The Immense Blessings of Ażān and Replying to the Call to Prayer

Excellence of Durūd Sharīf

The Prophet of mankind, the peace of our heart and mind, the most generous and kind صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "Whoever recited the Holy Qurān, praised Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, recited Durūd Sharīf upon the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and then asked forgiveness from Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, he has sought goodness from its source."

(Shu'bul Īmān, pp. 373, vol. 2, Hadīš 2084)

صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Four Narrations about the Blessings of Ażān

1. No Insects in Grave

The beloved and blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "The one who utters Ażān in order to gain Šawāb is like the martyr draggled in blood and when he dies, there will be no infliction of insects in his body in the grave (i.e. his body will remain safe from insects)."

(Mu'jam Kabīr, pp. 322, vol. 12, Hadīš 13554)

2. Domes of Pearls

The most Exalted Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, "I went in to the Heaven where I saw domes of pearls, its dust was of musk. I asked, "O Jibrāīl! For whom these (domes) are?" He replied, "For the Imām (the one who leads Ṣalāĥ) and Mūażżin (the one who utters Ażān) of your Ummaĥ."

(Al-Jami'uş-Şagīr, pp. 255, Hadīš 4179)

3. Previous Sins are Forgiven

The beloved and blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, 'The one uttering Ażān for five Ṣalāĥ due to faith with the intention of gaining Šawāb, his previous sins will be forgiven, and the one leading his companions in five Ṣalāĥ due to faith for gaining Šawāb, his previous sins will be forgiven.'

(Sunan Kubrā, pp. 636, vol. 1, Hadīš 2039)

4. Fish Also Seek Forgiveness

It has been reported: Everything including even the fish in river ask supplication of forgiveness for those uttering Ażān. When the Mūażżin utters Ażān, the angels also repeat; when he finishes, the angels keep asking the supplication of forgiveness for him up to the Judgment Day. The one who dies in the state of being a Mūażżin will not be tormented in his grave, and he remains safe from the agonies at the time of death, the hardness and narrowness of the grave.

(Derived from: Tafsīr-e-Sūra-e-Yūsuf-lil-Ghazālī translated, pp. 14, Markaz-ul-Auliyā, Lahore)

Excellence of Replying to Ażān

The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once said, "O women! Whenever you hear Bilāl uttering Ażān and Iqāmat, you should also say what he says as Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ will write one hundred thousand good deeds for you for every Kalimaĥ, raise your one thousand ranks and will remove your one thousand sins." Listening to this, the women asked, "This (Šawāb) is for women; what is for men?" The beloved and blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, "There is double (Šawāb) for men."

(Tarikh-e-Dimshq la bin Asakir, pp. 75, vol. 55)

Earn 30 Million and 24 Hundred Thousand Good Deeds

Dear Islamic brothers! How enormous Allāĥ's mercy is! How easy He عَزَّوَجَلَّ has made it for us to earn good deeds, get our ranks raised and get our sins forgiven, but regretfully, we are heedless despite so many facilitations. The detail of the excellence of Ażān's reply mentioned in the foregoing Ḥadīš is as follows.

'اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَرُ اَللّٰہُ اَکْبَر' are two Kalimāt. The whole Ażān consists of 15 Kalimāt. If an Islamic sister replies to one Ażān, i.e. she says what the Mūażżin says, she will get 15 hundred thousand good deeds, her 15 ranks will be raised and her 15 thousand sins will be removed. There is double Šawāb for Islamic brothers. In the Ażān of Fajr, اَلصَّلٰوةُ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ النَّوْم is also said twice, so there are 17 Kalimāt in Fajr Ażān. Therefore, the woman replying to Fajr Ażān will get 17 hundred thousand good deeds, her 17 thousand ranks will be raised and 17 thousand sins will be forgiven, and all this Šawāb will be doubled for the Islamic brothers. In Iqāmat, قَدْ قَامَتِ الصَّلٰوة is also said twice, and so the Šawāb of the reply to Iqāmat is equal to that of Fajr Ażān. In short, if any Islamic sister succeeds in replying the Ażān as well as Iqāmat five times daily, she will attain 10 million 62 hundred thousand good deeds, her one hundred 62 thousand ranks will be raised and her one hundred 62 thousand sins will be forgiven and Islamic brothers will get double Šawāb. In other words, he will gain 30 million 24 hundred thousand good deeds, his 3 hundred 24 thousand ranks will be raised and his 3 hundred 24 thousand sins will be forgiven.

The Replier of Ażān Entered the Heaven

Ḥaḍrat Sayyidunā Abū Huraīraĥ رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ narrates that a man whose no major pious deed was known died. The beloved and blessed Rasūl صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to the blessed companions رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُم, "Do you know Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ has made him enter the Heaven." The people became surprised as apparently he did not have any major deed. Therefore, one of the companions went to that person's house and asked his widow as to what his special deed was. She replied, "Although I do not know any of his special deed, he would reply to Ażān whenever he used to hear it, whether it was day or night."

(Tarikh-e-Dimshq la bin Asakir, pp. 412, 413, vol. 40)

May Allāĥ عَزَّوَجَلَّ bless him and forgive us for his sake.