Azan
/əˈzɑːn/noun
The Muslim call to prayer, recited five times daily from a mosque or wherever Muslims gather for worship.
Did you know?Azan is an English variant of Arabic adhan, whose root conveys announcing or proclaiming; the recitation traditionally includes the declaration that God is greatest and that there is no deity but God.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ʾadhān (أَذَان)
“A proclamation or announcement, especially the call summoning Muslims to prayer”
Early Islamic period
Arabic
al-ʾadhān
“The formal call to the five daily prayers”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
muʾadhdhin (مُؤَذِّن)
“The person who makes the call to prayer”
Persian and South Asian usage
Persian/Urdu
azān
“The Muslim call to prayer”
19th–20th Century
English
azan
“An English transliteration and variant of Arabic adhan”
Modern English
English
azan
“The Islamic call to prayer”
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