What is Adhan and Iqamah?
Adhan is the call to prayer is mustahab before daily wajib prayers. Iqamah means the call to start prayer and it is also mustahab.
Adhan in the Holy Quran
وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا
When you call to prayer, they take it in derision and play… (5:58)
Method
Both should be recited in Arabic.
Adhan: The call to prayer
| Recital | Arabic | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x | اللّٰهُ أكبَر | Allāh-u ʾakbar | Allah is the greatest |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إلهَ إلّااللّٰهُ | ashhad-u ʾan lā ilāh-a ʾillā Allāh | I bear witness there is no deity but Allah |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللّٰه | ashhad-u ʾanna Muḥammad-an rasūl-u Allāh | I bear witness Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَليّاً وَلِيُّ اللّٰه | ashhad-u ʾanna ‘Ali-yyan wali-u Allah | I bear witness Ali (a) is the vicegerent of Allah |
| 2x | حَيَّ على الصَّلاةِ | ḥayya ʿala ṣ-ṣalāh | Hurry toward prayer |
| 2x | حَيَّ على الفَلاحِ | ḥayya ʿala l-falāḥ | Hurry toward salvation |
| 2x | حَيَّ على خَيْرِ العَمَلِ | ḥayya ʿala khayr al-ʾamal | Hurry toward the best deed |
| 2x | اللّٰهُ أكبَر | Allāh-u ʾakbar | Allah is the greatest |
| 2x | لا إلهَ إلّااللّٰهُ | lā ilāh-a ʾillā Allāh | There is no deity but Allah |
Iqamah: The call just before prayer
| Recital | Arabic | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x | اللّٰهُ أكبَر | Allāh-u ʾakbar | Allah is the greatest |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إلهَ إلّااللّٰهُ | ashhad-u ʾan lā ilāh-a ʾillā Allāh | I bear witness there is no deity but Allah |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللّٰه | ashhad-u ʾanna Muḥammad-an rasūl-u Allāh | I bear witness Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah |
| 2x | أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ عَليّاً وَلِيُّ اللّٰه | ashhad-u ʾanna ‘Ali-yyan wali-u Allah | I bear witness Ali (a) is the vicegerent of Allah |
| 2x | حَيَّ على الصَّلاةِ | ḥayya ʿala ṣ-ṣalāh | Hurry toward prayer |
| 2x | حَيَّ على الفَلاحِ | ḥayya ʿala l-falāḥ | Hurry toward salvation |
| 2x | حَيَّ على خَيْرِ العَمَلِ | ḥayya ʿala khayr al-ʾamal | Hurry toward the best deed |
| 2x | قَدْ قامَتِ الصّلاة | qad qāmat-i ṣ-ṣalāh | The prayer has certainly been established |
| 2x | اللّٰهُ أكبَر | Allāh-u ʾakbar | Allah is the greatest |
| 1x | لا إلهَ إلّااللّٰهُ | lā ilāh-a ʾillā Allāh | There is no deity but Allah |
Differences between Adhan and Iqamah
There are only 3 differences between Adhan and Iqamah:
- Allahu akbar is said 4 times in Adhan and only 2 times in Iqamah .
- The last line: – laa ilaaha illallah – is said 2 times in Adhan and only 1 time in Iqamah
- Just after – hayya alaa khairil a’mal and before Allahu akbar, you should say – QAD QAAMATIS SALAAH 2 times in Iqamah.
Adhan and Iqamah Recitation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-XRbcLQ6b8



