Title: Reciting Adhaan even when Praying Alone Question: This letter is in response to your response on whether women can say the adhan when in a group! There is a Hadith in Bukhari , I'm sorry I don't remember what page but it says something along the lines of: When you are going to pray you should always say the adhan , even if you are alone in the desert. The Jinn can hear it. Are you aware of this hadith ?? Answer: The cited narrative ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) is reported in Bukhari , Kita'b al-Adhan, Bab Raf` al-Saut bi al-Nida' . A simple translation of this narrative follows: "The narrator says that once Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri said to him: I see that you are a person involved in sheep and steppe. So, when you are with your sheep or in a steppe and you call for prayers, raise your voice, as much as you can, in your call because every jinn or man or anything else that hears the caller's voice shall bear witness for him on the Day of Reckoning." This narrative actually relates to a situation where a person is in a dessert or steppe or at a place where he does not know whether anyone is in a close vicinity or not. Thus, in such a situation, he should raise his voice and give a call for prayers so that if anyone may be around him, he may be informed of his prayers and may join him if he desires or needs to. If seen in this perspective, you shall note that the call, even in this situation is to give an open invitation of prayers to those (who may be) around. My answer, that you have referred to, was for a situation where there is actually no intention or desire to give an open invitation to the general public, and the prayers are being offered by only a limited and selected group. 12 th March 1999