Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I read in “Kemiya-e-Sa’aadat” by Imam Ghazali that when the muezzin makes the adhan and reaches “Hayya allas-salaah” and turns right and when he reaches “Hayya allal-falaah” and turns left, his entire body should not turn to the right or left but, rather, only his head should turn to those directions. Now I understand that Imam Ghazali was a Shafi’i and as such this may be a Shafi ruling, but what is the ruling in the Hanafi madhab? Is it proper to turn the entire body to either of those directions? Or is it improper, yet still not haram? Or is it outright haram?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May His blessings and peace be on His Beloved Prophet, the best of creation, and his family, companions and followers.
The sunna in the Hanafi school is to simply turn one’s face, not one’s chest or body, during the call to prayer (adhan). One turns right for Hayya `ala al-Salah, and left for Hayya `ala al-Falah. [Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah]
Turning one’s chest or body would be improper, but not sinful.
Note that rulings of other schools are taken from the standard fiqh works of that school, not from other works by scholars of that given school, even when they are major figures in those schools (such as Imam Ghazali in Shafi`i fiqh).
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani