What is the ruling on the imam of the mosque reciting the Qur'an through a microphone during the loud prayers? And what is the evidence?
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The Shaykh : other than that
The questioner : The questioner says here, O Shaykh: You mentioned in some of your recorded tapes in Jeddah that it is not permissible for the imam of the mosque to recite the Qur'an through a microphone during the loud prayers. What is the evidence?
The Shaykh : I did not say it exactly like that; my words were precise. I said two things: It is not permissible to announce the iqamah (the second call) via the loudspeaker in such a way that it is heard outside the mosque, because the iqamah is for announcing to the people of the mosque. Likewise, it is not permissible to broadcast the imam's recitation via the loudspeaker to outside the mosque, because there is an etiquette we mentioned in some of our gatherings today, taken from the saying of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-A'raf 7:204]. So surprising people who are not in prayer, who are not in the mosque, and who are in their work, in their apartments, and in their homes with the loud recitation of the Qur'an outside the mosque puts people in a difficult position. They are between two options: either they stop their work in order to devote themselves to fulfilling the previous verse: [Al-A'raf 7:204], or they turn away from implementing this divine command, and the cause of that is this broadcasting which has gone beyond the limits of the obligation. The obligation is to make the congregation of worshippers in the mosque hear it. As for outside the mosque, the imam is not obligated to make them hear it, whether this hearing is in the five daily prayers or on Friday. However, if there is a lesson or a sermon, and the recitation of the Qur'an is rare, then there is no harm in that.
So, the questioner's statement that I said it is not permissible to use the loudspeaker in the recitation of the Qur'an is not absolute. We use it according to need. And I said at that time that in the adhan (the call to prayer), the loudspeaker is used, and let those who are very, very far from the mosque hear it; there is no harm in that. As for the Qur'an, with which one must be polite, to which one must listen, and regarding which one must be silent, this should be within the limits of those present in the mosque.
For example, this mosque in which we prayed today had two or three rows, I do not know. So what is the reason for the mu'adhdhin's voice to be so loud that it covers the entire mosque and the surrounding houses?
The questioner : The reciter, not the mu'adhdhin.
The Shaykh : The reciter, yes, or the one who gives the iqamah. It is not appropriate to raise the voice with the Qur'an in the mosque in such a way that it goes beyond the circle of the mosque, because of the difficulty it causes for those listening to the imam. Likewise, there is absolutely no necessity for the iqamah except to make those in the mosque hear it. And so we find in the hadith regarding the original legislation of the adhan, in the story of the vision that you must have heard or read, that the Muslims at first did not have the adhan being heard. Rather, some of them would alert others with the word "Prayer" or "The prayer has arrived" or something similar, as some Muslims do even today, and after the adhan was legislated for these many years.
So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered some of his Companions, whom he chose to consult with regarding a means they would adopt to inform people of the arrival of the time for prayer. Opinions differed on this; some said to adopt a great fire to attract people's attention and follow it to the time for prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) refused that and said:. The gathering dispersed and they did not adopt an opinion. One of them saw in a dream that he was walking in some of the streets of the city and saw a man in his hand a bell. He said to him: "O servant of Allah, will you sell me this bell?" He said: "Why?" He said: "So that we strike it at the times of prayer." He said: "Shall I not direct you to something better than that?" So he stood on the side of a wall, meaning there was a wall that had collapsed and its base remained, because we know by observation that when a wall collapses, its base remains raised above the ground somewhat. So this person stood on this wall, meaning this base of the wall, and put his two fingers in his ears and gave this adhan that is known until now: "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," until he said: "La ilaha illa Allah."
He came down from the side to the ground and gave the iqamah for the prayer. So we find a difference between the adhan and the iqamah in the original text of this hadith, which contains the legislation of the adhan and the iqamah at first.
So the iqamah, as is known in the books of hadith and jurisprudence, is for informing the people of the mosque that the prayer has been established. As for the adhan, it is for informing those who are outside the mosque that the time for prayer has arrived, so they prepare for it: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-salah." The mu'adhdhin does not say there, "The prayer has been established." Rather, he says that in the mosque, because those addressed by the iqamah are the people of the mosque.
So it is appropriate to use the loudspeaker with wisdom, and in reality, it is a blessing that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, created in this present age, just as He created for us these means that facilitate the recording of knowledge and its transmission with the least effort and means.
Likewise, the radio and the loudspeaker are a blessing, but everything must be placed in its proper place. So the adhan is broadcast, and the iqamah is not broadcast except in the mosque. And the recitation of the Qur'an by the imam is also in the mosque, not for outside the mosque.
The questioner : O Shaykh, yesterday, yesterday when we faced the same problem when we prayed 'Isha' combined with Maghrib, the imam was praying Maghrib and his voice was confusing us and you as the imam, do you remember it? When we prayed 'Isha'.
The Shaykh : No, I do not remember it. Where did we pray?
The questioner : In the mosque of Shaykh Jamal. The imam was praying Maghrib and we were praying 'Isha' combined with Maghrib.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a correct example, and this confirms that this broadcasting also disturbs the people of the houses, who are women who are not obligated to attend the mosque, or those like us, as the brother Jamal mentions here, travelers who are not obligated to attend the mosque but are obligated to pray in congregation. These travelers are obligated to pray in congregation, but not the congregation of the mosque. If they attend the congregation of the mosque, how many travelers pray Friday? If they pray Friday, which is not obligatory upon them, then the obligation of Dhuhr falls off them. And if they do not pray it, they must pray it in congregation in their lodging, in their home, or in any other place where the prayer catches up with them.
So this is another example that he mentioned earlier to reveal to you and confirm to you the harm of broadcasting the imam's recitation in prayer to outside the mosque. Yes.
The questioner : The questioner says here, O Shaykh: You mentioned in some of your recorded tapes in Jeddah that it is not permissible for the imam of the mosque to recite the Qur'an through a microphone during the loud prayers. What is the evidence?
The Shaykh : I did not say it exactly like that; my words were precise. I said two things: It is not permissible to announce the iqamah (the second call) via the loudspeaker in such a way that it is heard outside the mosque, because the iqamah is for announcing to the people of the mosque. Likewise, it is not permissible to broadcast the imam's recitation via the loudspeaker to outside the mosque, because there is an etiquette we mentioned in some of our gatherings today, taken from the saying of our Lord, Blessed and Exalted is He:
So when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
وإذا قُرئ القرآن فاستمعوا له وأنصتوا لعلكم تُرحمونthen listen to it and pay attention
فاستمعوا له وأنصتواSo, the questioner's statement that I said it is not permissible to use the loudspeaker in the recitation of the Qur'an is not absolute. We use it according to need. And I said at that time that in the adhan (the call to prayer), the loudspeaker is used, and let those who are very, very far from the mosque hear it; there is no harm in that. As for the Qur'an, with which one must be polite, to which one must listen, and regarding which one must be silent, this should be within the limits of those present in the mosque.
For example, this mosque in which we prayed today had two or three rows, I do not know. So what is the reason for the mu'adhdhin's voice to be so loud that it covers the entire mosque and the surrounding houses?
The questioner : The reciter, not the mu'adhdhin.
The Shaykh : The reciter, yes, or the one who gives the iqamah. It is not appropriate to raise the voice with the Qur'an in the mosque in such a way that it goes beyond the circle of the mosque, because of the difficulty it causes for those listening to the imam. Likewise, there is absolutely no necessity for the iqamah except to make those in the mosque hear it. And so we find in the hadith regarding the original legislation of the adhan, in the story of the vision that you must have heard or read, that the Muslims at first did not have the adhan being heard. Rather, some of them would alert others with the word "Prayer" or "The prayer has arrived" or something similar, as some Muslims do even today, and after the adhan was legislated for these many years.
So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered some of his Companions, whom he chose to consult with regarding a means they would adopt to inform people of the arrival of the time for prayer. Opinions differed on this; some said to adopt a great fire to attract people's attention and follow it to the time for prayer. He (peace and blessings be upon him) refused that and said:
This is the symbol of the Magus. And another said: We will strike it with a trumpet. He said: This is the symbol of the Jews. A third said: We will strike it with a bell. He said: This is the symbol of the Christians.
هذا شعار المجوس، وقال آخر: نضرب عليه بالبوق، قال: هذا شعار اليهود، قال ثالث نضرب عليه بالناقوس، قال هذا شعار النصارىHe came down from the side to the ground and gave the iqamah for the prayer. So we find a difference between the adhan and the iqamah in the original text of this hadith, which contains the legislation of the adhan and the iqamah at first.
So the iqamah, as is known in the books of hadith and jurisprudence, is for informing the people of the mosque that the prayer has been established. As for the adhan, it is for informing those who are outside the mosque that the time for prayer has arrived, so they prepare for it: "Hayya 'ala al-salah, Hayya 'ala al-salah." The mu'adhdhin does not say there, "The prayer has been established." Rather, he says that in the mosque, because those addressed by the iqamah are the people of the mosque.
So it is appropriate to use the loudspeaker with wisdom, and in reality, it is a blessing that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, created in this present age, just as He created for us these means that facilitate the recording of knowledge and its transmission with the least effort and means.
Likewise, the radio and the loudspeaker are a blessing, but everything must be placed in its proper place. So the adhan is broadcast, and the iqamah is not broadcast except in the mosque. And the recitation of the Qur'an by the imam is also in the mosque, not for outside the mosque.
The questioner : O Shaykh, yesterday, yesterday when we faced the same problem when we prayed 'Isha' combined with Maghrib, the imam was praying Maghrib and his voice was confusing us and you as the imam, do you remember it? When we prayed 'Isha'.
The Shaykh : No, I do not remember it. Where did we pray?
The questioner : In the mosque of Shaykh Jamal. The imam was praying Maghrib and we were praying 'Isha' combined with Maghrib.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a correct example, and this confirms that this broadcasting also disturbs the people of the houses, who are women who are not obligated to attend the mosque, or those like us, as the brother Jamal mentions here, travelers who are not obligated to attend the mosque but are obligated to pray in congregation. These travelers are obligated to pray in congregation, but not the congregation of the mosque. If they attend the congregation of the mosque, how many travelers pray Friday? If they pray Friday, which is not obligatory upon them, then the obligation of Dhuhr falls off them. And if they do not pray it, they must pray it in congregation in their lodging, in their home, or in any other place where the prayer catches up with them.
So this is another example that he mentioned earlier to reveal to you and confirm to you the harm of broadcasting the imam's recitation in prayer to outside the mosque. Yes.