The Beginning Of The Adhan Sahih Muslim 377
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. Some of them said: 'Let us adopt a bell like the bell of the Christians.' Others said: 'Or a horn like the horn of the Jews.' Then ʿUmar said: 'Why do you not appoint a man who will call the 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.