Is it permissible for a person or a congregation that will perform a prayer in a mosque where adhan and iqamah are called afterwards for the same prayer? Is it necessary for five daily prayers to be performed in this mosque?

Dear Brother / Sister,

If adhan and iqamah have been called in a mosque, there is no need to call iqamah again.

Iqamah called in a mosque in a neighborhood is also valid for the houses. A person who performs a prayer at home does not have to call iqamah but it is better if he does.

IQAMAH

It means to call for prayer, to call iqamah, to do something. As a term, it consists of the words similar to adhan to be uttered before fard prayers by a person who performs a prayer individually or by a muezzin before fard prayers to be performed in congregation. Iqamah that is in compliance with the Sunnah is as follows: Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah. Ashhadu anna muhammadan rasulullah. Ashhadu anna muhammadan rasulullah. Hayya alas-salah, hayya alas-salah. Hayya alal-falah. Hayya alal-falah. Qad qamatis-salatu. Qad qamatis-salah. Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, La ilaha illallah"

According to Hanafi fiqh scholars, iqamah is similar to adhan. The words are repeated twice as it is mentioned above. Only the statement "Qad qamatis-salah" (prayer has started) is added after Hayya alal-falah. It is reported that Bilal Habashi and Ibrahim an-Nahai called adhan by reciting each statement twice but that they started to be recited once beginning from the Era of Umayyads in order to make it faster. (Ibnul-Humam, Fathul-Qadir, Egypt 1389/1970, I, 242-244). The Prophet (pbuh) addressed Bilal as follows: "When you call adhan, recite it slowly. When you call iqamah, recite it fast." (Tirmidhi, Salah, 29)

It is also reported in sound narrations that the Prophet (pbuh) ordered the sentences to be recited twice in adhan to be recited once in iqamah.  (see Bukhari, Adhan, 3; Ibn Majah, Adhan, 6). They are the narrations preferred by the other madhhab imam except Hanafis.

The sentence "as-salatu khayrun minan-nawm (prayer is better than sleep)" was first uttered by Bilal in order to awaken the Messenger of Allah (pbuh); the Messenger of Allah liked it and said to him, “O Bilal! That sentence is nice. Repeat it in adhan for the morning prayer." (Ibnul Humam, ibid, I, 242, 243)

The meaning of iqamah is as follows: "Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. I witness that there is no god but Allah. I witness that there is no god but Allah. I witness that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. I witness that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger. Come to the prayer! Come to the prayer! Come to the salvation! Come to the salvation! Prayer has started. Prayer has started. Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest. There is no god but Allah."

Iqamah is called before the fard prayers of the five daily prayers and Friday prayer. It is also called before qada (missed) prayers. However, iqamah is not called before witr, tarawih, eid, janazah and nafilah prayers. Iqamah is a sunnah peculiar to men. Women do not call iqamah. Iqamah is among the sunnahs of the congregation that are mustahab. Even when women and children come together to perform a prayer, they do not call iqamah. A person who missed some prayers can perform his missed prayer one after the other. One iqamah is enough if he does not leave the place. 

Travelling men call adhan and iqamah when they travel. A traveler does not have to call adhan but it is sunnah for him to call iqamah. 

Iqamah called in the neighborhood mosque is also valid for houses. A person who performs a prayer at home does not have to call iqamah. However, it is better if he does.

It is makruh for women, senile people and junub people to call iqamah. It is also makruh for a person without wudu to call iqamah. However, iqamahs called for such people are not called again.

Adhan is called slowly but iqamah is called fast. Iqamah is called while standing. The person who calls iqamah turns toward the qiblah.

It is mustahab for the congregation to repeat the words of the muezzin silently and to say "La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" when the muezzin says, "Hayya alas-salah, Hayye alal-falah".

Iqamah is the Sunnah for the prayer, not the time. (al-Qasani, Badayius-Sanayi', Beirut 1402/1982, I, 148 ff; Ibnul Humam ibid, I, 243 ff; al-Fatawal Hindiyya, Beirut 1400/1980, I, 55 57; Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Muhtar Istanbul 1984, I, 388, 389 ff)

Hamdi YUSUFOĞLU

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