# What You Don't Know About Adhan | Episode 2 | Secrets of Salah | The Hidden Gems of Prayer

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Secrets of Salah | Dhul Hijjah 2025
**Published:** 2025-05-28
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/mE-WRl4Ha_c
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/secrets-of-salah-dhul-hijjah-2025/what-you-dont-know-about-adhan-episode-2-secrets-of-salah-the-hidden-gems-of-prayer
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Faith

## Description
You bow. You rise. You whisper words you’ve said a thousand times. But what if every motion of salah held its own key to khushoo’? In this series, go deeper into the language, the postures, and the presence of salah. Join Dr. Omar Suleiman to spend the 10 days of Dhul Hijjah exploring the most...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** When you get a call from someone more important than the person that you're sitting with, what do you do? You've got to take the call, no matter what. Likewise, no matter where you are, when you hear Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, that programming kicks in and it turns you back towards Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala

**[0:15]** to remove the heedlessness that clouds the heart.

**[0:30]** The Adhan is supposed to be the first thing that you heard when you came out of your mother's womb. It cut through all the noise, the chaos of everything that was happening around you, of being taken from the comfort of the womb of your mother into this dunya.

**[0:46]** And suddenly you were to hear Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, and that awakens you to your purpose. It cuts through everything that distracts you. And you are programmed as a believer to have this fitrah inside of you,

**[1:02]** this disposition inside of you that is awakened every time you hear Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. There's an invitation from the king of all kings to one of his many servants to come to him Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. And when you get a call, if you think about it in your daily life,

**[1:19]** when you get a call from someone more important than the person that you're sitting with, or with a matter more important than the matter that's at hand, what do you do? You've got to take the call, no matter what. You look at your phone and you see a call from a certain somebody

**[1:37]** or you see a message that represents an urgency or an emergency. Suddenly it doesn't matter where you're sitting. You have to go and you have to take that call. And the Prophet ﷺ was described as well. Aisha (رضي الله عنها) describes the messenger of Allah ﷺ as a deeply present husband.

**[1:53]** He was someone who was so present in his home. But when he heard the adhan, that same messenger ﷺ who was paying attention to the part of the glass that Aisha (رضي الله عنها) drank from so he could drink from the same part, to the smallest details.

**[2:08]** When he heard Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, ka anahu laa ya'rifuna. It was like he didn't know us anymore. The programming, right? It immediately turns back to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. So think about how deeply disturbing the moment you come out of the womb is

**[2:23]** and the chaos of everything around you. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, awakens something inside of you. Likewise, no matter where you are at the moment, when you hear Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, that programming kicks in and it turns you back towards Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala

**[2:39]** to remove the heedlessness that clouds the heart. And this was the description of the Sahaba as well. That ila hadharat al-salat taghayyaru laha wanshaghalu biha that when the prayer was called, that they changed their disposition towards it.

**[2:54]** Like everything changed and oriented itself towards the prayer and they busied themselves with the prayer. I want you to think about the time that we live in where Allah Azza wa Jal tells us that when the Quran is recited that you should be silent towards it, right?

**[3:10]** That you should listen to the Quran. And now you see the Quran playing everywhere and no one's paying attention to its recitation, right? And the description of the Salaf, the description of the pious predecessors that kanu yanslitoona ila al-adhan that they used to be silent for the adhan

**[3:27]** the way that you all are silent to the recitation of the Quran. Now we lost even the silence to the recitation of the Quran. But that the pious predecessors, when they heard the adhan, they immediately became quiet. They immediately paid attention to it.

**[3:42]** And we have to also program ourselves practically to where even if you have an adhan clock or you have something else that pops up that the conversation stop. Yanslitoona ila al-adhan that they respond to the adhan the way that you all used to respond to qiraat al-Quran

**[3:59]** to the recitation of the Quran. And when you're alone, even by yourself and you're going to pray by yourself, call the adhan, you call the iqama. You don't omit them and say, well, this is only a matter for the masajid.

**[4:15]** Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) is speaking to Abdullah ibn Abdur Rahman. And he's a shepherd in the middle of nowhere. He said, I see you love sheep and I see you love shepherding in the desert. He said, when you're among your sheep or you're alone in the desert,

**[4:30]** then call the adhan and raise your voice with the call for verily the sound of the mu'adhin is not heard by any jinn or any human or anything in between, except that it will testify for him on the day of judgment. I heard this from messenger of Allah ﷺ.

**[4:46]** Imagine everything around you coming forth and testifying for you on the day of judgment. A jinn that you did not know, we're always afraid of the idea of the presence of jinn. A jinn on the day of judgment saying, I heard this person's adhan. I heard this person's qiraat of the Quran

**[5:02]** and I must testify for this person. Because you are now not only responding to the call, you're raising the call. And then think about the image on the day of judgment where the Prophet ﷺ mentioned mu'adhins with their long necks. That's a day in which prominence with righteousness

**[5:19]** is only reserved for the few, for the rare. Imagine Bilal (رضي الله عنه) with his long neck and the mu'adhins behind Bilal (رضي الله عنه) on the day of judgment. Prominence, as they were prominent in calling to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala in this dunya. And the messenger of Allah ﷺ

**[5:35]** taught us that if you can't be one of them, then at least repeat after them. When you hear them say, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, say Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. When you hear them say, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, say the same and continue to recite.

**[5:51]** And if you want to know how deeply present a person like Bilal (رضي الله عنه) was in his adhan, this wasn't just because he had the voice for it, it's because he had the heart for it. It's because this was the man that was placed under a stone and said, ahad un ahad. So who more deserving?

**[6:06]** It was a reflection of real life to stand on the Kaaba and say, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. And if you want to know how present he was, that when the Prophet ﷺ passed away and he got to ash-hadu anna Muhammad Rasulullah in Medina, and he wept (رضي الله عنه) until he felt like he could no longer be there.

**[6:23]** And he asked permission to leave Medina because of the pain of not being with the Prophet ﷺ while he was alive. And that's how he was considering every word that he was pronouncing and the deep meaning of it. So it's not just a performance. In fact, it's anything but that.

**[6:39]** It is instead a call from the heart to the heart. And if you can't make the call, then be amongst those who respond to the call. And there's a theme here. There's takbir, there's shahadah, there's Allahu Akbar, there's shahadah, there is salah and falah,

**[6:57]** prayer and success. And then there's again, Allahu Akbar and shahadah. Remember the scheme as we go through inshallah, the coherence of the prayer. I also want to mention here, the adhan of Abu Mahdura that the Prophet ﷺ taught the adhan in different ways.

**[7:13]** And the adhan of Abu Mahdura (رضي الله عنه), he taught him to say, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah, ash-hadu anna Muhammadur Rasulullah.

**[7:29]** And to raise his voice and to repeat the shahadah twice. So this is known as adhan of Abu Mahdura. So the point is, is you pay attention to the depth of these words and you respond to each one of them, responding the way that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala

**[7:44]** has taught you to respond. The only exception is when you are told, Hayya ala-salah, hayya ala-salah, and you respond with what? What do you say? La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Why? Why don't you just say, Hayya ala-salah, hayya ala-salah,

**[8:00]** along with the mu'adhin. Because la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah means that no one can change a condition and no one has power or strength except for Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. And so when a person hears the adhan,

**[8:16]** when a person responds, there is no effort that will be produced and no reward that will be given except by the permission of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. That will be by his grace. And so the ability to respond, the ability to be transformed,

**[8:31]** and the hope to be rewarded is all with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. No one will move to Allah or move away from Allah Azza wa Jal except by his permission, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. And so you know, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Ash hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, ash hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah.

**[8:46]** Hayya ala-salah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Hayya ala-salah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Hayya ala-falah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Hayya ala-falah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illa Allah. Now, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala,

**[9:02]** these words as well of al-falah, the scholars mentioned that laisa fee kalam al-arab, that there is no word amongst the Arabs that is ajma'u lilkhayr, min lafzat al-falah, which means that is more comprehensive

**[9:17]** in speaking about good than the word falah. There are different words to describe success, but falah refers to comprehensive success. Falah ad-dunya wa falah al-akhirah, success in this world and success in the hereafter.

**[9:33]** That they liken it to a person who was told that you will not give sadaqah, except that Allah Azza wa Jal will replenish you in this life and he'll reward you for it in the next. That if you think that by leaving something for salah, that you're going to be harmed in this dunya,

**[9:49]** by the one who provides all success in this dunya and the akhirah, then you have a deep misperception of the creator and the sustainer in the first place. So there is success by leaving behind for the sake of Allah and success in approaching for the sake of Allah.

**[10:04]** There's success in this dunya and success in the akhirah. Qad aflaha al-mu'minoon allatheena hum fee salatihim khashi'oon And Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala mentions that the believers are successful. Aflaha, those who have khushu' in their prayer,

**[10:19]** it is guaranteed success, right? And guaranteed happiness and guaranteed provision. Absolutely no deprivation. And so you are again, hearing the call of Allah and recognizing that I can't respond to the call of Allah

**[10:35]** unless Allah Azza wa Jal allows me to respond to it. And that what Allah is offering in this call is greater than anything that would hold me back, that would delay me towards that salah, that would preoccupy me when I go to that salah. And if you're recognizing that falah is in this,

**[10:53]** that success is in this, then why would you approach your salah with hesitation and without the devotion that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala calls you to? So respond, interact with the adhan. Don't just listen to it. Interact with every single word that you hear from the adhan

**[11:09]** and think deeply about what it is that you are saying. Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ says that if the mu'adhin says, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, and you respond, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. And he continued ﷺ

**[11:24]** to say all of the phrases of the adhan and say, you respond this way. With the exception of la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah to hayya ala-salah, hayya ala-falah. He said ﷺ that if you say this from the heart, you will enter into Jannah. So once again, a guarantee of Jannah

**[11:39]** just for answering the adhan properly. But on top of that, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned that when the adhan is finished, whoever says at the end of the adhan, Allahumma rabba hadhihid da'watat tammah

**[11:56]** wassalati al-qa'imah aati muhammadan al-wasilah wal-fadhilah wab'athhu maqaman mahmudan alladhee wa'adtah and in some narrations, innaka laa tukhlifu al-mi'ad that, Oh Allah, the Lord of this perfect call, SubhanAllah,

**[12:11]** hayya ala falah and then al-da'wat al-tammah, this perfect call and the established prayer. Give Muhammad ﷺ the right of intercession and the superiority and send him on the day of judgment

**[12:27]** to the best and the highest place in paradise which you have promised him. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says this, hallat lahu shafa'ati yawm al-qiyamah then my intercession will be permitted for him on the day of judgment. So SubhanAllah, you're asking Allah

**[12:42]** to give the Prophet ﷺ this highest place, al-wasilah, this specific place in paradise, which is the exclusive of the exclusive of Firdaus, a place that only belongs to our Messenger ﷺ. But what does the Messenger of Allah ﷺ do with every rank that's given to him?

**[12:57]** He pulls up. And so the one who made du'a for him to get that place is guaranteed that the Prophet ﷺ will also pull him up and will intercede for him. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala grant us the intercession of the best of his creation, Muhammad ﷺ.

**[13:13]** So you have Jannah for responding. You have the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ for making the du'a of intercession. The Prophet ﷺ also said in another narration, that whoever says after listening to the Adhan, that whoever says after listening to the Adhan,

**[13:28]** ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah wa ashhadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh. Again, you're making just the shahada, but then, radhiitu billahi rabban wa bimuhammadin rasulan

**[13:44]** wa bil-islami dinan. So this is a little bit different than the order that we typically know. Radhiitu billahi rabban wa bimuhammadin rasulan wa bil-islami dinan. Okay. So ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lah wa ashhadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh

**[14:02]** radhiitu billahi rabban wa bimuhammadin rasulan wa bil-islami dinan. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says the shahada, and then I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, pleased with Muhammad ﷺ as a messenger, pleased with Islam as my religion.

**[14:18]** He said ﷺ, ghufira lahu dhanbuhu. His sins will be forgiven. So you have another expiation of sins. You still haven't even come to the salah. One of the wisdoms that some of the scholars pondered upon of the order here is the coherence of the adhan.

**[14:34]** Right? You start off with Allah, and then you come to the messenger ﷺ and it is the general call of Islam that puts you into submission to Allah Azza wa Jal. But we learn the prayer from the Prophet ﷺ. He said, sallu kama ra'aytumuni.

**[14:49]** Salli, pray as you have seen me pray. And so the switching of the order here of the Prophet ﷺ being elevated even in the order of this du'a is because we learned our prayer from the Prophet ﷺ even till today,

**[15:05]** because someone saw someone who saw someone who saw someone who saw the Prophet ﷺ pray and who recorded that for us to benefit from until this day. So you have Jannah, you have intercession, you have the forgiveness of your sins, and you also have something else

**[15:21]** that so many of us don't pay attention to, which is the Prophet ﷺ said that the du'a that is made between the adhan and the iqamah will not be turned away. Everyone's always looking for a time of accepted du'a. And here you have a guaranteed time of accepted du'a five times a day.

**[15:39]** So just like you have a specific hour on the day of Friday, or just as you have, you know, when the rain falls, and just as you have when you travel, you have this moment five times a day, and it's as long as you want it to be.

**[15:56]** Some people will not take advantage of 30 seconds between the adhan and the iqamah. Some people will take advantage of 10, 15 minutes, depending on the situation, but make any du'a that you want on top of that. The messenger of Allah ﷺ said in an authentic hadith,

**[16:11]** inna ahadakum fee salatin ma damatis salatu tahbisuhu that verily every one of you is in prayer so long as you are waiting for the prayer. So you actually enter into your salah from the moment that you get to your salah, and the moment that you start to pay attention to it.

**[16:28]** So you come to the masjid, you sit in that place of prayer, even if it's not in the masjid, and you start to remember Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala. The salah has already started for you. On top of that, while you're making du'a for yourself, who better? Wal-mala'ikatu taqool, Allahumma-ghfir lahu,

**[16:45]** Allahumma-rhamhu. The angels surround you and the angels sit with you and they say, Oh Allah forgive him. Oh Allah have mercy upon him. As long as the Prophet ﷺ said, as long as the person does not leave their place of prayer or break their wudu. So SubhanAllah, I mean, you think about the immersion.

**[17:03]** Allah is giving you an invitation. You know, when you go to meet the king, when you go to this important event, if any of you have ever been to the, you have these situations, you have the waiting room and the waiting room, and you meet the ministers and you meet people before that. And you are immersed in this entire process,

**[17:20]** this entire procedure. And in this situation, you have the ambassadors of Allah, the angels, already sitting with you and making du'a for you as you make du'a for yourself. And you've already entered into your salah when other people treat their salah like a quick few minutes.

**[17:36]** And so you have this situation where you're sitting. And then SubhanAllah, here's what I want you to think about. Did you ever notice that the iqamah is so much faster than the adhan? That it goes from Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, to Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.

**[17:52]** That's always the way that it is. And that's the way that it's been narrated as well from the messenger of Allah ﷺ, and his companions. And the scholars say that this swiftness is a mirroring of the idea that the salah is now, the immediacy of the salah.

**[18:08]** So you're still mirroring the greatness of Allah that's extolled in the adhan, but there's an immediacy that the salah has come. So I want you to imagine that you're sitting in the courtyard and then you move to the waiting room and you're given all these instructions about how to act when the king of kings arrives

**[18:25]** and how you should stand and how you should carry yourself. And so you have all the procedures, all the process. Now, of course, Allah Azza wa Jal, to him belongs the highest example, but you think about another person, you think about someone powerful.

**[18:40]** Once they enter into the room, everything happens so quickly. The protocol, it's all very rapid, right? Everyone stands, there's a quietness, there's a shifting of the seats. Everything proceeds exactly as it's been mentioned with immediacy, right? Flawless.

**[18:55]** So you go from the adhan, which is long, drawn out, focusing on the words, and you go to the immediacy of the iqamah, that you have now arrived in the presence of the king of all kings.

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