شرح ألفاظ الأذان

Explanation of the Words of the Adhan

The Scholarly Committee of the Islamic Content Service Association in Languages

The Adhān is a divine call heard by Muslims five times a day, reminding them of the greatness of Allah and inviting them to goodness and success. It is a moment of connection between a human and his Creator, where he withdraws from the world's clamor to stand in supplication to his Lord.

The Adhān carries lofty meanings, beginning with the glorification of Allah and concluding with the call to prayer, where the Muslim finds tranquility.

Words of the Adhān:

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest).

Allah is the Greatest

The term "Allah" means the One worthy of worship, the deity. It is the name of the Lord, the Creator, Glorified be His Majesty. All divine names are subordinate to and a description of this name. Allah is the One, the Eternal, who neither begets nor is He begotten, and He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

The phrase "Allāhu Akbar" means that Allah is Greater than everything and too Sublime to be attributed with anything unbefitting His majesty and perfection.

Allāhu Akbar. This phrase reminds the Muslim that nothing in this life should distract him from his Creator, and that one must live according to the will and law of Allah, not according to one's desires and whims, for Allah is Greater than everything in this world.

Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa Allah, Ash-hadu alla ilaha illa Allah.

I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah.

This is the first testimony, and its meaning is to acknowledge Allah as the Creator, Lord, Sovereign, and Manager of all things. He alone is to be worshiped, apart from anything else. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and He is One without a partner, without offspring, and without equal. Thus, worship should not be directed to anyone other than Allah, nor should anyone other than Allah be invoked.

This is the greatest testimony in existence, and it is the foundation of faith in all divine messages. All the prophets (peace be upon them), such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (ﷺ), called their people to acknowledge, accept, and believe that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah. It is the word for which Allah created the creation, sent the messengers to affirm it, and revealed the scriptures to explain it. He made Paradise the reward for those who sincerely uphold it in their hearts.

For the sake of this word, people will be resurrected from their graves and held accountable on the Day of Judgment. Whoever lives by it and concludes his life with it has indeed attained the ultimate success, while those who reject it and do not utter it deserve eternal abode in Hellfire.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

The meaning of this testimony is that a Muslim bears witness that Allah sent Muhammad as the seal of the divine messages to convey to the people the message of their Lord. The Muslim must be certain that there is no path to worship Allah and attain His pleasure except by testifying to the Messenger (ﷺ) with the message, following him, emulating him, and worshiping Allah with the Shariah that he (ﷺ) conveyed.

The testimony includes that the Messenger (ﷺ) came to bring people back to monotheism, just as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them) did before him. He is the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, following the path that all the prophets pursued in conveying the messages of their Lord; however, there is no prophet after him.

Hayya ‘ala As-salāh, Hayya ‘ala As-salāh. (Come to prayer, come to prayer).

Come to prayer

O believers, turn to the worship of your Lord, for He is Forgiving, Merciful, accepting repentance, and pardoning bad deeds.

It is a call and reminder to the believers that the time has come for them to stand before their Lord in prayer.

Hayya ‘ala al-falāh, Hayya ‘ala al-falāh. (Come to success, come to success).

Hayya ‘ala al-falāh (Come to success)

Al-falāh means contentment, success, safety, and salvation in the life of this world and the Hereafter.

Among its meanings is the attainment of Allah's pleasure, the attainment of Paradise, and salvation from the Fire. Whoever believes and prays will surely succeed, and whoever succeeds is saved and attains eternal abode in Paradise.

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah. (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god worthy of worship except Allah).

Ending with Takbīr and Tawhīd.

The Adhān concludes with the repetition of the phrase "Allāhu akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) and the affirmation "la ilāha illa Allah" (there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah). These two statements reinforce the preceding meanings, and upon them rests the foundation of human existence. This truth does not change or alter, regardless of the passage of time or the sequence of events; namely, that Allah is greater than everything, that Allah is the True Deity, that He alone is worthy of worship, and that the worship of anything besides Him is falsehood.

In conclusion, the Adhān is not merely a call to prayer, but a call to success, triumph, and prosperity. It is a message echoed in the mosques five times daily, awakening hearts; reminding us that Allah is near.

Open your heart to faith and say: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” By doing so, you enter into the mercy of Allah, attain happiness in this life, and salvation in the Hereafter, and you will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment among the believers.