HISTORY OF AZAN

jahil gak aku nih..first time baca sejarah azan nih

By Rohana Mustaffa

Azan is recited in a loud voice by the Muezzin facing the direction of the Ka'ba in the following words:

"Allahu Akbar" meaning "Allah is the Greatest." (four times)

"Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah" (I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah) - twice

"Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah" (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah) - twice

"Hayya 'alas-Salah" (Come to prayer) - twice

"Hayya 'alal-falah" (Come to success) - twice

"Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) - twice

"La-Ilaha Il-Allah" (There is no other object of worship except Allah).

According to the ulama, the meaning of these words is immense and far exceed the greatness of even the seven oceans.

Briefly the words mean that Allah is the Al-Mighty, there is no other apart from Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle. Perform the solat (prayer) for success now and afterlife and there is one and only Allah.

In the annals of Islam, Azan was performed from the first year of Hijrah in the seventh century AD.

According to the Hadis of Bukhari and Muslim, quoting Ibnu Umar al-Khattab, there was no Azan in the early stages of the Muslims' migration from Mecca to Medina.

This had led the Prophet to gather all of his companions to discuss ways on how to alert Muslims for them to proceed to the mosque to perform their prayers.

There were suggestions for the use of flags and while others called for the blowing of trumpets or flutes. There were also hints of ringing the bell but the Prophet had rejected all of these propositions.

Umar later suggested for the signal to be loudly called out as a phrase 'it is time for the prayers'.

This had been accepted by the Prophet and he amended the phrase to 'assolatu jamia'ah' which means to form a congregation for the prayers.

Until one night, when Abdullah bin Zaid dreamt of a better way to announce the time for prayers by calling out 'Allahhu Akbar' (and so forth).

The dream was related to the Prophet (Umar too had a similar dream) and the Prophet said the "dream was true" and instructed Bilal bin Rabah to perform the Azan.

For the Friday prayer, the Azan is performed twice. The first is to mark the time for Zohor and the second is just before the Imam starts the Friday sermon.

At the Masjidil Haram, as in during the Prophet's time, the Azan for the Subuh prayers is performed twice.

The first is to alert Muslims that it is pre-dawn hour and time for Muslims to perform the sunat tahajjud prayer or the sahur before beginning their fast.

The second, with the addition of 'as-salatu khayrun min an-naum' (perform the prayer is better than sleeping), is to alert Muslims that is time to carry out the Subuh prayer.

Apart from the call to the prayers, Azan is also 'whispered' to the ear of the newly-born male infant and used to signal impending danger or catastrophe.