Question:
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ أَبِي جَنَابٍ، عَنْ مَغْرَاءٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنْ سَمِعَ الْمُنَادِيَ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنَ اتِّبَاعِهِ عُذْرٌ ” . قَالُوا وَمَا الْعُذْرُ قَالَ خَوْفٌ أَوْ مَرَضٌ ” لَمْ تُقْبَلْ مِنْهُ الصَّلاَةُ الَّتِي صَلَّى ” . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَى عَنْ مَغْرَاءٍ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ .
“Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:
If anyone hears him who makes the call to prayer and is not prevented from joining the congregation by any excuse–he was asked what an excuse consisted of and replied that it was fear or illness–the prayer he offers will not be accepted from him.
[Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 2, Hadith 161]
Does this hadith apply to us living in a land where the athan is not made out loud?
Answer:
The aforementioned hadeeth has been criticized by some scholars to be inauthentic since they grade the hadeeth to be from the words of the Sahaabi Ibn Abbas and not from the words of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam. However, based upon the opinion of its authenticity, the correct understanding of the hadeeth is as been stated below:
Ash-Shaykh Albany rahimahullah, was asked the following question:
جاء في الحديث الصحيح : ( من سمع النداء فلم يأته فلا صلاة له إلا من عذر ) فهل العبرة هنا بالسماع المباشر أم العلم بدخول الوقت
Question:
It comes in the authentic hadeeth:
Whosoever hears the adhaan and doesn’t answer it, there will be no salaat for him unless he has an excuse.
Is the actual hearing [of the adhaan] that which is considered [here] or having knowledge of the entry of time for the prayer?
العبرة بالعلم ، وليس بالوسيلة وسيلة الآذان ، فالأذان : إعلام…
Answer:
…What is considered is the awareness [of the time] and it isn’t just through the means of adhaan since the adhaan is an announcement.
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An Alternative For Those Who Can’t Hear The Athaan
Ash-Shaykh Muqbil rahimahullah mentioned for those who reside in an area wherein they can’t hear the adhaan then they can use the alternative of the adhaan alarm [i.e. app] or they can request from their family to wake them up for the prayer.
The Meaning of The Hadeeth
Ash-Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad, Hafidaho-Allah, said:
والمقصود أنه لا صلاة له كاملة، وليس المقصود أن صلاته وجودها كعدمها؛ لأنه قد جاء ما يدل على أن صلاته تصح، ولكنه يفوته خير كثير وثواب جزيل.
“What is intended (from the hadeeth) is that there is no complete salaat for him and the intent of it isn’t that his salaat is like he didn’t pray at all since it has come reports which indicate that his prayer is still valid. However, he has missed out from much good and from a great reward. ”
[Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud (076)]
Translated by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
