What is the ruling on the audio enhancers used in mosques, which are called echo?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : One of the imams of the mosques asks, saying: We have heard you speak about the audio enhancers, the echo. What is the text of that?
The Shaykh : The text of that is: These audio enhancers, which are the echo, if they necessitate the repetition of a letter, then they are forbidden, because it is an addition to the words of Allah the Exalted, and it is not permissible. As for if they do not necessitate the repetition of the sound, we look at it: if they make the sound appear as if it is the voice of a singer, then this is also prohibited, but we do not assert that it is forbidden, because there is no addition to the wording of the Qur'an. This is what we say regarding these enhancers. Then we say: O my brothers, the criterion is not the pleasure and enjoyment derived from the sound; the criterion is humility. How many people have recited without a loudspeaker, let alone with what I mentioned, and were more humble for themselves and for the listeners.
The Shaykh : The text of that is: These audio enhancers, which are the echo, if they necessitate the repetition of a letter, then they are forbidden, because it is an addition to the words of Allah the Exalted, and it is not permissible. As for if they do not necessitate the repetition of the sound, we look at it: if they make the sound appear as if it is the voice of a singer, then this is also prohibited, but we do not assert that it is forbidden, because there is no addition to the wording of the Qur'an. This is what we say regarding these enhancers. Then we say: O my brothers, the criterion is not the pleasure and enjoyment derived from the sound; the criterion is humility. How many people have recited without a loudspeaker, let alone with what I mentioned, and were more humble for themselves and for the listeners.