International Shia News Agency
EDITOR'S CHOICEFeaturedImam Ali al-SajjadOther NewsQuran & EtratShia islamShia StudiesWHAT IS ASHURA?Who are the Shia?

Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right (Part 29)

Shafaqna English- Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right by Mohammad Sobhanie.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَأمّا حَقُّ الْمُؤَذِّنِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهُ مُذَكِّرُكَ برَبكَ وَدَاعِـــــيكَ إلَى حَظِّكَ وَأَفْضَلُ أَعْوَانِكَ عَلَى قَضَـــــــــــاءِ الْفَرِيضَةِ الَّتِي افتَرَضَهَا اللهُ عَلَيْكَ فَتَشْكُرَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شُكْرَكَ لِلْمُحْسِنِ إلَيكَ. وَإنْ كُنْتَ فِي بَيْتِكَ مُهْتَمًّا لِذَلِكَ لَمْ تَكُنْ للهِ فِي أَمْرِهِ مُتَّهِمــــــاً وَعَلِمْتَ أنَّهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِن اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ، لا شَكَّ فِيهَــــا، فَــــــــــــأَحْسِنْ صُحْبَةَ نِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ بحَمْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَــــــا عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ. وَلا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

The Right of the Caller to Prayer (29th)

Translation: The right of your caller to the daily prayers is that you should know that he is the one reminding you of your Lord, is calling you to your good fortune, and is your greatest helper in fulfilling an obligation that God has made incumbent upon you. Therefore, thank him for that, just as you thank someone who does you a favor. And if you are upset with him at home, you should not accuse him of this since his act is for God. And you should know that he is one of the blessings of God to you. There is no doubt about it. Then, you should kindly treat God’s blessing by praising God for it under all circumstances. And there is no power but in God.

Commentary: In Islamic tradition, Muslims are called to the daily prayers by an official announcement called the Adhan. The Muezzin is a person who calls the call to the daily prayers from a masjid, which stands either in the minaret tower (if it is a large Masjid) or next to the entrance (if it is a small masjid). In modern times, the Muezzin’s voice is usually amplified by a speaker mounted on the minaret.

The Muezzin is a respected community member who calls the Adhan. He is chosen for his good nature and clear, loud voice. When calling the Adhan, he usually faces the Kaaba in Mecca. The institution of calling the call to the daily prayers is a long-standing tradition that dates to the time of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

A person with a soft, beautiful, and pleasant voice has the right to be the Muezzin. The Commander of Faithful (AS) says [1]:

قال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: يحشر المؤذنون يوم القيمة طوال الأعناق.

“The Muezzins will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection with their neck extended (with pride).”

Imam Sajjad (AS) stated that the Muezzin’s call reminds us of our Lord (فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهُ مُذَكِّرُكَ برَبكَ) and it is the virtuous time to pray, which is one of the best deeds we can do. (وَدَاعِـــــيكَ إلَى حَظِّكَ). Sometimes, the Fajr Prayer may seem daunting, or we may be too fatigued to perform the daily prayers. The Muezzin’s voice is a gentle nudge to help us perform our Salat on time. Hence, Imam Sajjad (AS) said: “The Muezzin is your best aid in fulfilling the duty that God has incumbent upon you (وَأَفْضَلُ أَعْوَانِكَ عَلَى قَضَـــــــــــاءِ الْفَرِيضَةِ الَّتِي افتَرَضَهَا اللهُ عَلَيْكَ).”

Imam Sajjad (AS) stated that the Muezzin calls the Adhan to benefit his audience, which is a virtuous deed. Hence, his audience needs to treat him like the one who has done them a favor (فَتَشْكُرَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شُكْرَكَ لِلْمُحْسِنِ إلَيكَ).

The phrase: “And if you are upset with him at home for a call to prayer” (وَإنْ كُنْتَ فِي بَيْتِكَ مُهْتَمًّا لِذَلِكَ) refers to the fact that sometimes the Muezzin was accused of looking at the nearby houses from the top of the minaret in the olden days. In response, Imam Sajjad (AS) emphasized the sanctity of Muezzin’s act, stating, “You should not accuse him since his act is a service to God.” (لَمْ تَكُنْ للهِ فِي أَمْرِهِ مُتَّهِمــــــاً) “And you should know that he is one of the blessings of God for you.” (وَعَلِمْتَ أنَّهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِن اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ)

Characteristics of a Muezzin: Bilal, a companion of the Prophet (PBUH), was the Muezzin of the Messenger of God. He was very popular among the people. However, he left Medina during the time of the Caliph and refused to recite the Adhan. In a dream, he saw the Prophet (PBUH) say to him, “You have severed your connection with us.” He interpreted his dream as a sign that he had not visited the Messenger of God since he left Medina. This realization led him to return to Medina. When he reached Medina, the air was getting dark. He saw two grandchildren of the Prophet (PBUH), Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS), at the Masjid, and the two nobles asked him to call the Adhan as he did in the time of the Prophet (PBUH). He obeyed.

When Bilal’s voice was heard at the time of Salat Fajir, everyone felt that they were hearing a familiar voice. When he said the first and second Shadateen [2], Medina was shaken; everyone came out of their houses and cried joyfully. Bilal’s Adhan was a powerful reminder of the Prophet’s era and the unity of the Muslim community.

The Virtue of Adhan: The phrases of the Adhan remind us of the principles of faith and that man’s salvation is in the servitude of God. The translation of the Adhan is as follows:

  1. God is Great! (4 times)
  2. I witness that there is no god except the One God. (2 times)
  3. I witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of God. (2 times)
  4. I witness that Ali (AS) is the designated guardian of God. (2 times)
  5. Hurry to the prayer. (2 times)
  6. Hurry to salvation. (2 times)
  7. God is Great! (2 times)
  8. There is no god except the One God. (2 times)

Note:

[1] http://shiaonlinelibrary.com/(الكتب/1578_جامع-أحاديث-الشيعة-السيد-البروجردي-ج-٤/الصفحة_647)

[2] I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God

Part of a Series: Commentary on Imam Al-Sajjad’s (AS) treaties of right

www.shafaqna.com

Related posts

Imam Sajjad (AS) | Biography, Characteristics & Teachings

asadian

Imam Hussain (AS) | Biography, Characteristics & Teachings

asadian

Commentary on Imam Sajjad’s (AS) Treaties of Right (Part 30)

parniani

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): Messenger of morality and kindness

asadian

Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (AS)

Yahya

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:70-71)

shafaqna14

Leave a Comment