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Fatwa CenterCalling two Azan for Friday prayer
Question
I would like a ruling on the importance of calling 2 Azan in the Friday prayers. Where I live, some people say that it is not Wajib, only Sunnah and so they don't call 2 Azan. I don't agree with them. A good Fatwa would be useful.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmizi and Ibn Majah reported upon the authority of As-Sa’ib bin Yazeed (Radiya Allahu Anhu) that he said: 'The first call to prayer on Friday used to be when the Imam sat on the pulpit, during the life span of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), Abu Bakr and Umar . When Uthman became Caliph, the number of people increased, so he added the third call to prayer on Az-Zau’ra. There was only one Muezzin – for the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam).' Al-Hafidh bin Hajar said: 'It seemed that the people at that time followed Uthman everywhere in the Muslim territory because he was the Caliph and should be obeyed.' But Al-Fak’hani stated that 'Al-Hajjaj was the first one who innovated the third call to prayer in Makkah and Ziyad was the first one to innovate it in Al-Bass’rah.' Imam Ash-Shafi’e, (Rahmathu Allah Alaihi) stated in ‘Al-Um’: 'I love raising only one call to the Friday prayer and that should be when the Imam enters the mosque and sits on the pulpit, then the Muezzin call, the Adhan. As soon as he finishes the Adhan, the Imam stands up and starts giving Khutba (Friday sermon).'
Sheikh Al-Albani (Rahmathu Allah Alaihi) stated in his letter; "the useful answers to the university committee’s questions", that the rationale for adding the first Adhan by Uthman (Radiya Allahu Anhu) is the then increasing number of people and building houses faraway from the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam)’s Mosque. The fundamental reason for introducing the first Adhan on Friday is baseless now due to the great number of mosques everywhere and the availability of loud speakers. But Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan (May Allah protect him) said in his religious verdict: 'The first Adhan is the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliph Uthman (Radiya Allahu Anhu) which was initiated during his Caliphate – when people increased in number and subsequently their far-flung houses around Al-Madinah. They were in need of someone to draw their attention to the approach of Friday prayer. It has become a Sunnah till the present-day'. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Follow my footsteps and the example of the rightly guided Caliphs." Uthman (Radiya Allahu Anhu) is one of the rightly-guided Caliphs. He gave this religious verdict and consequently was accepted by the people, Al-Muhajireen and Al-Ansar. So, it became a proved Sunnah. What I see here is that this matter is not restricted to one opinion. Whoever adopts only one call to prayer is following the Prophet’s (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) footsteps, and following the example of Abu Bakr and Umar. And whoever gives two calls to the prayer on Friday is following the example of the rightly-guided Caliph, Uthman, and the then Muslims who accepted his formal legal ruling.
Note: What is meant by the third call to Friday prayer in the aforementioned text is the first Adhan. The second call is the second Adhan when the Imam ascends the pulpit. The other call is the call proclaiming the commencement of the prayer (Iqamah).
Allah knows best.
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