Question

Is there any mention of minarets in the masjid in any Hadith?

 

Answer

Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (May Allah preserve him) says:

“It is a known fact, that there were no manarahs [minarets] in the time of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). However this is not something innovated, for calling out the Adhan from a manarah has it’s roots from the Sunnah”

The following narrations prove this:

1) Imam Abu Dawud (rahimahullah) has recorded the following narration under the chapter “Calling out the Adhan above the manarah”:

‘Urwah ibn Zubayr reports on the authority of a woman from the Banun Najjar tribe who said:

“My house was the loftiest/highest house around the Masjid. Bilal would call out the Fajr Adhan daily from [the roof of] my house…”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 519. Declared sound –hasan– by Hafiz Ibn Hajar and others. Refer: Fathul Bari, under Hadith: 620)

2) ‘Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (rahimahullah), a senior Tabi’i says:

“It is Sunnah to call out the Adhan from the manarah and to call out the iqamah inside the Masjid”

(Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith: 2345, with a sound chain)

Refer: Footnotes of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (May Allah protect him), under Hadith: 2345

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar