128- Issue: He said: "And he shall place his fingers closed over his ears."
The well-known view from Ahmad is that he places his fingers in his ears, and this is the practice among the people of knowledge; they recommend that the mu'adhdhin (caller to prayer) place his fingers in his ears. Likewise (1), al-Tirmidhi stated; due to what Abu Juhayfah (2) reported, that Bilal performed the Adhan and placed his fingers in his ears. Agreed upon (3). From Sa'd (4), the mu'adhdhin of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Bilal to place his fingers in his ears, and said: "It is more elevating for your voice (5)." Abu Talib (6) narrated from Ahmad that he said: "It is more beloved to me that he place his hands on his ears, based on the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah (7)." And he closed his four fingers and placed them (8) on his ears. Abu Hafs (9) narrated from Ibn Batta, who said: "I asked Abu al-Qasim al-Khiraqi about the description of that? He showed me with both his hands, as he closed his fingers onto his palms and placed them on his ears." The Qadi argued for this by what Abu Hafs reported with his chain of narration from Ibn Umar, that he used to, when he sent a mu'adhdhin, say to him: "Close your fingers with your palms, and place them closed upon your ears." And by what Imam Ahmad reported from Abu Mahdhurah, that he used to close his fingers. The first is more correct due to the authenticity of the hadith and its fame among (10) the people of knowledge (11), and whichever one he does is good, and if he leaves both, there is no harm.
(1) Omitted from [Manuscript] M. (2) In the copies: "Abu Hanifa", which is a distortion. Al-Tirmidhi said: Abu Juhayfah's name is Wahb ibn Abd Allah al-Suwa'i. (3) Reported by al-Bukhari in: Chapter: Should the mu'adhdhin follow the mouth here and there, and should he turn during the Adhan?, from the Book of Adhan. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/163. And Muslim in: Chapter: The sutrah (barrier) for the person praying, from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/360. And al-Tirmidhi, and the wording is his, in: Chapter: What has been reported regarding inserting the finger into the ear during the Adhan, from the Chapters on Prayer. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 1/312. And Ibn Majah in: Chapter: The Sunnah regarding the Adhan, from the Book of Adhan. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/236. And al-Darimi in: Chapter: Turning during the Adhan, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/271, 272. And Imam Ahmad in: Al-Musnad 4/308, 309. (4) He is Sa'd ibn 'A'idh al-Mu'adhdhin, the freed slave of 'Ammar ibn Yasir, known as Sa'd al-Qaraz. He was only called that because he used to trade in it (the qaraz). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiped his head, invoked blessings upon him, made him the mu'adhdhin of the Quba' mosque, and the deputy of Bilal when he was absent; he lived until the days of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi. Usd al-Ghabah 2/355, 356. The "Qaraz" is a pod that comes out, like lentils, from the 'idah tree, and the 'idah are among the thorny trees. (5) Reported by Ibn Majah in: Chapter: The Sunnah regarding the Adhan, from the Book of Adhan. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/236. (6) Abu Talib Ahmad ibn Humayd al-Mashkani, specialized in the companionship of Imam Ahmad, reported many issues from him, died in the year 244 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/39, 40. (7) The authentication of the hadith of Abu Mahdhurah has preceded on page 57. (8) In the original: "and he placed". (9) Umar ibn Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Muslim, preceded in 1/141.
