Stop the noise!
“So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men” — Voltaire.
Have you ever been jolted out of your peaceful sleep by a roaring azan? Then just as you come to your senses and realise what happened, a second muezzin’s voice, even louder (if possible), joins in and over the next few minutes, at least half a dozen other voices join in — distorting the sound of the azans. Due to this, the azan — a melodious expression of faith — has instead become a thunderous cacophony. This is a problem that few people have been willing to denounce publicly, due to a fear that they might be doing something religiously wrong if they complain about it.
In a letter to the editor (The Tribune, November 17, 2003), H. Kishie Singh from Chandigarh, India, complains about the misuse of loudspeakers, “Social scientists and doctors have confirmed that unnecessary and unwanted noise leads to sleeplessness, stress, nervous disorders, leading to heart attacks. Is this what our religious institutions are doing for us? It is a most thoughtless act and definitely an anti-social activity. It is also against the law.”
Mr. Singh may not be a Muslim, but he has hit the right chord. There are several forms of energy that can harm the body when exposure takes place. They include mechanical energy that impacts the body from noise and vibration. Noise is unwanted sound. Any form of unwelcome sound is noise pollution, whether it is the roar of a jet plane overhead or the sound of a drumbeat. Any form of noise can be considered as pollution if it causes annoyance, sleeplessness, fright or any other stress reaction. The menace of the growing noise often does irreparable loss to our psychological health.
An online report by BBC shows how the public is getting weary of loudspeaker misuse. Martin from Nottingham suggests, “I think the call to prayer should be changed back to the muezzins using their own voices. These sound so much better than the really poor amplifiers and crackly speakers they currently use and give a feel of more traditional worship.” Sarah from Surrey expresses, “I strongly feel that we have to take a practical approach. When the azan stops being beautiful and aesthetic and starts to be a nuisance, then that is ungodly.” Tariq, a London resident says, “The origins of the call to prayer were rooted in beauty and melody. At the time of the Prophet (PBUH), options were sought for the best way to call the faithful to prayer. Through providence, they opted for the tones of Hazrat Bilal. If people want individual ‘azans’, then they should be allowed to do so, without amplifiers.” From Egypt, Hazem writes, “Even in the relative quiet of my district, Zamalek, I cannot help but frown each time my building starts to shake from the inaudible cacophony blasting through the loudspeakers of the mosque around the corner. On Friday at noon, it reaches the point where you cannot even hear the person sitting next to you in the living room. Moreover, it is all mingled with echoes of other nearby mosques into a seeming cosmic dissonance.”
Islam took care of human beings and made sure that they should not be subjected to loud and annoying noises that might harm them, both physically and psychologically. In the Quran, Luqman the Wise advised his son saying: “…and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass” (31:19). The Shariah does not allow loud voices in the mosques, even if it is the Quran that is recited. The right of others to pray peacefully or to recite the Quran quietly on their own, during times other than the obligatory prayer should be respected.
The loudspeakers in mosques are utilised by our clerics in ways that are not justified by Islam. These loudspeakers can be heard miles away. “The call to prayer, when I first heard it as a child, was beautiful. It wafted over the city in soft and musical tones,” writes Nawal El-Saadawi in the al-Ahram Weekly. “Now it has become a cacophony of strident voices, a threatening call, shot through with violence.” The amplifiers used by the mosques are the cause of this discomfort. Mosques all over Pakistan resort to the free home-delivery of religion, with loudspeakers blaring at all odd hours. Using loudspeakers for the azan is okay, but its ‘misuse’ should not be tolerated. Religion is easy. Why make it a nuisance for people? In recent years, an increasing number of mosques have been putting up ever more powerful speaker systems, not only for the azan, but also for sermons, announcements, milaads, etc. The list is endless. There are, additionally, even those who spread hatred and religious bigotry by misusing loudspeakers in mosques. This must be outlawed without further delay.
Renowned Islamic scholar Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani says, “No doubt, the loudspeaker is a very useful instrument to extend the voice of azan over a wider range to enable all the audience sitting in the mosque to hear the sermon. But, like any other thing, if it is used indiscriminately without observing the limits prescribed by the Shariah, it becomes harmful and injurious. The way it is used in a large number of mosques in our country does not conform to the principles of Shariah. It not only hurts the people living around mosques, but also creates ill feelings against the mosque managements and other religious circles. As far as the azan is concerned, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) emphasised its recitation in a loud voice to reach distant places. The use of a loudspeaker facilitates this objective. Hence it is not only allowed, but also advisable… But while offering salah or delivering a sermon, it is necessary according to the settled principles of Shariah, that the voice of Qira'ah or the sermon should not exceed the relevant musallis, or the audience, as the case may be. If the voice spreads outside the mosque, it may disturb people and prevent them from performing their duties properly. There may be patients who may suffer. There may be people performing the rites of worship who lose their concentration. There may be numerous other situations in which a loud voice may cause different harms. Muslim jurists are also unanimous on the point that the recitation of the Holy Quran in a loud voice should not be allowed when people are engaged in other activities and so cannot give the Holy Book its due regard. The recitation of the Holy Quran on loudspeakers outside the mosque brings this additional problem.”
As mosques in most places in our country are uniformly spread throughout the urban areas, it is essential that instead of competing, their managements cooperate with each other to determine the minimum audible level necessary to cover the entire area. Overlapping voices from different mosques do not achieve any useful purpose as a person who does intend to pray in a mosque will head for a mosque nearest to his geographical position. It serves no purpose to use loudspeakers at such a high volume except stirring the peaceful slumber of the people long dead in the neighbouring graveyard.
One of the objectives of praying in mosques is to demonstrate unity among Muslims, but sadly many among the clergy appear as if they are in competition to preach division. Leading by example, they suggest an ongoing ‘silent’ war by raising their voice over their rivals and the existence of discord. This depressing status quo must be changed by self-realisation and a deeper understanding of the real message behind the call for prayers. However, until such a time comes, we will continue to be silent martyrs in this roaring combat.
Have you ever been jolted out of your peaceful sleep by a roaring azan? Then just as you come to your senses and realise what happened, a second muezzin’s voice, even louder (if possible), joins in and over the next few minutes, at least half a dozen other voices join in — distorting the sound of the azans. Due to this, the azan — a melodious expression of faith — has instead become a thunderous cacophony. This is a problem that few people have been willing to denounce publicly, due to a fear that they might be doing something religiously wrong if they complain about it.
In a letter to the editor (The Tribune, November 17, 2003), H. Kishie Singh from Chandigarh, India, complains about the misuse of loudspeakers, “Social scientists and doctors have confirmed that unnecessary and unwanted noise leads to sleeplessness, stress, nervous disorders, leading to heart attacks. Is this what our religious institutions are doing for us? It is a most thoughtless act and definitely an anti-social activity. It is also against the law.”
Mr. Singh may not be a Muslim, but he has hit the right chord. There are several forms of energy that can harm the body when exposure takes place. They include mechanical energy that impacts the body from noise and vibration. Noise is unwanted sound. Any form of unwelcome sound is noise pollution, whether it is the roar of a jet plane overhead or the sound of a drumbeat. Any form of noise can be considered as pollution if it causes annoyance, sleeplessness, fright or any other stress reaction. The menace of the growing noise often does irreparable loss to our psychological health.
An online report by BBC shows how the public is getting weary of loudspeaker misuse. Martin from Nottingham suggests, “I think the call to prayer should be changed back to the muezzins using their own voices. These sound so much better than the really poor amplifiers and crackly speakers they currently use and give a feel of more traditional worship.” Sarah from Surrey expresses, “I strongly feel that we have to take a practical approach. When the azan stops being beautiful and aesthetic and starts to be a nuisance, then that is ungodly.” Tariq, a London resident says, “The origins of the call to prayer were rooted in beauty and melody. At the time of the Prophet (PBUH), options were sought for the best way to call the faithful to prayer. Through providence, they opted for the tones of Hazrat Bilal. If people want individual ‘azans’, then they should be allowed to do so, without amplifiers.” From Egypt, Hazem writes, “Even in the relative quiet of my district, Zamalek, I cannot help but frown each time my building starts to shake from the inaudible cacophony blasting through the loudspeakers of the mosque around the corner. On Friday at noon, it reaches the point where you cannot even hear the person sitting next to you in the living room. Moreover, it is all mingled with echoes of other nearby mosques into a seeming cosmic dissonance.”
Islam took care of human beings and made sure that they should not be subjected to loud and annoying noises that might harm them, both physically and psychologically. In the Quran, Luqman the Wise advised his son saying: “…and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass” (31:19). The Shariah does not allow loud voices in the mosques, even if it is the Quran that is recited. The right of others to pray peacefully or to recite the Quran quietly on their own, during times other than the obligatory prayer should be respected.
The loudspeakers in mosques are utilised by our clerics in ways that are not justified by Islam. These loudspeakers can be heard miles away. “The call to prayer, when I first heard it as a child, was beautiful. It wafted over the city in soft and musical tones,” writes Nawal El-Saadawi in the al-Ahram Weekly. “Now it has become a cacophony of strident voices, a threatening call, shot through with violence.” The amplifiers used by the mosques are the cause of this discomfort. Mosques all over Pakistan resort to the free home-delivery of religion, with loudspeakers blaring at all odd hours. Using loudspeakers for the azan is okay, but its ‘misuse’ should not be tolerated. Religion is easy. Why make it a nuisance for people? In recent years, an increasing number of mosques have been putting up ever more powerful speaker systems, not only for the azan, but also for sermons, announcements, milaads, etc. The list is endless. There are, additionally, even those who spread hatred and religious bigotry by misusing loudspeakers in mosques. This must be outlawed without further delay.
Renowned Islamic scholar Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani says, “No doubt, the loudspeaker is a very useful instrument to extend the voice of azan over a wider range to enable all the audience sitting in the mosque to hear the sermon. But, like any other thing, if it is used indiscriminately without observing the limits prescribed by the Shariah, it becomes harmful and injurious. The way it is used in a large number of mosques in our country does not conform to the principles of Shariah. It not only hurts the people living around mosques, but also creates ill feelings against the mosque managements and other religious circles. As far as the azan is concerned, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) emphasised its recitation in a loud voice to reach distant places. The use of a loudspeaker facilitates this objective. Hence it is not only allowed, but also advisable… But while offering salah or delivering a sermon, it is necessary according to the settled principles of Shariah, that the voice of Qira'ah or the sermon should not exceed the relevant musallis, or the audience, as the case may be. If the voice spreads outside the mosque, it may disturb people and prevent them from performing their duties properly. There may be patients who may suffer. There may be people performing the rites of worship who lose their concentration. There may be numerous other situations in which a loud voice may cause different harms. Muslim jurists are also unanimous on the point that the recitation of the Holy Quran in a loud voice should not be allowed when people are engaged in other activities and so cannot give the Holy Book its due regard. The recitation of the Holy Quran on loudspeakers outside the mosque brings this additional problem.”
As mosques in most places in our country are uniformly spread throughout the urban areas, it is essential that instead of competing, their managements cooperate with each other to determine the minimum audible level necessary to cover the entire area. Overlapping voices from different mosques do not achieve any useful purpose as a person who does intend to pray in a mosque will head for a mosque nearest to his geographical position. It serves no purpose to use loudspeakers at such a high volume except stirring the peaceful slumber of the people long dead in the neighbouring graveyard.
One of the objectives of praying in mosques is to demonstrate unity among Muslims, but sadly many among the clergy appear as if they are in competition to preach division. Leading by example, they suggest an ongoing ‘silent’ war by raising their voice over their rivals and the existence of discord. This depressing status quo must be changed by self-realisation and a deeper understanding of the real message behind the call for prayers. However, until such a time comes, we will continue to be silent martyrs in this roaring combat.
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