Rulings Regarding Prayer

Adhān and Iqāmah: Part 2

The Adhān consists of 18 sentences:

“الله اکبر” [meaning “Allah is greater than being described”] recited 4 times.

“اشْهَدُ انْ لا الَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ” [meaning “I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah”] recited twice.

“اشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ” [meaning “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah”] recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاةِ” [meaning: “Hasten to Prayer”] recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاحِ” [meaning “Hasten to salvation”] recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلى خَيْرِ الْعَمَلِ” [meaning “Hasten to the best of deeds”] recited twice.

“اللَّهُ اكْبَرُ” recited twice and “لا الَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ” recited twice.

The Iqāmah consists of 17 sentences which must be recited in correct Arabic and in the following sequence:

“اللَّهُ اكْبَرُ” recited twice.

“اشْهَدُ انْ لا الَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ” recited twice.

“اشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ” recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاةِ” recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلَى الْفَلاحِ” recited twice.

“حَىَّ عَلى خَيْرِ الْعَمَلِ” recited twice.

“قَدْ قامَتِ الصَّلاةُ” recited twice.

“اللَّهُ اكْبَرُ” recited twice.

“لا الَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ” recited once.

The sentence “اشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَلِيَّاً وَلِىُّ اللَّهِ” which means “I bear witness that Ali is the appointed vicegerent of Allah” is not a part of the Adhān or the Iqāmah. However, it is recommended to recite it after the sentence “اشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ” in both the Adhān and the Iqāmah with the intention of blessing. But it must be recited in a way that shows it is not a part of them.