Islamic Affairs ministry directs to limit the use of external loudspeakers in mosques for Adhan and Iqamat only

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has restricted the use of loudspeakers in mosques, allowing them to be used only for prayer calls (Adhan) and Iqamat.

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Abdul Latif al-sheik, has issued a circular to all mosques in the Kingdom instructing them to use external loudspeakers only for Adhan and Iqamat and to reduce their volume to one-third.

The circular is based on Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) Hadith in which he said: “Lo! every one of you is calling his Lord quietly. One should not trouble the other and one should not raise the voice in recitation or in prayer over the voice of the other.”

Additionally, the rule is based on fatwas issued by senior Islamic scholars, such as Sheikh Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymeen and Saleh Al Fawzan, which state that loudspeakers in mosques should be used exclusively for Azan and Iqamat.