If someone were to ask, which is better, the adhan or the Qur'an?
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The Shaykh : If someone were to ask, which is better, the adhan or the Qur'an? We say there is no doubt that the Qur'an is better. However, every dhikr in its proper place makes its performance better than the performance of the other dhikr. Note the phrasing: we do not say the adhan is better than the Qur'an. We say responding to the mu'adhdhin is better than reciting the Qur'an. Note that we are now comparing an action to an action, not an object to an object.
The questioner : An action to an action.
The Shaykh : An action to an action. So we say responding to the mu'adhdhin at the time of the adhan is better than reciting the Qur'an, because the cause for this has arisen, whereas reciting the Qur'an is not time-bound. Once a person finishes responding to the mu'adhdhin, he returns to reciting the Qur'an.
The questioner : An action to an action.
The Shaykh : An action to an action. So we say responding to the mu'adhdhin at the time of the adhan is better than reciting the Qur'an, because the cause for this has arisen, whereas reciting the Qur'an is not time-bound. Once a person finishes responding to the mu'adhdhin, he returns to reciting the Qur'an.