Regarding the use of loudspeakers for the adhan and iqamah?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : It is not hidden from any true jurist who is knowledgeable of the authentic Sunnah that the adhan in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) differed from the iqamah. The adhan was performed on the roof of the mosque, while the iqamah was performed inside the mosque. This is a practical distinction and a ruling by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to differentiate between the adhan, which is to be in a high place so that people outside the mosque, who are far from it, can hear it, and the iqamah, which is the adhan for those who are inside the mosque. Now, because of the loudspeaker, they have reversed this Sunnah. They have equated the announcement of the adhan and the iqamah. Just as they announce the adhan with a loudspeaker, they also announce the iqamah with a loudspeaker. This is a violation of the Sunnah. And as we always say in many of our sermons: , ... that it is prescribed for the mu'adhdhin to be in a high place where he is visible with his body, not just with his voice. Now, they are content with ... the voice to the farthest possible place with a loudspeaker, and for him to call the adhan from a place in the mosque ... The visibility of the mu'adhdhin with his body is a Sunnah that should not be dispensed with by the modern device that ... the voice ... multiplied many times over; because the adhan is one of the distinctive practices of Islam that we must preserve as a tradition and following what the Messenger (peace be upon him) and his Companions were upon. The mu'adhdhin appearing with his person in his adhan is a Sunnah, and for him to be loud-voiced is another Sunnah. This device confirms raising the voice, which is a prescribed goal, but concealing the mu'adhdhin's voice between the walls of the mosque is contrary to the Sunnah. Now, they have lowered the adhan from the highest place and put it in the mosque, which is contrary to the Sunnah. Then they raised the voice of the iqamah and equated it with the voice of the adhan, and this is contrary to the Sunnah.
Likewise, I have pointed out in some of the countries we have passed through, and this exists in all countries, unfortunately, that it is a great error to broadcast the prayer, specifically the loud prayer, and especially on Friday. The Qur'an has etiquettes that listeners must pay attention to, among which is that they should devote themselves to listening and heeding it, in accordance with the verse ... ... so he cannot perform the etiquette toward this recitation. Either he continues in his work and does not turn to the Qur'an or listen to it. So who is the cause of putting people either in difficulty or in neglecting interests? Raising the voice in the mosque and making those hear the Noble Qur'an for whom it is not prescribed to hear it.
Therefore, I say: It is necessary to detail the permissibility of using a loudspeaker in the mosque. If we assume, as we have observed in some mosques in the Fajr prayer, that there are not even ten people, yet the loudspeaker is broadcast outside the mosque. Why? These ten people can hear the imam's voice in the recitation with the natural voice. So there is no justification for turning on the loudspeaker; because they can hear it. It is a redundant gain on one hand, and destruction on the other; because in this broadcast ... to the other people to listen while they are not prepared for it, or ... they fall into sin ... Therefore, it is necessary ... to distinguish between the permissible unrestricted public benefit and the impermissible unrestricted public benefit. Now, the use of the loudspeaker is a means that occurred in the present age that can fall under unrestricted public benefits. But it has become a rule that it is a Sunnah used where there is a benefit and where there is no such benefit. And this is the example: broadcasting the iqamah is contrary to the Sunnah. Broadcasting the Qur'an has no basis at all; because the intention is to make those in the mosque hear. If there are many people in the mosque and the imam's voice does not reach them, the loudspeaker's volume is raised so that they can hear. But for it to resound and be heard from kilometers of meters away, this is undoubtedly contrary to the etiquette with the recitation of the Noble Qur'an. This is what I referred to recently. This is an explanation for the people, and I hope they will benefit from it, and that they will put every thing in its appropriate place.

The questioner : It is possible, Shaykh, meaning they can make the speakers internal, separated or ... external during the iqamah and the recitation, and use the internal one only inside the mosque.

The Shaykh : Everything is possible now, but where is the one who understands and applies ...?!