Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
The Prophet of Allah (S) has said, “O Abu Dharr! When a Mu’min, alone in the wilderness, can do Tayyamum (dry ablution) if water is not handy, say the Adhan and the Iqaamah and offer his prayer. Allah orders His angels to join in prayer with this Mu’min in large numbers. The angels are ordered to form rows behind the Mu’min that nothing else is visible to the extent a human eye could see. When the Mu’min does genuflection, the angels too follow suit as people do in a congregational prayer. Likewise when the Mu’min prostrates, the angels too prostrate. In the end when the Mu’min supplicates, the angels say Aameen.” The Prophet (S) added, “O Abu Dharr! If this Mu’min only says iqamah, at the mandatory time of a compulsory prayer, and not the Adhaan, then only the two angels who are always in attendance with the person will join him in the prayer.”
Some jurists deem it compulsory to say the Adhaan and Iqamah for every mandatory prayer while others say that Iqamah is sufficient. Some say that both Adhaan and Iqamah are compulsory for the morning and evening prayers.The latter is a better practice.
Adhaan and Iqamah are prescribed only for the mandatory prayers. The optional prayers can be offered without saying the Adhaan and Iqamah. Those who say these for the optional prayers are commiting a bidaa (an innovation).
It is narrated ina tradition of the Prophet (S) that one who says the Adhaan with true spirit will get Reward from Allah equivalent to that for forty thousand martyrs and forty thousand men of piety (siddiqoon). On the intercession of this person Allah will admit forty thousand sinners into the Heaven. Remember, when the meuezzin says ‘Ash-haduan la ilaha il Allah’ ninety thousand angels say Durood (Invoke Allah’s Blessings) for him. They also seek Allah’s forgiveness (Astaghfar) for him.On the Day of Reckoning this person will be under the shadow of Allah’s Firmament till he is through with the process of accounting.
When the Meuezzin says ‘Ash-haduanna Muhammedan Rasool Allah’ forty thousand angels record blessings for him. Any person who takes precedence to join the first row of a prayer congregation, and listens to the first Takbeer (announcement of commencement of the prayer) he will be getting reward equivalent to that of many meuezzins. But there is a proviso that this person has never been the cause of harm to any muslim.
It is narrated from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (as) that a person who says the Adhaan for ten years in the cause of Allah, his sins, as far as he can think of having perpetrated, will be pardoned. The voice of such a person would reach the very Firmament. All the animate and inanimate objects in the vicinity of the place where he recited the Adhaan would bear witness to the fact. He would also get a share of the reward of the persons who pray in the congregation at the mosque in respone to his calling the Adhaan. As the numbers of worshippers swell at the mosque in respons to his Adhaan, his account of good deeds too will swell accordingly.
Bilal(r.a.) narrates from the Prophet of Islam (S) that the meuezzins are the keepers of the believers. They are also the keepers of their mandatory fasts and prayers. Whatever they ask in return for this service, Allah would grant them. On whomsoevers behalf they intercede, Allah would accept the intercession. The Prophet (S) also said that when a person continuously says the Adhaan in the name of Allah for forty years, Allah will give to him the reward equivalent to that for forty truthful ones (Siddeeqoon). One who says the Adhaan for ten years will get a place in the accommodation (Qubba) of Prophet Ibrahim (as). One who says the Adhaan for one year, his sins, as heavy as the mountains, would be forgiven on the Day of Judgement. If a person says the Adhaan only once at the precribed time of prayer, Allah will forgive all his past sins and protect him from commiting any more sins. He will be given the status of martyrs in the Heaven.
It is narrated from the Prophet of Allah (S), “The Muezzin, in the interregnum between the Adhaan and the Iqamat, gets the reward equivalent to that of a martyr who flails his limbs in a gory condition and dies in the cause of Allah. A person who is not getting off-springs should recite the Adhaan within the four walls of his house.”
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) narrates that the Prophet of Allah(S) has said, “When you come across evil spirits (Ghouls) on the way, recite the Adhaan aloud and they would flee.” “When a person says the Adhaan and Iqaman before praying, two rows of angels join in the prayer behind him. If he says only the Iqamat, only one row of angels joins him in the prayer.The row of angels behind the person will be equal to the distance between the east and the west. And equal to the distance between the earth and the sky.”
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) says that three types of persons would be sent to the Heaven in large numbers: 1.The just Imams. 2. The honest traders. 3. The old person who spends his life in obedience of Allah.”
It is narrated from the Prophet of Allah (S) that seven type of person will be under the shade of the Firmament on the Day of Judgement. On that fateful day, there won’t be any other shade for the multitudes than this. These seven categories of persosn will be: !. The just Imams. 2. The youth who spent his time in the worship of Allah. 3. A person who comes out of the mosque but his heart is in the mosque. 4. The two companions who were together while going for the congregations. 5. The person who thinks of Allah while alone and gets tears in his eyes with His fear.6. A person who is tempted by a beautiful damsel to sin, but out of fear of Allah he abstains. 7. A person who does charity in secret that his right hand gives and the left hand is not aware of the act.