eDawah

Calling the Athan at its Time and the Athan for the Traveler
By His Eminence The Great Scholar
Shaikh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baz

Some people say that if the Athan is not called at the beginning of its time then there is no need to call it late as it is an announcement for the arrival of the prayer time.  What is your opinion?  And is the athan legislated for the single individual who is traveling?

If the muathin does not call the athan in the beginning of its time then it is not legislated that he call it late if he is in a place where there are others who call the ahtan but if the tardiness is minor then there is no problem for him to call it.  If there is no one else that calls the athan in that area then he must call it even if he is late as the athan in this case is a communal obligation and no one else calls it but him thus it is an obligation upon him as he is responsible for it due to the people waiting for him in most cases.

As for the traveler then the athan is legislated for him even if he is alone according to what has been authentically reported in Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Saeed RA who said to a man, “If you are with your sheep in the dessert then raise your voice with the call (to prayer) for it is not heard by a jinn, human, or anything except that they bear witness for him on the Day of Judgment”. 

Translated by Eesa John Starling
January 13, 2009
For E-Dawah.com