QUINTESSENCE
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Guide to the Islamic Call to Prayer (Adhan)
By David Raezer
The call to prayer explained One of the most distinctive soundscapes associated with travel in the Islamic world is the call to prayer (adhan), recited five times each day. While in some placesthe call is subtle, in others is a central part of daily life and can be heard echoing throughout city streets.
Listen to the call to prayer
Arabic-to-English translation
No matter what the local language is, the call to prayer is always recited in Arabic, the language of the Quran. Here’s a rough translation:
God is the greatest (Allahu akbar); intoned four times.
I testify that there is no God but Allah (Ashhadu anna la ila ill Allah); intoned twice.
I testify that Mohammed is God’s Prophet (Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah); intoned twice.
Come to prayer (Hayya alas salah); intoned twice.
Come to security/salvation (Hayya alal falah); intoned twice.
God is the greatest (Allahu akbar); intoned twice.
There is no God but Allah (La ilah ill Allah); intoned once.
Another line is sometimes added to the first prayer of the day (first light fajr):
Prayer is better than sleep (Assalatu khayrum minan naum); intoned twice.
Listen to the history of Islam
Minaret as broadcast tower
Historically, tower-like minarets — which most likely first came into use in the early- to mid-8th century under the Baghdad-based Abbasid caliphate (750-1258) — were used by the mosque’s muezzins as tall platforms from which to call believers to prayer and announce the central tenet of the Islamic faith to non-believers. Today, however, a muezzin (or imam) typically recites the call into a microphone in the main prayer hall, where it is then broadcast through loudspeakers installed on the minarets.
Five times a day
It is helpful to be familiar with the five daily prayer (salat) times:
- Fajr Dawn (the first appearance of light on the eastern horizon).
- Zuhr (aka Dhuhr) When the sun begins to descend after reaching its highest point in the sky. The most important prayer of the week, Friday prayer, occurs at this time.
- Asr When the sun reaches the midpoint of its descent, marking the point between zuhr and maghrib.
- Maghrib Sunset. Keep in mind, since an Islamic day starts at sunset, this is is technically the first prayer of the day.
- Isha When the sun’s light disappears from the western sky (the onset of nighttime).
Know the specific times
Due to their association with visual observations of the sun’s position in the sky, prayer times change (ever-so-slightly) on a daily basis. Visit this website to get up-to-date prayer times for the city that you are visiting: islamicfinder.org.
Knowing these times will help in planning your visit. While most mosques do not allow non-Muslims during prayer times, some do, typically smaller, more out-of-the-way mosques.
Tips for visiting mosques
- The mihrab and qibla direction The qibla wall is a mosque’s most important feature (see green highlights on the exhibit of a typical mosque’s layout at right). It faces Mecca (aka Makkah) in Saudi Arabia — specifically the Kaaba shrine in the Great Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram) — and highlights the direction of prayer; this is known as the qibla direction. In the center of the wall is the mihrab niche, which helps identify the qibla and reinforces its direction. The faithful kneel in the prayer hall, aligned in rows facing the qibla. This practice follows from the Quran’s chapter 2, verse 144: “So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer].” Click here for the the qibla direction for all cities in the world.
- No shoes Before you enter a mosque’s prayer hall (or step on any associated carpeted floor), simply remove your shoes and place them in the rack to the side of the entrance.
- Conservative clothing Men and women should wear clothing that covers the core of the body: from knees to shoulders. Further, women are expected to use scarves to cover their heads.
- Be mindful of the faithful Always walk behind those who are praying so that you don’t interrupt the space between them and the qibla wall.
- Separate areas Prayer areas for men and women are separate. Typically, men occupy the central area of the prayer hall, while women have a separate entrance and pray from an enclosed area that is elevated or in the back of the hall.
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