Question:
Assalamualaikum. I am sorry for asking. When I prayed with my family, I asked my son to call for adhan and iqamah. My question is, is there a specific period of time between adhan and iqamah or do I stand up right away to perform the prayer? Thank you.
Brief Answer
It is Sunnah to put a gap between adhan and iqamah with a specific period of time according to necessities even with a period of performing qabliyyah Sunnah prayer before obligatory prayer. Besides, it is makruh to right away call for iqamah after adhan without taking some time after the adhan. This is to cherish Sunnah time as proposed by the Prophet PBUH. And it will give some time for the congregation to get ready to pray like taking ablution and the like.
Explanation
Adhan and iqamah are among the eminences of Islam. It is for the purpose of calling and informing all Muslims that the time of prayer has begun as well as preparing to perform the prayer. This is as narrated by Malik bin al-Huwairith RA that the Prophet PBUH said:
فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ لَكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ
and offer the prayer and one of you should pronounce the Adhan for the prayer when its time is due
Sahih al-Bukhari (628)
Coming back to the presented question, the jurists are of the opinion that it is sunnah to put a gap between adhan and iqamah with a specific period of time so that people are ready to prepare themselves for prayer. This is based on a hadith narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah that the Prophet PBUH said to Bilal:
وَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَ أَذَانِكَ وَإِقَامَتِكَ قَدْرَ مَا يَفْرُغُ الآكِلُ مِنْ أَكْلِهِ وَالشَّارِبُ مِنْ شُرْبِهِ وَالْمُعْتَصِرُ إِذَا دَخَلَ لِقَضَاءِ حَاجَتِهِ وَلاَ تَقُومُوا حَتَّى تَرَوْنِي
Allow enough time between your Adhan and Iqamah for the person eating to finish what he is eating, the person drinking to finish what he is drinking, and the one who needs time to relive himself, and do not stand until you see me
Jami’ al-Tirmidhi (195)
Imam Khatib al-Syirbini said in his book:
وَيُسَنُّ أَنْ يَفْصِلَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ وَالْإِمَامُ بَيْنَ الْأَذَانِ وَالْإِقَامَةِ بِقَدْرِ اجْتِمَاعِ النَّاسِ فِي مَكَانِ الصَّلَاةِ وَبِقَدْرِ أَدَاءِ السُّنَّةِ الَّتِي قَبْلَ الْفَرِيضَةِ، وَيَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمَا فِي الْمَغْرِبِ بِنَحْوِ سَكْتَةٍ لَطِيفَةٍ كَقُعُودٍ لَطِيفٍ لِضِيقِ وَقْتِهَا، وَلِاجْتِمَاعِ النَّاسِ لَهَا قَبْلَ وَقْتِهَا عَادَةً، وَعَلَى مَا صَحَّحَهُ الْمُصَنِّفُ مِنْ أَنَّ لِلْمَغْرِبِ سُنَّةً قَبْلَهَا يَفْصِلُ بِقَدْرِ أَدَائِهَا أَيْضًا
And it is sunnah for the muadhhin and imam to separate between adhan and iqamah with enough time for people to gather in the praying area and in the period of people able to perform Sunnah prayer which is performed before obligatory prayer. And to separate between them both (adhan and iqamah) during Maghrib prayer by pausing a bit, and with the purpose of gathering more people before Maghrib prayer following a logical period of time, and according to the accurate opinion to the author, indeed, there is a sunnah prayer before Maghrib, so the period to separate the adhan and iqamah is for the people to be able to perform the Sunnah prayer.
(See Mughni al-Muhtaj, 1/325)
Conclusion
Hence, to answer the above question and based on the evidences presented, we can conclude that it is Sunnah to separate between adhan and iqamah with a specific period of time according to the need even with the period of performing Sunnah Qabliyyah prayer before the obligatory prayer. Besides, it is makruh to call for iqamah straight away after calling the adhan without giving some time after adhan. This is to cherish Sunnah time as mentioned in the above hadith. And this also gives time for the people to get ready to perform prayer like taking ablution and the like.
Besides, kindly refer the articles in the website of Mufti’s Office of Federal Territories entitled:
- AL-KAFI #1702: THE RULING OF CALLING OUT THE IQAMAH WITHOUT FOLLOWING THE MOSQUE’S DIGITAL ADHAN CLOCK
- AL-KAFI #802: THE RULING OF PERFORMING PRAYER WITHOUT CALLING OUT THE IQAMAH
- AL-KAFI #380: MUADDHIN STRAIGHT AWAY CALLS OUT THE IQAMAH AFTER ADHAN
- AL-KAFI #1677: IS IT NECESSARY TO CALL OUT THE ADHAN AND IQAMAH WHEN WE ARE PRAYING AT HOME?
Wallahu a’lam