time significantly, for if the meaning behind it is what we have mentioned, the intended purpose of it would be missed. It has been reported that between the Adhan of Bilal and the Adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum, there was only the time it took for one to descend and the other to ascend. It is also recommended not to give the Adhan before dawn unless there is another mu'adhdhin with him who gives the Adhan when morning arrives, as was the practice of Bilal and Ibn Umm Maktum, following the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This is because if this is not the case, the notification of the time intended by the Adhan is not achieved; whereas if there are two mu'adhdhins, notification of the time is achieved by the second, and its approach is indicated by the first mu'adhdhin.

Section: It is appropriate for one who gives the Adhan before the time to set his Adhan at a consistent time throughout all nights so that people know this from his habit and recognize the time through his Adhan. He should not give it at the time one night and before it another, for it would confuse people and they might be deceived by his Adhan. Some who hear it might pray the morning prayer based on his Adhan before its time, and a person intending to eat the suhur (pre-dawn meal) or perform voluntary prayer might refrain from doing so based on his Adhan [before its time]. Those who know his habit derive no benefit from his Adhan due to his hesitation between two possibilities. He should not advance the Adhan significantly at one time and delay it another, for the time would not be known by his Adhan, and its utility would be diminished.

Section: Some of our companions said: The Adhan for the dawn prayer is permissible after the middle of the night. This is the school of al-Shafi'i, because the preferred time for the 'Isha prayer ends at that point, and the time for departing from Muzdalifah begins, as well as the time for stoning the Jamrah and the Tawaful-Ziyarah. Al-Athram narrated from Jabir who said: The mu'adhdhin of the mosque of Damascus used to give the Adhan for the morning prayer at the time of suhur at a duration equivalent to a rider traveling six miles, and Makhul did not disapprove of this nor say anything regarding it.

Section: It is disliked to give the Adhan before dawn during the month of Ramadan. Ahmad explicitly stated this in the narration of the group, so that people are not deceived by it and consequently abandon their suhur. It is possible that it is not disliked for one who knows his habit of giving the Adhan at night, because Bilal used to do that, as evidenced by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Indeed, Bilal gives the Adhan at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum gives the Adhan."