Dream about the Initiation of the Azan
Hazrat Umar (ra) also saw a dream about the initiation of the azan [Call to prayer]. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) states:
“The revelation of Allah the Almighty descended upon the companions. In the time of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Abdullah bin Zaid (ra), who was a companion, was taught the azan by Allah the Almighty through a revelation. And the Holy Prophet (sa) established the practice of azan amongst the Muslims based on the revelation vouchsafed to him. Afterwards, a Quranic revelation also testified to this. Hazrat Umar (ra) says that he too was taught the very same azan but remained silent for 20 days because another person had already mentioned it to the Holy Prophet (sa). In another narration, Hazrat Umar (ra) stated that an angel taught him the azan while he was partially asleep. This is what Hazrat Umar (ra) reports. He was still partially awake at the time.”
(Mas‘alah-e-Wahi wa Nubuwat ke Muta‘alliq Islami Nazriyah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 23, p. 283)
The following narration from Sunan al-Tirmidhi is one that I have mentioned before as well, but I will mention it once again. The concluding words in the narration tell us that according to the Holy Prophet (sa), the dream of Hazrat Umar (ra) held great importance. Muhammad bin Abdillah bin Zaid narrates from his father, who said, “I came to the Holy Prophet (sa) in the morning and recounted my dream to him. The Holy Prophet (sa) said that indeed, this revelation was true. He instructed that I go and relay what was revealed to me to Hazrat Bilal (ra) because he possessed a louder and longer tone and he should proclaim these words aloud.”
Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Zaid continues:
“When Hazrat Umar (ra) heard the azan of Hazrat Bilal (ra) at the time of prayer, he came to the Holy Prophet (sa) while dragging his mantle, and he said, ‘O Messenger (sa) of Allah, I swear by Him Who has sent you with the truth, surely, I also saw [in a dream] what he has just recited.’”
The narrator reports that upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “All praise is due to Allah. This is an even stronger statement.” In other words, this meant that the matter was further affirmed.
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Salah, Bab ma Ja‘a fi Bad’ al-Adhan, Hadith 189)