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Fatwa CenterWhether to respond to the Athaan or to continue with one's Thikr and Quran
Question
What is the ruling on one who is listening to the Quran and then hears the Athaan: Does he continue with the Quran or respond to the Athaan?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
If the Mu’aththin (the person who calls the Athaan) gives the call while you are reciting the Quran, making Thikr or reading a book, then you should stop doing all of that and just repeat after the Mu’aththin. This is because Al-Bukhari compiled in his Saheeh the Hadeeth of Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri 
that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "If you hear the call, then repeat what the Mu’aththin says," and because the Athaan is an act of worship with a set time that expires, while the time for reciting the Quran or making Thikr does not expire. In this context, responding to the Mu’aththin's call is more deserving than an excellent act like reciting the Quran.
Some scholars, like the Hanafis, even considered it an obligation to respond to the Mu’aththin due to the above-mentioned Hadeeth of Abu Sa‘eed. However, the preferred opinion is that it is only recommended (not obligatory), as is the majority view, due to what Muslim and others narrated, that when the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard the Mu’aththin say "Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar," he said: "Upon the Fitrah (natural disposition)," and when the Mu’aththin testified (saying: "Ashhadu An-La Ilaaha Illa Allaah"), he said: "He exited the Fire."
Since he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not repeat what the Mu’aththin said, we know that the command is one of recommendation and not obligation. There is evidence for this in other Hadeeths as well.
All of this is when you are not praying. When the Mu’aththin makes the call while you are praying, you must complete your prayer and not follow the Mu’aththin. This is according to the majority of scholars, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: "Verily In the prayer one is occupied (with a more serious matter)." [Al-Bukhari]
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