulpit, Bilal would say the iqamah.
(See the hadith under the chapter heading)

Hadith Commentary:
It is understood that the original call to prayer (adhan) was the one that was given at the time when the Imam would ascend the pulpit during the blessed eras of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and the two Shaykhs (Abu Bakr and Umar, radi Allahu anhuma).
Later, Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) added another adhan in the marketplace to inform the people, so that they could prepare for Jumu‘ah in time.
If, due to necessity, this adhan is now given outside the mosque in some suitable place, as was done by Uthman (radi Allahu anhu), it is permissible. However, where there is no such necessity, then according to the Sunnah, only one adhan should be given in a loud voice at the time of the sermon (khutbah).

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, the wording is as follows:
“The adhan (call to prayer) which Allah, the Exalted, mentioned in the Noble Qur’an used to be given on the day of Jumu‘ah when the Imam would arrive for the sermon.”
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/136)
In another narration, it is stated that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu), and ‘Umar al-Faruq (radi Allahu anhu), there were two adhans.
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/137)
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (rahimahullah) clarifies that by these two adhans, what is meant is the adhan for the sermon and the iqamah (second call to prayer) for the prayer.
Since the adhan for the sermon is given to inform those who are not present, and the iqamah is to notify those who are present, both are referred to as adhan. As mentioned in the hadith, “Between the two adhans there is a prayer.”
By this, what is meant is the adhan and the iqamah.
(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/137)

(2)
The ‘Uthmani adhan, in terms of addition, is the third, and in terms of sequence, it is the first.
In some narrations, it is also referred to as the “second adhan.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jumu‘ah, Hadith: 915)
Compared to the original Prophetic adhan, it is called the second adhan, even though in sequence the ‘Uthmani adhan is the first.
Generally, the narrations mention the time of the Prophetic adhan: when the Imam would sit on the pulpit, the adhan would be given, but the location is not specified.
Regarding the location of the adhan, there is a hadith in al-Mu‘jam al-Tabarani:
“(The call to prayer during the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar was given at the pulpit.)”
“During the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhum), the adhan (for Jumu‘ah) was given near the pulpit.”
(al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 7/146)
The chain of this narration is authentic.
This is also the practice of the four Imams.

(3)
In this regard, the issue of the first adhan for Jumu‘ah is also worthy of attention.
Our submission regarding this is that from the aforementioned hadith of Bukhari, it is known that during the time of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhum), only one adhan was given for Jumu‘ah, and that too when the preacher would sit on the pulpit. Then, due to the large number of people, ‘Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) added an adhan at a high place in the market (Zawra’) solely so that people could be easily informed.
The majority of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) adopted this practice.
If today similar circumstances exist, this action can be considered permissible, but in the present era, almost every mosque is equipped with loudspeakers, through which the sound of the adhan can easily reach distant areas.
In these circumstances, there remains no need for an emergency adhan; therefore, deriving the permissibility of the first adhan from the action of ‘Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) is questionable.
To claim that there is a tacit consensus (ijma‘ sukuti) of the Companions (radi Allahu anhum) on the permissibility of the first adhan also requires consideration, because it is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu) that giving the first adhan on the day of Jumu‘ah is an innovation (bid‘ah).
(al-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shaybah: 3/470)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has written that Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu) said this by way of objection, and it is also possible that he did not mean it as a rejection, but rather as a commendation, meaning that although this adhan did not exist during the blessed era of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it is nevertheless a good practice that was initiated due to an emergency need.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/507)
In our view, the first possibility is stronger, because ‘Ali (radi Allahu anhu) abolished it in the capital Kufa and maintained only the Prophetic adhan.
(Tafsir al-Qurtubi: 18/100)
In addition, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has also stated explicitly that until the middle of the ninth century Hijri, in the region of Maghrib al-Adna (Tunis and Tripoli), only one adhan was given for Jumu‘ah.
(Fath al-Bari: 2/507)
Imam al-Shafi‘i (rahimahullah) preferred the practice regarding the adhan for Jumu‘ah that was established during the Prophetic era.
(Kitab al-Umm: 1/195)
It should be clear that we cannot call the first adhan for Jumu‘ah an innovation (bid‘ah), because the rightly guided Caliph, our master ‘Uthman (radi Allahu anhu), initiated this adhan by analogy with the other prayers, in that the adhan for any prayer is given to inform people of the time for prayer.
Since, due to the large number of people, it was not possible on the day of Jumu‘ah for everyone to be informed by a single adhan, and there was also the risk of losing reward due to people arriving late, he arranged for the first adhan. However, those who insist on maintaining this practice should, following the Sunnah of ‘Uthman, arrange for the first adhan to be given from a high place in the market.
In our view, in light of the above details, where the practice of giving only one adhan in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) exists, it should be maintained. Changing this Prophetic practice merely to please the followers of a particular school of thought is by no means commendable. However, where two adhans are given, it should be considered that if there is no fear of any kind of discord or strife, then one adhan should suffice.
If the circumstances are not favorable, then until they become so, there is room to maintain both adhans, but preparing minds to act upon the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) should remain the foremost duty. Therefore, such matters should not become a source of mutual disagreement and dispute.

1:
Here, the "second adhan" refers to the iqamah.

2:
Zawra was the name of a place in the marketplace of Madinah.

3:
Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) had the first adhan given in the marketplace, far from the mosque, and in our times people have started giving this adhan inside the mosque and claim that this adhan is the sunnah of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu). If, in fact, such a need truly exists somewhere, then the adhan should be given outside the mosque. However, now, due to the arrangement of microphones and the presence of watches in the hands of most people, there is no longer any need for such an adhan, for which Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) had this additional adhan given.

1087. Commentary:
The original adhan, which is given when the imam sits on the pulpit, is the first adhan. And the iqamah, that is, the call to establish the congregation, is referred to as the second adhan. The adhan that was introduced to inform people some time before the sermon begins became the third adhan. Although it is practically the first, in rank it is the third. In common parlance, it is called the second adhan, and from a historical perspective, it is called the "Adhan of Uthman." The majority of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) accepted it, and it has been in practice in the Muslim world since that era. This adhan was meant to alert people, just as in the Prophetic era an adhan was given some time before Fajr to alert people. In Ibn Abi Shaybah, it is narrated from Umar (radi Allahu anhu) that he called this adhan an innovation (bid‘ah). Among the scholars of hadith, there is leniency in such matters; the best and preferred practice is to adopt the action from the Prophetic era. If needed, there is no harm in adopting the practice of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu). By the way, Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) had this adhan given at a place called Zawra, which was about a mile away from Masjid Nabawi. There was a market there, and people were not aware of the prayer time. This adhan was given early enough that, upon hearing it, people would pack up their goods, go home, perform ritual bath (ghusl) and ablution (wudu), change their clothes, and arrive at Masjid Nabawi before the sermon began. Therefore, if one wishes to call it the Adhan of Uthman, this background should be kept in mind. Otherwise, to stand in front of the imam just a few minutes before the sermon and give the adhan is by no means following the Adhan of Uthman. Rather, it is a self-invented and newly created practice.

«زورا» "Zawra": with a fatha on the "za," a silent "waw," and at the end an extended "alif." Zawra was the name of a place near the market of Madinah, about a mile from Masjid Nabawi.