Abu Umayr bin Anas narrates from his paternal uncles of the Ansar that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was concerned about the prayer, how he should gather the people for it. It was said to him (peace and blessings be upon him): Set up a banner when the time of prayer comes; when the people see it, they will inform one another. That did not please him (peace and blessings be upon him). Then the shabbur (horn) was mentioned to him (peace and blessings be upon him) - Ziyad says: the shabbur of the Jews - and that did not please him (peace and blessings be upon him) either; rather he said: "That is a practice of the Jews." Then the bell was mentioned to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That is a practice of the Christians." Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) went away, concerned with the concern of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was shown the adhan in his sleep. He came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the morning and informed him (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: O Messenger of Allah, I was between sleep and wakefulness when suddenly someone came to me and taught me the adhan. Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had seen this same dream before him, but he kept it hidden for twenty days. Then he informed the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What prevented you from informing us?" He said: Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) got ahead of me, and I felt shy. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Bilal, stand up and see what Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) tells you to do, and do it." Then Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the adhan. Abu Bishr says: Abu Umayr informed me that the Ansar claimed that had Abdullah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) not been ill in those days, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would have made him the muezzin.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 1834