Adthan (The Call to Prayer)

Linguistically, the term Adthan means “a proclamation”, and this is what is meant in the verse of the Quran:
“And a proclamation (adthan) from Allah and His messenger to all people on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is free from (all) obligations to the polytheists, and so is His messenger.” (Quran 9:3)
In religious context, the adthan is that proclamation made, consisting of specific “words of remembrance”, the time for an obligatory salah has begun. Throughout the Muslim world and in some places in the West, the caller to prayer announces five times a day from every mosque that it is time for prayer, to remember Allah, and to put aside all the cares of life to prepare for the worship of the Giver of Life. The prayer “God is the Greatest” resonates through all semblances of civilization, through small towns to metropolises.
The Adthan covers all the essentials of the Islamic faith in a few words:
1. It begins by proclaiming the greatness of Allah.
2. It testifies to Allah’s tawhid and His exclusive right to worship.
3. It denies shirk – the worship of everything besides Allah.
4. The Adthan testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
5. It mentions belief in one of the greatest pillars of Islam: the salah prayer.
6. Invites to the prayer and equates it with prosperity, salvation and success (in the hereafter)
7. It affirms the reward for salah: prosperity for one who singles out Allah in tawhid, follows His Messenger, establishes the salah and other pillars of Islam.
8. It implies the loss of one who does not respond to the Adthan and does not pray.
History of Adthan
The Adthan was prescribed during the first year after the Prophet migration to Medina. It was taught in true visions to two companions and made part of Muslim life by the Prophet, may Allah praise him, himself.
Abdullah ibn Zaid, a companion of the Prophet, reported: “When the Prophet was to order the use of a bell to call the people to prayer, he disliked it because it resembled the Christian practice. While I was sleeping, a man came to me carrying a bell. I said to him, ‘O slave of Allah, will you sell me that bell?’
He said, ‘What would you do with it?’
I replied, ‘I would call the people to prayer with it.’
He responded, ‘Shall I not guide you to something better than that?’
I said, ‘Certainly.’
He said, ‘You should say:
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar
Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah
Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah,
ashhadu anna Muhammadar-Rasool-lal-lah
Hayya ‘alas-salah, hayyah ‘alas-salah
Hayya ‘alal-falah, hayya ‘alal-falah
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah.’
Then he went a short distance away and said, ‘When you stand for the prayer, say:
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar
Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah
Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar-Rasool-lal-lah
Hayya ‘alas-salah, hayya ‘alal-falah
Qad qaamatis-salah, qad qaamatis-salah
Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar. La ilaha illal-lah.’
read more @
www.justmuslim.org/salaah-prayer/the-call-to-prayer