Written by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (may Allah protect him)
Question:
Is saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" (prayer is better than sleep) in the Fajr Adhan established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or is it an addition by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? Please provide a detailed explanation.
Answer:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) personally taught Abu Mahdhura (may Allah be pleased with him) the method of the Adhan, which includes saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" twice after "حي على الفلاح" in the Fajr Adhan. Abu Mahdhura (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
"I said, O Messenger of Allah, teach me the Sunnah of the Adhan. He (the Prophet) then wiped over the front of my head and said: 'You say Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar... and when it is the time for the Fajr prayer, say 'الصلاة خير من النوم, الصلاة خير من النوم,' and then continue with Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah."
[Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer: How the Adhan Should Be Called, Hadith 500-501; Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq 1/458; Ibn Khuzaymah 1/201; Darqutni 1/233]
It is also narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
"It is part of the Sunnah that when the Mu'adhin says 'حي على الفلاح' in the Fajr Adhan, he should say 'الصلاة خير من النوم' twice."
[Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah 386, Darqutni 1/242, and Bayhaqi 1/423]
Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) confirmed that this narration has an authentic chain of transmission. Additionally, Darqutni reports the wording: "الصلاة خير من النوم" twice.
Furthermore, it is a well-established principle in the science of Hadith that when a companion (Sahabi) refers to something as "Sunnah," it is understood to be the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"The companions of the Prophet only use the term 'Sunnah' to refer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah."
[Kitab al-Umm 1/240]
Therefore, when Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" after "حي على الفلاح" is Sunnah, it indicates that this practice was taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
There is also a narration from Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) that supports this:
"Bilal came to inform the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Fajr prayer, and it was said that he was asleep. Bilal then said twice: 'الصلاة خير من النوم, الصلاة خير من النوم.' This phrase was then established in the Fajr Adhan."
[Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Adhan: The Sunnah Regarding the Adhan, Hadith 716]
Although this narration has a break in its chain, the practice is established through other authentic narrations, as mentioned above.
From these authentic and explicit Hadiths, it is clear that saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" in the Fajr Adhan after "حي على الفلاح" is a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is not an innovation of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as claimed by some groups.
There is also a narration attributed to Imam Malik in Muwatta, which states that the Mu'adhin came to wake Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) for the Fajr prayer while he was asleep and said "الصلاة خير من النوم". Umar then instructed the Mu'adhin to include this phrase in the Fajr Adhan.
[Muwatta, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Call to Prayer]
However, this narration is weak due to its broken chain (Mu'dal and Mursal). Scholars like Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) have classified it as weak due to multiple issues in the chain of transmission, including the involvement of unreliable narrators. Thus, even if this narration were authentic, it would not contradict the fact that the phrase "الصلاة خير من النوم" was originally established by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself, as the authentic narrations indicate.
Moreover, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was known for his strong adherence to the Sunnah and would not introduce any additions. His instruction to use this phrase in the Fajr Adhan, if the narration were authentic, was likely a reminder of the existing Sunnah, not an innovation.
In contrast, the addition of phrases like "اشهد أن أمير المؤمنين وامام المتقين على حجة الله على الخلق" by certain sects in their Adhan has no basis in any authentic or even weak Hadith, and is considered an innovation. Even in the books of Ja'fari jurisprudence, such additions are criticized, with curses mentioned for those who introduce them.
Thus, the practice of saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" in the Fajr Adhan is clearly an established Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and not an addition by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Question:
Is saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" (prayer is better than sleep) in the Fajr Adhan established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), or is it an addition by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? Please provide a detailed explanation.
Answer:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) personally taught Abu Mahdhura (may Allah be pleased with him) the method of the Adhan, which includes saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" twice after "حي على الفلاح" in the Fajr Adhan. Abu Mahdhura (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
"I said, O Messenger of Allah, teach me the Sunnah of the Adhan. He (the Prophet) then wiped over the front of my head and said: 'You say Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar... and when it is the time for the Fajr prayer, say 'الصلاة خير من النوم, الصلاة خير من النوم,' and then continue with Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah."
[Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer: How the Adhan Should Be Called, Hadith 500-501; Musannaf of Abdul Razzaq 1/458; Ibn Khuzaymah 1/201; Darqutni 1/233]
It is also narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:
"It is part of the Sunnah that when the Mu'adhin says 'حي على الفلاح' in the Fajr Adhan, he should say 'الصلاة خير من النوم' twice."
[Reported by Ibn Khuzaymah 386, Darqutni 1/242, and Bayhaqi 1/423]
Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) confirmed that this narration has an authentic chain of transmission. Additionally, Darqutni reports the wording: "الصلاة خير من النوم" twice.
Furthermore, it is a well-established principle in the science of Hadith that when a companion (Sahabi) refers to something as "Sunnah," it is understood to be the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"The companions of the Prophet only use the term 'Sunnah' to refer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah."
[Kitab al-Umm 1/240]
Therefore, when Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" after "حي على الفلاح" is Sunnah, it indicates that this practice was taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
There is also a narration from Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) that supports this:
"Bilal came to inform the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the Fajr prayer, and it was said that he was asleep. Bilal then said twice: 'الصلاة خير من النوم, الصلاة خير من النوم.' This phrase was then established in the Fajr Adhan."
[Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Adhan: The Sunnah Regarding the Adhan, Hadith 716]
Although this narration has a break in its chain, the practice is established through other authentic narrations, as mentioned above.
From these authentic and explicit Hadiths, it is clear that saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" in the Fajr Adhan after "حي على الفلاح" is a Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is not an innovation of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as claimed by some groups.
There is also a narration attributed to Imam Malik in Muwatta, which states that the Mu'adhin came to wake Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) for the Fajr prayer while he was asleep and said "الصلاة خير من النوم". Umar then instructed the Mu'adhin to include this phrase in the Fajr Adhan.
[Muwatta, Book of Prayer, Chapter on the Call to Prayer]
However, this narration is weak due to its broken chain (Mu'dal and Mursal). Scholars like Shaykh al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) have classified it as weak due to multiple issues in the chain of transmission, including the involvement of unreliable narrators. Thus, even if this narration were authentic, it would not contradict the fact that the phrase "الصلاة خير من النوم" was originally established by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself, as the authentic narrations indicate.
Moreover, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was known for his strong adherence to the Sunnah and would not introduce any additions. His instruction to use this phrase in the Fajr Adhan, if the narration were authentic, was likely a reminder of the existing Sunnah, not an innovation.
In contrast, the addition of phrases like "اشهد أن أمير المؤمنين وامام المتقين على حجة الله على الخلق" by certain sects in their Adhan has no basis in any authentic or even weak Hadith, and is considered an innovation. Even in the books of Ja'fari jurisprudence, such additions are criticized, with curses mentioned for those who introduce them.
Thus, the practice of saying "الصلاة خير من النوم" in the Fajr Adhan is clearly an established Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and not an addition by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).