My father said that Allah s Apostle said, "Bilal pronounces 'Adhan at night, so keep on eating and drinking (Suhur) till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces Adhan." Salim added, "He was a blind man who would not pronounce the Adhan unless he was told that the day had dawned."
Hadith Text & Context
"My father said that Allah's Apostle said, 'Bilal pronounces 'Adhan at night, so keep on eating and drinking (Suhur) till Ibn Um Maktum pronounces Adhan.' Salim added, 'He was a blind man who would not pronounce the Adhan unless he was told that the day had dawned.'"
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 617 | Book: Call to Prayers (Adhaan)
Commentary on the Two Adhans
This hadith establishes the distinction between the first Adhan (Bilal's) and the second Adhan (Ibn Um Maktum's). Bilal's Adhan was given before dawn to awaken people for Suhur and Tahajjud prayer, while Ibn Um Maktum's Adhan marked the actual beginning of Fajr time.
The wisdom behind two Adhans lies in facilitating the Ummah: the first serves as a warning for those eating Suhur to prepare for fasting, while the second definitively marks the cessation of eating and drinking as true dawn appears.
Legal Rulings Derived
It is permissible to eat, drink, and have marital relations until the second Adhan (Fajr Adhan) is called, not the first. The fast begins only when true dawn breaks, which Ibn Um Maktum's Adhan indicated.
This hadith demonstrates the Prophet's compassion in making religious obligations manageable, showing that the Shari'ah considers people's circumstances by providing clear time markers for worship.
Scholarly Observations
Ibn Um Maktum's blindness highlights that physical limitations don't prevent one from serving Islam. His reliance on others to inform him of dawn's arrival shows the importance of verification in religious matters.
The companions' meticulous preservation of such details, including Salim's addition about the blind companion's method, demonstrates their precision in transmitting the Sunnah for future generations.