How to Perform the Adhan (with Du'a and Iqama)

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The words and translations to the azan before the Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, and other prayers

Co-authored by Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: November 22, 2024 Fact Checked

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Preparing to Call the Adhan

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Calling the Adhan

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Reciting a Du'a and the Iqama

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

“Adhan” (also “azan” or “athan”) literally translates to “announcement,” and it’s just that, an announcement to Islamic people that it’s time to pray. The announcer, or mu'adhdhin, stands in the minaret of a mosque or another high place, and sings the announcement 15 minutes before each of the 5 daily prayers. Acting as the mu'adhdhin is a great responsibility and honor, but it does take a little practice and memorization. That’s why we’ve put together a simple guide on the preparation, words, and procedures of calling the adhan, so that you can start your prayer properly.

Things You Should Know

Wash your hands, arms, face, and feet before you call the adhan.
Face the Qibla and cover your ears while you set your intention. Clear your mind and meditate on performing a strong call.
Sing or speak the adhan loudly, in a steady and clear voice, so that all can hear it.
Recite a short du’a to yourself after performing the call, then repeat the call (the iqama) in a softer voice just before the prayer begins.

Part 1

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Preparing to Call the Adhan

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Call the adhan before each of the 5 daily prayers. These prayers are the Fajr (before sunrise), Dhuhr (at noon), Asr (between noon and sunset), Maghreb (just after sunset), and Isha (before midnight). Your community will take more or less time to congregate based on its size, so consult your spiritual leaders to find out how long in advance you should perform the call.
- Specific times for each prayer varies by location, so use a tool like IslamicFinder to find the specific times for your location.
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Wash your hands, face, arms, and feet to prepare for prayer. Before you pray, perform wudu to purify yourself—the adhan isn’t just a call to prayer, it’s a prayer itself. If you neglect to wash yourself earnestly and reverently, your prayer may not be accepted by Allah. Make your intention (niyyah) before you begin, resolving to wash and pray as best you can.^{[1]
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- Gargle water in your mouth three times to remove remaining food. Inhale water into your nose to clear your breathing passages.
- Wash your face 3 times: use your hand to spread water from your right ear to your left ear, and then from your hairline down to your chin.
- Thoroughly wash your feet and your forearms – 3 times each. Clean your head and wash out your ears.
- Bear in mind that you must repeat wudu if you nullify it. Any form of body discharge (urination, defecation, gas, bleeding) invalidates wudu, as does a bout of deep sleep.
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The Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. All Muslims face this place when they pray during salah, and many mu'adhins face the Qibla when calling the adhan.^{[2]
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Set your intention (or niyyah) to call the adhan, and cover your ears. Just as you wash yourself before the adhan, you also set your intention beforehand.^{[3]
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- Plugging your ears may help you set your intention and focus on the words you are about to say.

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Calling the Adhan

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Begin by calling Allahu Akbar (ٱللهُ أَكْبَر) 4 times. This means "Allah is the greatest". Group the repetition into 2 sets of 2: "Allahu Akbar; Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar; Allahu Akbar!"^{[5]
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Research source} Say it slowly, in a loud and clear voice. Consider singing the words, if you feel comfortable doing so.
- After you recite each sentence, the rest of the congregation (jama'ah) will softly answer every phrase that the mu'adhdhin recites – with one exception. After "hayya 'alasalah" and "hayya 'alal falah," the others should answer with La hawla wala kuwata ila billah, meaning "There is no Power or Authority except Allah."
- Followers of the Maliki Madhab say this line twice instead of 4 times.
This means "I testify that there is no god but Allah." Pronounce it "ash-hadu ala i-laa-ha ill-all-ah."^{[6]
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This means "I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Pronounce it "ash-hadu ana Mu-ha-mud-ar rah-sool all-ah".^{[7]
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This means, "Come to prayer." Pronounce it "hey-ah-'alas sal-ah".^{[8]
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It translates to "Come to success." Pronounce it "hey-ah-alal -fa-lah".^{[9]
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Say a sect-specific line if you are Sunni or Shia. There is some disagreement about what comes after "Hayya'ala al-falah" and before the final repetitions of "Allahu Akbar". Sunnis and Shias have their own specific lines, but most schools omit these. If you aren't sure what to do, consider skipping this line and moving on to the next phrase.^{[10]
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- If you are a Sunni, say "Assalatu khayru min an-naum" here. This means "Prayer is better than sleep." Only use this line when calling Fajr, the dawn prayer.
- If you are a Shia, say "Hayya- al Khair al amal." This encourages worshipers to "Hasten toward the best thing."
This last line translates to, "There is none worthy of worship except God." Most mu'adhdhins only say this once, according to the 4 schools, although the Imamis say it twice. The Malikis and Shafi’is permit repetition of the last line, considering it sunnah: the adhan, according to them, is not invalid if it is recited only once, as the Imamis hold.^{[11]
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Reciting a Du'a and the Iqama

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Recite a du’a to yourself after the adhan. A du'a is a personal prayer or meditation, said in a lower voice than the adhan. Say, "Allahumma Rabba Hathihil Da'awatiTaamma WaSalatil-qaa’ima, Aati Sayyedana Muhammada nil-Waseelata Wal-Fadeelata Wal-Darajatal-'aleyata Al Rafî‘a, Wab‘ath-hu Maqaman Mahmudanilathee Wa‘adtahu, Innaka La Tukhliful-Mee'ad."^{[12]
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- This translates to, “O Allah! Lord of this perfect call (perfect by not ascribing partners to You) and of the regular prayer which is going to be established, give Muhammad the right of intercession and illustriousness, and resurrect him to the best and the highest place in Paradise that You promised him, then my intercession for him will be allowed on the Day of Resurrection.”
- You do not need to fill this space with a du'a, but it is mustahabb (preferred) to do so.
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Recite the iqama once the community has assembled. This is the second call to prayer before the beginning of salah once everyone has gathered, and is more or less a repeat of the adhan. The exact words and their repetitions will vary from school to school, so consider asking a respected member of your community about exactly what to say. Once you say the iqama, the prayer session can begin.^{[13]
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- Say the iqama with a lower voice than you called the adhan, but so that those in the prayer space can still hear you. Recite the iqama quicker, as the prayer is going to start straight after you finish.
- The difference between iqamah and adhan is that during iqamah, after saying haya 'alal falaah, you say qad qaama tis-salaah (the prayer has begun). Some people say this once, others say this twice. This depends on the school of jurisprudence (madhab) followed. Saying it twice is sunnah according to a saheeh hadith.^{[14]
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Join your community in the salah, following your imam or prayer leader in the recitation. Reflect on your role in calling the adhan, and set your intention now on the prayer at hand.^{[15]
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Community Q&A

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Can anyone recite the azan?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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The azan is usually called by a designated person, called the "mu'adhdhin." However, if you're praying alone, you call the azan yourself.

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Can women say the adhan?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Calling the adhan is typically performed by men, even when a woman is praying alone.

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Why is the adhan said twice before prayer?

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The first call is to congregate the community for prayer, and the second call, or "iqama," is said just before prayer to ensure that everyone is present and ready to pray.

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Tips

Practice the words before you say it for prayer.

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Listen to various recitations of the Adhan to familiarize yourself with the tone and voice.

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The adhan is normally called around 15 minutes before the prayer. The iqama is called just before the prayer starts.

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