The sound of the Adhān echoing five times a day is a very magnificent call to the propagation of Islam. The person who performs this noble task holds a special position. However, questions often arise among the general public and mosque administrators: what is the actual meaning of a mu’adhdhin and what criteria must be met?
Simply put, a Mu’adhin (Muezzin) is the person who calls the Adhān, informing others that the prayer time has entered. More specifically, a mu’adhin is the person who proclaims the divine call that the time for prayer has arrived so that Muslims can immediately establish it.
Because this task is closely related to the validity of prayer for many people, the requirements to become a mu’adhdhin (caller to prayer) should not be taken lightly.
This article will thoroughly examine the guidelines, referencing the book Asna al-Matalib Syarh Raudh at-Thalib by Shaykh al-Islam Zakariyya al-Ansari.
Requirements for a Valid Mu’adhdhin (Caller to Prayer)
In order for the Adhān to be considered legally valid in religious ruling and to fulfill the sunnah kifayah obligation of the Adhān in a village, there are absolute criteria that must be met. If these criteria are missed, then the Adhān is considered invalid. Here are the details:
1. Practicing Islam
The primary foundation of the requirements for a mu’adhin (caller to prayer) is Islam. The mu’adhin is a religious official, so it is impossible for this task to be carried out by a non-Muslim. As stated in the book Asna al-Matalib:
فصل : في صفة المؤذن ( ويشترط كونه مسلما ) فلا يصح من كافر لعدم أهليته للعبادة
Meaning: (Clause) concerning the characteristics of the Mu’adhin (caller to prayer). (It is required that he be a Muslim), so the Adhān from a non-Muslim is invalid due to his disqualification to perform worship.
There is an interesting Fiqh discussion regarding a non-Muslim who deliberately calls the Adhān. If a non-Muslim proclaims the Adhān, he is automatically judged to have entered Islam because he utters the two declarations of faith within the Adhān. However, the Adhān he performs must be repeated to be valid, because at the beginning he did not yet have the status of a Muslim.
An exception applies to the followers of the ‘Isawiyyah sect (an ancient Jewish sect). If they call the Adhān, they are not legally ruled to have embraced Islam. This is because their creed acknowledges Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a messenger, but exclusively for the Arabs, rather than for the entire world.
2. Sane (Aqil)
The next requirement for a mu’adhdhin is to be of sound mind. A madman or someone severely intoxicated is not qualified to give the Adhān.
(عاقلا)
فلا يصح من غيره لعدم أهليته للعبادة
However, Shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansari made a specific note regarding intoxicated individuals. If he is in the “early stages of intoxication” (nasywah), where his consciousness is still present and his intention is still organized, his Adhān can be considered valid, even though the prohibition of intoxication remains Ḥarām.
ولا يصح أذان سكران (إلا في أول نشوته)
3. Men
For male congregations, the mu’adhin must be from the male gender. Whether he is an adult, a child who is already mumayyiz (intelligent/able to distinguish between good and bad), or a slave.
(ذكرا)
ولو عبدا أو صبيا فلا يصح أذان غيره للرجال
What about women? A Mu’adhin is the term for someone who calls the prayer, but it is not permissible for a woman to pronounce the Adhān for men because her voice is feared to cause temptation. The same applies to a khuntsa (a person with ambiguous or dual gender). A woman’s Adhān is only permissible for a congregation of women as a form of remembrance, not as a public Adhān.
Things Disliked for the Mu’adhin
Besides the valid requirements, we need to know things that should be avoided. Even though the Adhān is still valid, doing this is disliked (makruh) in Islamic ruling.
A Wicked Caller to Adhān and a Child
It is disliked for prepubescent children and immoral people (sinners) to be a mu’adhin. The reason is simple: the Adhān (Call) is related to time. Immoral people and children are feared to be unreliable in maintaining the accuracy of time.
(ويكره أذان صبي)
كفاسق
Blind Muadzin Without an Accompaniment
A blind person is permitted to give the Adhān, but it is disliked (makruh) if he does so alone without anyone observing to inform him of the time of prayer. This is to avoid errors in prayer times.
Adhān in a State of Ritual Impurity
Ideally, the mu’adhin should be pure from both minor and major ritual impurity. Although the Adhān of someone who does not have wudhu is still valid, it is disliked (makruh). The level of dislike varies:
- Adhān without ablution (Disapproved).
- Adhān while in a state of junub (more disliked/severe).
- Performing Iqamah without wudhu (highly undesirable).
- Performing Iqamah in a state of junub (This is the most severe degree of dislikedness).
Referensinya adalah sabda Nabi SAW:
« كرهت أن أذكر الله إلا على طهر »
(I do not like to mention the name Allah except in a state of purity).
What if the mu’adhin (caller to prayer) invalidates his wuḍū’ (ablution) or passes gas in the middle of the Adhān (call to prayer)? It is recommended that he complete his Adhān and not interrupt it for wuḍū’ so that those who hear it do not think he is joking around.
Criteria for a Mu’adhdhin According to the Sunnah
To attain the perfection of reward, the requirements of a mu’adhdhin (caller to prayer) also encompass aspects of sunnah (recommended practices). Here are the ideal criteria for a mu’adhdhin:
1. Possessing a Loud and Melodious Voice
The mu’adhdhin should have a loud (shayyitan) and beautiful (hasanas shaut) voice. A loud voice will reach more people, while a melodious voice will soften the hearts of listeners and call them to the mosque immediately.
The evidence is the command of the Prophet SAW in the hadith of Abdullah bin Zaid regarding the dream of the Adhān:
« ألقه على بلال فإنه أندى منك صوتا »
(Teach it to Bilal, for he has a louder voice than you).
2. Just and Trustworthy
Besides voice, character is very determining. It is Sunnah that the mu’adhin (caller to prayer) is a person who is just (not a transgressor). Because he is a person who is trusted (amin) by the community to announce the time to break the fast and the time of prayer.
3. Being in a High Place
Before loudspeakers existed, it was sunnah for the mu’adhin to climb a minaret or high place so that the sound would spread. Even though speakers are now available, minarets remain a symbol of da’wah.
4. Blocking the Ears with Fingers
At the Adhān, it is recommended to insert the tip of the index finger into the ear canal.
( وأصبعاه في صماخيه )
The purpose is to help gather voices so they come out more strongly (powerfully).
5. Maintaining Appearance and Covering the Aurat
There is a unique point of fiqh in Asna al-Matalib. It is mentioned that even a person in a state of junub, if he performs the Adhān inside the mosque while naked (maksyuf al-aurah), his Adhān is still valid (but he is sinful for remaining in the mosque in a state of junub).
(ويجزئ الجنب)
أذانه وإقامته (وإن كان في المسجد ومكشوف العورة)
This indicates that covering the awrah is not a requirement for the validity of the Adhān, but a requirement for the validity of ṣalāt. However, of course, ethically and in terms of taklifi ruling (sin/reward), a mu’adhdhin should be neat and cover the awrah. Exposing the awrah in public, especially in a mosque, is Ḥarām. A neat and modest appearance is part of respecting the symbols of Islam.
Conclusion
Becoming a mu’adhin is not merely shouting into a microphone. He is the trustee of time for Muslims. By understanding the requirements of a mu’adhin above—starting from the valid requirements such as being a Muslim and of sound mind, to the recommended sunnah such as the mu’adhin should have a melodious voice—we can improve the quality of worship in our environment.
For those of you who manage mosques, ensure that the appointed personnel meet the requirements to become a muezzin so that the propagation of Islam continues to shine brightly. May this explanation from the book Asna al-Matalib be beneficial to us all.
Reference
Zakariyā al-Anṣārī, Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib, with a ḥāshiyah by Aḥmad al-Ramlī, edited by Muḥammad az-Zuhrī al-Ghamrāwī (Cairo: al-Maṭbaʿah al-Maymānīyah, 1313 H; repr. Dār al-Kitāb al-Islāmī), vol. 1, pp. 128-129.
