Excerpt from Ā’īnah Tawḥīd wa Sunnat bi-Jawāb Shirk Kiyā Hai maʿa Ḥaqīqat-i-Bidʿat by Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah Muḥammad Jāwīd Salafī ◈
Reciting Salutations (Ṣalāh and Salām) before the Adhān – An Analysis in the Light of Qur’ān and Sunnah
He asserts that reciting Ṣalāh and Salām (salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ) before the adhān is recommended (mustaḥabb). His reasoning includes:
Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah refutes these claims with strong evidence and clear reasoning, based entirely on Qur’ān, authentic Sunnah, and sound principles of ʿaqīdah and fiqh:
The statement “Every good deed becomes more blessed by starting with the praise of Allah and Ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ” is not found in any authentic ḥadīth collection.
This is a fabricated claim — attributing falsehood to the Prophet ﷺ, which is a major sin.
The Prophet ﷺ never recited Ṣalāh before the adhān, nor did Bilāl رضي الله عنه, the official mu’adhdhin of the Prophet ﷺ, nor any of the Companions or successors (tābiʿīn).
If this practice were from the Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ would have explained it, or the Sahābah would have performed it.
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Send blessings and peace upon him abundantly.”
[Surah al-Aḥzāb: 56]
This verse commands believers to frequently recite Ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ, but not in a specific place or time such as before the adhān.
If this āyah proved what Qādrī claims, why did the Prophet ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the leading imāms never act upon it in this way?
When this āyah was revealed, the Companions asked the Prophet ﷺ how to send Ṣalāh, and he ﷺ taught them specific supplications, including:
"اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد..."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4797, 4798]
These forms were meant for general recitation — not restricted to being inserted into acts of worship like the adhān.
If it is “mustahabb” to recite Ṣalāh before adhān, then why:
Clearly, the practice is inconsistent, baseless, and driven by innovation rather than authentic evidence.
Claiming that “those who prohibit it must provide proof” is false.
The onus (burden of proof) is always on the one introducing a new practice into the religion, not on the one rejecting it.
Otherwise, endless innovations could be justified by claiming “Show us where it's prohibited!”
Claiming that Bilāl رضي الله عنه recited Ṣalāh silently before the adhān — due to lack of microphones — is speculative fiction and a false attribution. There is no ḥadīth or reliable narration proving this.
To claim such without evidence is to speak on behalf of the Ṣaḥābah without knowledge, which is a serious offense.
If, as he claims, Ṣalāh was recited silently before, and is now audible due to speakers, why was it never heard or practiced even centuries after the Companions, or by the Four Imāms, including Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رحمه الله?
One must ask: Did the entire Ummah fail to understand and practice this until Qādrī Sahib discovered it 1400 years later?
Loving the Prophet ﷺ means:
✔ Following his Sunnah
✔ Avoiding innovations
✔ Reciting authentic forms of Ṣalāh and Salām in prescribed places
Inventing religious practices — no matter how emotional or seemingly "beautiful" — is not love, but disobedience.
❖ Issue Discussed:
Reciting Salutations (Ṣalāh and Salām) before the Adhān – An Analysis in the Light of Qur’ān and Sunnah
❖ Claim by Ḥafīẓ ar-Raḥmān Qādrī Barelwī:
He asserts that reciting Ṣalāh and Salām (salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ) before the adhān is recommended (mustaḥabb). His reasoning includes:
- A claimed ḥadīth that "Every good deed becomes more blessed when it begins with praise of Allah and Ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ."
- Adhān is a good deed, hence it should also be preceded by Ṣalāh.
- He cites Surah al-Aḥzāb: 56 as a basis for general encouragement to send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ.
- He argues that no punishment lies in reciting Ṣalāh before adhān, nor is it obligatory — but calling it wrong is itself wrong.
- He speculates that Bilāl رضي الله عنه might have recited Ṣalāh silently, due to absence of microphones at that time.
❖ Scholarly Refutation:
Shaykh Abū Ḥudhayfah refutes these claims with strong evidence and clear reasoning, based entirely on Qur’ān, authentic Sunnah, and sound principles of ʿaqīdah and fiqh:
① No Authentic Ḥadīth Exists
The statement “Every good deed becomes more blessed by starting with the praise of Allah and Ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ” is not found in any authentic ḥadīth collection.
This is a fabricated claim — attributing falsehood to the Prophet ﷺ, which is a major sin.
② Practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions
The Prophet ﷺ never recited Ṣalāh before the adhān, nor did Bilāl رضي الله عنه, the official mu’adhdhin of the Prophet ﷺ, nor any of the Companions or successors (tābiʿīn).
If this practice were from the Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ would have explained it, or the Sahābah would have performed it.
③ Surah al-Aḥzāb: 56 – Misused
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Send blessings and peace upon him abundantly.”
[Surah al-Aḥzāb: 56]
This verse commands believers to frequently recite Ṣalāh upon the Prophet ﷺ, but not in a specific place or time such as before the adhān.
If this āyah proved what Qādrī claims, why did the Prophet ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the leading imāms never act upon it in this way?
④ Explanation of the Verse by the Prophet ﷺ
When this āyah was revealed, the Companions asked the Prophet ﷺ how to send Ṣalāh, and he ﷺ taught them specific supplications, including:
"اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد..."
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 4797, 4798]
These forms were meant for general recitation — not restricted to being inserted into acts of worship like the adhān.
⑤ Logical Consequences and Inconsistencies
If it is “mustahabb” to recite Ṣalāh before adhān, then why:
- Is no Ṣalāh recited before the second adhān of Jumuʿah?
- Is there no Ṣalāh before iqāmah?
- Do Barelwī imams not recite Ṣalāh before adhān in the ear of newborns?
- Why isn’t Ṣalāh recited before ʿĪd adhān, Jumuʿah khutbah, or in iqāmah?
Clearly, the practice is inconsistent, baseless, and driven by innovation rather than authentic evidence.
⑥ Burden of Proof is Upon the One Innovating
Claiming that “those who prohibit it must provide proof” is false.
The onus (burden of proof) is always on the one introducing a new practice into the religion, not on the one rejecting it.
Otherwise, endless innovations could be justified by claiming “Show us where it's prohibited!”
⑦ Misuse of Bilāl رضي الله عنه’s Name
Claiming that Bilāl رضي الله عنه recited Ṣalāh silently before the adhān — due to lack of microphones — is speculative fiction and a false attribution. There is no ḥadīth or reliable narration proving this.
To claim such without evidence is to speak on behalf of the Ṣaḥābah without knowledge, which is a serious offense.
⑧ Qādrī’s Argument Defeats Itself
If, as he claims, Ṣalāh was recited silently before, and is now audible due to speakers, why was it never heard or practiced even centuries after the Companions, or by the Four Imāms, including Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رحمه الله?
One must ask: Did the entire Ummah fail to understand and practice this until Qādrī Sahib discovered it 1400 years later?
⑨ Dangers of Innovation (Bidʿah)
- The Prophet ﷺ warned that every newly introduced act in religion is a rejected innovation (bidʿah).
- If we begin adding personal preferences into rituals like adhān, it opens a dangerous door, turning dīn into a playground.
⑩ True Way to Love the Prophet ﷺ
Loving the Prophet ﷺ means:
✔ Following his Sunnah
✔ Avoiding innovations
✔ Reciting authentic forms of Ṣalāh and Salām in prescribed places
Inventing religious practices — no matter how emotional or seemingly "beautiful" — is not love, but disobedience.
❖ Conclusion:
- Reciting Ṣalāh and Salām before adhān is not proven from the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, or the early scholars.
- Citing general āyāt as justification for specific innovations is misleading and incorrect.
- The burden of proof lies on the innovator, not the one who adheres to Sunnah.
- True love for the Prophet ﷺ lies in obeying his example, not fabricating new rituals.
