Secondly: Should one respond to a recorded Adhan?
The answer for the first question: It is not permissible to announce the Adhan by playing a recorded Adhan; rather the Adhan should be given at the time of prayer live by the Mu’adh-dhin. This is because giving Adhan is an act of worship which requires Niyyah (intention), and the intention is lacking in a recorded Adhan. The Mu’adh-dhin should intend the Adhan and then perform the act of worship.
Accordingly, it is not permissible to rely on a recorded Adhan such that it replaces the Mu’adh-dhin.
However, playing a recorded Adhan as a reminder in airports, for example, or hospitals or any governmental place, etc. is permissible; but to play a recorded Adhan in the Masjid is not permissible.
The Islamic Fiqhi council issued a ruling (verdict) regarding this matter saying that it is not permissible to rely on a recorded Adhan in place of a Mu’adh-dhin giving Adhan. They justified the matter with what has been mentioned, that giving Adhan is an act of worship, it requires intention, and the person makes the intention, not the recorder.
With regards to responding to a recorded Adhan; if it is played in any place, in the airport, on a television or radio (broadcast) which some programs play at the time of prayer, is it prescribed to respond to it?
The answer for this question is that the Adhan which is recorded is not a real voice, i.e. it could be the voice of a man who died long ago. In this case it should not be responded to, because it is not a real Adhan, i.e. the man is not giving it at the time that it is commanded to give it, rather it is an audio recording of a previous Adhan.
The Hanafi scholars have mentioned an issue similar to this saying: “If a parrot was taught the Adhan, and it gave the Adhan, then it is not prescribed to respond to it because it is not a real Adhan.”
If the Mu’adh-dhin is giving the Adhan live at the real-time transmitted from Makkah or Madinah or any place other than one’s country on radio or television, is it permissible to respond to the Mu’adh-dhin in this case?
Answer: If a person is in Makkah or Madinah and hears the Adhan from the Haram live through the broadcast, then in this case it is prescribed for him to respond to the Mu’adh-dhin as long as he did not offer the Salat yet.
However, if the person is in another place, e.g. in Dammam and he had already offered the Salat, then he hears the Adhan live through broadcast from Makkah or Madinah, is it permissible in this case to respond to the Mu’adh-dhin?
The scholars are of two opinions. The most preponderant point of view is that it is not prescribed to respond to the Mu’adh-dhin.
This is because, the Mu’adh-dhin says “Hayya alas-Salat (come to the Salat)” and the person will respond saying “La Hawla wa laa Quwwata illa Billah (there is no power and no strength except with Allaah)” i.e. one asks Allaah to grant him the strength and power. Similarly, the Mu’adh-dhin says: “Hayya alal-Falah (come to the success)”, and person responds saying: “La Hawla wa laa Quwwata illa Billaah (there is no power and no strength except with Allaah)” i.e. one asks Allaah to grant him the power and strength.
If the person has already offered the Salat then this response has no meaning, how would he say, ‘I will come and offer Salat,’ and he had already offered Salat.
Accordingly, it is not prescribed for the one who has offered the Salat to repeat the phrases of the Mu’adh-dhin if the Adhan is broadcast live.
Shaikh Al-Albaani (Rahimahullaah) was of the opinion that repeating the words of the Mu’adh-dhin is not obligatory, based on Hadeeth (Athar) reported by Maalik in Al-Muwatta’ from Ibn Shihab, that Tha’labah ibn Abi Maalik al-Quradhi told him: At the time of the Caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu), they would pray on Friday until ‘Umar came out. When’ Umar came out and sat on the minbar and the Mu’adh-dhin gave the Adhan, Tha’labah said: “We would sit and talk, then when the Mu’adh-dhin kept silent and ‘Umar stood up to deliver the Khutbah, we would listen attentively and none of us would speak.”
Al-Albaani (Rahimahullaah) said: “The people spoke during the Adhan, and ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) did not say anything about that.” [End quote]
Based on the above, there is no sin on the one who does not repeat the words of the Mu’adh-dhin, whether that is because he is busy with eating or anything else. But by doing that, he is missing out on a great reward with Allaah. [Islamqa]
Source:
Qadaya Fiqhiyya Mu’asirah (Contemporary Fiqh Issues) by Shaikh Sa’d ibn Turkiy al-Khathlan
Islamqa
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