Hadith: The reward of repeating after the Adhān (prayer call)

عن عمر بن الخطاب قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إذا قال المؤذن: الله أكبر الله أكبر، فقال أحدكم: الله أكبر الله أكبر، ثم قال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، قال: أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، ثم قال: أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله قال: أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله، ثم قال: حي على الصلاة، قال: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، ثم قال: حي على الفلاح، قال: لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله، ثم قال: الله أكبر الله أكبر، قال: الله أكبر الله أكبر، ثم قال: لا إله إلا الله، قال: لا إله إلا الله من قلبه دخل الجنة".
[صحيح] - [رواه مسلم]

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Muezzin (the caller to prayer) says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar' (Allah is the Most Great), and one of you says 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah' (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah', and then he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah' (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and he says, 'Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah', and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala as-salāh' (Come to prayer), and he says, 'Lā hawla walā quwwata illa billāh' (There is no power or strength except through Allah), and then he says, 'Hayy ‘ala al-falāh' (Come to success), and he says, 'Lā hawla walā quwwata illa billāh', and then he says, 'Alahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and he says, 'Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar', and then he says, 'lā ilāh illa Allah', and he says 'lā ilāh illa Allah' from his heart, he will enter Paradise."
Sahih/Authentic. - [Muslim]

Explanation

In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) teaches his Ummah the way of responding to the Muezzin. He said: When the Muezzin says, "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar", twice - He did not say it four times, the proper number, and found it sufficient to say the phrase two times - and one of you says, "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar". Then the Muezzin says, "Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah" and one of you says, "Ash'hadu an lā ilāh illa Allah". Then the Muezzin says, "Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah" and one of you says, "Ash'hadu anna Muhammadan rasūl Allah". Then the Muezzin says, "Hayya ‘ala as-salāh" and one of you says, "Lā hawla walā quwwata illa billāh", which indicates that a person cannot avoid any hindrance to the performance of worship or have the strength to do it except with the help of Allah Almighty. Then the Muezzin says, "Hayya ‘ala al-falāh" - means: come to what will lead you to winning Paradise and its bliss and remaining therein eternally - and one of you says, "Lā hawla walā quwwata illa billāh". Then the Muezzin says, "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar", and one of you says, "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar". Then the Muezzin says, "lā ilāha illa Allah", and one of you says, "lā ilāha illa Allah" from his heart - means: he says it by his tongue and believes in it sincerely within his heart - he will enter Paradise. The Hadīth points out the reward for repeating the Adhān, which is entering Paradise. Repeating the Adhān entails such a reward because the phrases of the Adhān contain the meanings of monotheism, extolment of Allah and praise of Him, submission to Him, and entrusting all affairs to Him, as indicated by the phrase "Lā hawla walā quwwata illa billāh" upon hearing "Hayya ‘ala as-salāh" and "Hayya ‘ala al-falāh", for they invite and encourage those who hear them to go to the worship, and the response should not contain the same words; rather, it should express obedience and submission, unless the response to the other phrases that contain praise of Allah and the testimony of faith. A person who does so has attained the true faith and the complete Islam, and hence Paradise becomes due to him, by the grace of the Almighty Lord.