Category: Fiqh

Differences in the Adhan (Call to Prayer)

الاختلاف في الأذان

Overview

The adhan (call to prayer) is one of the most recognizable symbols of Islam, yet its exact wording differs between Shia and Sunni practice. The most notable difference is the Shia inclusion of the phrase "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" (Hasten to the best of deeds) after "Hayya ala al-Falah" (Hasten to success). Sunni practice omits this phrase entirely. Historical sources from both traditions record debates about whether this phrase was part of the original adhan established by the Prophet Muhammad (s) and subsequently removed during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, or whether it was never part of the official adhan. This difference, while seemingly minor, touches on deeper questions about the authority to alter Prophetic practices.

Shia Position

The Shia position holds that "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" (Hasten to the best of deeds) was part of the original adhan as taught by the Prophet Muhammad (s) and practiced by the early Muslims. It was removed during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, who feared the phrase would discourage Muslims from participating in jihad if they believed prayer was the "best of deeds." The Shia, following the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt, preserved the original Prophetic adhan.

Evidence

  • [hadith] al-Bayhaqi, Sunan al-Kubra
    Al-Bayhaqi records in his Sunan al-Kubra that Abdullah ibn Umar, the son of Caliph Umar himself, used to say "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" in his personal adhan. This is significant because Ibn Umar was a respected Companion and hadith narrator in Sunni tradition. His personal practice of including this phrase suggests he understood it to be part of the original adhan, despite his father's decision to remove it from the official call.
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  • [historical] WikiShia — Hayya ala Khayr al-Amal
    Historical sources record that Ali ibn Abi Talib included "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" in the adhan during his caliphate in Kufa, restoring what the Shia consider the original Prophetic practice. The Imams from the Ahl al-Bayt consistently taught that this phrase was part of the authentic adhan. Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq both affirmed it as a component of the adhan as taught by the Prophet.
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  • [hadith] Musannaf Ibn Abi Shayba
    The Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shayba, a major early Sunni hadith compilation, records narrations indicating that "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" was known among early Muslims. The very existence of these narrations in Sunni sources suggests the phrase had a historical basis and was not a later Shia invention. Its suppression from mainstream Sunni practice is attributed to a deliberate policy decision rather than a question of authenticity.
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Reasoning

The Shia reasoning rests on several pillars. First, the phrase is preserved through the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt — the family of the Prophet and the most authoritative source of Prophetic practice in Shia theology. Second, Sunni sources themselves record the phrase being used by prominent Companions, including Umar's own son, which would be inexplicable if the phrase had never been part of the adhan. Third, the reported motivation for removing the phrase — that it would discourage jihad — is itself an admission that the phrase existed and was deliberately removed. A caliph removing a Prophetic practice based on personal reasoning (ijtihad) is precisely the kind of unauthorized alteration the Shia tradition warns against.

Sunni Position

The mainstream Sunni position holds that "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" was never part of the officially established adhan as taught by the Prophet. The adhan was established through the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd, confirmed by the Prophet, and codified without this phrase. Sunni scholars generally regard the narrations about its inclusion as weak or as referring to informal personal supplications rather than the formal adhan.

Evidence

  • [hadith] Sunan Abu Dawud — Hadith on the Origin of the Adhan
    The founding hadith of the adhan in Sunni tradition is the dream of Abdullah ibn Zayd, recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud, in which an angel taught him the words of the call to prayer. The Prophet confirmed this as divinely inspired. The wording taught in this dream does not include "Hayya ala Khayril Amal." Sunni scholars argue this establishes the original, complete text of the adhan as practiced by the Prophet and his companions.
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  • [scholarly] Sunni Hadith Methodology — Adhan Narrations
    Sunni scholars question the chains of narration for reports attributing "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" to the Prophetic adhan. They argue that the majority of narrations establishing the wording of the adhan — across Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and other collections — do not include this phrase. The weight of evidence from the most authenticated sources supports the Sunni wording as the original.
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  • [scholarly] Sunni Scholarly Response on Adhan Variations
    Regarding the narrations about Ibn Umar and others using the phrase, Sunni scholars offer several responses: some classify these narrations as weak, others interpret them as personal supplications (du'a) added informally after the adhan rather than as part of its official wording. The distinction between the established text of the adhan and personal additions is important in Sunni fiqh.
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Reasoning

The Sunni reasoning emphasizes the established, well-documented wording of the adhan in the major hadith collections, none of which include "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" as a standard component. Sunni scholars reject the narrative that Umar removed a Prophetic practice, as this would imply a major Companion and rightly-guided caliph deliberately altered the Prophet's Sunnah — something inconsistent with the Sunni understanding of the Companions' reliability and integrity. Isolated narrations about individuals using the phrase are explained as personal additions or weak reports that cannot override the consensus of the hadith literature.

Point of Disagreement

The core disagreement is whether "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" was part of the original Prophetic adhan that was later removed by Caliph Umar, or whether it was never part of the official adhan in the first place.

This disagreement reflects a deeper tension about the authority of the early caliphs to modify Prophetic practices. The Shia position holds that no one — regardless of their rank — has the authority to alter a practice established by the Prophet. If the Prophet included "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" in the adhan, its removal by Umar represents an unauthorized innovation (bid'ah). The Sunni position maintains that the phrase was not Prophetic and therefore Umar removed nothing. The presence of the phrase in some Sunni historical sources, however, creates a tension that both sides must address.

Critical Analysis

Historical Analysis

  • The Testimony of Umar's Own Son

    The narration that Abdullah ibn Umar included "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" in his adhan is particularly significant because of his identity. As the son of the caliph who allegedly removed the phrase, and as one of the most prolific hadith narrators in Sunni tradition, his practice carries weight. If the phrase had never been part of the adhan, there would be no reason for Ibn Umar to adopt it. His inclusion of the phrase, despite his father's policy, suggests he understood it to be authentically Prophetic and felt a personal obligation to preserve it, even if the official practice had changed.

  • The Reported Motivation for Removal

    Multiple historical sources record that the phrase was removed because of concern that Muslims would prioritize prayer over jihad if they heard "Hasten to the best of deeds" five times daily. Regardless of whether one accepts this account, the reported motivation reveals an important principle at stake: can a caliph modify a Prophetic practice based on political reasoning? The Shia answer is firmly no — the Sunnah of the Prophet is inviolable. The Sunni response is to deny the premise by arguing the phrase was never official, thereby avoiding the question of caliphal authority to amend the adhan.

Logical Analysis

  • The Argument from Preservation by the Ahl al-Bayt

    The Ahl al-Bayt — the Prophet's own family — consistently practiced and taught the adhan with "Hayya ala Khayril Amal." If any group had authoritative knowledge of the Prophet's exact practice, it would be his immediate family who lived with him, prayed with him, and inherited his religious knowledge directly. The Shia argument holds that the Ahl al-Bayt's consistent testimony over twelve generations of Imams constitutes the strongest possible evidence for the original wording of the adhan, outweighing later scholarly determinations based on hadith chain analysis alone.

  • Prayer as the Best of Deeds

    The content of the phrase itself — calling prayer "the best of deeds" — is consistent with numerous hadith in both Sunni and Shia collections that describe prayer as the most important act of worship. The Prophet said: "The first thing a person will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment is prayer." If prayer is indeed the foremost deed, calling believers to "hasten to the best of deeds" is not only appropriate but theologically accurate. Its removal from the adhan creates a conspicuous absence — why would the call to prayer not describe prayer as the best of deeds?

Conclusion

The historical evidence for "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" being part of the original adhan includes narrations in Sunni sources attributing the phrase to prominent Companions, most notably Abdullah ibn Umar — the son of the caliph who allegedly removed it. The consistent testimony of the Ahl al-Bayt across twelve generations of Imams preserves the phrase as authentically Prophetic. The reported motivation for its removal — concern about the impact on military mobilization — implicitly concedes its prior existence. While Sunni scholarship maintains the phrase was never official, the presence of supporting evidence in their own sources and the theological coherence of calling prayer "the best of deeds" strengthen the Shia position. The difference in the adhan is ultimately a microcosm of a larger question: the inviolability of Prophetic practices and the authority of anyone to alter them after the Prophet.

Quick Reference

  • Shia adhan includes "Hayya ala Khayril Amal" (Hasten to the best of deeds); Sunni adhan omits it.
  • Abdullah ibn Umar, Caliph Umar's own son, reportedly included this phrase in his personal adhan.
  • Historical sources indicate the phrase was removed by Umar out of concern it would discourage jihad.
  • The Ahl al-Bayt consistently taught and practiced the adhan with this phrase across twelve generations.
  • Sunni scholars argue the phrase was never part of the official adhan and narrations supporting it are weak.
  • The dispute touches a deeper question: can a caliph modify a Prophetic practice based on political reasoning?

Sources