Salaam Minara Family,
We often speak about the adhan as a call to prayer - but - what about the space between the call and the actual act of praying?
This week let’s deep-dive into the often-overlooked threshold moments: the transition from hearing the adhan to actually standing in prayer.
What thoughts arise? What distractions tug? What inner negotiations take place?
Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.”
Let’s reflect a little on this ayah:
🔹 1. A Divine Wake-Up Call
This verse is a call to awakening. Allah is addressing the believers directly, urging them to respond immediately and wholeheartedly to the summons of both Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. But what is this call?
It is the call to Iman (faith), to Salah (prayer), to obedience, to justice, to truth - in short, to the path of divine guidance.
🔹 2. More Than Physical Life
The phrase “that which gives you life” is profound. It implies that real life is not just biological existence. Rather, it is a spiritual aliveness that only comes through connection to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
As Imam al-Qurtubi comments:
“This call is to Islam, which gives life through faith after the death of disbelief.”
🔹 3. The Life-Giving Nature of Revelation
Every command and teaching from Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is meant to revive us:
Prayer centers the soul.
Zakat purifies wealth and self.
Fasting disciplines desire.
Forgiveness heals wounds.
Justice protects dignity.
Remembrance of Allah brings peace to the heart.
🔹 4. A Warning Against Delay
The verse implies urgency: when He calls you.
Not if.
The call is present through revelation, conscience, reminders, and even life events. The delay in answering is spiritually dangerous.
🔹 5. Salah as a Daily Example
Many scholars use this verse to highlight the Adhan as a specific moment where Allah calls us to "that which gives you life." It reminds us that every act of worship is meant to restore and revive us.
When the Mu’adhin says “Ḥayya ‘alaṣ-Ṣalah [come to prayer], and Ḥayya ‘ala-l-Falaḥ [come to success]”, it is the echo of this Qur’anic verse in practice.
What Do You Feel In The Moments After The Adhan?
Is it guilt? Because you know how quickly the minutes can slip by?
Perhaps it’s relief - because you’re reminded that Allah’s invitation is always open.
Or maybe it’s a classic game of tug-of-war. The baby’s crying, or the phone pings, dinner’s boiling over or that work email must be sent right this minute.
Is it peace? Your body is tired but your heart is ready to stand.
Whether you feel guilt, relief, or that familiar tug-of-war, pause. This is a window of mercy, opened just for us. Even a whispered prayer in this moment can reach the heavens.
In fact, the Prophet ﷺ taught us beautiful practices in these moments:
🕊️ Repeating after the Mu’adhin:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When you hear the Mu’adhin, say what he says.”
Repeat the words of the Mu’adhin, except for:
When he says "Hayya ‘ala-s-Salāh" and "Hayya ‘ala-l-Falāḥ", respond with:
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
There is no power or might except with Allah.
🌸 Sending Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When you hear the mu’adhdhin calling for the prayer, repeat his words then send blessings upon me. The one who sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send 10 blessings upon him.”
🤲🏽 Make Du’a after Adhan
Recommended supplication:
“O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer, grant Muḥammad the status (the highest station in Paradise) and pre-eminence (superiority over the rest of the creation), and resurrect him to the praiseworthy station that You have promised him.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever says [the above] after the adhan shall receive my intercession on the Day of Judgement.” [Bukhari]
✨ Make a Personal Du’a:
The time between Adhan and Iqamah is a blessed time for du‘a’, and accepted supplications are more likely during this period.
“Supplication between the Adhan and the Iqama is not rejected.”
Clearly, the sacred space between the adhan and the salah is fertile ground for accepted wishes subhan Allah!
Ibn al-Qayyim RA explains that if your heart leaps with joy when you hear the adhan, then only bliss and triumph will accompany your call on the Day of Reckoning.
Minara’s du’a for you this Friday is that we be blessed with calmness and the gentlest of calls on Judgement Day.
Aameen Ya Rabb 💜💜
Ask yourself daily:
“What am I being called to today that will give me real life, and how am I answering?”
Love and du’as,
The Minara Team
