This phrase was first introduced into the adhan by the Prophet (sawa) at Ghadir Khumm. Ghadir Khumm is a place outside of Makkah where the Prophet (sawa) told everybody to stop after returning from Hajj during the last year of his life. When they stopped, he called all the Muslims together and ordered Bilal (ra) to call the adhan. When Bilal reached “hayya ‘alal falah” the Prophet (sawa) stopped him and said to repeat “hayya ‘ala khayril ‘amal” two times. This phrase means: Make haste towards the best of deeds.[1] The deed he was speaking of holds great importance and upon completing it the religion was perfected.[2] This deed was the appointment of Ali (as) as his successor.
After the Prophet’s (sawa) martyrdom, Abu Bakr seized power while leaving the Prophet (sawa) unburied for three days, in spite of the Prophet’s (sawa) appointment of Ali as the khalif (successor)! Abu Bakr and Umar conspired while the Ahl-ul-Bayt (as) were preparing the funeral rites. This is where the split came about in the community. Some sided with Ali (as) following the Prophet’s (sawa) instructions. These people were (and are) called the Shia (“Shi’a” meaning follower, and the term here specifically referring to “followers of Ali”). Some sided with the usurper of khalifat Abu Bakr.[3] These followers of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar are called the Sunni sect.
Bilal (ra) sided with Ali (as) and thus as a form of protest quit calling the adhan to show people how serious this was! Abu Bakr got very angry and upset with Bilal (ra) and exiled him to Syria. He later died and was buried there. He was replaced by someone else and that person was told not to recite the phrase Hayya ‘ala khayril ‘amal. The unjust rulers were afraid that if it were recited the people would remember the rightful claim of Ali (as) and realize the falsity of Abu Bakr’s rule.[4]
As followers of the Prophet (sawa) we acknowledge Ali’s (as) right and recognize him as the first Imam. Knowing this, we call the adhan with the phrase Hayya ‘ala khayril ‘amal as the Prophet (sawa) ordered it.
Excerpt from Mystery of the Shia by Mateen J. Charbonneau Available at:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mateen+charbonneau&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amateen+charbonneau
[1] Know Your Islam by Yousef Naljee
[3] Those who didn’t side with Abu Bakr found life very difficult. Please refer to my first book entitled The Suffering of the Ahl ul Bayt and their Shia throughout History
[4] Bilal of Africa by Hussain Malika Ashtiyani
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Published by Sheikh Mateen Charbonneau
Joshua Charbonneau is an American Muslim. He was born in 1982 in Sumter, South Carolina. He is of French Canadian and American descent. He was born into a Christian family, and later chose to revert to Shi’a Islam at the age of 17, having studied both faiths. After reverting to Islam he chose the name Mateen which in Arabic means strong, firm and unshakable. His first language is English and he also learned Quranic Arabic.
At age 26 he moved to Washington, DC area and has been an active part of the Muslim community. He took part in a documentary by Al-Anwar Hussain TV entitled Journey of the Spirit where he narrated his incredible story on how he became a Shia Muslim.
Since March of 2013 he has been studying Howza (Islamic Seminary) classes in America and Najaf al-Ashraf under esteemed scholars such as Sheikh Mustafa Akhound, Sheikh Mirza Abbas Shamsuddin, Sheikh Saed Kulayni, Sheikh Mohammad Baghernejad, Sayed Ibn Abbas Naqvi, Sheikh Mohammad Jafar Danesh, Sayed Baqir Imrani, Sayed Raad al-Alawi and Sayed Muhammad Baqir Shirazi.
Sheikh Mateen has also written, compiled and published some very in-depth books entitled The Suffering of the Ahl ul Bayt and their Followers (Shia) throughout History, Christians who defended and died for Prophet Muhammad and his Family (English, Spanish, French), Mystery of the Shia, a Study Guide for Logic and an extensive book of narrations entitled Prophetic Gems, A Commentary to the Faith of Shia Islam (Aqaed Imamiyya) of Allama Muzaffar (4 volumes) and Recalling the Sacrifices of Karbala. These titles are available at Amazon.
In 2014 he founded a nonprofit organization to send free books to prisoners entitled 2nd Chance Books, which was filmed about in a documentary by Ahlul Bayt TV entitled Faith Behind Bars.
He received his turban from the hand of Sheikh Ahmad al-Haeri on the martyrdom of Muslim ibn Aqil (ra) / Day of Arafat in 2016 and also from Marja’ Ayatollah Sayed Muhammad Taqi Modarresi in the Holy city of Karbala on the birth anniversary of Imam Sajjad (as) in 2018.
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