بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Imām Muslim and the Imāms of the four Sunan, Abū Dāwūd, An-Nasāʾī, At-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah رحمهم الله all narrate a ḥadīth in which Sʿad ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه reports that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever says upon hearing the Mu’adh-dhin:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، رَضِيتُ بِاللهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا

Ash-hadu al-lā ilāha il-lal-lāhu waḥdahū lā sharī-ka lahū, wa an-na Muḥam-madan ʿab-duhū wa rasū-luh; raḍītu bil-lāhi rab-ban, wa bi Muḥam-madin rasū-lān,  wa bil Islāmi dī-nan.

I testify that there is none worthy of worship besides Allāh, who is alone and has no partner, and [I testify] that Muḥammad is His slave and His Messenger; I am pleased with Allāh being my Lord, and with Muḥammad being a messenger, and with Islām as [my] religion,

[He] will have his sins forgiven.” [1]

There have been two du‘ās which have been recorded in the books of ḥadīth that are to be recited after the adhān. The other is to recite ṣalāt ‘alan-nabī (durūd), and then make du‘ā for Al-Wasīlah.

Which of the Two Should You Say First?

Mullā ʿAlī Al-Qārī رحمه الله, when explaining this ḥadīth writes:

[The words of the ḥadīth] ‘Whoever says when he hears the mu’adh-dhin…’ could mean the voice of the muʾadh-dhin, his adhān, or his words, and the latter is the most apparent meaning. It is possible that its implication is the first tashah-hud (Ash-hadu al-lā ilāha il-lal-lāh…), or the second one. The second tashah-hud is the Mu’adh-dhin saying at the end of the adhān, ‘lā ilāha il-lallāh’, and [taking this implication] is more appropriate, because in replying with the words mentioned in this ḥadīth after the first tashah-hud, he could miss replying to the words of the adhān yet to come.

It is also possible that the meaning of ‘hears’ is actually ‘replies’, and in that case it would be explicit in its objective. What seems obvious is that the reward mentioned is conditioned with replying to the adhān fully, with the aforementioned addition.[2]

In conclusion, if one wishes to recite both these du‘ās, he should read this one first; thereafter recite ṣalāt-‘alan-Nabī, and then recite the du‘ā asking Allāh for Al-Wasīlah.

May Allāh grant us all the ability to practice. Āmīn