Enduring Echo: Adhan's 1,400-Year Legacy at the Prophet's Mosque

For over 14 centuries, the resonant call to prayer, the adhan, has echoed from the sacred grounds of the Prophet's Mosque, a tradition established by Bilal bin Rabah, the first muezzin of Islam.
 The adhan's inception marked a pivotal moment in Islamic practice. Initially, Muslims gathered for prayer without a formal call to prayer. The structured call to prayer was established following accounts of visions experienced by companions Abdullah bin Zayd al-Khazraji and Umar bin al-Khattab. Upon confirming these accounts, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instructed Bilal bin Rabah, renowned for his melodious voice, to deliver the adhan.
 This practice, established during the Prophet's lifetime, has continued uninterrupted to this day. Currently, 20 muezzins rotate duties, delivering the adhan and iqamah and echoing the imam's invocations, with their voices amplified through the mosque's sophisticated sound system. The adhan of Madinah, known for its distinctive cadence and spiritual resonance, imbues the mosque with a profound sense of tranquility.
 Historically, as researcher Dr. Fouad Al-Maghamsi elucidated, the adhan was broadcast sequentially from five minarets: the main minaret adjacent to the Green Dome, followed by Bab Al-Salam, Bab Al-Rahmah (or Ar-Rahmaniyah), Shakiliyah, and Sulaymaniyah. This sequential delivery, designed to maximize reach in pre-loudspeaker era Madinah, ensured the call to prayer permeated the city.
 However, in the early 1400 AH, this sequential system transitioned to a unified broadcast. A single muezzin now delivers the adhan through the mosque's central loudspeaker, located in an elevated, open-air space overlooking the Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa and the mihrab, a mere 5 meters from the Holy Minbar.
 The Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque oversees the meticulous preparation and testing of these loudspeakers before each prayer. Using a high-fidelity audio system, the mosque ensures the adhan's clear and resonant transmission, maintaining the sanctity and spiritual impact of this enduring Islamic tradition.