The Journey of the Adhan: The Call That Has Accompanied Muslims for Fifteen Centuries

In every passing moment, an adhan is being raised somewhere on this earth. Hardly a minute goes by without a voice rising in some corner of the world: Allahu Akbar. One call, its very words echoing in the east and the west of the earth, tying a thousand years and a thousand cities into a single thread of light.

Yet this call, which we hear today as though it were self-evident, had a beginning… and a journey.

How Did the Adhan Begin?

When the Muslims settled in Madinah, they needed something to gather them for the time of prayer. Several suggestions were put forward to alert people to the prayer — among them using a clapper or a horn — but the Prophet ﷺ did not command any of that.

Then relief came through a dream seen by Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) — words with which the prayer would be called. He presented them to the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "It is a true dream, if Allah wills," and ordered that they be taught to Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him), because his voice carried farthest. So Bilal was the first to raise the adhan in Islam, and his voice became the first to split the sky of Madinah with "Allahu Akbar."

Why the Human Voice — Not a Bell or Horn?

In the choice of the human voice there is a great subtlety. A bell is a machine and a horn is a tool, but the adhan is words that are understood and that move the heart — not merely a signal for the time. It carries a meaning, not just a sound: the oneness of Allah, testimony to His Messenger, and a call to success.

The adhan is not merely an announcement that the time has entered; it is a short sermon repeated five times a day, reminding the Muslim of the root of his religion in less than a minute.

What Do Its Words Mean?

Reflect on their beautiful order, for it is a journey in itself:

• Allahu Akbar — it begins by magnifying Allah above every distraction.
• I bear witness that there is no god but Allah — the root of monotheism.
• I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah — the path to knowing this monotheism.
• Come to prayer — come to the connection with your Lord.
• Come to success — come to true triumph.
• Then it closes with what it opened: Allahu Akbar, there is no god but Allah.

From its first word to its last, the call moves you from magnifying Allah, to bearing witness to Him, to a call to meet Him.

The Adhan: A Clock Circling the Earth

Because the adhan is tied to the movement of the sun, it is not raised across the whole earth at once, but travels as the dawn travels. When Fajr is called in Jakarta, night still lies over Cairo; and when the dawn reaches Cairo, it has already preceded it by hours in the east.

It is as if the adhan circles the earth with the movement of the sun; when one minaret falls silent, another rings out, so that scarcely a moment passes in which the world is empty of the remembrance of Allah.

And this meaning — that the whole earth never falls silent from the remembrance of Allah — is among the most beautiful things to make you feel you are part of one nation, however far the cities are. The times of this call in your city shift with the sun, day after day.

Final Thoughts

From a true dream, to Bilal's voice on a rooftop in Madinah, to the millions of minarets whose call never falls silent over the earth — for fifteen centuries the adhan has carried out the same task: it wakes the heart, gathers the people, and ties the day to the sky.

Every time you hear "Allahu Akbar," remember that you are hearing the very call the Companions heard, and that at this very moment millions around you hear it in cities you do not know. Perhaps for this reason, the adhan does not seem a mere announcement of the prayer's time, but a voice that ties the present of Muslims to their history, and reminds them five times a day of the purpose for which they were created.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the first to make the adhan in Islam?
Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him), chosen by the Prophet ﷺ because his voice carried farthest.

How was the adhan legislated?
Through a true dream seen by Abdullah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), which the Prophet ﷺ approved and ordered Bilal to call with.

Why was a bell or horn not used?
Because the adhan is words that carry the meaning of monotheism and a call to worship, not merely an audible signal for the time.

Note: the texts of hadiths are to be checked against their reliable sources, and matters of religious ruling are best referred to people of knowledge.