The Call to Prayer — Its Rulings
fiqh
Level: basic
salah
fqh-035
وَإِذَا نَادَيۡتُمۡ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ
— المائدة 58
Verse: "And when you call to prayer, they take it in mockery and amusement." (5:58)
Ruling: Communal obligation — if one person calls the adhan, the rest are relieved of the obligation.
Lesson: The disbelievers mocked the call to prayer. The more sacred something is to believers, the more it attracts the mockery of the arrogant — this doesn't diminish it but confirms it.
Source: Al-Qurtubi (6/231); Ibn Qudama (1/336); Sahih Al-Bukhari (604)
Question: What is the ruling on the adhan — individual or communal obligation?
Answer: Communal obligation — if some people call it, others are relieved. But collectively abandoning it in an area is forbidden.