Iqamah (Second Call to Prayer)
The second call to prayer, recited just before the prayer begins.
Iqamah (Arabic: إقامة) is the second call to prayer, recited immediately before the obligatory prayer begins. While the adhan announces that the prayer time has arrived, the iqamah signals that the prayer is now starting.
The iqamah is similar in wording to the adhan, but is recited more quickly and with the addition of "Qad qamatis-salah" (The prayer has begun). In most schools of law, each phrase is said only once (unlike the adhan, where some phrases are repeated).
It is recommended to have a short pause between the adhan and iqamah, so people can prepare for prayer with wudu and come to the mosque. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Between the adhan and iqamah there is a prayer" — this refers to sunnah prayers that are performed between the two calls.
Related terms
Nubuwwah (Prophethood)
Belief in prophethood — the third article of faith in Shia Islam.
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
The Islamic legal science that derives practical rules from the Quran and Sunnah.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Salat al-Ayat (Prayer of the Signs)
An obligatory prayer performed during natural phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses.
Adhan (Call to Prayer)
The Islamic call to prayer, recited by a muezzin.
Wajib (Obligatory)
Actions that are obligatory in Islamic law, including the five daily prayers.