◈ Is It Permissible for the Mu’adhdhin to Prolong the Adhān? Explanation and Evidences ◈
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 317
❖ Question
Is a mu’adhdhin (caller to prayer) allowed to give a lengthy adhān?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd!
✿ Ruling on Lengthening the Adhān
✔ It is permissible and recommended to give the adhān with moderate prolongation, but it is impermissible to unnecessarily extend it excessively.
❖ Why Excessive Length is Prohibited
① If the adhān is stretched unnecessarily for 5 to 10 minutes:
- Listeners become bored or irritated
- People may stop responding to the adhān
- They lose out on the reward of repeating the adhān
- The mu’adhdhin becomes blameworthy for causing this deprivation
② If the words are dragged without need:
- It can cause distortion of letters and meanings
- Such verbal alteration (taḥrīf) is a violation of Sharīʿah
📌 Therefore, only a moderate, clear, and deliberate recitation is encouraged — not excessive elongation.
✿ Supporting Ḥadīth
From Jābir (رضي الله عنه):
«يَا بِلَالُ، إِذَا أَذَّنْتَ فَتَرَسَّلْ فِي أَذَانِكَ، وَإِذَا أَقَمْتَ فَاحْدُرْ»
“O Bilāl! When you give the adhān, deliver it slowly and clearly; and when you give the iqāmah, say it quickly and smoothly.”
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī)
❖ Status of This Ḥadīth
✿ This ḥadīth is weak (ḍaʿīf).
- Imām al-Tirmidhī said:
“We only know this narration from ʿAbd al-Munʿim, and the chain is unknown (majhūl).” - Another narrator, ʿAmr ibn Wāqid, is also weak:
- Imām al-Dāraqutnī: “He is matrūk (abandoned).”
- Imām Ibn ʿAdī: “His narrations are written down with awareness of their weakness.”
❖ Additional Weak Narrations
This ḥadīth has two other supporting chains, but both are also weak:
➊ From Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) — reported by Abū al-Shaykh
➋ From Ubayy ibn Kaʿb (رضي الله عنه) — narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Aḥmad
✿ Meaning Supported by General Principles
Even though all chains are weak, the meaning of the ḥadīth is supported by the objectives of adhān:
✔ The adhān is intended to announce the time of prayer to those not yet present, so:
- It should be clear, deliberate, and calm
- Each phrase should be distinct, so it’s heard and understood
✔ The iqāmah, by contrast, is for those already present:
- Therefore, it should be read quickly, without unnecessary pauses
➡ This concept is supported by practice and logic, which is why Imām al-Ḥākim also leaned toward authenticating the meaning of this narration
(See: Taqrīb al-Ruwāt, Sharḥ al-Mishkāt, Vol. 1, p. 114)
❖ Summary of the Ruling
✅ It is permissible and recommended to:
- Lengthen the adhān moderately, for clarity and benefit
- Pause between phrases, ensuring clarity and attention
🚫 It is impermissible to:
- Overextend the adhān without need
- Drag words in a way that causes:
- Loss of meaning
- Deformation of letters
- Boredom among listeners
- Neglect in responding to the adhān
⚠ Possible Negative Outcomes of Unnecessary Length
◈ Listeners stop responding, missing out on rewards
◈ Distortion of words and meaning occurs
◈ Riyā’ (showing off) may arise from melodious elongation
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي، وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
