Tathwib, and how to respond to the adhan and iqamah
The extra reminder given between the adhan and iqamah, what to do on hearing the adhan, and the words to say in reply.
Tathwib is an extra reminder about the prayer, said between the adhan and the iqamah, for example, calling out 'the prayer, the prayer' or 'the prayer is ready'.
About tathwib
- It can be said before every prayer except Maghrib; there isn't enough time for it before Maghrib.
- For Fajr, it is said after waiting long enough to recite a few verses, and then the iqamah follows after another similar wait.
- There should be a gap between the adhan and the iqamah, roughly the time it would take to pray two to four rakats.
- It doesn't have to be in Arabic: saying 'the prayer is about to start' works too. Even someone coughing to remind people counts as tathwib.
When you hear the adhan, you must respond to it; this applies to men and women, whether the person can be seen or not.
A few special cases
- On hearing the first adhan of Jumu'ah, you must drop what you are doing and head to the mosque. Buying, selling or any other work at that point is not allowed.
- You do not have to respond to the second adhan of Jumu'ah.
- If you hear more than one adhan for the same prayer, you only need to respond to the first one.
How to respond to the adhan
- Say back whatever the muadhin says, line by line.
- Except for 'Come to prayer' and 'Come to success': for those, say 'There is no power and no strength except with Allah' instead.
- For 'Prayer is better than sleep' (Fajr only), say 'You have spoken the truth, and you are right' instead.
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāh
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
صَدَقْتَ وَبَرَرْتَ
Ṣadaqta wa bararta
You have spoken the truth, and you are right.
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ
Ṣallā'llāhu ʿalayka yā Rasūla'llāh
May Allah send blessings upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
قُرَّةُ عَيْنِيْ بِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ أَللّٰهُمَّ مَتِّعْنِيْ بِالسَّمْعِ وَالْبَصَرِ
Qurratu ʿaynī bika yā Rasūla'llāh, Allāhumma mattiʿnī bi's-samʿi wa'l-baṣar
You are the comfort of my eyes, O Messenger of Allah. O Allah, let me enjoy my hearing and my sight.
After the adhan finishes, both the person listening and the muadhin should send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (durood) and say this supplication.
اللهم رب هذه الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة، آتِ محمدًا الوسيلة والفضيلة، وابعثه مقامًا محمودًا الذي وعدته، إنك لا تخلف الميعاد
Allāhumma Rabba hādhihi'd-daʿwati't-tāmmati wa'ṣ-ṣalāti'l-qāʾimah, āti Muḥammadani'l-wasīlata wa'l-faḍīlah, wa'bʿathhu maqāman maḥmūdani'lladhī waʿadtah, innaka lā tukhlifu'l-mīʿād
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and this established prayer, grant Muhammad the wasilah and the excellence, and raise him to the praised station You promised him. You never break Your promise.
When you hear the iqamah, it's good to say back the same words as the person calling it, except for 'the prayer has now begun', where you say something different instead.
أَقَامَهَا اللّٰهُ وَ أَدَامَهَا
Aqāmaha'llāhu wa adāmahā
May Allah keep it established and make it continue.
Tathwib is an additional notification about the prayer given between the adhan and the iqamah, for instance, calling out 'as-salah, as-salah' ('the prayer, the prayer') or 'the prayer is ready'.
The rules of tathwib
- It is permissible at every prayer time except Maghrib.
- For Fajr, tathwib is said after a pause long enough to recite a few verses; the iqamah then follows after a similar further pause.
- A gap should be kept between the adhan and the iqamah equivalent to two to four rakats, reciting around ten verses per rakat.
- Tathwib does not need to be in Arabic: a phrase such as 'the congregation is ready' or 'the prayer is about to begin' serves the same purpose, and even a cough that people understand as the signal counts as tathwib.
It is obligatory on both men and women, whether in public or in seclusion, to respond to the adhan on hearing it.
Jumu'ah and multiple adhans
- On hearing the first adhan of Jumu'ah, it becomes obligatory to leave all work and proceed to the mosque; buying, selling or any other transaction at that point is forbidden.
- There is no obligation to respond to the second adhan of Jumu'ah.
- Where several adhans are heard for the same prayer, only the first one needs a response.
The response to the adhan is of two kinds: verbal and physical. Someone already inside the mosque, not occupied in teaching or studying, responds verbally. Someone outside the mosque responds both verbally and physically: leaving whatever else they are doing, even pausing Qur'an recitation, and coming to the mosque.
One answers each phrase of the adhan with the same words, except for 'hayya ala's-salah' and 'hayya ala'l-falah', to which the response is 'la hawla wa la quwwata illa bi'llah', and 'as-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm', to which the response is 'sadaqta wa bararta'.
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāh
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
صَدَقْتَ وَبَرَرْتَ
Ṣadaqta wa bararta
You have spoken the truth, and you are right.
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ
Ṣallā'llāhu ʿalayka yā Rasūla'llāh
May Allah send blessings upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
قُرَّةُ عَيْنِيْ بِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ أَللّٰهُمَّ مَتِّعْنِيْ بِالسَّمْعِ وَالْبَصَرِ
Qurratu ʿaynī bika yā Rasūla'llāh, Allāhumma mattiʿnī bi's-samʿi wa'l-baṣar
You are the comfort of my eyes, O Messenger of Allah. O Allah, let me enjoy my hearing and my sight.
After the adhan, both the listener and the mu'adhin recite durood (blessings on the Prophet ﷺ) and then this supplication.
اللهم رب هذه الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة، آتِ محمدًا الوسيلة والفضيلة، وابعثه مقامًا محمودًا الذي وعدته، إنك لا تخلف الميعاد
Allāhumma Rabba hādhihi'd-daʿwati't-tāmmati wa'ṣ-ṣalāti'l-qāʾimah, āti Muḥammadani'l-wasīlata wa'l-faḍīlah, wa'bʿathhu maqāman maḥmūdani'lladhī waʿadtah, innaka lā tukhlifu'l-mīʿād
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and this established prayer, grant Muhammad the wasilah and the excellence, and raise him to the praised station You promised him; indeed You do not fail in Your promise.
It is recommended to raise the hands while making this supplication.
After the supplication, it is sunnah to wipe the face with the hands.
Responding to the iqamah, both verbally and physically, is recommended (mustahabb). Verbally, one repeats the words heard from the person giving it, except for 'qad qamati's-salah', to which the response given is different.
أَقَامَهَا اللّٰهُ وَ أَدَامَهَا
Aqāmaha'llāhu wa adāmahā
May Allah keep it established and make it continue.
Tathwib is a further notification of the prayer given between the adhan and iqamah, e.g. calling out 'as-salah, as-salah', or any equivalent phrase such as 'the prayer is ready'.
The rulings of tathwib
- Tathwib is permissible at every prayer's time except Maghrib, whose window is too short for it.
- For Fajr specifically, tathwib is given after a pause sufficient to recite some verses, and the iqamah follows after a further, similar pause.
- A fasilah (interval) is kept between the adhan and the iqamah equivalent to the time of two to four rakats, reckoning roughly ten ayat recited per rakat.
- Tathwib need not be in Arabic; any phrase conveying the same notification ('the congregation is ready', 'the prayer is about to begin') fulfils it, and even a cough understood by those present as the signal is treated as tathwib.
Responding to the adhan on hearing it is obligatory upon both men and women alike, whether apparent (in public) or concealed (in private).
Jumu'ah's first adhan, and multiple adhans
- On hearing Jumu'ah's first adhan, leaving off all worldly occupation and proceeding to the mosque becomes obligatory; buying, selling, or any other muʿamalah transacted at that point is forbidden.
- Jumu'ah's second adhan carries no obligation of response.
- Where several adhans are called for one and the same prayer, the response obligation attaches only to the first.
The response to the adhan divides into qawli (verbal) and fi'li (physical). One already within the mosque and not occupied in teaching or study responds verbally alone. One outside the mosque owes both: leaving off whatever else occupies him, pausing even Qur'an recitation, and coming physically to the mosque, together with the verbal response.
Each phrase of the adhan is answered with its own wording, except 'hayya ala's-salah' and 'hayya ala'l-falah', answered instead with 'la hawla wa la quwwata illa bi'llah', and 'as-salatu khayrun mina'n-nawm', answered with 'sadaqta wa bararta'.
لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi'llāh
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.
صَدَقْتَ وَبَرَرْتَ
Ṣadaqta wa bararta
You have spoken the truth, and you are right.
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ
Ṣallā'llāhu ʿalayka yā Rasūla'llāh
May Allah send blessings upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
قُرَّةُ عَيْنِيْ بِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ أَللّٰهُمَّ مَتِّعْنِيْ بِالسَّمْعِ وَالْبَصَرِ
Qurratu ʿaynī bika yā Rasūla'llāh, Allāhumma mattiʿnī bi's-samʿi wa'l-baṣar
You are the comfort of my eyes, O Messenger of Allah. O Allah, let me enjoy my hearing and my sight.
Following the adhan, both the listener and the mu'adhin recite durood upon the Prophet ﷺ and then the supplication transmitted for the occasion.
اللهم رب هذه الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة، آتِ محمدًا الوسيلة والفضيلة، وابعثه مقامًا محمودًا الذي وعدته، إنك لا تخلف الميعاد
Allāhumma Rabba hādhihi'd-daʿwati't-tāmmati wa'ṣ-ṣalāti'l-qāʾimah, āti Muḥammadani'l-wasīlata wa'l-faḍīlah, wa'bʿathhu maqāman maḥmūdani'lladhī waʿadtah, innaka lā tukhlifu'l-mīʿād
O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and this established prayer, grant Muhammad the wasilah and the excellence, and raise him to the praised station You promised him; indeed You do not fail in Your promise.
Raising the hands while reciting this supplication is mustahabb.
Wiping the face with the hands after the supplication is sunnah.
Response to the iqamah, both qawli and fi'li, is mustahabb. The verbal response repeats the mu'adhin's own words phrase for phrase, save for 'qad qamati's-salah', which receives a distinct reply.
أَقَامَهَا اللّٰهُ وَ أَدَامَهَا
Aqāmaha'llāhu wa adāmahā
May Allah keep it established and make it continue.
Terms on this page
Related
- 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.
- The adhan and the iqamah: what they are, and their words What the adhan and iqamah are, and the exact Arabic words of each, with their meaning.
- The rules of the adhan for Friday Why Friday has two calls to prayer, when each is given, and why trading is not allowed once the first one is heard.
- The sunnahs and preferred acts of adhan and iqamah How the muadhin should stand, move and speak while calling, the purity he should be in, and the mistakes to avoid in pronunciation.