Call to Prayers
We have seen many shias accusing sayidina Umar, that he innovated in religion, when he ordered to put words / al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm/ (pray is better than sleep) in the azan.
Below you would see some ahadeth in the response to that false accusation.
From Ibn Abi Shaiba’s “Musannaf” .
Chapter
مَنْ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي الأَذَانِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ
“Who use to say al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm in the azan”.
First hadith (#2170 in the book) from chapter:
2170- حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ ، عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي مَحْذُورَةَ (ح) وَعَنْ طَلْحَةَ ، عَنْ سُوَيْدٍ ، عَنْ بِلاَلٍ ؛ أَنَّهُ كَانَ آخِرُ تَثْوِيبِهِمَا : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ.
In the end of azan Abu Mahzura and Bilal use to say al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm in the azan.
2171- حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ ، عَنْ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ غَفَلَةَ ؛ أَنَّهُ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى مُؤَذِّنِهِ : إِذَا بَلَغْتَ حَيَّ عَلَى الْفَلاَحِ ، فَقُلِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، فَإِنَّهُ أَذَانُ بِلاَلٍ.
Imran ibn Muslim said, that Suwayd ibn Qaflata ordered to say to muazin: “When it comes to haya alal falah, say: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, that’s azan of Bilal.
2172- حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ ، عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُقَالُ لَهُ : إِسْمَاعِيلُ ، قَالَ : جَاءَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ يُؤْذِن عُمَرَ بِصَلاَةِ الصُّبْحِ ، فَقَالَ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، فَأُعْجِبَ بِهِ عُمَرُ ، وَقَالَ لِلْمُؤَذِّنِ : أَقِرَّهَا فِي أَذَانِكَ.
Hisham ibn Urwa narrated from man, called Ismail: “Muazin came to Umar, to let him know about morning pray, and said to him: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm. Umar liked that, and ordered to put that in azan.
Comment: This athar is weak, due to uncertainness of narrator Ismail. Similar athar was narrated by Malik in /balaghat/ form (without any chain at all), so it’s also weak.
2173- حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ؛ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي أَذَانِهِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ.
Nafi narrated that ibn Umar use to say al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm in the azan.
2174- حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ : لَيْسَ مِنَ السُّنَّةِ أَنْ يَقُولَ فِي صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ.
From ibn Awn, that Muhammad (ibn Sirin) said: It’s not from sunnah to say al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm in the azan of fajr.
Note: Abu Usama Khammad ibn Usama narrated it in /anana/ form from ibn Awn. It was narrated that he did a lot tadlis (“Mizanul itidal” 1/588/#2235).
2175- حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ ، قَالَ : جَاءَ بِلاَلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُؤْذِنُهُ بِالصَّلاَةِ ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ : إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ ، فَصَرَخَ بِلاَلٌ بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، فَأُدْخِلَتْ فِي الأَذَانِ
Saeed ibn al-Musayb said: Bilal came to prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa sallam) for saying azan, and he was said that messenger (sallalahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa sallam) is sleeping, so he cried out with a most loud voice: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm.
2176- حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ ؛ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي أَذَانِهِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ.
Hisham ibn Urwa said, that his father Urwa use to say in the azan: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha ilaha ilallah.
2177- حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ أَبِي مُخَيْمِرَةَ ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي أَذَانِهِ فِي التَّثْوِيبِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ
Al-Qasim ibn Abu Muhayra use to say in his azan in the tasvib: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm.
2178- حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ ، وَمُحَمَّدٍ ، قَالَ : كَانَ التَّثْوِيبُ عِنْدَهُمَا أَنْ يَقُولَ : حَيَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ ، الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ.
Hisham said that in the view of Hasan (al-Basri) and Muhammad (ibn Sirin) tasvib was like this: haya alas salat, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm.
2179- حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ ، عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ ، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ؛ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُؤَذِّنًا يَقُولُ فِي الْفَجْرِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ ، فَقَالَ : لاَ تَزِيدنَّ فِي الأَذَانِ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ.
Imran ibn Ebil-Jad said that when Aswad ibn Yazid heard muazin saying al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm in the azan, he said: “Don’t add to azan anything that is not from it”.
Note: Narrator Hakim ibn Jubair was extremely weak shia. Ahmad said: “Weak, munkar al-hadith”. Daraqutni said he’s abandoned. (“Mizanul itidal” 1/583/#2215).
2180- حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ ، عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي مَحْذُورَةَ ؛ أَنَّهُ أَذَّنَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَلأَبِي بَكْرٍ ، وَعُمَرَ ، فَكَانَ يَقُولُ فِي أَذَانِهِ : الصَّلاَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ النَّوْمِ.
Ata said: Abu Mahzura made azan for prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa ala alihi wa sallam), Abu Bakr and Umar. In his azan he use to say: al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm.
Some more narrations:
عن أبي محذورة رضي الله عنه قال : كنت أؤذن لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم , وكنت أقول في أذان الفجر الأول : " حي على الفلاح ، الصلاة خير من النوم ، الصلاة خير من النوم ، الله أكبر الله أكبر ، لا إله إلا الله "
It was narrated that Abu Mahdhoorah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I used to give the adhaan for the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and in the first adhaan of Fajr I used to say: “Hayya ‘ala al-falaah, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, Allaahu akbar Allaahu akbar, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (come to prosperity, prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, there is no god but Allaah).”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 500; al-Nasaa’i, 647; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
عن أبي محذورة رضي الله عنه قال : قلت يا رسول الله علِّمني سنة الأذان ، قال : فمسح مقدم رأسي وقال : تقول : الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر ... فإن كان صلاة الصبح قلت : الصلاة خير من النوم , الصلاة خير من النوم .
وفي رواية أخرى نحو هذا الخبر وفيه : الصلاة خير من النوم الصلاة خير من النوم في الأولى من الصبح
رواه أبو داود ( 501 ) والنسائي ( 633 ) وصححه الشيخ الألباني في صحيح أبي داود
It was narrated that Abu Mahdhoorah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, teach me the Sunnah of adhaan.” He wiped the front of my head and said: “Say Allaah akbar, Allaahu akbar, Allaah akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great, Allaah is Most Great)… And if it is Fajr prayer, then say: Al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm (Prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep).
According to another, similar report, it says: “Al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm, al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm (Prayer is better than sleep, prayer is better than sleep) in the first adhaan of dawn.”
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 501; al-Nasaa’i, 633; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال : من السنة إذا قال المؤذن في أذان الفجر : حي على الفلاح قال : الصلاة خير من النوم ، الصلاة خير من النوم (مرتين) ا
It was narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: It is Sunnah for the muezzin, after saying Hayya ‘ala al-falaah (come to prosperity), to say: “al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)” twice.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This was narrated by al-Daaraqutni (90), Ibn Khuzaymah in his Saheeh and al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan (1/423), and he said: its isnaad is saheeh.
It was also narrated by al-Daraaqutni and al-Tahhaawi (1/82) via Hushaym from Ibn ‘Awn with the wording: In the adhaan for Fajr prayer, when the muezzin said: Hayya ‘ala al-falaah (come to prosperity), he said: “al-salaatu khayrun min al-nawm (prayer is better than sleep),” twice. This version was narrated by Ibn al-Sakan who classed it as saheeh, as it says in al-Talkhees, 3/148