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:

As per bohri method of prayer one shd. 1st recite waqulil hamdo....,then adhaan,allahumma alaiha eqamat, allahumma rabbath....., then neeyah.Is this right or bidaa`? 

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Answer:

What to recite before 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.

To the best of our knowledge, there is nothing in the authentic Sunnah, whereby the Messenger of Allah (saws) commanded the believers to regularly recite anything before the declaration of the ‘adhaan’ or call to prayer.

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 says."

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).

It is preferable for the listener to repeat after the caller (to prayer), except when he comes to the two preceding phrases (Hayya alas salaah, Hayya alall falaah), for this shows that he approves of what the caller is saying. Those two statements are calls to the prayer, and it is proper only for the ‘muaddhin’ to say them. It is preferable for the listener to say something, such as 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.' 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. If one enters the mosque and hears the adhan, it is best that he wait until the caller finishes it before he begins to repeat it. If he does not repeat after the call but starts praying, there is no harm.

The believers should then pray for the Prophet (saws) after the call is over in any of the manners that have been related, and ask Allah to give him the place of wasilah. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr related that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "If you hear the call to prayer, repeat after it. Then supplicate for me, for whoever makes one supplication for me, Allah makes ten for him. Then ask Allah to grant me the place of wasilah. It is a place in Paradise reserved for a slave from among the slaves of Allah. I hope to be him, and whoever asks Allah to grant me the place of wasilah, my intercession becomes permissible for him." (Related by Muslim.).

Jabir reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever says (after) hearing the call to prayer, 'O Allah, Lord of this complete call and of the established prayers, grant Muhammad the place of wasilah, the most virtuous place, and raise him to a praiseworthy position that you have promised him,' will have my intercession made permissible for him on the Day of Judgement. (Related by al-Bukhari.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Hazim ibn Dinar that Sahl ibn Sad as-Saidi said, "There are two times when the gates of heaven are opened, and few who make supplication have it returned to them unanswered. They are at the time of the adhan, and in a rank of people fighting in the way of Allah."

If one is praying alone at home (women) and has heard the ‘adhaan’ being called from the mosque, there is no need to repeat the adhaan again when offering the prayer; but simply make intention in the heart for the prayer one is about to offer, raise the palm of the hands above the shoulder and declare the ‘takbeer’ of ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ and start their prayers.

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