Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-01b
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The reciter: Ali ibn 'Iyash narrated to us, saying: Shu'ayb ibn Abi Humayd narrated to us from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 614.
The Shaykh : Yes, al-Bukhari said: "Chapter on supplication at the call," and he did not say "after the call," because the wording of the hadith allows for it to be at the time of the call when one hears it, or at its end. However, there are reports indicating that one should say this dhikr after the call ends, and that when it ends, one should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and then make this supplication. His saying "when he hears the call" refers to the adhan. His saying "when he hears the call" includes hearing it directly or through a medium. If a person hears it through a loudspeaker or through the radio, and he hears the adhan being broadcast, he should respond to it. But if he hears a recorded sound, he should not respond to it, because that is a narration of a past sound and is not an adhan. For this reason, it is not valid to limit the adhan to playing a recorded tape from which the adhan is heard, because the intention is not the ringing of the ear; the intention is to worship Allah with this adhan. If the time for prayer arrives, let one of you call the adhan. And when was this tape made? When?
The student: In the past.
The Shaykh : It could have been made days, months, or years before the time of prayer. And his saying "O Allah, Lord of this perfect call"—we have previously discussed "O Allah" and "Lord of this perfect call." What is this perfect call? It is the call of the mu'adhdhin, because it is a perfect call built upon glorification: the glorification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the testimony of His oneness, the testimony of the message for His Messenger, the call to prayer, and the call to success. This is the ultimate perfection. And his saying "the established prayer"—the scholars said its meaning is "the prayer that will be established." It was also said its meaning is "the established prayer that the Muslims have established." The intention is not the prayer that is currently present. Accordingly, "established" means what? It means actually established, because the prayer among the Muslims is established, whether it is the one that has passed or the one that is coming. But if the intention is the prayer that is currently present, then "established" here means "the one that will be established." "Grant Muhammad the intercession"—"Grant" means "give." O 'Abd Allah, Zayd, where is its first object?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The second one.
The student: The intercession.
The Shaykh : The intercession. "Grant Muhammad the intercession." The intention of "Muhammad" here is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). He was not described with the title of Messenger because this is a report, and there is no harm in mentioning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) by his name in a report. But if a person calls him, he should call him by his title:[An-Nur 24:63] Some of you say to another, "O 'Abd Allah," "O Muhammad," "O 'Ali," but rather say, "O Messenger of Allah," "O Prophet of Allah." But in the context of a report, there is no harm in mentioning him by his name. And his saying "the intercession and the excellence"—the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) explained the intercession as the highest rank in Paradise, and that it should not be for anyone but a servant of Allah. He said, "And I hope that I will be the one." "The excellence" is conjoined to "the intercession" because the intercession is in terms of place, and the excellence is in terms of state, so he is granted both the perfection of essence and the perfection of the abode. And his saying "and raise him to a praiseworthy station which You have promised him"—where is the promise? The promise is in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Isra 17:79] Here, "perhaps" is not for hope, but for certainty. For this reason, the scholars said that when Allah the Exalted says "perhaps" in the Qur'an, it is obligatory, meaning it will happen. "Perhaps your Lord will raise you." Yes, and this statement is supported by this hadith, because it made that a promise from Allah. The praiseworthy station which he (peace and blessings be upon him) was promised is the station that will not be for anyone else, and the first and the last will praise him for it. That is the great intercession, or we can say that the great intercession is from him, and not only him. The great intercession is that the people on the Day of Resurrection will be raised, and they will be afflicted with grief and distress that they cannot bear. Some of them will say to others, "Go to Adam." They will go, and he will excuse himself. Then they will go to Noah, and he will excuse himself. Then to Ibrahim, and he will excuse himself. Then to Musa, and he will excuse himself. Then to 'Isa, and he will not excuse himself, but he will refer them to someone better than him, saying, "Go to Muhammad." They will come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he will intercede. The Lord (Mighty and Majestic) will descend to judge between His servants, and He will judge between them. Yes. And his saying "which You have promised him, my intercession will be for him on the Day of Resurrection"—this "will be" is the answer to the conditional clause at the beginning of the hadith: "Whoever says when he hears." And his saying "my intercession"—intercession in language means making the odd number even. If you add a second to one, it is said "he made it even," meaning he made it a pair. And if you add one to three, it is said? What?
The student: He made it even.
The Shaykh : He made it even, meaning he made it a pair. And in terminology, intercession is mediating for another by bringing benefit or removing harm. This is intercession: mediating for another by bringing benefit or removing harm. So the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) for the people of Paradise to enter it is mediating by bringing benefit. And his intercession for the people of the standing place so that judgment is made between them and they find relief.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, this is for removing harm. Know that intercession is of two types: general and specific. The specific one is that which is for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and not for anyone else. It is of three types: The first type is his intercession for the people of the standing place so that judgment is made between them. The second is his intercession for the people of Paradise so that the gates are opened for them and they enter. The third is his intercession for his uncle Abu Talib so that the punishment is lightened for him, because no one intercedes for a disbeliever to be accepted except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), for he interceded for his uncle and the punishment was lightened for him. These three types are specific to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and do not apply to anyone else. If someone asks, why was Abu Talib specifically granted the acceptance of intercession? Is it because he was the uncle of the Messenger? No...
Whoever after listening to the Adhan says, 'Allahumma Rabba hadhihi-dda` watit-tammah, was-salatil qa'imah, ati Muhammadan al-wasilata wal-fadilah, wa b`ath-hu maqaman mahmudan-il-ladhi wa`adtahu' [O Allah! Lord of this perfect call (perfect by not ascribing partners to You) and of the regular prayer which is going to be established, give Muhammad the right of intercession and illustriousness, and resurrect him to the best and the highest place in Paradise that You promised him (of)], then my intercession for him will be allowed on the Day of Resurrection
من قال حين يسمع النداء اللهم رب هذه الدعوة التامة والصلاة القائمة آت محمدًا الوسيلة والفضيلة وابعثه مقامًا محمودًا الذي وعدته حلت له شفاعتي يوم القيامةThe Shaykh : Yes, al-Bukhari said: "Chapter on supplication at the call," and he did not say "after the call," because the wording of the hadith allows for it to be at the time of the call when one hears it, or at its end. However, there are reports indicating that one should say this dhikr after the call ends, and that when it ends, one should send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and then make this supplication. His saying "when he hears the call" refers to the adhan. His saying "when he hears the call" includes hearing it directly or through a medium. If a person hears it through a loudspeaker or through the radio, and he hears the adhan being broadcast, he should respond to it. But if he hears a recorded sound, he should not respond to it, because that is a narration of a past sound and is not an adhan. For this reason, it is not valid to limit the adhan to playing a recorded tape from which the adhan is heard, because the intention is not the ringing of the ear; the intention is to worship Allah with this adhan. If the time for prayer arrives, let one of you call the adhan. And when was this tape made? When?
The student: In the past.
The Shaykh : It could have been made days, months, or years before the time of prayer. And his saying "O Allah, Lord of this perfect call"—we have previously discussed "O Allah" and "Lord of this perfect call." What is this perfect call? It is the call of the mu'adhdhin, because it is a perfect call built upon glorification: the glorification of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the testimony of His oneness, the testimony of the message for His Messenger, the call to prayer, and the call to success. This is the ultimate perfection. And his saying "the established prayer"—the scholars said its meaning is "the prayer that will be established." It was also said its meaning is "the established prayer that the Muslims have established." The intention is not the prayer that is currently present. Accordingly, "established" means what? It means actually established, because the prayer among the Muslims is established, whether it is the one that has passed or the one that is coming. But if the intention is the prayer that is currently present, then "established" here means "the one that will be established." "Grant Muhammad the intercession"—"Grant" means "give." O 'Abd Allah, Zayd, where is its first object?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : The second one.
The student: The intercession.
The Shaykh : The intercession. "Grant Muhammad the intercession." The intention of "Muhammad" here is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). He was not described with the title of Messenger because this is a report, and there is no harm in mentioning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) by his name in a report. But if a person calls him, he should call him by his title:
Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another.
لا تجعلوا دعاء الرسول بينكم كدعاء بعضكم بعضاAnd from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.
ومن الليل فتجهد به نافلة لك عسى أن يبعثك ربك مقاما محموداThe student: He made it even.
The Shaykh : He made it even, meaning he made it a pair. And in terminology, intercession is mediating for another by bringing benefit or removing harm. This is intercession: mediating for another by bringing benefit or removing harm. So the intercession of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) for the people of Paradise to enter it is mediating by bringing benefit. And his intercession for the people of the standing place so that judgment is made between them and they find relief.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, this is for removing harm. Know that intercession is of two types: general and specific. The specific one is that which is for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and not for anyone else. It is of three types: The first type is his intercession for the people of the standing place so that judgment is made between them. The second is his intercession for the people of Paradise so that the gates are opened for them and they enter. The third is his intercession for his uncle Abu Talib so that the punishment is lightened for him, because no one intercedes for a disbeliever to be accepted except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), for he interceded for his uncle and the punishment was lightened for him. These three types are specific to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and do not apply to anyone else. If someone asks, why was Abu Talib specifically granted the acceptance of intercession? Is it because he was the uncle of the Messenger? No...