Azan

Simply tooked this few paragraph from one of the blogger...reminds me how important is the azan..hope u can gain more knowledge in islamic edu..

..Simply stated, the Azaan is the "Call to Prayer." In Arabic, it means "inform" or "announce." Five times each day, at the hours prescribed for compulsory prayer in the Qur'an, the Azaan carries into businesses, marketplaces, and households alike. The words are simple, and they ride the wind like messengers themselves, reminding Muslims to pause in their activity for prayer, and since God has commanded that the recitation of the Azaan be met with due respect, people turn off their televisions and their music. They stop talking. They even refrain from eating, and women shroud their heads in respect, until the azaan has concluded. The "muezzin," one who recites the azaan, touches his thumbs to his earlobes and calls both to the east and to the west:"God is Greatest,God is Greatest.God is Greatest,God is Greatest.I testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah,I testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah.I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.Come for prayer,Come for prayer.Enter into success,Enter into success.God is Greatest,God is Greatest.There is none worthy of worship besides God."When Islam was formally pronounced by the prophet, he saught a distinct manner to draw the faithful to prayer. While the Christians and Jews of the period utilized bells and horns, he appointed Bilal, a black desciple, to recite the first rendition of the Azaan. In placing the honor upon a black man, the prophet wished to emphasize the equality of all men before God. Today, there is not a moment upon the earth when the Azaan is not being recited by thousands of muezzin, so that the call to prayer is perpetually echoed around the world.


AZAN: THE AMAZING PHENOMENON

Amazing as it sounds, but fortunately for the Muslims
of the world, it is an established fact. Have a lookat
a map of the world and you will find Indonesia on the
eastern side of the earth. The major cities of
Indonesia are Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil.
As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil,
at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Azaan
begins. Thousands of Muazzins in Indonesia begin
reciting the Azaan. The process advances towards West
Indonesia. One and a half hours after the Azaan has
been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta.
Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious
process of calling Azaan ends in Indonesia, it has
already begun in Malaysia. Burma is next in line, and
within an hour of its beginning in Jakarta, it reaches
Dacca, the capital ! city of Bangladesh.
After Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western
India, from Calcutta to Srinagar. It then advances
towards Bombay and the environment of entire India
resounds with this proclamation. Srinagar and Sialkot
(a city in north Pakistan)have the same timing for
Azaan. The time difference between Sialkot, Quetta,and
Karachi is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar
Azaan is heard throughout Pakistan.
Before it ends there, it has already begun in
Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between
Muscat and Baghdad is one hour. Azaan resounds during
this one hour in the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas
(Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen,United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.
The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in
Egypt is again one hour. Azaan continues to resound in
Syria,Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour. The
time difference between eastern and western Turkey is
one and a half hours, and during this time it is
echoed with the call to prayer.
Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya) are located
at one hour's difference. The process of calling Azaan
thus continues throughout the whole of Africa.
Therefore, the proclamation of the Tawheed and
Risaalat that had begun in Indonesia reaches the
Eastern Shore of the Atlantic Ocean after nine and
half hours.
Prior to the Azaan reaching the shores of the
Atlantic, the process of Zohar Azaan has already
started in east Indonesia, and before it reaches
Dacca, Asar Azaan has started. This has hardly reached
Jakarta one and half hours later, the time of Maghrib
becomes due, and no sooner has Maghrib time reached
Sumatra, the time for calling Isha Azaan has commenced
in Saibil!
When the Muazzins of Indonesia are calling out Fajar
Azaan, the African Muazzins are calling the Azaan for
Isha.
If we were to ponder over this phenomenon
thoughtfully, we would conclude the amazing fact that
there is not even a single moment when hundreds of
thousands of Muazzins around the world are not
reciting the Azaan on the surface of this earth. Even
as you read this aterial right now, you can be sure
there are atleast thousands of people who are hearing
and reciting the Azaan!!!
Allah said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be
ashamed of you." If you are not ashamed, please send
this message...
"Yes, I love Allah. Allah is my fountain of Life and
My Savior. Allah keeps me going day and night. Without
Allah, I am no one. But with Allah, I can do
everything. Allah is my strength."
Hamba Allah,
Allahu Akbar!!
ADAB MENDENGAR AZAN
Kematian itu pasti menjelma. Hanya masa dan waktunya
yang tidak kita ketahui. Cuba kita amati. Mengapa
kebanyakan orang yg nazak, hampir ajal tidak dapat
berkata apa-apa.. lidahnya kelu, keras dan hanya mimik
mukanya yang menahan kesakitan 'sakaratul maut'.
Diriwayatkan sebuah hadis yg bermaksud: "Hendaklah
kamu mendiamkan diri ketika azan, jika tidak Allah
akan kelukan lidahnya ketika maut menghampirinya."Ini
jelas menunjukkan, kita disarankan agar mendiamkan
diri, jangan berkata apa-apa pun semasa azan
berkumandang. Sebagai orang beragama Islam kita wajib
menghormati azan. Banyak fadhilatnya. Jika lagu
kebangsaan kita diajar agar berdiri tegak dan diamkan
diri.
Mengapa ketika azan kita tidak boleh mendiamkan diri?
Lantas sesiapa yang berkata-kata ketika azan, Allah
akan kelukan lidahnya ketika nazak. Kita takut dengan
kelunya lidah kita semasa ajal hampir tiba maka kita
tidak dapat mengucap kalimah "Lailahaillallah.." yang
mana sesiapa yang dapat mengucapkan kalimah ini ketika
nyawanya akan dicabut Allah dgn izinNya menjanjikan
syurga untuk mereka. Dari itu marilah kita sama-sama
menghormati azan dan mohon kepada Allah supaya lidah
ini tidak kelu semasa nyawa kita sedang dicabut. "Ya
Allah! Anugerahkanlah kematian kami dengan kematian
yang baik lagi mulia, lancarkan lidah kami mengucap
kalimah "Lailahaillallah.." semasa sakaratul maut
menghampiri kami. Amin.. amin.. amin Yarobbal
a'lamin.."