• And I heard Ishaq say: "The adhan that existed during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Abu Bakr, and Umar was a single adhan and an iqamah. When the Imam would emerge and sit upon the pulpit, he would call the adhan, and when he descended, he would call the iqamah. This adhan that they added is an innovation (muhdath); it was innovated by Uthman out of consideration for the people when they became numerous during Uthman's era. He saw that it would not be sufficient unless he increased the number of mu'adhdhins to inform those who were further away, so that they would know, just as those who were closer to the mosque and the Imam knew; he placed them on equal footing. It thus became a Sunnah, because the Caliphs are responsible for considering such matters for the sake of the people."

503 - Muhammad ibn Mu'awiyah narrated to us, saying: Abu al-Ahwas narrated to us, from Abd al-Aziz ibn Rufay', who said: I saw Abu Mahdhurah come when a man had already performed the adhan, and he said: So he performed the adhan and the iqamah.

504 - Al-Musayyab ibn Wadih narrated to us, saying: Baqiyyah narrated to us, from Muslim ibn Ziyad, from Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, that he had thirteen mu'adhdhins.

Chapter: Regarding the mu'adhdhin whom the people of the mosque are pleased with: is he more deserving, or is it the one who built the mosque?

• I said to Ahmad: "Is the mu'adhdhin the one whom the people of the mosque are pleased with, or is it the one who built the mosque?" He said: "It is the one whom the people of the mosque are pleased with, because the mosque does not belong to the one who built it, for he has dedicated it to Allah."