The meaning of the iqamah

The adhan tells you that the time for prayer has come. The iqamah (literally, the establishing) is a second, shorter call, said right before the prayer begins, when people are already in the masjid. It tells everyone: stand up and line up, the prayer is starting now.

The words of the iqamah

In the hadith of Abdullah ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, the man in the dream taught the iqamah right after the adhan (Abu Dawud, hasan sahih). It uses the same phrases as the adhan, mostly said once, with one new phrase. The companion Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Bilal was ordered to pronounce the Adhan in pairs and the Iqamah in singles" (Bukhari and Muslim). This is the wording most scholars follow:

1. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

2. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.

3. Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasulullah: I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

4. Hayya alas-salah: Come to prayer.

5. Hayya alal-falah: Come to success.

6. Qad qamatis-salah, qad qamatis-salah: The prayer is now being established (said twice).

7. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest.

8. La ilaha illallah: There is no god but Allah.

This is the one new phrase. Qad qamat means it has already stood up, it has begun. By the time you hear it, the prayer is right at the door.

Small differences you may hear

Scholars differ on how many times some phrases are said, because more than one wording is authentically reported from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The wording above is followed by the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools. The Maliki school says qad qamatis-salah only once. The Hanafi school repeats the phrases twice, like the adhan, following the iqamah the Prophet taught to Abu Mahdhurah, may Allah be pleased with him (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi, hasan sahih). Scholars explain that all of these are correct, so follow your local masjid.

What the iqamah means for you

• It is time to stand. Stop what you are doing, stand, and join the rows. The Prophet said, "When you pray, straighten your rows" (Muslim).

• It is time for the obligatory prayer. The Prophet said, "When the Iqamah for prayer is pronounced, no prayer is to be offered but the obligatory one" (Muslim). So this is not the moment to start a voluntary prayer; it is the moment to join the congregation.

• Prayer is a place of rest. The Prophet once said to Bilal, "O Bilal, call the Iqamah for the prayer; give us comfort by it" (Abu Dawud, authentic). For him, the prayer was not a burden to get through but a place where the heart finds relief.

If you pray alone at home, scholars recommend saying the adhan and the iqamah yourself before you begin. It is a good practice, but your prayer is still valid without it, so do not let it stop you from praying.

In the next lesson, you will learn the difference between the obligatory (fard) prayers and the extra sunnah prayers that come before and after them.