Islamic Manual

Adhan for a newborn and in distress, and other rulings

Giving the adhan outside the five daily prayers, and a set of everyday rulings about calling and repeating it.

Other times an adhan is given

  1. It is recommended to say the adhan in a newborn baby's right ear, and the iqamah in the left ear.
  2. If someone is very distressed, having a seizure, or has been burned, it helps to say the adhan in their ear.
  3. If a traveller is lost with no one to guide them, or a place feels disturbed or unsafe, it is good to give the adhan there.

Everyday rulings about adhan and iqamah

  1. It is disliked to pray an obligatory prayer in the mosque without an adhan and iqamah having been called first.
  2. It is very disliked to leave the mosque after the adhan without praying there.
  3. You don't need a special intention to call the adhan or iqamah, but making one earns extra reward.
  4. It is disliked for the same person to call the adhan in one mosque, and then go pray somewhere else without calling the adhan there too.
  5. The one who called the adhan has first right to call the iqamah too. Someone else may call it instead with his permission, or if he isn't there, but not while he's present and unhappy about it.
  6. If a louder call is needed, more than one muadhin may call the adhan together.
  7. The one who called the adhan and iqamah is allowed to also lead the prayer.
  8. If someone sneezes during the adhan, it is disliked to say 'alhamdulillah' for it, or to respond to it.
  9. If there isn't enough time left to pray, the adhan can be skipped.
  10. If the muadhin faints, loses his voice, or forgets partway through, and no one can remind him, it is best to just start the adhan again.
  11. There should be a gap between the adhan and the iqamah: the adhan near the start of the prayer's time and the iqamah roughly in the middle of it. For Maghrib, the gap only needs to be as long as reciting three short verses, or one long one.
  12. If a lot of time passes after the iqamah before everyone lines up, it should be called again. If it's only a short wait, there's no need.

Adhan given outside the five daily prayers

  1. It is recommended to give the adhan in the right ear of a newborn child, and the iqamah in the left ear.
  2. Where a person is suffering distress, epilepsy, or has been burned, giving the adhan in their ear is of benefit.
  3. Where a traveller is lost with no one to guide him, or a place shows visible disturbance from jinn or other harm, giving the adhan there is preferable.
Makrūhbetter not to

It is disliked to perform an obligatory prayer in the mosque without an adhan and iqamah having been given.

Makrūhbetter not to

It is severely disliked to leave the mosque after the adhan without praying there.

Makrūhbetter not to

It is disliked for the same person to give the adhan in one mosque and then perform the prayer in another mosque before an adhan has been given there.

Makrūhbetter not to

If someone sneezes during the adhan, it is not permissible [makruh] to say 'al-hamdu lillah' for it or to respond to the sneeze.

Mustaḥabbgood to do

If the mu'adhin faints, loses his voice, or forgets partway through, and no one is able to remind him, it is recommended that the adhan be repeated in full.

Adhan given on occasions other than the five daily prayers

  1. It is mustahabb to give the adhan in a newborn's right ear and the iqamah in his left ear.
  2. For one suffering distress, epilepsy (sarʿ), or burns, giving the adhan in the ear is of benefit.
  3. For a traveller lost with no guide, or a place showing visible disturbance from jinn or other harm, giving the adhan there is preferable.
Makrūhbetter not to

Performing a fard prayer in the mosque without a preceding adhan and iqamah is makruh.

Makrūhbetter not to

Leaving the mosque after the adhan without praying there is severely makruh.

Makrūhbetter not to

It is makruh for the same person to give the adhan in one mosque and then pray in another mosque before an adhan has been given there.

Makrūhbetter not to

Saying 'al-hamdu lillah' on sneezing during the adhan, or responding to another's sneeze at that time, is not permissible, rendered here as makruh, since the source's own usage elsewhere equates 'not permissible' with makruh tahrimi rather than a stronger prohibition (flagged for confirmation).

Mustaḥabbgood to do

Where the mu'adhin faints, loses his voice, or forgets midway, with no one present able to prompt him, repeating the adhan in full is mustahabb in each of these cases.

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