When the Muslims came to Medina, they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer but no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and some of them said: Use something like the bell of the Christians and some of them said: Use horn like that of the Jews. Umar said: Why may not a be appointed who should call (people) to prayer? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: O Bilal, get up and summon (the people) to prayer.
Historical Context of the Adhan
This narration from Sahih Muslim 377 describes the blessed origin of the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) when the Muslim community migrated to Medina and faced the practical need to establish a unified method for announcing prayer times.
Scholarly Commentary on the Narration
The companions' initial suggestions to imitate Christian bells or Jewish horns demonstrate their sincere concern for establishing communal prayer, yet Allah guided them to a distinctively Islamic practice that would become a defining symbol of the Muslim community.
Umar's suggestion for a human caller reflects divine inspiration (ilham), as confirmed by the Prophet's immediate acceptance and implementation through Bilal ibn Rabah, who became the first mu'adhdhin in Islam.
Legal and Spiritual Significance
This hadith establishes the sunnah of the adhan as the prescribed method for announcing prayer times, distinguishing Muslim practice from other religious communities while fulfilling the communal obligation (fard kifayah) of calling believers to worship.
The selection of Bilal, a former Abyssinian slave, demonstrates Islam's merit-based system where piety and capability outweigh ethnic or social status, making him the eternal voice calling Muslims to prayer throughout history.