Question 183: Is the adhan and iqamah obligatory or recommended?

373 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: As is our duty, a selection of the exact phrases stated by the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, on this matter is presented to their lovers:

عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَدْنَی مَا یُجْزِی مِنَ الْأَذَانِ أَنْ تَفْتَتِحَ اللَّیْلَ بِأَذَانٍ وَ إِقَامَةٍ وَ تَفْتَتِحَ النَّهَارَ بِأَذَانٍ وَ إِقَامَةٍ وَ یُجْزِیکَ فِی سَائِرِ الصَّلَوَاتِ إِقَامَةٌ بِغَیْرِ أَذَانٍ

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 286

Translation: Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, said: The minimum amount that suffices for the adhan is that you begin the night (meaning the Maghrib prayer) with the adhan and iqamah and you begin the day (meaning the Fajr prayer) with the adhan and iqamah as well, and in other prayers, the iqamah alone without the adhan suffices.

عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قال... وَ لَا بُدَّ فِی الْفَجْرِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ مِنْ أَذَانٍ وَ إِقَامَةٍ فِی الْحَضَرِ وَ السَّفَرِ لِأَنَّهُ لَا یُقَصَّرُ فِیهِمَا فِی حَضَرٍ وَ لَا سَفَرٍ وَ تُجْزِئُکَ إِقَامَةٌ بِغَیْرِ أَذَانٍ فِی الظُّهْرِ وَ الْعَصْرِ وَ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ وَ الْأَذَانُ وَ الْإِقَامَةُ فِی جَمِیعِ الصَّلَوَاتِ أَفْضَلُ

📚 Ilal al-Shara'i, p. 337

Translation: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: ...In the Fajr and Maghrib prayers, whether at home or on a journey, there is no escape from the adhan and iqamah (they must be said) because these two prayers are not shortened on a journey or at home, and in the Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers, the iqamah alone without the adhan is sufficient for you, but saying the adhan and iqamah in all five daily prayers is better and preferable.

سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لَا تُصَلِّ الْغَدَاةَ وَ الْمَغْرِبَ إِلَّا بِأَذَانٍ وَ إِقَامَةٍ وَ رُخِّصَ فِی سَائِرِ الصَّلَوَاتِ بِالْإِقَامَةِ وَ الْأَذَانُ أَفْضَلُ

📚 Tahdheeb, Vol. 2, p. 51

Translation: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Do not pray the Fajr and Maghrib prayers except with the adhan and iqamah, and the Imam permitted saying the iqamah alone for the other daily prayers (and said) it is better to also say the adhan for the other daily prayers.

عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِی أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ إِنَّکَ إِذَا أَذَّنْتَ وَ أَقَمْتَ صَلَّی خَلْفَکَ صَفَّانِ مِنَ الْمَلَائِکَةِ وَ إِنْ أَقَمْتَ إِقَامَةً بِغَیْرِ أَذَانٍ صَلَّی خَلْفَکَ صَفٌّ وَاحِدٌ

📚 Tahdheeb, Vol. 2, p. 52

Translation: Muhammad ibn Muslim said: Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said to me: If you say the adhan and also the iqamah, two rows of angels will pray behind you, and if you say the iqamah without the adhan, only one row will pray behind you.

✅In the authentic Shia narrations, great merit and reward have been stated for the adhan and iqamah, and it is considered one of the boundaries of prayer. It is only in cases where the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, have permitted leaving it out or sufficing with the iqamah alone, etc., that one can use the permissions. No narration has been observed that considers the adhan and iqamah as recommended in the sense that you can leave them out when you have a choice. Rather, the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, have stated boundaries for the adhan and iqamah and its cases of permission, some of which have been presented.

✅Please also pay attention to the following narrations:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تُؤَذِّنُ لِلصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ حَسَنٌ إِنْ فَعَلَتْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ أَجْزَأَهَا أَنْ تُکَبِّرَ وَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

📚 Tahdheeb, Vol. 2, p. 58

Translation: Abdullah said: I asked Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, if a woman also says the adhan for prayer? He said: If she does it, it is good, and if she does not, it is sufficient for her to say 'Allahu Akbar' and also the two testimonies.

✅In another hadith, Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: A woman is not obligated to say the adhan and iqamah if she hears the adhan of the tribe, and only the two testimonies are sufficient for her, but if she says the adhan and iqamah, it is better.

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 298

✅In another narration, Imam Baqir, peace be upon him, said: The adhan, iqamah, Jumu'ah prayer, and congregational prayer are not for women.

📚 Khisal, p. 585

✅Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: On a journey, the iqamah without the adhan suffices.

📚 Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 291

✅Abi Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him, about a man who forgets to say the iqamah for prayer until he finishes the prayer. Should he repeat his prayer? The Imam said: He should not repeat the prayer, but he should not return to such a thing (he should not forget the iqamah again).

📚 Tahdheeb, Vol. 2, p. 279

✅There are also other rulings and boundaries regarding the adhan and iqamah, which are mentioned in Wasail al-Shi'ah, Vol. 4, and will be presented upon request, Inshallah.