The Adhan was prescribed at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah, after a dream seen by one of the Companions. The Adhan is fard kifayah (a communal obligation). The people of every town must have someone among them who can give the call to prayer so that the people may be informed that the time for prayer has come.
Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states: The word Adhan in Arabic means announcing or proclaiming. In Shari`ah terminology it means announcing the time of prayer. There are many hadiths which speak of the virtues of the Adhan. Abu Sa`id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No jinn or human hears the voice of the muezzin for as far as it carries, but he will bear witness for him on the Day of Resurrection.”
The Adhan was prescribed at the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Madinah, after a dream seen by one of the Companions.
It was narrated that `Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn `Abd Rabbihi said: “When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) decided to use a bell, he did so reluctantly because that was like what the Christians used. Then at night whilst I was sleeping, a man walked around me [in my dream], wearing two green garments and carrying a bell in his hand. I said to him, ‘O slave of Allah, will you sell the bell?’ He said, ‘What will you do with it?’ I said, ‘I will call (the people) to prayer.’ He said, ‘Shall I not tell you of something better than that?’ I said, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘Say: ‘Allahu akbar…’ (to the end of the Adhan). The following morning, I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and told him what I had seen. He said, ‘It is a true dream, in sha’ Allah. Go with Bilal to the mosque and teach it to him, for he has a more melodious voice than you.’ I went with Bilal to the mosque, and I started teaching him the words and he was calling them out. `Umar ibn al-Khattab heard the voice from his house and came out dragging his lower garment and saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, I saw the same (dream) as him.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘To Allah be praise.’”
The Adhan is fard kifayah (a communal obligation). The people of every town must have someone among them who can give the call to prayer so that the people may be informed that the time for prayer has come.