Klaus Maria Brandauer

Adhan is an Arab term indicating the call to the prayer ( Salat ) and in particular a call to the prayer in group.

Three Arab words derive from the same Arab root meaning to announce:

adhan , call.
mu' adhdhin , Muezzin that which makes the call. The first muezzin of Islam was Bilal
mi' dhana Minaret the place from where the call is done.

Text of the adhan

The adhan is a public advertisement comprising of the definite sentences. The adhan can be heard in all the countries Musulman S at the hours of the five prayers of the day. It is the sound symbol of the Islam. This call by the voice has seems it be selected to dissociate Jewish call, by a horn, and Christian call, by a bell and also because it is the means most natural to call. The adhan is connected with a recitation stressed and modulated.

The adhan is followed Iqama which takes again the same formulas, but mark the effective beginning of the prayer.

the Shiites add:

It should be noted that they withdraw adhan " The prayer is better than the sommeil".

The Muezzin (that which calls upon the prayer):

should not require wages
should not be in a state of large nor of small impurity
must be upright in direction of the Ka' Ba (which is with Mecque)
must turn its body from right to left (to be heard in all the directions)
must stop the ears with the index or the minor (in order not to be disturbed)
to raise the voice to be of course
to speak posément to be included/understood well.

Generally, the muezzin places himself in top of one of the Minaret S of the Mosquée; more and more, its voice is assisted by loudspeakers; in certain mosques, it is even a recording which acts as muezzin (although that is interdict according to the opinion of some Oulémas).

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