Azan - The great symbol of Islam!

Disturbed by Azan? 

The sun is about to rise, the clock tower has rung, the hens have begun to cluck and the animals are preparing to go out in search of provision. Humans are still sleeping on their bellies, and are tweeting about being disturbed by a two minute-long call for what they have been created.

How ungrateful is human, he cares for his rights but not the rights of His Lord!

Traditionally, men would build clock-towers in university areas to denote time importance and punctuality, but today people see such things as a disturbance and forced religiousness. Such people should not influence us, they are like birds who hymn with the voice they were born with but are intellectually empty. Others are like dogs who bark, and as the famous scholar Imam ash-Shafi'ee said: 

قل بما شئت في مسبة عرضي

Image source: Google Images

فسكوتي عن اللئيم جواب

ما أنا عادم الجواب ولكن

ما من الأسد أن تجيب الكلاب

‘Say what you wish in abuse of me,

For my silence towards the idiot is indeed an answer.

I am not at a loss for a response but rather,

It does not befit the lion to answer the dogs.’

It is true that disturbing the society with loudspeakers is not correct. Shaikh Wasiullah Abbas, the famous scholar from Uttar Pradesh, said: 

I was in Delhi recently and a man complained me that people remain awake all night, and play naat and Qur'an recitations on loudspeakers (in public and accommodation areas). And when its time for sahoor, they try to wake up people.. he was discussing with me, and asked: "Is it correct according to Islam?" I replied, "No!" He inquired, "Why?" I said, "Because this was never done in the era of the beloved messenger (ﷺ)."

It is natural for everyone get annoyed by these loudspeakers. There are Hindus, Sikhs and others who want to sleep.. so *when did shari'ah ever permitted us to disturb them?*

...And as for Azan, then it is not a disturbance. People sleep at night, and wake up close to the time of fajr. Azan is given in Banaras (Uttar Pradesh), and even Hindus benefit from it. They would wake up and begin their work. And when the government stopped it, their work was also harmed. So, azan does not disturb anyone. But making noise all night, and playing naat all night, etc is certainly not correct. End quote from his explanation of "Bulugh Al Maram".

Virtues of calling Azan:

The scholars who said that calling the Azan is better than even leading the prayer is because of the numerous virtues well-known and famous.

First of all, Allah said: "And who is better in speech than the one who calls to Allah.." Aishah (radiyallahu anh) pointed this aayah to be in virtue of calling Azan. However, the generality of the aayah will also include the role of Imaam.

And the prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The muazzins will have the longest necks of the people on the Day of Resurrection." (Muslim)

And he also said: "Raise your voice with the call to prayer, for no jinn, human or anything else hears the voice of the muazzin as far as it reaches, but he (or it) will testify for him on the Day of Resurrection." (Bukhari)

And he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The imam is liable and the muazzin is entrusted. O Allah, guide the imams and forgive the muazzins." (Abu Dawood)

It is understood from the hadith that forgiveness is for the Muazzins due to their struggle to call azan at the right time. And the dua of guidance for the Imams is due to the great responsibility they hold, which is why probably he said: "Imam is liable." The greater the responsibility, the greater the virtue.

Is the Imam better or the Muazzin?
Shaikh Mukhtar ash-Shinqitee was asked this question to which he replied: This in reality is a fiqh issue among the scholars, may Allah have mercy on them. Is the Imam better or the Muazzin? No, this is not a matter of virtue of personalities. There is a difference between saying: Is giving Azan better or leading, and saying: Is the Muazzin better or the Imam? Because it is possible that the Muazzin could be more god-conscious and it is possible that the Imam is more god-conscious.

Some scholars said: Leading is more virtuous as it is the foundation, and Azan is a medium to the Imam and establishment of Salah. And because the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not give azan nor did the rightly guided caliphs. And what is recited in Salah is better than what is recited in Azan, because in it is the Qur'an. And due to his pieces of advice and lectures to the people on Friday. And the virtues of Imam are too many. End quote.

Imam is related to knowledge, and Azan is related to worship. And knowledge is certainly more virtuous than worship. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion." [Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].

The criteria for choosing an Imam are superior tham the criteria for choosing a Muazzin. Because trustworthiness, god-conciousness and high-beautiful voice is the criteria for a Muazzin. But the criteria for Imam is the one who is most read and knowledgeable, senior in age, etc.

One may say: There are no clear and direct virtues of leading as are for calling Azan. Shaikh Sulayman al-Ulwan said: The several virtues of calling Azan is specially mentioned as people run from this job due to the difficulty especially in that era when clocks did not exist. End quote.

At the end of the day, this post is never to de-value the importance and virtues of calling Azan. Never forget that this conclusion of ours that leading is better than calling Azan could be wrong as well, and remember that Umar (radiyallahu anh) used to say: "Were it not the Caliphate, I would call Azan."