Ruling on Using the Mosque Loudspeaker for Announcing Lost Items
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Question:
This questioner, Abdulrahman Adam Uthman, from Sudan, sent a question saying: There is a loudspeaker in our village mosque. Is it permissible to use it to ask about a valuable or important lost item, such as a villager asking about a missing small child or the like? Or does this also fall under the general meaning of the hadith:?
And does this apply if a paper is posted on the mosque door or wall indicating his inquiry about his lost item, without speaking about it verbally?
Answer:
As for announcing lost items via the loudspeaker in the mosque, it is not permissible, even if the intention is for the village, whether the people of the mosque or the village are intended. As long as it is in the mosque, it is not permissible; due to the generality of the hadith, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 568a This is an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. And because the mosques were not built for this. Likewise, the hadith: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1321Sahih (Darussalam) So the mosques were not built for announcing lost items or buying and selling, but rather they were built for worshipping Allah and obeying Him through prayer, dhikr, circles of knowledge, and the like.
As for if the loudspeaker is outside the mosque, in a house outside the mosque, or in a shop outside the mosque; then this is a known matter, and there is no harm in announcing the lost item and asking the Muslims to inform him about his need.
And as for writing a paper to be posted in the mosque, if it is on the outer wall, there is no harm, or on the outer door, there is no harm. But from the inside, it should not be done; because this resembles speech, and because it may occupy people with reviewing and reading the paper. So what appears is that it is not permissible in the mosque. It is not permissible to post papers in the mosque whose meaning is announcing lost items. But if it is written on the outer wall from the outside of the mosque, or on the door from the outside of the mosque, there is no harm in this. Yes.
The presenter: Meaning, is it permissible to use the mosque's loudspeaker after taking it out of the mosque?
The Shaykh: Yes, if it is outside the mosque, there is no harm.
The presenter: Outside the mosque.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: On this occasion, some people also use these loudspeakers in celebrations, for example.
The Shaykh: Yes, if it is in celebrations, there is no harm.
The presenter: The same loudspeakers specific to the mosques.
The Shaykh: If it is done in a light Islamic manner that does not harm any of the people, and is inside the protected area regarding the women, with proper words. But the more cautious approach is to leave that; because the norm in weddings is that they do not remain safe. It should be with normal voices, without a loudspeaker. Their speech and their permissible singing among the women should be with normal voices; because the loudspeaker's voice may reach the neighbors and harm them. So the closest view is that it should not be done. And if the loudspeaker's voice reaches the neighbors, whether it is from the mosque loudspeaker that they took and borrowed, or from another, this is not permissible; because it harms, occupies people, and tempts them with the voices of women, especially their songs.
So the conclusion is: the loudspeaker is not used, whether it belongs to the mosque or otherwise, in weddings, except if it is in a narrow manner inside the venue that does not harm any of the neighbors, and no one hears it, but only the attendees hear it specifically; then this may be permissible. But the closest view is to prohibit it so that it is not taken as a means to expand; because the loudspeaker voices that people do are harmful, and perhaps they continue with them until morning, and this is a reprehensible matter without doubt.
So the conclusion is: prohibition is preferable absolutely; so that it is not taken as a means to use it with a loud voice, harming the neighbors, and harming the passersby, and publicizing the wrong. For weddings are not safe, and the norm is that what is reprehensible occurs in them in singing and other things. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
This questioner, Abdulrahman Adam Uthman, from Sudan, sent a question saying: There is a loudspeaker in our village mosque. Is it permissible to use it to ask about a valuable or important lost item, such as a villager asking about a missing small child or the like? Or does this also fall under the general meaning of the hadith:
If you see someone announcing a lost item in the mosque, say: May Allah not return it to you.
من أنشد ضالة في المسجد فقولوا: لا ردها الله عليكAnd does this apply if a paper is posted on the mosque door or wall indicating his inquiry about his lost item, without speaking about it verbally?
Answer:
As for announcing lost items via the loudspeaker in the mosque, it is not permissible, even if the intention is for the village, whether the people of the mosque or the village are intended. As long as it is in the mosque, it is not permissible; due to the generality of the hadith, which is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
If anyone hears a man crying out in the mosque about something he has lost, he should say: May Allah not restore it to you
من سمع رجلًا ينشد ضالة في المسجد فليقل: لا ردها الله عليكWhen you see someone selling or buying in the Masjid then say: 'May Allah not profit your business.'
إذا رأيتم من يبيع ويبتاع في المسجد فقولوا: لا أربح الله تجارتكAs for if the loudspeaker is outside the mosque, in a house outside the mosque, or in a shop outside the mosque; then this is a known matter, and there is no harm in announcing the lost item and asking the Muslims to inform him about his need.
And as for writing a paper to be posted in the mosque, if it is on the outer wall, there is no harm, or on the outer door, there is no harm. But from the inside, it should not be done; because this resembles speech, and because it may occupy people with reviewing and reading the paper. So what appears is that it is not permissible in the mosque. It is not permissible to post papers in the mosque whose meaning is announcing lost items. But if it is written on the outer wall from the outside of the mosque, or on the door from the outside of the mosque, there is no harm in this. Yes.
The presenter: Meaning, is it permissible to use the mosque's loudspeaker after taking it out of the mosque?
The Shaykh: Yes, if it is outside the mosque, there is no harm.
The presenter: Outside the mosque.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: On this occasion, some people also use these loudspeakers in celebrations, for example.
The Shaykh: Yes, if it is in celebrations, there is no harm.
The presenter: The same loudspeakers specific to the mosques.
The Shaykh: If it is done in a light Islamic manner that does not harm any of the people, and is inside the protected area regarding the women, with proper words. But the more cautious approach is to leave that; because the norm in weddings is that they do not remain safe. It should be with normal voices, without a loudspeaker. Their speech and their permissible singing among the women should be with normal voices; because the loudspeaker's voice may reach the neighbors and harm them. So the closest view is that it should not be done. And if the loudspeaker's voice reaches the neighbors, whether it is from the mosque loudspeaker that they took and borrowed, or from another, this is not permissible; because it harms, occupies people, and tempts them with the voices of women, especially their songs.
So the conclusion is: the loudspeaker is not used, whether it belongs to the mosque or otherwise, in weddings, except if it is in a narrow manner inside the venue that does not harm any of the neighbors, and no one hears it, but only the attendees hear it specifically; then this may be permissible. But the closest view is to prohibit it so that it is not taken as a means to expand; because the loudspeaker voices that people do are harmful, and perhaps they continue with them until morning, and this is a reprehensible matter without doubt.
So the conclusion is: prohibition is preferable absolutely; so that it is not taken as a means to use it with a loud voice, harming the neighbors, and harming the passersby, and publicizing the wrong. For weddings are not safe, and the norm is that what is reprehensible occurs in them in singing and other things. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.