Hadith on the Adhan Given Before Fajr
Narrated by Salim from his father (رضي الله عنه):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Bilal gives the Adhan during the night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the Adhan.”
(Agreed upon – Reported in Bukhari and Muslim)
📖 References:
- Bukhari: 620, 617, 623, 1918, 2656, 7248
- Muslim: 1092
Key Lessons from the Hadith
➊ Giving Adhan Before Fajr to Wake People Up Is Permissible
- It is permissible to give an Adhan before Fajr to wake people up for Tahajjud prayer or Suhoor during Ramadan.
- Bilal (رضي الله عنه) used to call this Adhan, but it was not obligatory.
- This also proves that Adhan can be given for matters other than obligatory prayers, such as:
- Saying Adhan in a newborn’s ear.
- Giving Adhan to remind people to prepare for prayer.
- Saying Adhan to seek rain during drought.
- Giving Adhan when there is excessive rainfall for it to stop.
All these types of Adhan are permissible but not obligatory.
➋ The Role of Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (رضي الله عنه)
- The Fajr Adhan was called by Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (رضي الله عنه), who was a blind companion of the Prophet (ﷺ).
- This proves that a blind person can also be a Mu’adhin.
➌ Naming by the Mother’s Name
- This Hadith shows that it is permissible to associate a person’s name with their mother, as seen in the name Abdullah bin Umm Maktum.
- Similar examples include Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah (رضي الله عنه).
➍ Stopping Eating at the Time of Fajr Adhan
- This Hadith proves that when the Fajr Adhan starts, one should stop eating if fasting.
- Continuing to eat after hearing the Fajr Adhan (especially waiting for multiple Adhans in the city to finish) is incorrect.
Weak Hadith Regarding the Correction of Early Adhan
📖 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar (رضي الله عنهما):
Bilal (رضي الله عنه) once gave the Adhan before Fajr, so the Prophet (ﷺ) commanded him to go back and announce:
“Behold! The servant has slept! Behold! The servant has slept!”
(Reported by Abu Dawood but classified as weak.)
📖 References:
- Tirmidhi: 1/605 (Imam Tirmidhi called it “unreliable”)
- Abu Dawood: 332
- Dar Qutni: 1/345, 244
- Talkhis: 1/179
Key Lessons from the Weak Hadith
➊ The Hadith Is Weak
- This narration is classified as weak.
- If considered authentic, it would apply to the early days of Islam when only Bilal (رضي الله عنه) was the Mu’adhin.
- Later, Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (رضي الله عنه) was appointed as the second Mu’adhin for Fajr.
➋ The Correction of an Incorrect Adhan
- This Hadith, if accepted, indicates that if a Mu’adhin mistakenly calls Adhan early, he should inform people about the mistake.
- Similarly, if someone calls Adhan at the wrong time, they should announce a correction.
Conclusion: Is the Adhan for Tahajjud Sunnah?
- Yes, giving Adhan before Fajr (to wake people for Tahajjud and Suhoor) is permissible but not obligatory.
- This practice was done by Bilal (رضي الله عنه) during the Prophet’s time, and the Prophet (ﷺ) approved it.
- However, this Adhan does not replace the Fajr Adhan, which was called later by Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (رضي الله عنه).
📖 [This content is derived from the book Diya-ul-Islam Fi Sharh al-Ilmam Bi Ahadith al-Ahkam by Sheikh Taqi al-Din Abi al-Fath, translated by Maulana Mahmood Ahmad Ghaznfar.]
