THE WORDS OF the adhān are well-known. The practice of tarjī‘ is Sunnah, in our opinion: it means that after calling at the top of his voice: Allah is greater, Allah is greater, Allah is greater, Allah is greater [the mu’adhdhin] should say quietly, so that he and those nearby can hear: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. Then he should return to the top of his voice, saying: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar,
Allāhu akbar,
Ashhadu a-l-lā ilāha illa-llāh, ashhadu a-l-lā ilāha illa-llāh,
Ashhadu anna Muḥammada-r-Rasūlu-llāh,
ashhadu anna Muḥammada-r-Rasūlu-llāh,
Ḥayya ‘alā-ṣ-ṣalāh, hayya ‘alā-ṣ-ṣalāh,
Ḥayya ‘alā-l-falāḥ, ḥayya ‘alā-l-falāḥ,
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar,
Lā ilāha illa-llāh.
Allāhu akbar,
Ashhadu a-l-lā ilāha illa-llāh, ashhadu a-l-lā ilāha illa-llāh,
Ashhadu anna Muḥammada-r-Rasūlu-llāh,
ashhadu anna Muḥammada-r-Rasūlu-llāh,
Ḥayya ‘alā-ṣ-ṣalāh, hayya ‘alā-ṣ-ṣalāh,
Ḥayya ‘alā-l-falāḥ, ḥayya ‘alā-l-falāḥ,
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar,
Lā ilāha illa-llāh.
Tathwīb is also Sunnah in our view. This means saying in the adhān of Ṣubḥ, after Come to success, come to success: “Prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep.”
Aṣ-ṣalātu khayrum-min an-nawm, aṣ-ṣalātu khayrum-min an-nawm.
There are various hadiths confirming the validity of tarjī‘ and tathwīb, and these are well-known. If [the mu’adhdhin] leaves out tarjī‘ and tathwīb, the adhān will be valid but he will be leaving out [the practice] that is more meritorious. An adhān called by a child who has not yet reached the age of rational thought is not valid, nor that of a woman or that of a disbeliever. The adhān of a rational child [i.e. after he has reached puberty] is valid. If a disbeliever calls the adhān and [in doing so] utters the declaration of faith, it is considered as acceptance of Islam, according to the authoritative and acknowledged opinion. Others say that his acceptance of Islam [in that form] is not valid. There is no disagreement that this adhān would be invalid, because it was first uttered before the ruling of Islam applied. There are many related rulings on this subject, which are set down in the books of jurisprudence, but this is not the place to relate them.