Muezzin

Who is the Muezzin?

The muezzin is the one who calls the adhan — the announcement that the time of prayer has entered. His voice rises five times a day from mosques across the world, calling: "Allahu Akbar... I bear witness that there is no god but Allah... I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah... Come to the prayer... Come to success..." The muezzin holds an honoured place in Islam, for he invites people to the greatest of acts: standing before Allah.

His High Status

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "The muezzins will have the longest necks of all people on the Day of Resurrection" (Muslim 387) — an expression of their elevated rank. He also said: "Were people to know what reward there is in the call and the first row, and could find no way of obtaining it except by drawing lots, they would draw lots" (Bukhari 615, Muslim 437). And the call itself is a witness for the muezzin: "No jinn, human, nor anything within earshot of the muezzin's voice but will testify for him on the Day of Resurrection" (Bukhari 609).

The First Muezzin

When the call to prayer was instituted in Madinah, the Prophet ﷺ chose Bilal ibn Rabah — a freed Abyssinian slave who had been tortured for his faith — to be the first muezzin of Islam. His voice from atop the Kaaba on the day Mecca was conquered remains one of the most moving images of early Islamic history. Other notable muezzins of the Prophet ﷺ included Ibn Umm Maktum and, in Mecca, Abu Mahdhura.

Etiquette of the Muezzin

• To be in a state of ritual purity (recommended, not strictly obligatory).
• To face the Qibla and stand on a high place where the voice carries.
• To call with a clear, beautiful voice — the Prophet ﷺ valued voice beauty in selecting Abu Mahdhura (Abu Dawud 500).
• To turn the head right at "Hayya alas-Salah" and left at "Hayya alal-Falah", as the Prophet ﷺ taught Bilal (Bukhari 634).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is being a muezzin a paid profession?

Historically and today, mosques often employ a muezzin. The scholars permit a modest wage; the great reward, however, is the spiritual one — the testimony of every creature that heard his call. Many early Muslims sought to make the call out of love, not for any payment.

What should one do when one hears the adhan?

The Sunnah is to repeat after the muezzin word for word (saying the prayer of seeking refuge in place of "Hayya alas-Salah" and "Hayya alal-Falah", as taught by the Prophet ﷺ in Bukhari 612), then send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then recite the dua after the adhan asking Allah to grant the Prophet ﷺ the means and the praised station (Bukhari 614).