Dua Before the Athan: Is There a Reported Prayer, and What Should You Say?
Quick answer: There's no specific authentic prayer reported for the moment right before the athan, but there are recommended manners and remembrances around it.
No specific supplication has been authentically reported to be said right before the athan is raised, so any prayer circulated online as "the dua before athan" typically has no solid textual basis.
After the athan, however, authentic remembrances are reported: repeating what the caller to prayer says, then reciting the well-known dua asking Allah to grant the Prophet ﷺ al-wasilah and the praised station, found in Sahih al-Bukhari.
It is also recommended to make dua in the interval between the athan and the iqama, since this window is described as a time when supplication is rarely turned away — with no fixed wording required.
In short: praying before the athan with any general supplication is fine, just like any other time, but it shouldn't be labeled a specific reported prayer — the authentic remembrances after the athan and between the two calls are the ones worth prioritizing.