Between Adhaan and Iqaamah!
For men who must attend the Masjid for prayers (and women who may elect to do so), the period between the Adhaan and the Iqaamah is a great one for some benefits. Yet many people waste it.
One, some people don't meet up in the Masjid the moment the Adhaan is called.
Two, those who meet up don't make good use of it.
The period between the Adhaan and the Iqaamah can be used to recite the Qur'aan or memorize at least a Verse or a hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (sallaLaaahu alayhi wasallam), or revise a portion of the Qur'aan, or go over a text of Shariah as 'little' as Usool Thalaathah.
If one can maintain a judicious use of this period for the five daily prayers for a month, the result will be immense, Inshaa Allaah.
Many of us have abandoned the recitation of the Qur'aan except perhaps in Ramadan alone. So this period between the two Adhaans (i.e. Adhaan and Iqaamah) can be a turning point, Inshaa Allaah.
But the problem is many of us come late to the Masjid. The first rows make no meaning to us. The benefits from catching the first takbeeraat behind the Imaam for forty days is nothing to us. That the Malaika would send blessings on us as we wait for the Salah, we tend to have forgotten. We are still Muslims, a false voice reassures us. At least we are better than those who don't pray at all! That's enough!
No, it is not enough. If we are lazy with our Islam, it can slip away from us. The slipping away is usually gradual. May Allaah protect us from that.
Al-Imaam Yahya bn Ma'een, the famous scholar of hadeeth of Al-Imaam Ahmad era, rahmatullaah alahyima, was a carpenter. Anytime he heard the first words of Adhaan and he had raised his hammer, he would not hit the object but leave for the Masjid immediately. (Tahdheeb: 1/173).
One of the past pious people said: 'The first innovation was people coming late to Jumu'ah; the people aforetime would come to Jumuah with lamps in their hands.' (I'laam Saajid: 358)
So it is up to us - men (and women) - that we make good use of this period between Adhaan and the Iqaamah.
Women should always assist their men when they fail in this regard. They can always 'push' their men out to the Masjid when the Adhaan is called.
The period between Maghrib and Ishaa is also a period many people misuse. Stay in the Masjid after Maghrib and get some benefits for yourself.
The period between Maghrib and Ishaa is always a suitable time for memorization of texts of the Sharee’ah such as the Qur'aan and Hadeeth. A more suitable time is while waiting for Fajr Prayer or after.
May Allaah grant us the proper understanding of the Deen and grant us the leave to make best use of our time.
