Can a woman give the adhan?
A woman doesn't give the public adhan for men, according to the four Sunni schools, but she may call the adhan or iqamah quietly for herself or a group of women in some schools. The public call from the mosque has always been given by men. For women praying together, the schools differ on whether an adhan is recommended, allowed or disliked.
The public adhan
The adhan began when Abdullah ibn Zayd saw the words in a dream. The Prophet ﷺ told him to teach them to Bilal, because Bilal had a stronger voice (Sunan Abi Dawud 499). He also said that when the prayer time comes, one of you should call the adhan and the eldest should lead (Sahih al-Bukhari 628). Throughout the Prophet's ﷺ life and after it, the muezzins who called people to the mosque were men. Based on this, scholars of all four schools agree that the public adhan, given aloud to call a mixed congregation, is for men.
Women praying together or alone
When sisters pray in a group, at home, at university or at a women's circle, the schools differ:
- Shafi'i: the iqamah is recommended for women, said in a normal voice; the adhan is not, though she may say it quietly as dhikr.
- Hanbali: both are allowed for women but not emphasized.
- Hanafi: generally disliked for women; they pray without them.
- Maliki: the adhan is disliked for women, while the iqamah is recommended.
Some early reports mention that Aisha gave the adhan and iqamah and led women in prayer, which is one reason several schools allow it in women-only settings. A woman alone at home can simply start her prayer; no adhan is needed.
Why the difference?
The adhan is a loud, public call. Scholars generally preferred that women not raise their voices in public worship in front of men, the same reasoning behind the sunnah that women alert a mistaken imam by clapping rather than saying "SubhanAllah" aloud. It isn't about a woman's worth: men and women share the same reward for prayer, and women's attendance at the mosque has a firm place in the sunnah. See Can women pray in the main hall of the mosque?
What this means for you
If you're a sister, you get the full reward of the prayer at home or in the mosque, with or without saying the adhan yourself. Answering the adhan when you hear it, by repeating its words, is a sunnah open to everyone. For the bigger picture of the daily prayers, see How many times a day do Muslims pray? and Do women have to go to Jumu'ah?
- The public adhan for a mixed congregation is given by men.
- For women-only groups, the schools differ.
- Many allow women to say the iqamah among themselves.
- Women's prayer is fully rewarded with or without an adhan.
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