Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh,
Greetings, I have a question and I want a decisive answer for it.
Is the saying: “As-salaatu Khairun min An-Nawm” (prayer is better than sleep) in the Fajr prayer bid’ah?
From Mohammad Al-khatib
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh
Your question is regarding Tathweeb, it is: (The Mu’adhin’s addition of the statement “As-salaatu Khairun min An-Nawm” (prayer is better than sleep) twice after Hay’alatain (the two “Haya Ala As-Salaat”) in the Fajr Adhan. It is not bid’ah but rather a Sunnah that is mentioned in the Prophet’s Hadiths:
1- Abu Dawood narrated in his Sunan from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Mahathura, from his father, from his grandfather, he said: I said: O Messenger of Allah teach me the Sunnah of the Adhan? He said: He wiped my head and asked me to pronounce:«تَقُولُ: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، تَرْفَعُ بِهَا صَوْتَكَ، ثُمَّ تَقُولُ: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، تَخْفِضُ بِهَا صَوْتَكَ، ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ صَوْتَكَ بِالشَّهَادَةِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَاةُ الصُّبْحِ قُلْتَ: الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ»،
“Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great. Allah is most great, raising your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony:
I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Lowering your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify there is no god but Allah; I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to salvation, come to salvation. If it is the morning prayer, you must pronounce; prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep, Allah is most great; there is no god but Allah.”
Al-Albani said this hadith is saheeh. Ibn Khuzaymah extracted a similar hadith in his Sunan, but through Ibn Juraij, he said: ‘Uthman ibn al-Sa`ib told me from Umm Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Mahathurah from Abu Mahathurah and Ad-Darqutni also extracted a similar Hadith.
2- In another narration of Abu Dawood by Ibn Juraij, this is its text:
Al-Hasan Ibn Ali told us that Abu Asim and Abdul Razzaq said from Ibn Juraij. He told me, ‘Uthman ibn al-Sa`ib, Abi and Umm Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Mahathura from Abi Mahathura told me from the Prophet, and in it: «الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ النَّوْمِ الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ النَّوْمِ فِي الْأُولَى مِنْ الصُّبْحِ…» “prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep, in the first one of As-Subh….”
I.e. not in the Iqama, which is called the second Adhaan. As stated in the Sahih hadith narrated by al-Bukhari, he said: Abd Allah ibn Yazid told us, Kahmas ibn al-Hasan told us on the authority of ‘Abd-Allah ibn Buraydah from Abd-Allah ibn Mughafal, he said: The Prophet ﷺ said: «بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلَاةٌ بَيْنَ كُلِّ أَذَانَيْنِ صَلَاةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ لِمَنْ شَاءَ» “There is a prayer between the two Adhans (Adhan and Iqama), there is a prayer between the two Adhans.” And then while saying it the third time he added, “For the one who wants to (pray)”.
3- An-Nasa’i extracted in his Sunan, he said: Ibrahim ibn Al-Hasan said, Hajaj from Ibn Juraij told us from ‘Uthman Ibn Al-Sa’ib, he said, Abi and Umm Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Mahathura from Abi Mahathura told me:
“When the Messenger of Allah left Hunain,…’He ﷺ sat me down in front of him and rubbed my forelock and blessed me three times, then he said, ‘Go and give the Adhan at the sacred House.’ I said: ‘How, O Messenger of Allah?’ He taught me as you say the Adhan now: (الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله حي على الصلاة حي على الصلاة حي على الفلاح حي على الفلاح الصلاة خير من النوم الصلاة خير من النوم في الأولى من الصبح…) ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar; Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah; Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah; Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah, Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulallah; Hayya ‘ala-salah, Hayya ‘ala-salah; Hayya ‘alal-falah Hayya ‘alal-falah; assalatu khairun min an-nawm; assalatu khairun min an-nawm; (Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger Allah; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to prosperity, come to prosperity; prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep)’ – in the first (Adhan) for As-Subh (Fajr).
Al-Albaani said: It is Sahih. It is not in the Iqama as we mentioned before, which is called the second Adhaan.
4- Al-Bayhaqi narrated in al-Sunan al-Kubra from the Hadith of Ibn Ajlan on the authority of Nafi ‘on the authority of Ibn’ Umar that he said: «كان الأذان الأول بعد حي على الصلاة حي على الفلاح (الصلاة خير من النوم) مرتين» “The first Adhan after Hayya ‘ala-salah; Hayya ‘alal-falah (as-salatu khairun min an-nawm) twice”. Ibn Hajar said: its sanad is Hasan. Al-Ya’muri said: This is a Sahih Isnad (Sahih transmission).
As we have said above, the meaning of the first Adhan, I.e. the Adhan of the Morning Prayer, and not the second Adhan, i.e. Iqama, (as-salatu khairun min an-nawm) is not said in the Iqama.
5- Ibn Khuzaymah and Ad-Daraqutni narrated from Anas that he said: From the Sunnah, if the muadhin said at fajr, ‘Hayya ‘alal-falah he says as-salatu khairun min an-nawm.’ Ibn Sayyid al-Nasi al-Ya’muri said: It is a Sahih Isnad.
6- Extracted by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh: Al-Fadl ibn Al-Habab Al-Jumhi informed us, Musadid Ibn Musarhad said: Al-Harith bin Obaid, told us on the authority of Muhammad bin Abdul Malik bin Abu Mahthura, from his father, from his grandfather, I said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ O Messenger of Allah teach me the Sunnah of the Adhaan? He said: He wiped my head and asked me to pronounce; «تَقُولُ: اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، تَرْفَعُ بِهَا صَوْتَكَ، ثُمَّ تَقُولُ: أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، تَخْفِضُ بِهَا صَوْتَكَ، ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ صَوْتَكَ بِالشَّهَادَةِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلَاحِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ صَلَاةُ الصُّبْحِ قُلْتَ: الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، الصَّلَاةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ»، “Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest, raising your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony:
I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify that there is no god but Allah; I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Lowering your voice while saying them (these words). Then you must raise your voice in making the testimony: I testify that there is no god but Allah, I testify there is no god but Allah; I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I testify Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer, come to prayer; come to salvation, come to salvation. If it is the morning prayer, pronounce; prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah.
Thus, it appears that the Tathweeb in Fajr prayer is a fixed Sunnah. If there is a dispute regarding some of the narrations, then there are some narrations corrected by some of the famous scholars, and many of the scholars of fiqh have taken them, meaning that the tathweeb was in the era of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Righteous Caliphs and until today, it is not bid’ah rather a fixed Sunnah with Sahih evidences as we have shown above.
I hope this answer is sufficient.
Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
23 Jumada II 1440 AH
28/2/2019 CE
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