Islamic Manual

The sunnah method of adhan and iqamah, step by step

How the muadhin calls the adhan from start to finish, and how the iqamah differs from it.

How to call the adhan, the sunnah way

  1. First have wudu; it's best to have no impurity at all.
  2. Stand outside the mosque, somewhere high up, facing the qiblah.
  3. Put your index fingers in your ears.
  4. Say 'Allahu Akbar' four times, loudly, as two pairs.
  5. Say 'I bear witness there is no god but Allah' twice, then 'I bear witness Muhammad is the messenger of Allah' twice.
  6. Turn your face to the right and say 'Come to prayer' twice.
  7. Turn your face to the left and say 'Come to success' twice.
  8. Say 'Allahu Akbar' twice, then finish with 'There is no god but Allah' once.
  9. Only for Fajr: after 'Come to success', without turning your face, say 'Prayer is better than sleep' twice.
  10. Say every part on its own, with a little pause, so whoever is listening has time to answer each line.
How the iqamah is different from the adhan
Point AdhanIqamah
Where Outside the mosqueInside the mosque
When A little before the prayerRight before the prayer starts
Voice LoudSofter
'Prayer is better than sleep' Said in the Fajr adhanNever said
'The prayer has now begun' Not saidSaid in every prayer
Fingers in ears / turning face Yes, for bothNot needed

The sunnah method brings together everything already covered (the words, the purity, and the manner of standing and turning) into one continuous description.

The sunnah method of the adhan

  1. The mu'adhin purifies himself from both major and minor impurity, then stands outside the mosque on an elevated place, facing the qiblah.
  2. He places his index fingers in his ears and calls out loudly.
  3. He says 'Allahu Akbar' four times, in two pairs of two.
  4. He recites the two testimonies four times in total: the first ('there is no god but Allah') twice, then the second ('Muhammad is the messenger of Allah') twice.
  5. He turns his face to the right and says 'hayya ala's-salah' twice.
  6. He turns his face to the left and says 'hayya ala'l-falah' twice.
  7. He says 'Allahu Akbar' twice, then closes with 'la ilaha illa'llah' once.
  8. In the Fajr adhan only, after 'hayya ala'l-falah', he adds 'as-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm' twice, without turning his face.
  9. Every phrase is said separately, with pauses between them, giving the listener enough time to respond to each.
How the iqamah differs from the adhan
Point of difference AdhanIqamah
Location Outside the mosqueInside the mosque
Timing A short while before the prayerImmediately before the prayer
Volume LoudLower voice
'As-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm' Recited (Fajr only)Not recited
'Qad qamati's-salah' Not recitedRecited, in every prayer
Fingers in the ears YesNot needed
Turning the face right/left Yes, on hayya ala's-salah and hayya ala'l-falahNot needed

The sunnah method integrates the wording, the state of purity, the posture and the movements already treated separately into the single continuous act performed by the mu'adhin.

The sunnah method of the adhan

  1. The mu'adhin, having purified himself of both hadath akbar and hadath asghar, stands outside the mosque on an elevated place, facing the qiblah.
  2. He places his index fingers in his ears and calls out in a raised voice.
  3. He pronounces 'Allahu Akbar' four times, as two pairs of two.
  4. He recites the shahadatan four times: the first shahadah ('la ilaha illa'llah') twice, in two separate calls, then the second shahadah ('Muhammadan rasulu'llah') twice, in two separate calls.
  5. He turns his face to the right and calls 'hayya ala's-salah' twice, in two calls.
  6. He turns his face to the left and calls 'hayya ala'l-falah' twice, in two calls.
  7. He says 'Allahu Akbar' twice, as a single call, then concludes with 'la ilaha illa'llah' once.
  8. For the Fajr adhan specifically, after 'hayya ala'l-falah', he adds 'as-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm' twice, in two calls, without turning the face.
  9. The phrases of the adhan are pronounced separately and with pauses (tarsil), allowing the listener sufficient time to respond to each in turn.
How the iqamah's method differs from the adhan's
Point of difference AdhanIqamah
Location Outside the mosqueInside the mosque
Timing relative to the prayer Shortly beforeImmediately before
Volume Raised (jahr)Lowered
'As-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm' Recited, Fajr onlyNot recited at all
'Qad qamati's-salah' Not recitedRecited in every prayer, in place of the Fajr addition
Fingers placed in the ears SunnahNot required
Turning the face right/left on hayya ala's-salah / hayya ala'l-falah SunnahNot required

Aside from these differences, the wording and order of the iqamah's fifteen shared words follow the same method as the adhan.

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