Ruling on the Legitimacy of Two Adhans on the Day of Jumu’ah
Source: Fatawa ‘Ulama-e-Hadith, Kitab al-Salah, Volume 1, Pages 177–179
❖ Question
Is it Sunnah to give two Adhans on the day of Jumu’ah?
❖ Answer
◈ Differing Opinions on the Issue of Two Adhans on Jumu’ah
There are differing views among scholars regarding the two Adhans on the day of Jumu’ah. Some scholars consider it Sunnah to give two Adhans, while others uphold that only one Adhan is Sunnah. Both opinions are explained below:
① First Opinion: Two Adhans on Jumu’ah are Sunnah
✔ Legitimacy of Two Adhans:
- One Adhan is given for the prayer time, and the second at the time of the Imam’s sermon.
- The rationale is that Jumu’ah, like other obligatory prayers, should also have an Adhan.
- The Adhan for prayer time serves to inform the people to prepare, reach the mosque punctually, and perform Nawafil.
✔ Evidences:
- ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) introduced an additional Adhan during his Caliphate, which was given at a place called Zawraʾ, so that those living far away could be informed of the Jumu’ah prayer time.
✔ Hadith:
“كَانَ بِلَالٌ يُؤَذِّنُ إِذَا رَخَصَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَلَا يُقِيمُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ”
“Bilāl (رضي الله عنه) would give the Adhan when the sun had softened after its zenith, but he would not pronounce the Iqamah until the Prophet ﷺ came out.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 221, vol. 1; Bayhaqī, p. 19, vol. 2)
✔ Explanation:
- The Adhan for time and the Adhan for the sermon serve different purposes, and both are significant.
- The Adhan for time is necessary to prepare the Muslims and call them to the mosque, while the Adhan near the pulpit announces the beginning of the sermon.
② Second Opinion: Only One Adhan is Sunnah on Jumu’ah
✔ Justification for a Single Adhan:
- During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, only one Adhan was given for Jumu’ah, which was at the time of the sermon.
- This practice continued during the Caliphates of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما).
✔ Evidences:
- The second Adhan was introduced during the era of ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه), and it was initially given outside the mosque at a place called Zawraʾ.
✔ Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ:
“During the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the Caliphates of Abū Bakr and ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما), only one Adhan was given on Jumu’ah.”
(Mishkāt, p. 123, Bāb al-Khuṭbah wa al-Ṣalāh)
✔ Explanation:
- The second Adhan later began to be given inside the mosque during the Umayyad era, and many scholars have classified this act as a bidʿah (innovation).
- The original Sunnah is to give only one Adhan at the time of the sermon near the pulpit or at the door of the mosque.
❖ Conclusion
If in any region there is a need for an additional announcement to inform the people about the prayer time, then the Adhan introduced by ʿUthmān (رضي الله عنه) may be allowed as a permissibility, but it should not be regarded as Sunnah.
The Adhan near the pulpit at the time of the sermon is the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ References:
- Al-Iʿtiṣām, Vol. 7, Issue 50
- Mishkāt, p. 123, Bāb al-Khuṭbah wa al-Ṣalāh
- Al-Iʿtiṣām, Vol. 3, Issue 8
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, p. 221, Vol. 1; Bayhaqī, p. 19, Vol. 2
