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Haiyya Alas-salah, Haiyya Alas-salah Come towards Prayer, Come towards Prayer Haiya Alal-falah, Haiya Alal-falah Come towards Success, Come towards Success Assalaatu Khayrum Minan Naum, Assalaatu Khayrum Minan Naum [only said during dawn prayer] Prayer is better than sleep, Prayer is better than sleep Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar God is Great, God is Great La ilaaha Illal-Laah There is no deity but God. When and why was this method of calling for prayer established? In Makkah, the number of Muslims was small. They could gather for prayers without any call. When Prophet Muhammad arrived in Madinah, the number of Muslims started to increase. Prophet Muhammad built Masjid Al-Nabawi to offer Salah regularly. By the second year of Hijrath, (migration) the number of Muslims had increased. The people announced the call to prayer in a loud voice so that those who heard this call came to join the Salah. Muslims felt the need to find a way to inform people to come to the Salah. Prophet Muhammad asked his Companions for their advice. Some of the Companions suggested that the Muslims, should blow a horn to announce the time for the Salah. Others said, the Muslims might ring bells. A few proposed that the Muslims, kindle a fire to call people to pray. Prophet Muhammad wasn’t satisfied with any of these ideas. He waited to hear a better idea or to receive guidance from God. One day, a Companion, Abdullah ibn Zaid came to Prophet Muhammad and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I had a beautiful dream last night.” “What was the dream you saw”, Prophet Muhammad asked Zaid. Zaid answered, “I’ve seen that a man wearing green garment taught me the words of the Azaan and advised me to call people to prayer with these words.” He then recited the words of the Azaan.