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The Adhan and the Iqamah: the words of the call to prayer
Al-Adhan & Al-Iqamah
Al-Adhan (الأذان)
Al-Iqamah (الإقامة)
- The Iqamah is shorter (the formulas are said once)
- The Iqamah includes "Qad qamat is-salah" (the prayer is established)
- The opening "Allahu akbar" is said 2 times in the Iqamah (against 4 in the Adhan)
Daily prayer times with a geolocated adhan on Muslim Alim
Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed five times a day at set times. Muslim Alim uses your location to work out automatically the prayer times for where you live.
Through geolocation, the app determines precisely the times of Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha for your city. The calculations take account of latitude, longitude and the local time zone. No more looking up times by hand in calendars or on the internet.
Thetraditional adhan sounds automatically at each prayer time to remind you the moment has come. You can choose among several well-known muezzin voices and adjust the volume as you like. This is especially useful when you travel or move to a new area.
The interface clearly shows the time remaining before the next prayer, which helps you plan your day. The times update daily, since they shift slightly through the year with sunrise and sunset.
To perform your prayers well, see also our guide on how to pray. You can also use our qibla compass to face Mecca correctly.
Muslim Alim works offline once the data has been downloaded. Even without an internet connection, you will get the prayer reminders at the right times. That reliability makes the app an essential companion for keeping a regular religious practice wherever you are.
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ReadYou may be wondering…
What are the words of the Adhan?
The Adhan begins with Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), then come the two testimonies of faith (there is no deity but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah), the call Hayya ala s-salah (come to prayer) and Hayya ala l-falah (come to success), before ending with Allahu Akbar and La ilaha illa Allah. The page gives each formula in Arabic, transliteration and English, with audio.
What is the difference between the Adhan and the Iqamah?
The Adhan announces that the time of prayer has come, while the Iqamah announces that it is about to begin, just before the imam starts. The Iqamah is shorter: most of the formulas are said only once, and it adds Qad qamat is-salah (the prayer is established). In the Hanafi school the formulas of the Iqamah are repeated as in the Adhan; the other schools say them once.
What is said particularly in the Fajr Adhan?
For the Fajr prayer only, the muezzin adds after Hayya ala l-falah the formula As-salatu khayrun min an-nawm, that is "prayer is better than sleep", said twice. That formula, called tathwib, reminds the sleeper how important the dawn prayer is. You can hear it in the audio of the Fajr Adhan on this page.
What should I say when I hear the Adhan?
According to the Sunnah, whoever hears the Adhan repeats the muezzin's words, except for Hayya ala s-salah and Hayya ala l-falah, to which one answers La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. At the end of the call, it is recommended to send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ and to recite the supplication asking for the wasilah for him, then to make one's own duas, for that moment is a good one for prayers to be answered.
How many times is Allahu Akbar said at the start of the Adhan?
According to most schools, Allahu Akbar is said four times at the start of the Adhan and twice at the start of the Iqamah. The Maliki school says it twice at the start of the Adhan. The testimonies of faith are then each repeated twice in the Adhan. To know the time of each call for your city, see the site's prayer times.