It is stated in the authentic hadith: “Whoever hears the call to prayer and does not come to it, he has no prayer, except one who has an excuse.” Is the criterion here direct hearing, or knowledge of the entry of the time?

The questioner : The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): or as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Is the criterion here direct hearing, or knowledge of the entry of the time? Especially since hearing these days may extend several kilometers due to the presence of loudspeakers and the like.

The Shaykh : It is as the questioner pointed out: the adhan reminds one of the entry of the time for prayer. If the Muslim is reminded of the time, he must attend, whether he hears the adhan or not. He has no right to make the excuse that he does not attend the congregational prayer because he does not hear the adhan. This is an excuse that has no value from the legal perspective, because the purpose of the adhan is notification. If notification is achieved in a spontaneous way—for example, a man comes to someone in his store, workshop, factory, or home and says, “Hurry to prayer, the adhan has been called”—the obligation to respond does not fall off from him because he did not hear the adhan directly. He has learned of the entry of the time. The criterion is knowledge, not the means, which is the adhan. The adhan is notification, but with known, fixed, and regulated legal phrases narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with authentic chains of narration.