The Adhān of the Mu’adhdhin if it Rains or there is a Crisis and People Have to Pray at Home

The Adhān of the Mu’adhdhin if it Rains or there is a Crisis and People Have to Pray at Home

The Prophet of Allah (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) gave the allowance for the men to pray in their homes when it is hard for them to get to the masjid due to rain, mud or other difficulties.

There is a narration which states about ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbbās (Allah be pleased with him):

قَالَ لِمُؤَذِّنِهِ فِي يَوْمٍ مَطِيرٍ

That he said to his Mu’adhdhin on a rainy day: ‘When you call the adhān and say:

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ‏.‏

‘I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ After that do not say:

حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ

‘Come to the prayer.’ Instead, say:

صَلُّوا فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ

‘Pray in your houses.’ The narrator said: ‘It was as if the people disapproved of that.’ So, Ibn ʿAbbās (Allah be pleased with him) said: ‘Are you astonished? One who is better than I did it (the Messenger of Allah). The Jumuʿah prayer is no doubt obligatory, but I dislike putting you through hardship so that you should come out and walk in mud and rain.’ (Abu Dawood, no 1066, and graded saheeh by Al-Albāni)

Ibn ʿUmar (Allah be pleased with him) made the call to prayer at Dajnān (a place between Makkah and Madinah), on a cold and windy night. He added the words at the end of the call:

صَلُّوا فِي رِحَالِكُمْ أَلاَ صَلُّوا فِي الرِّحَالِ

‘Pray in your dwellings. Verily, pray in the dwellings.’ He then said: The Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) used to command the mu’adhdhin to announce:

أَلاَ صَلُّوا فِي رِحَالِكُمْ

‘Pray in your dwellings’ on a cold or rainy night during a journey. (Abu Dawood, 1062, saheeh)

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.