Repeating the Athan heard on the radio Fatwa No: 91236
- Fatwa Date:2-3-2006
Do we have to response to the Athaan we hear on the radio, for some other country/state? Please Advice.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
The Athaan is an announcement of the beginning of the time of the prayer, so it is desirable to repeat it (the wording of the Athaan) even if Athaan is repeated many times. An-Nawawi said: 'The scholars differed about this issue, but the scholars of our school [Shaafi'ee] did not differ about it, and the matter is probable. So, it is better to say: Repeating the words of the Athaan is a confirmed act, and it is disliked not to repeat it, because of the authentic narrations which urge us to repeat it, and this is in relation to the first Athaan, as the command is not linked to the repetition, however, it is better and more rewarding if one repeats the wording of the Athaan even if it is repeated many times, as this is not restricted to the first Athaan.'
The meaning of the above statement is that repeating the first Athaan is a confirmed act [Sunnah], and it is legislated to repeat the other Athaans (in case one could hear more than one mosque calling Athaan), and one gets the reward and excellence of repeating them, as we are urged to repeat it at every Athaan, but this [repeating it at every Athaan other than the first one] is not a confirmed act.
As regards the Athaan that is recorded on a tape, this is not the legislated Athaan which is desirable to repeat, nevertheless, if it is played at the beginning time of the prayer in order to announce the beginning time of the prayer, then it is desirable to repeat it.
Allaah Knows best.