Question:
Assalamualaikum Dato. I have a question. Since I was catching my flight, I perform obligatory prayer while adhan is called. Is my prayer valid?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Adhan
Adhan is one of the symbol of Islam meant to call for obligatory prayer as well as calling them to perform it in congregation. This is as stated by Syeikh Muhammad al-Zuhaili in his book, “Adhan and iqamah are both symbols of Islam, and they are called after the prayer time is reached and before prayer is performed.” (Refer: al-Mu’amad fi al-Fiqh al-Syafi’e, 1/179)
Allah SWT’s statement in the Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نُودِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ مِن يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاسْعَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَذَرُوا الْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
“O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.”
Surah al-Jumu’ah (9)
The same is stated in the hadith narrated by Sulaiman and Malik bin Huwairis R.anhuma, where the Prophet PBUH said:
إِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ، ثُمَّ لِيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَكْبَرُكُمْ
“When the stated time for the prayer becomes due, then one of you should pronounce its call (i.e. the Adhan), and the eldest of you should lead you in prayer.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (6008)
The Purpose of Calling for Adhan
Among the purposes and conditions of calling for adhan is to tell people on the time for obligatory prayers. This is as stated in the above hadith. Syeikh Muhammad al-Zuhaili already put some requisites to call for adhan. One of them is when the time for prayer has come.
He said: “It is requisite to reach the time of prayer itself in calling for prayer. This is as a reminder towards the time for prayer. Hence, it is invalid and impermissible to call for adhan before the time of prayer by the scholarly consensus (ijma’), because this can cause confusion. However, Subh prayer is an exception, in which the first adhan is called during the night (before the time of Subh) as it is a Sunnah adhan” (Refer: al-Mu’tamad fi al-Fiqh al-Syafi’e, 1/185)
Besides, Dr. Mustafa al-Khin in his book states: “Adhan and iqamah both are Sunnah muakkadah for each obligatory prayer. Conversely, for non-obligatory prayers which is Sunnah to be performed in congregation, like the two ‘Eid prayers, eclipse prayer and janazah prayer, then it is not Sunnah to call the adhan and iqamah. It is enough to just recite الصلاة جامعة, which means: Let’s pray in congregation” (Refer: al-Fiqh al-Manhaji 1/120)
Valid Conditions of Prayer
There are many valid conditions of prayer. Among them are being pure from hadas, pure from najis, covers the awrah, prayer time has started and face the qibla direction.
As we know, the time of five obligatory prayers are already set and it is compulsory to be obeyed as it is one of the valid conditions of prayer. Allah SWT states in the Quran:
إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا
“Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times”
Surah al-Nisaa’ (103)
Furthermore, the ways to determine the time for prayer is as the following:
- With certainty, holding onto clear evidence such as when one clearly observes the sun has set.
- Ijtihad, which is by holding onto strong evidences which has an indirect indication like shadows or with a routine.
- If it is impossible to know the time for prayer through certainty or ijtihad like in a case where a man does not have knowledge in the time and the evidences, then he should taqlid (follow) either those who are certain or a mujtahid who hold onto strong evidences.
(Refer: al-Fiqh al-Manhaji, 1/123)
Conclusion
Referring to the question asked as well as the explanation, prayers performed while the adhan is being called are valid. This is because adhan is a sign that the time of prayer has started and one of the valid conditions of prayer is it is to be performed after the time of prayer has started.
However, performing the prayer after the adhan is completed is afdhal (prioritized). This is based on the saying of the Prophet PBUH as narrated by Abdullah bin Amr R.Anhuma:
إِذَا سَمِعْتُمُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ فَقُولُوا مِثْلَ مَا يَقُولُ ثُمَّ صَلُّوا عَلَىَّ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَىَّ صَلاَةً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَا عَشْرًا ثُمَّ سَلُوا اللَّهَ لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ فَإِنَّهَا مَنْزِلَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لاَ تَنْبَغِي إِلاَّ لِعَبْدٍ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ وَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا هُوَ فَمَنْ سَأَلَ لِيَ الْوَسِيلَةَ حَلَّتْ لَهُ الشَّفَاعَةُ
When you hear the Mu'adhdhin, repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah; then beg from Allah al-Wasila for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah's servants, and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasila, he will be assured of my intercession.
Sahih Muslim (384)
Hence, performing prayers after the adhan is completed makes it possible for a person to perform Sunnah practices during adhan like answering the adhan, send blessings to the Prophet PBUH (salawat) and make du’a to Allah SWT. By doing these, one will get special rewards from Allah SWT.
May Allah SWT give us correct understanding and goodness in religion as well as strength to practice it in our daily life. Ameen.