The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement to the blind man: “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then respond.” Do we say this to the one who hears it through a loudspeaker?

Question : The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement to the blind man: “Do you hear the call to prayer?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Then respond.” This is a clear dispensation. Do we say this to the one who hears it through the lie and the truth?

Answer : No. This is analogized to the case where the mu’adhdhin calls without a loudspeaker. Likewise, the reverse is the same. If a person is close but does not hear the mu’adhdhin, for example due to his deafness, does he respond or not? He responds, and Allah knows best.