Question:
salaam. i have heard that excessive stretching in Azan is not good. I have been searching it online and i have found conflicting answers. What is the Ruling of stretching that Azaan like those called in Makkah and Madinah? What would be the correct of reciting the Azan?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The purpose of Adhan is to announce it is time for Salaah and to call the people towards the Masjid. Therefore the further the sound of Athaan reaches it will be of more benefit and greater reward. The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said, “The Mu’adhdhin will be forgiven, as far as his voice reaches (with the Adhan), and everything fresh and dry that hears him will ask forgiveness for him [Abu Dawood].”
Calling the Adhan aloud is better attained by stretching the words of the Adhan. As an example if a person calls someone who is far away ‘Ahmad’ loudly without stretching, he may not even hear you, but if the same word is stretched, ‘Ahmaaad’ and said in a loud voice, the voice will travel further.
It is permissible to stretch the Adhan as done in Makkah, Madinah etc. However by stretching certain letters, the meanings will change and therefore it will be impermissible, e.g. ‘Allahu Akbar’ is changed to, ‘Aallaahu Aakbar’ which means, ‘Is Allah the Greatest?’
Below are some guidelines and common mistakes highlighted for the Mu’athin.
| Words of the Adhan | Common Mistakes | |
| 2x اَللهُ اَ كْبَرْ اَللهُ اَ كْبَرْ | 1) Prolonging the Alif in اَ الله 2) Replacing the Alif in اَ كْبَرْ with a waw (و)/ Distorting (ا) 3) Prolonging the Ba in اَ كْبـَرْ 4) Omission of the Shadda in the word الله 5) Pronouncing the Laam flat, in the word الله | |
| Allahu Akbar ¨ Allahu Akbar | ||
| Allah ﷻ is the Greatest ¨ Allah ﷻ is the Greatest | ||
| 2x اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لّا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰه | 1) Adding a Fatha on the Sheen in the word اَ شْــهَدُ 2) Pronouncing the noon in the word اَ نْ 3) Distorting the of Ha and Laam in اِلٰهَ اِلَّا 4) Omitting the Shadda in the word اِلّا | |
| Ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illal- laah | ||
| 2x I testify that there is no god except Allah ﷻ | ||
| 3 اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَّسُوْلُ الله | 1) Omitting the Shadda in the word اَنَّ 2) Prolonging the Fatha in the word اَنَّ 3) Changing the Dumma on the meem to Fatha in the word مُحَمَّدًا 4) Omitting the Shadda in in the word مُحَمَّدًا 5) Changing the Fatha on the daal to Dumma in the word مُحَمَّــدًا 6) Changing the Dumma on the laam to kasra in the word رَّسُوْلُ | |
| Ash-hadu Aanna Muhammadar Rasoolul-laah | ||
| I testify that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. | ||
| 4 2x حَيَّ عَلٰى الصَّلَاة | 1) Changing the Ha (ح) to Alif (ا) in the word حيّ 2) Changing the Ayn (ع) to Alif in the word عَلٰى 3) Changing the Saad to Seen in the word الصَّــلاة 4) Adding a Shadda on the laam in the word الصَّــلاة 5) Pronouncing Ha (ح)instead of Ta(ة) in the word الصَــلاة | |
| Haiya ‘Alas-Salah | ||
| Come to prayer. | ||
| 2x 5 حَيَّ عَلٰى الْفَلاَحِ | 1) Adding a shadda to the laam in the word الفَلَاح 2) Not pronouncing the ha (ح) in the word الفَلَاح | |
| Nb: Calling the Adhan in a beautiful voice is not only permissible but recommended. However, to call it in a manner imitating the tunes of a song is disliked. Nb Excessive Vocal Oscillation is also Disliked[1] | ||
| Haiya ‘Alal-Falaah | ||
| Come to success. |
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
[1] Compiled by Mufti Kaleem Muhammad
