What is the ruling on placing many microphones on the mosque minaret and causing harm to the mosque’s neighbors

The questioner : The other question, O long-lived one, regarding the microphone devices. This microphone; some mosques have ten microphones on the minaret, and this is a great deal for the neighbors, especially during this blessed month. By Allah, O my brother, may Allah reward you with good. This is an important point.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : And we, glory be to Allah, always talk to people and say that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came out one day, or one night, to his Companions. In fact, he came out one night while they were reciting,

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : raising their voices. So he said, “Do not raise your voices over one another in recitation.” And in a hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made this a form of harm. There is no doubt that it is a form of harm, and that the mosques surrounding these mosques are troubled in following their imam. Some of them even follow the voice they hear from outside and neglect following their imam. It was even said to us that some of them said the amen in response to the voice they heard,

The Shaykh : from the neighboring mosques.

The questioner : And just as they cause harm to the worshippers in other mosques, they also cause harm to the people in the houses. In the houses, there are women praying, and in the houses, there are people sleeping who stayed up all night and were not able to sleep except at this time.

The Shaykh : There are sick people in them. May Allah reward you.

The questioner : There are sick people in them as well. There is no doubt that this is a harm, and that whoever is able to prevent it, once this harm is confirmed, will be held accountable for it.

The Shaykh : Even though, O long-lived one, the door is in the middle of the mosque.

The questioner : And there is absolutely no benefit from this. Absolutely no benefit.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : There is harm in it. Many people stay in their houses and say, “Wait for the first rak’ah, it will clarify his religion.” And many people, when they head to the mosque and feel that the imam will finish the recitation, start running and hurrying greatly, even though this is easy for him. The important thing is that this is a harm and includes multiple harms, and there is absolutely no benefit in it. As for the iqamah on these microphones, I hope there is no harm in it.

The Shaykh : Yes, yes.

The questioner : Some people also asked me to speak about this topic and to prohibit even the iqamah, because some people stay in their houses and say, “I will not come out until I hear the iqamah.” But I did not see fit to speak about it, because the Messenger , and he was addressing people who were not in the mosque. The iqamah is an easy matter.

The Shaykh : But the fact that the prayer is transmitted through these microphones is a harm without a doubt.