The village of Altıntepe sat nestled between two emerald hills, but for young Ali, the most beautiful part of his home wasn't the scenery—it was the voice of Muezzin Osman.
"It means," Osman explained, "'O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad the mediation and the virtue, and raise him to the praised station which You have promised him.' It is a prayer for our Prophet, and in return, the Prophet promised to intercede for those who recite it."
One afternoon, Ali gathered his courage and met Osman at the mosque gates. Ezan Duasi Ve OkunuЕџu
Every day, five times a day, Ali would sit on his porch and wait. When the first notes of the Adhan (Ezan) drifted through the air, Ali would close his eyes. He loved the melody, but he often wondered about the silence that followed. He noticed that after the call ended, Muezzin Osman would stay perfectly still for a moment, his lips moving in a private, rhythmic whisper.
"Effendi," Ali asked, "the Ezan is so loud and beautiful, but what are you whispering when it finishes? Is the conversation not over?" The village of Altıntepe sat nestled between two
Osman smiled, kneeling so he was at Ali’s eye level. "The Ezan is God’s invitation, Ali. But the (Adhan Prayer) is our way of saying 'I am coming, and I am grateful.' It is a special bridge."
He took a small wooden board and wrote down the words for Ali to see: Every day, five times a day, Ali would
"What does it mean?" Ali whispered.