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:

Assalamo alaikum brother burhan

first of all, I pray to allah for the great and noble work u are doing for all the muslims by providing the full and authentic information to whoever seeks.May allah bless u in all your work. Actually I am having a doubt in my mind from quiet sometimes. I want a clarification regarding the "Azaan" we say before we offer namaz.

Actually there is one sect in muslim community i.e. bohra community. According to my knowledge these people say two types of "Azaan" before they offer any type of namaz. Actually what is the real situation in Islam ? Is it allowed in Islam to say two type of "Azaan" ? Is it necessary in Islam to offer two types of "Azaan" before we start our prayers or we can pray namaz with one "Azaan" also.

Another thing is that bohra peoples say some different "Azaan" then other community in Islam. Like wise after saying two times "Haiiya Alas Salah" and "Haiyya Alal Falah" they say like this. "Haiiya ala Khairul Amale Haiyya ala Khairul amal, Mohamadin Valiyun Khairul Basare, Vaeet trato homa Khairul Basar". Is it allowed in Islam ?

Please guide me with the true information ? and also guide me the true way to say "Azaan".

Khuda hafiz,

(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:

Bohra Adhaan

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.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Q-1: Actually there is one sect in muslim community i.e. bohra community. According to my knowledge these people say two types of "Azaan" before they offer any type of namaz. Actually what is the real situation in Islam ? Is it allowed in Islam to say two type of "Azaan" ? Is it necessary in Islam to offer two types of "Azaan" before we start our prayers or we can pray namaz with one "Azaan" also.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.577 Narrated by Anas

Bilal was ordered by the Messenger of Allah (saws) to pronounce Adhan for the prayer by saying its wordings twice, and for the Iqama (the call for the actual standing for the prayers in rows) by saying its wordings once.

If by two types of ‘adhaan’, you mean to refer to the main call to prayer which signals the start of the prayer time where the wordings are repeated twice (adhaan), and the call to prayer which signals the actual standing in the rows where the wordings are repeated only once (iqama); then these two calls to prayer, the adhaan and the iqama, are perfectly in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Q-2: Another thing is that bohra peoples say some different "Azaan" then other community in Islam. Like wise after saying two times "Haiiya Alas Salah" and "Haiyya Alal Falah" they say like this. "Haiiya ala Khairul Amale Haiyya ala Khairul amal, Mohamadin Valiyun Khairul Basare, Vaeet trato homa Khairul Basar". Is it allowed in Islam ?

’Hayya ala khayral amal’ literally means ‘come to the best of deeds’.

‘Mohamed-un wa Ali-un khayrul bashar’ literally means ‘Mohamed (saws) and Ali (r.a.) are the best of men’.

‘Wa itrato homa khayrul itar’ literally means ‘and their progeny are the best of progenies’.

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, the ‘adhaan’ is something which was declared openly in the lifetime of the Prophet (saws) five times every day and was heard and witnessed by tens of thousands of his companions every single day of their believing lives! Thus there is absolutely no room for even an iota of uncertainty or irregularity in (at least) this act of the deen!

Regarding the statement ‘Hayya ala khayral amal’, there is absolutely no doubt that prayer is indeed the best of deeds!

Regarding the statement, ‘Muhammed unn wa Ali unn khairal bashar’, there is nothing wrong with the statement. Mohamed (saws) and Ali (r.a.) were indeed the best amongst mankind!

The statement “wa itra tohoma khairul itar” (meaning their progenies/descendants are the best of progenies), is not completely correct. Yes, some of the descendants of Prophet Mohamed (saws) were definitely the best of mu’mins, but the general statement would not be absolutely correct. Simply because, not all the descendents of the Prophet(saws) were true believers. The current rulers of Jordan are proven to be descendents of the Prophet Mohamed (saws), but are they the best of believers? The Aga Khan claims to be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohamed (saws), but is he the best of believers?

The issue is not whether the statements are correct or incorrect, but the issue is if the ‘adhaan’ as taught by the Prophet (saws) has been changed or had things added in it. No one who adds these two statements can claim that this was the ‘adhaan’ that was repeated for 10 years in the mosques in Medina or beyond, during the lifetime of our beloved Prophet (saws). Even when Hadrat Ali (r.a.) became the Ameer ul Mu’mineen, the same exact original ‘adhaan’ was proclaimed for prayer. These innovated statements were added about 330 years after the death of Prophet Mohamed (saws) when the Fatimid government was established in Cairo, Egypt.

And when something is changed in the rites of Islam it is called an innovation or ‘bida’a’. The Holy Quran, all the rites of worship and the complete deen of Islam were all completed during the lifetime of the Prophet (saws) himself. Thus nothing could be added or subtracted from the deen in the least. The Prophet (saws) condemned any innovation in the deen of Islam in the least, as evident from several of his authentic narrations. We are commanded to follow the example of the Prophet (saws) in the Holy Quran, and any changes in the way or tradition of the Prophet(saws) are termed ‘bida’a” or innovation in Islam.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His Angels, and by all the people.”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah

That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

It has been reported in an authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever introduces a ‘bida’ (innovation) in this deen brought by me (saws), it will be rejected.”

Thus, it is evident that these extra statements that were added in the ‘adhaan’ after the death of the Prophet (saws), are clear innovations, and innovations or ‘bida’a’ have absolutely no place in Islam and should be rejected by the believers who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day.

Q-3: guide me the true way to say "Azaan".

Muslim records that Abu Mahdhurah related that the Prophet (saws) taught him the following adhan:

“Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.

Ashhadu anla ilaha illal-lah, Ashhadu alla ilaha illallah.

Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah.

Hayya 'alas-salah, Hayyah 'alassalah.

Hayya 'alal-falah, Hayya 'alal-falah.

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.

La ilaha illal-lah.'

Then he went a short distance away and said, 'When you stand for the prayer, declare (the ‘iqama’);

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.

Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah,

Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah

Hayya 'alas-salah, Hayya 'alal-falah.

Qad qaamatis-salah, qad qaamatis-salah.

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar.

La ilaha illal-lah.”

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan