Some brothers turn off the loudspeakers when the iqamah is called, claiming they do not want to disturb the residents of the neighborhood, and a fatwa on this matter has been attributed to you. What is the truth of this?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad.
Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad, some of the brothers in some mosques turn off...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...turn off the microphones after the iqamah is called.
The Shaykh : What? What?
The questioner : They turn off the microphones after the iqamah is called.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : They claim that they do not want to disturb the residents of the neighborhood. We discussed this with some of the imams, and they said: "It is necessary, because we have heard a fatwa, or read a fatwa, from Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad." Please inform us: is this correct or not?
The Shaykh : What fatwa?
The questioner : Turning off the microphones after the iqamah.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is correct. We hold that the prayer should not be amplified from the minarets via the microphone, because of the harm it causes to nearby mosques, and also to the people in the houses who are disturbed by it. For the people in the houses may include someone who is sick and wants to sleep, or someone who has children who are disturbed by the sound.
Then, what is the benefit of this? Is he praying for the people outside, or for the people of the mosque? He is praying for the people of the mosque, so what is the benefit? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to his Companions one night and saw them praying and raising their voices, so he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1332Sahih (Al-Albani).
As for the iqamah, there is no harm in it, although some of the brothers said: "It is a religious innovation, because the iqamah with a loudspeaker from the minaret is as if he called the iqamah from the minaret, and the iqamah is for those present."
But I hold that there is no harm in the iqamah, because his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 636 indicates that the iqamah is heard from outside the mosque. As for the entire prayer...
...there is no doubt that it harms people, especially in the prayers where the recitation is loud. We have heard of a person who was safe from the recitation of the mosque next to him, and we have heard of a person who bowed when the mosque next to him bowed. All of this clearly has a harmful effect.
The questioner : The women who pray with them, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad, some of the brothers in some mosques turn off...
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : ...turn off the microphones after the iqamah is called.
The Shaykh : What? What?
The questioner : They turn off the microphones after the iqamah is called.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : They claim that they do not want to disturb the residents of the neighborhood. We discussed this with some of the imams, and they said: "It is necessary, because we have heard a fatwa, or read a fatwa, from Your Eminence, Shaykh Muhammad." Please inform us: is this correct or not?
The Shaykh : What fatwa?
The questioner : Turning off the microphones after the iqamah.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is correct. We hold that the prayer should not be amplified from the minarets via the microphone, because of the harm it causes to nearby mosques, and also to the people in the houses who are disturbed by it. For the people in the houses may include someone who is sick and wants to sleep, or someone who has children who are disturbed by the sound.
Then, what is the benefit of this? Is he praying for the people outside, or for the people of the mosque? He is praying for the people of the mosque, so what is the benefit? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to his Companions one night and saw them praying and raising their voices, so he said:
One should not trouble the other and one should not raise the voice in recitation
لا يؤذين بعضكم بعضا في القراءةAs for the iqamah, there is no harm in it, although some of the brothers said: "It is a religious innovation, because the iqamah with a loudspeaker from the minaret is as if he called the iqamah from the minaret, and the iqamah is for those present."
But I hold that there is no harm in the iqamah, because his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
When you hear the Iqama, proceed to offer the prayer
إذا سمعتم الإقامة فامشوا إلى الصلاة...there is no doubt that it harms people, especially in the prayers where the recitation is loud. We have heard of a person who was safe from the recitation of the mosque next to him, and we have heard of a person who bowed when the mosque next to him bowed. All of this clearly has a harmful effect.
The questioner : The women who pray with them, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes.