Sunan Ibn Majah 708

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar and Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us; they said: Abu 'Asim narrated to us: Ibn Jurayj informed us: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Mahdhurah informed me, from 'Abdullah ibn Muhayriz—who had been an orphan in the care of Abu Mahdhurah ibn Mi'yar when he outfitted him for Syria. I said to Abu Mahdhurah, ‘Uncle, I am going to Syria, and people will ask me about your call to prayer. Tell me about it.’ He informed me that Abu Mahdhurah said: I went out with a group, and we were on part of the road when the Messenger of Allah's caller to prayer proclaimed the prayer in the Messenger's presence. We heard the caller's voice while we were off to one side, so we shouted, imitating and mocking him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) heard us and sent some men to bring us before him. He said, ‘Which of you had the voice I heard raised?’ Everyone pointed to me, truthfully, so he let them all go and kept me there. He said to me, ‘Get up and call the prayer.’ I got up, though nothing was more hateful to me than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and what he commanded me to do. I stood before the Messenger of Allah, and he himself taught me the call. He said, ‘Say: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ Then he said to me, ‘Repeat it, raising your voice: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer; come to prayer. Come to salvation; come to salvation. Allah is the Greatest; Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah.’ When I had finished the call, he summoned me and gave me a small purse containing some silver. Then he placed his hand on the forelock of Abu Mahdhurah and passed it over his face from the front, then over his chest, until the Messenger of Allah's hand reached Abu Mahdhurah's navel. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘May Allah bless you and bless you abundantly.’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, have you ordered me to call the prayer in Makkah?’ He said, ‘Yes, I have ordered you to do so.’ All the aversion I had felt toward the Messenger of Allah vanished and turned into love for him. I went to 'Attab ibn Asid, the Messenger of Allah's governor in Makkah, and called the prayer with him, as the Messenger of Allah had commanded. He said: Someone who had met Abu Mahdhurah informed me of this, as 'Abdullah ibn Muhayriz had informed me.