Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Is it not allowed to talk when prayer calls (AZAAN) is going on ? I heard that person who does that when death comes to him it will be diffcult for him to read QALMA.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Talk while Adhaan call to prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Al-Muwatta Hadith 3.2

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ata ibn Yazid al-Laythi from Abu Said al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "When you hear the adhan, repeat what the muadhdhin (the one who calls the adhaan) says."

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.99

What Is Said During the Adhan

It is preferred that whoever is listening to the adhan repeat it with the caller, except for the two ‘hayya 'alas-salah’, ‘hayya 'alal-falah’ phrases, after which he should say La haula wa la quwatah illa billah (there is no Power or Might save Allah).

Says Imam an-Nawawi, "Our companions hold that it is preferable for the listener to repeat after the caller (to prayer), except when he comes to the two preceding phrases, for this shows that he approves of what the caller is saying. Those two statements are calls to the prayer, and it is only proper for the caller to prayer to say them. It is preferable for the listener to say ‘La haula wa la quwatah illa billah’. It is confirmed in the two Sahihs from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the Prophet (saws) said, “'La haula wa la quwatah illa billah’ is a treasure from the treasures of Paradise.” Our companions say that to repeat the call to prayer is preferred for everyone who hears the call, whether clean or unclean, in a state of post-sexual uncleanliness or menstruating, and so on, as it is a remembrance and all of those people who can should make it. Those who can not do so are the ones who are praying, who are relieving themselves, or are having sexual intercourse. If one is reciting the Qur'an, or making remembrance of Allah (dhikr) or studying and so on, he should stop what he is doing and repeat after the caller to prayer. He may then return to what he was doing, if he wishes, or he can pray a voluntary or obligatory prayer."

It is considered a preferred Sunnah, and the best etiquette and manner, to repeat what is being declared by the ‘muaddhin’ when he announces the call to prayer or ‘adhaan’. The Messenger of Allah (saws) did not declare it a sin, nor did he prescribe a punishment on the one who did not do so for any reason. Thus it does not behove the believers to declare it a sin or prescribe a punishment from themselves for not doing this preferred act. The most that can be said of a person who does not repeat the declaration of the ‘adhaan’ after the ‘muaddhin’ is that he missed an opportunity to earn a huge reward from Allah Subhanah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan