Special Sub-Topic: Call To Prayer Click Here To Play: Call To Prayer

Most Muslims refer to the call to prayer by its Arabic name. What is the Arabic word for the Call to Prayer?

Adhan. Wudu is the name of ritual ablution before the actual prayer. Salat is the Arabic word for prayer. Adab is just a generic term for good manners.

This person climbs up a mosque's minaret to give out the call to prayer. What is the name given to this person?

Muezzin. A Sheikh is an Islamic scholar. An Imam is generally a respected member of the community and is elected to lead the prayer. An Ayatollah is a revered Islamic scholar in the Shia sect of Islam. The Muezzin is generally someone with a good voice as the call is melodic, and healthy so that he could climb the minaret, but today the practice of climbing the minaret is being replaced by a loudspeaker to project the voice of the muezzin.

In the Sunni sect of Islam, "Al-salâtu khayru min an-naûm" is added in the call for morning prayers. What does this mean?

Prayer is better than sleep. 'Prayer is better than sleep' is put in between 'Hayya 'alal-falâh'(come and flourish) and 'Allâhu akbar' (God is most Great).

According to Sunni schools of thought, it was this man who came up with the words for the Call to Prayer. He said it came to him in a dream. Who was this man?

Abd Allah ibn Zaid. According to the Sunni, it was not Muhammad (pbuh) who came up with the call, though he did feel the need that Muslims have something similar to the bell in churches to call people to pray. Shia believe that the Call to Prayer came directly to Muhammad, not through other people's dreams. It is said Abd Allah ibn Zaid had a dream in which he was in a marketplace and was going to buy a wooden clapper to call the Muslims to prayer, instead the man selling the clapper told him to use his own voice and cry out: God is most great! God is most great! God is most great! God is most great! I testify that there is no god but God I testify that there is no god but God I testify that Muhammad is the Apostle of God I testify that Muhammad is the Apostle of God Come and pray! Come and pray! Come and prosper! Come and prosper! God is most great! God is most great! There is no god but God (Note that the same adhan, with the exception of minor addons varying from sect to sect, is still in use today) Upon hearing of Zaid's dream, Omar the First (the second caliph) said that he had the exact same dream himself.

Who was the first person to deliver the call to prayer to the people?

Bilal ibn Ribah. Bilal was an Ethiopian slave who was freed by Abu Bakr. Some say that he was the 7th person to convert to Islam. After hearing of the dream Zaid had, Muhammad (pbuh) requested that Bilal who was known for his great voice to deliver the call, at Muhammad's (pbuh) house/mosque. He was also the first person to deliver the Adhan in Islam's holiest city Mecca.

This second call is given right before the prayer actually begins. What is this called?

Iqama. The Iqama is given right before the prayer and is usually faster than the Adhan. It differs in only one line than the Adhan, in line 6 "qad qâma tis-salaat" is said twice (Stand for prayer). The Shahada is the Declaration of Faith, and the First Pillar in Islam. Zakat is giving alms, the Third Pillar of Islam. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Fifth Pillar of Islam.

All of the lines of the call to prayer are recited two times except for the opening one. How many times is the opening line recited?

Four. The opening line, Allahu Akbar, is recited four times.

Speaking of the opening line of the Call to Prayer, what is it?

Allâhu Akbar (God is most great). Allahu Akbar, God is most great, is said five times and emphasizes the Islamic monotheistic principle that nothing compares with God's greatness.

Which direction does the caller face to deliver the call to prayer?

Mecca, the direction where Muslims pray. Mecca, which holds the Kaaba where Muslims make their pilgramage, the direction in which the Muslim faithful pray, is the direction where the Muezzin calls out the Adhan.

How many people are required to be nearby for the call to prayer to be recited (though less is fine, but this number is recommended)?

Two persons or more. The answer is 2 plus, as its function is designed. No point in calling yourself to prayer. The Adhan is melodic and can be sung or recited in different ways, and thusly the melody varies from Muezzin to Muezzin though the core message remains the same. To listen to the adhan you can go to: http://www.haqaonline.com/multimedia/audio/Azan/ Or just google "adhan" and search through the results.