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.]