Adhan
Adhan is the call to prayer in Islam which is done by the muezzin. It is pronounced as Aathan (The first vowel is prolonged, and th is pronounced as in the English word The.) The root of the word is A/tha/na which means to permit, and another derivative of this word is O/thon (the first O is pronounced as in u in the German word Götterfunken) and means ear.
The adhan is called five times in the day for the Fard (mandatory) prayers. The purpose is to call the people to the mosque, not to start the prayers. The equivalent call to start the prayer is called Iqame (pronounce the e.)
During the Friday prayer (Salat Al Jomaa), there are two athans; the first is to call the people unto the mosque, the second is said before the Imam (in Sunni islam) starts the Khotbeh (Kh as in "Ch" in the Scottish dialect Lochness; the religious lesson or speech before the Friday prayer.) Just before the prayers start, someone will recite the Iqame as in all prayers.
The literal translation to the Sunni athan is:
- God is Greater, God is Greater,
- God is Greater, God is Greater,
- I assert that there's no god But God
- I assert that there's no god But God
- I assert that Mohammed is God's messenger
- I assert that Mohammed is God's messenger
- Come to the prayer
- Come to the prayer
- Come to the success
- Come to the success
- God is Greater, God is Greater
- There's no god but God
The adhan was not written or said by Muhammed but by one of his Sahabeh (the people who saw and believed in Muhammed) but Muhammed did choose it to be the Muslims' call to prayer.
Different denominations of Islam have different adhans; the aforementioned is the most common. After "I assert that Mohammed is God's messanger", Shia muslims add "I assert that Ali is God's Waliy" - Waliy meaning either proponent or the "heir".
Referenced By
ALLAHU AKBAR | Pray | Prayer
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