One of the most expressive symbols of Islam, originating directly from the time of the prophet, is a melodic and at the same time exciting call to prayer, heard from the balcony of the minaret and heard for many kilometers around. This is the muezzin. His sincere voice, like the light of a beacon, daily shows Muslims the way to prayer, preventing them from plunging into the world of everyday life.
The origins of the tradition
Many parallels can be found in other religions. Each of them has its own analogue, its own traditional way of maintaining the fire of faith. These methods are different forms of expressing a person's inner need for unity with their origins.
In Islam, “muezzin” is literally “one who reads the adhan” (call to prayer).
The tradition of proclaiming the azan originates from the Prophet Muhammad. In the text of the Qur'an, the adhan is described as follows: “O you who believe! When you are called to prayer on Friday, run to the remembrance of Allah and leave trading. It would be better for you if youonly knew. (Quran, sura 62, verse 9)
The importance of the muezzin in the life of the Islamic community is hard to underestimate. Naturally, only a sincere person who has faith himself can possess a clear and deep voice capable of awakening religious feelings. Often the muezzins were imams - the spiritual leaders of the communities, combining these two important roles.
The first muezzin in Islam
According to legend, the first muezzin was a slave named Bilal ibn Rabah, the son of an Arab and an Ethiopian who was a slave. He was born in Mecca at the end of the 6th century and was among the first to convert to Islam. The owner tried to force Bilal to renounce his faith by subjecting him to painful punishments. This became known to one of the companions of Muhammad, Abu Bakr, who bought Bilal out of slavery and freed him.
At this time, the number of people who converted to Islam increased significantly. Joint prayers were held daily among the Islamic community, and it became quite difficult to coordinate the time of such prayers. There were several different proposals on how to call people to prayer. One of Muhammad's companions, Abdullah ibn Zayd, had an angel in a green robe with a bell in his hand in a dream. The angel gave him the words of the adhan so that the chosen person would sing with their voice, thus calling the believers to prayer. Muhammad, having learned that many companions saw similar dreams, admitted that he was right. And since in his environment it was Bilal who had a voice that stood out among others, instructed him to retell the words of the adhan to him so that he would learn them and begin to chant as a call toprayer.
When Bilal fulfilled the will of Muhammad, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, another companion of the prophet, hearing the singing, also confirmed that he had had the same dream with the same words. The Prophet Mohammed thus confirmed the Adhan definitively, and Bilal ibn Rabah is the muezzin who first entered history.
Minarets
Bilal founded the tradition of singing adhan from the rooftops of the highest houses. However, as Islam spread, the idea arose of building a special tower for muezzins - a minaret. The construction of the first minarets dates back to around 670
Over time, the number of minarets has become a hallmark of the mosque, which determines its value. The main mosque of Islam - Al-Masjid al-Haram (Reserved Mosque), located in Mecca, has nine minarets. The second most important is Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the burial place of Muhammad) in Medina - ten.
Basic qualities of a muezzin
According to the accepted tradition, a muezzin is a person “having sunnah”. That is, having qualities that can be described as internal and external purity. This is expressed in the fact that the muezzin must be pious, not commit sins, lead a worthy lifestyle, and be a believer. Secondly, he must have a pleasant and powerful enough voice, learn how to pronounce the azan in a melodic way. Actually, the very concept of “muezzin” is based on these two main qualities.
Among other requirements, there are also the following:
- be of legal age;
- male;
- sober and sane;
- clean and wearing clean clothes;
- be able to climb the steep stairs to the very top of the minaret.
Thus, the role of the muezzin for Muslims is significant. In those Islamic communities where traditions are preserved, in the internal representation of believers, the voice of the muezzin is the voice of an angel. It is with him that the transition from ordinary everyday activities to more important things is associated - communication with the Almighty. Therefore, this person has always been and remains very respected.
