Iqama
Encyclopedia
The word 'iqamah' or ikamet refers to the second call to Islamic Prayer
, given immediately before the prayer begins. Generally speaking, the iqamah is given more quickly and in a more monotone fashion, as compared to the adhan
, as it is addressed to those already in the mosque rather than a reminder for those outside it to go to the mosque. It differs from the first call to prayer, the adhan
in only one place (line 6, below):
According to the Hanafi
school of thought, similar to Shia Muslims, the content of the Iqama is the same as the Adhan
i.e. the number of times the lines are recited are the same, but with 'Stand for prayer' read twice after 'Come to salvation'.
Also, in the Maliki
school of thought, the phrase "stand for prayer" is only recited once.
) stem (stem' af`ala) from the triliteral root Q
-W
-M
, which relates to setting things up, carrying things out, existence, and assorted other meanings. The word iqāmah itself is multivalent, but its most common meaning outside the inauguration of prayer is in the context of immigration law
, referring to a long-term visa
for a foreign national. In some cases, as in Egypt
, it is a stamp on the foreigner's passport; in others (as in Morocco
and Saudi Arabia
) it is a separate identity document
in the form of a plastic card.
Salat
Salah is the practice of formal prayer in Islam. Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, of the Ten Practices of the Religion of Twelver Islam and of the 7 pillars of Musta'lī Ismailis...
, given immediately before the prayer begins. Generally speaking, the iqamah is given more quickly and in a more monotone fashion, as compared to the adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
, as it is addressed to those already in the mosque rather than a reminder for those outside it to go to the mosque. It differs from the first call to prayer, the adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
in only one place (line 6, below):
| Recital | Arabic | Transliteration | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | الله اكبر الله اكبر | āllahu ākbar, āllahu ākbar | Allah is Greatest, Allah is Greatest, |
| 1x | اشهد ان لا اله الا الله | āsh'hadu ān lā ilaha illā-llah | I assert that there is no god but Allah, |
| 1x | اشهد ان محمد رسول الله | āsh'hadu ānna mūhammadār rasūlu-llah | I assert that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, |
| 1x | حي على الصلاة | hayyā `alā-s-salat | Come to prayer, |
| 1x | حي على الفلاح | hayyā `alā-l-falāh | Come to worship, |
| 2x | قد قامت الصلاة | qad qāma tis-salaat | Prayer has begun, |
| 1x | الله اكبر الله اكبر | āllahu ākbar, āllahu ākbar | God is Greatest, God is Greatest, |
| 1x | لا اله الا الله | lā ilaha illā-llah | There is no god but Allah |
According to the Hanafi
Hanafi
The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...
school of thought, similar to Shia Muslims, the content of the Iqama is the same as the Adhan
Adhan
The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....
i.e. the number of times the lines are recited are the same, but with 'Stand for prayer' read twice after 'Come to salvation'.
Also, in the Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
school of thought, the phrase "stand for prayer" is only recited once.
Other uses of the term iqama
Iqāmah is the maṣdar form of the fourth (causativeCausative
In linguistics, a causative is a form that indicates that a subject causes someone or something else to do or be something, or causes a change in state of a non-volitional event....
) stem (stem
Qoph
Qoph or Qop is the nineteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Syriac, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is an emphatic or . The OHED gives the letter Qoph a transliteration value of Q or a K and a final transliteration value as a ck...
-W
Vav
VAV as a three-letter abbreviation may refer to* A Volcanic Ash Victim meaning someone who has been left stranded by a volcanic ash cloud that is hindering air travel.* A variable air volume device, used in HVAC systems to control the flow of air...
-M
Mem
Mem is the thirteenth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic...
, which relates to setting things up, carrying things out, existence, and assorted other meanings. The word iqāmah itself is multivalent, but its most common meaning outside the inauguration of prayer is in the context of immigration law
Immigration law
Immigration law refers to national government policies which control the phenomenon of immigration to their country.Immigraton law, regarding foreign citizens, is related to nationality law, which governs the legal status of people, in matters such as citizenship...
, referring to a long-term visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
for a foreign national. In some cases, as in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, it is a stamp on the foreigner's passport; in others (as in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
) it is a separate identity document
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
in the form of a plastic card.