Praise be to Allah.
He should be answered with something like what he says. So one should say “al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm”, because when the muezzin says “Allahu akbar (Allah is most great)”, one should say “Allahu akbar”, and when he says “Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah)”, one should say “Ashhadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allah”. And when he says “Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool Allah (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah),” one should say, “Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasool Allah.” Then after saying the Shahaadatayn, one should say: “Radaytu Billaahi rabban wa bi’l-Islaami deenan wa bi Muhammad Rasoolan (I am content with Allah as my Lord, and with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet).” When he says “Hayya ‘ala al-salaah (come to prayer), one should say “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (There is no power and no strength except with Allah),” and the same when he says “Hayya ‘ala al-falaah (come to prosperity).” When he says “Allahu akbar”, one should say “Allahu akbar,” and when he says “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah” one should say “Laa ilaaha ill-Allah.” And when he says “Al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm”, one should say “al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm.”
It was said that he should say “Sadaqta wa barirta (You have spoken the truth); and it was said that he should say “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.” But the correct view is the first one. The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): ‘When you hear the muezzin, say what the muezzin says.” There is no exception to this in the Sunnah except in the case of the words “Hayya ‘ala al-salaah, hayya ‘ala al-falaah,” when it should be said, “Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah.” The general meaning of the hadeeth remains applicable to everything except these two phrases.
If someone were to ask: Isn’t saying “prayer is better than sleep” true? The answer is, yes indeed, and saying Allah akbar is true, and saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah is true, so when he says Allah akbar, should you say Sadaqta wa barirta? You should not say that, so when he says “al-salatu khayrun min al-nawm,” say what he says. This is the general meaning of the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). End quote.
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