Should Iqamah Be Called for a Second Jama'ah?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Ruling of Calling Iqāmah For the Second Jamāʿah in a Local Mosque
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: When establishing a second jamāʿah in the local masjid, should iqāmah be called? Please provide guidance.
Answer
Offering salāh with the first jamāʿah of the masjid is wājib upon every sane and adult Muslim. Deliberately missing the jamāʿah without a valid sharʿī excuse is impermissible and sinful. Indeed, severe warnings have been mentioned in the aḥādīth regarding those who neglect the jamāʿah.
However, if some individuals were unable to attend the first jamāʿah due to a valid sharʿī excuse, they may establish a second jamāʿah, provided that there is someone present who is eligible to lead the salāh. The second jamāʿah should be established away from the miḥrāb, and the azān should not be repeated, as repeating the azān for a second jamāʿah is impermissible. There is, however, no issue in calling the iqāmah for the second jamāʿah.
Note – Unless there is a valid sharīʿah reason, it is impermissible to skip the first jamāʿah out of laziness in hope of attaining a second jamāʿah. Regarding jamāʿah, Ibn ʿAbbās رضى اللہ تعالى عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ stated:
من سمع النداء و لم یاتہ فلا صلوة لہ الا من عذر
Translation: Whoever heard the azān and did not come to salāh, his salāh is deficient, unless there is a valid excuse. (Sunan Ibn Mājah, Vol. 01, Ḥadīth No. 793, p. 260, Publ. Dar Iḥyāʾ al-Kutub al-ʿArabiyah)
Commentating on a similar ḥadīth, Muftī Aḥmad Yār Khān Naʿīmī رحمة اللہ عليه writes:
جہاں تک اذان کی آواز پہنچے، وہاں تک کے لوگوں کو مسجد میں آنا بہت ضروری ہے۔
Translation: As far as the azān can be heard, it is absolutely necessary upon the people at such distance to come to the masjid. (Mirʾāt al-Manājīḥ, Vol. 02, p. 153, Publ. Naʿīmī Kutub Khānah, Gujrāt) It is wājib upon every sane, adult, Muslim to offer salāh with the first congregation of the masjid. Skipping the jamāʿah without any valid reason is a sin, as stated in Badāʾiʿ al-Sanāʾiʿ, Durar al-Ḥukkām Sharḥ Ghurar al-Aḥkām, and Fatāwā ʿĀlamgīrī (the text is cited from the latter):
تجب علی الرجال العقلاء البالغین الأحرارالقادرین علی الصلاۃبالجماعۃ من غیرحرج
(Al-Fatāwā al-Hindiyah, Book of Salāh, Vol. 01, p. 82, Publ. Dār al-Fikr, Beirut)
The Imām of Ahl as-Sunnah Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes:
پانچوں وقت کی نماز مسجد میں جماعت کے ساتھ واجب ہے ایک وقت کابھی بلاعذر ترک گناہ ہے۔
Translation: Offering all five salāh in the masjid with jamāʿah is wājib. Skipping it even once without a valid reason is a sin. (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 07, p. 194, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
The second jamāʿah should be offered away from the miḥrāb without repeating the azān, as the Imām of Ahl as-Sunnah, Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمه اللہ تعالى عليه states:
اس بارے میں عین تحقیق و حق وثیق و حاصلِ انیق و نظرِ دقیق و اثرِ توفیق یہ ہے کہ اس صورت میں تکرارِ جماعت باعادۂ اذان ہمارے نزدیک ممنوع و بدعت ہے، یہی ہمارے امام رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ کا مذہبِ مہذب و ظاہر الروایہ ہے، جس کا حاصل عند التحقیق کراہت اذانِ جدید کی طرف راجع نہ نفسِ جماعت کی طرف اور اگر بغیر اس کے تکرارِ جماعت کریں، تو قطعاً جائز و روا ہے اسی پر ہمارے علماء کا اجماع ہوا ہے۔ پھر یہ جواز مطلقاً محض و خالص ہے یا کہیں کراہت سے بھی مجامع اس میں صحیح یہ ہے کہ اگر محراب میں جماعتِ ثانیہ کریں، تو مکروہ اور محراب سے ہٹ کر تو اصلاً کراہت نہیں، خالص مباح و ماذون فیہ ہے۔
Translation: The precise conclusion, established truth, refined outcome, careful analysis all by the grace of Allāh is that: according to us repeating the jamāʿah with a renewed azān is prohibited and a bidʿah. This is the refined opinion of our Imām Aʿzam رضى اللہ تعالى عنه and the Zāhir al-Riwāyah. The outcome of this is that the karahah (dislike) is in relation to the repeated azān, not the jamāʿah itself. But if jamāʿah is established without repeating the azān, it is absolutely permissible and accepted. Our scholars have consensus on this. Now whether this is solely permissible or blended with some karahah, the Saḥīḥ (correct) opinion about this is: If the second jamāʿah is offered in the miḥrāb, then it is Makrūh, and if it is offered away from the miḥrāb, then there is absolutely no karahah. It is solely Mubāḥ and permitted. (Summarized from Fatāwa Razawiyah, Vol. 07, p. 125-128, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
Sadr al-Sharīʿah Muftī Muḥammad Amjad ʿAlī Aʿzamī رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes:
مسجدِ محلہ میں جس کے ليے امام مقرر ہو، امام محلہ نے اذان و اقامت کے ساتھ بطریق مسنون جماعت پڑھ لی ہو تو اذان و اقامت کے ساتھ ہيات اُولی (پہلی ہیئت) پر دوبارہ جماعت قائم کرنا مکروہ ہے اور اگر بے اذان جماعتِ ثانیہ ہوئی، تو حرج نہیں جب کہ محراب سے ہٹ کر ہو۔ ہيات بدلنے کے ليے امام کا محراب سے دہنے یا بائیں ہٹ کر کھڑا ہونا کافی ہے۔
Translation: If jamāʿah has already been established with azān and iqāmah in accordance with the sunnah method in the local masjid in which there is an appointed imām, then establishing a second jamāʿah with azān and iqāmah in the same arrangement as the first jamāʿah is Makrūh. But if the second jamāʿah is established without calling azān, then there is no issue given that it is established away from the miḥrāb. Moving right or left of the miḥrāb is sufficient to alter the “arrangement” of the jamāʿah. (Bahār-E-Sharīʿat, Vol. 01, p. 583, Publ. Maktaba-Tul-Madīnah, Karachi)
There is no issue in calling iqāmah for the second jamāʿah. Thus, the question was asked in Fatāwā Razawiyah, “should iqāmah be called for the second jamāʿah or not, and should the Imām recite out loud in the second jamāʿah of a jahrī salāh or should he recite quietly out of consideration of those who are offering sunnah so that they do not get distracted.” Answering this, the Imām of Ahl as-Sunnah رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه stated:
جماعت ثانیہ کے لئے اعادہ اذان ناجائز ہے تکبیر میں حرج نہیں اور اس کا امام نماز جہری میں بقدرحاجت جماعت جہر کرے گا اگرچہ اور لوگ سنتیں پڑھتے ہوں۔
Translation: Repeating the azān for a second jamāʿah is impermissible, but there is no issue in calling the iqāmah. In a jahrī salāh, the Imām of this congregation should recite as loud as required, even if others are offering sunnah. (Fatāwa Razawiyah, Vol. 07, p. 194, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
He states in another place:
مسجدِ محلّہ میں جماعت ثانیہ کے لئے اعادہ اذان منع ہے تکبیر میں حرج نہیں۔
Translation: Repeating the azān for a second jamāʿah in the local masjid is prohibited. There is no issue in (repeating) iqāmah. (Fatāwā Razawiyah, Vol. 05, p. 157, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
Skipping the first jamāʿah without a valid reason in hope of attaining a second jamāʿah is not permitted. Thus, it is stated in Fatāwā Razawiyah:
اقول لسنانبیح تعمد ترک الجماعۃ الأولی اتکالا علی الاخری فمن سمع منادی ﷲ ینادی ولم یجب بلاعذر اثم وعزر
Translation: I say: we do not permit purposefully skipping the first jamāʿah relying on the other (jamāʿah). Therefore, whoever heard the caller of Allāh calling and he did not respond without any valid reason, he is sinful and he is deserving of disciplinary punishment. (Fatāwa Razawiyah, Vol. 07, p. 162, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
It is stated in Fatāwā Faiz-Ur-Rasūl:
یہ جماعتِ ثانیہ کا جواز صرف ان لوگوں کے لئے ہے جو کبھی کسی عذر کے سبب جماعتِ اولیٰ کی حاضری سے محروم رہے نہ یہ کہ جماعتِ ثانیہ کے بھروسے پر بلا عذرِ شرعی قصداً جماعت ترک کرے یہ بلا شبہ ناجائز و گناہ ہے۔
Translation: The permissibility of a second jamāʿah is only for those who are unable to attend the first jamāʿah due to a valid reason. It is not for those who purposefully skip the first jamāʿah without a valid excuse, in reliance on attending a second one, as this is undoubtedly impermissible and sinful. (Fatāwā Faiz-Ur-Rasūl, Vol. 01, p. 357-358, Publ. Nishan-e-Manzil Publications, Lahore)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: OKR-0146
Date: 20th Jumād al-ʾŪlā 1447 AH / 12th November 2025