What is the ruling on the mu'adhdhin turning his chest away from the qiblah, as many do?

The questioner : We see some mu'adhdhins, during the adhan or the iqamah of the prayer, turning their chests away from the qiblah; what is the correct practice in this regard?

The Shaykh : Yes, and this is also one of the widespread matters among mu'adhdhins. The sunnah in the adhan, as well as in the iqamah, is to face the qiblah, and not to turn away from it to the right or to the left. Rather, one turns only with his head in the two "Hayya" phrases. He does not say it like this: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-falah, Hayya 'ala al-falah." Rather, he says: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-falah," exactly as one who exits the prayer does with the salam. Here, too, many of the worshippers make a mistake. You find one of them, when he says the salam, making an effort with the salam. What does he do? "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh..." There is an effort involved in this, and . He says: "As-salamu 'alaykum," and he turns only his head as much as he is able, so that the whiteness of his cheek is visible to those behind him. As for the chest, it remains facing the qiblah and does not move at all. Likewise, the mu'adhdhin, when he says "Hayya 'ala al-salah" to the right twice, and "Hayya 'ala al-falah" to the left twice, that is with his head only, and without any effort: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-falah, Hayya 'ala al-falah." Then, in the iqamah, too, one faces the qiblah, but in the iqamah there is no turning to the right and left. This is from the sunnahs of the adhan, not the iqamah. Then we must also remember, especially in this mosque, which we hope was built and established upon the taqwa of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and upon the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), far from decorations and from newly invented innovations.