• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Authors
  • Contact Us

The Punjab Pulse

Centre for Socio-Cultural Studies

  • Areas of Study
    • Social & Cultural Studies
    • Religious Studies
    • Governance & Politics
    • National Perspectives
    • International Perspectives
    • Communism
  • Activities
    • Conferences & Seminars
    • Discussions
  • News
  • Resources
    • Books & Publications
    • Book Reviews
  • Icons of Punjab
  • Videos
  • Academics
  • Agriculture
You are here: Home / Areas of Study / National Perspectives / J&K: Limit on the use of loudspeakers in Mosques

J&K: Limit on the use of loudspeakers in Mosques

June 2, 2021 By Jaibans Singh

Share

Jaibans Singh 

The Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has, in a landmark directive, told Mosques to limit the use of loudspeakers for religious discourses. A circular has been issued by Abdul Latif Al Sheikh, Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs allowing the use of loudspeakers only for Azan (call for prayer) and Iqamat (second call for prayer). Furthermore, the volume must not exceed one-third of the full volume of the loudspeakers. The circular is based on a Hadith of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), “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.”

The ministry clarified that communicating the Imam’s voice in prayer is specific to those inside the Mosque, and there is no legitimate need to convey it to those in the home, “In addition to the fact that reading the Quran on external amplifiers is disrespectful to the Quran when it is recited loudly using external loudspeakers, while no one is listening to and pondering on its verses,” said to the circular. The ministry has also observed that external amplifiers and loudspeakers used for anything other than the Azan harms patients, old people and children.  Regulatory measures would be taken against anyone who violates this directive.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the birth place of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the birthplace of Islam, for which reason it is considered to be the “Home of Islam.” The holy cities of Mecca and Medina fall in the Kingdom. The Kingdom also plays a leadership role in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which gives to it a strong voice in the Muslim world. The forward looking and enlightened decision taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to limit the use of loudspeakers must find resonance across the Islamic world.

In Kashmir the use of loudspeakers  in Mosques for purposes other than religious necessity has been going on since decades. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when terrorism raised its ugly head in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmir, loud speakers were financed and installed in Mosques by Pakistan.

The move paid excellent dividends; on 4th January 1990, Aftab, a local Urdu newspaper from Kashmir, published a press report issued by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen asking all the Kashmiri Hindus to leave the valley immediately. This was followed by broadcast of vitriolic and threatening communal speeches and messages from Mosques. The messages said, Ralive, Tsaliv ya Galive (either convert to Islam, leave the land or die) and other words to similar effect. This psychological operation was accompanied by targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs in order to trigger their exodus from the valley. The resultant exit of the Kashmir Pandit community from the Valley as a consequence of these psychological operations is well documented, over 500,000 peace-loving and helpless Hindus and Sikhs were uprooted from their homes leading to the biggest ethnic cleansing witnessed in independent India.

Jamia Masjid, Srinagar

Having achieved this massive success in a short period of time, the terror masters across the border integrated this resource seamlessly into their policy  of weakening India with a thousand cuts. The Hurriyat and the terrorists gave their messages from the Mosques. Crowds were collected, threats issued and diktats given through this medium. Indoctrination was done through spoken material provided by Pakistan and designed to flare up anti-India sentiments.

The preaching of a radical version of Islam to replace the enlightened Sufi culture was resorted to blatantly; it has led to the advent of the Salafi-Wahabi stream of Islam in Kashmir that was earlier unknown in the valley. Lectures from the likes of Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salah-ud-Din, Akbaruddin Owaisi  and Zakir Naik through Mosque loudspeakers are common place. India is incessantly described as a Dar-ul-Harb (land of war) and Dar al-Kufr (land of disbelievers).

This methodology reached a crescendo in the period of massive social disruption that was witnessed from 2008 onwards. Of note here is the anti-India campaign played out on the death of the terrorist Burhan Wani in 2016. Pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans with fervent appeals and direct incitement to the youths to join “Jihad” and fight against security forces blared from loudspeakers. This became the norm post all killings of terrorists by security forces. The process continues albeit at a limited scale, now that terrorism has been contained to a great measure in the Kashmir valley.

It is notable here that even Pakistan, that speaks so voraciously about the rights of the Kashmir people to use loudspeakers in Mosques, has been attempting to curtail the activity within the country. The Punjab Sound System (Regulation) Ordinance 2015 allows only one speaker for Azan and Friday Arabic sermons only.  Loudspeakers have been removed by the police on several occasions from hundreds of Mosques in big cities like Rawalpindi, Lahore and Islamabad.

In India, “secular” credentials are freely used to continue with use of loudspeakers for broadcast of prayers by all religious institutions, be it Hindu temples, Gurdwaras or Mosques. However the realisation is there about the disrespect that this  practice causes apart from the discomfort and there is a social movement to curtail the same. In a landmark judgement the Allahabad High Court held that the Muezzin could recite ‘Azan’ from minarets of the Mosques by human voice without using any amplifying device. “Azan is certainly an essential and integral part of Islam but use of microphone and loud-speakers is not an essential and an integral part thereof,” said a statement of the Hon’ble Court.

In Kashmir, in particular, the matter gains significance since the use of loudspeakers in religious places poses a serious threat to peace and harmony and also to the safety, security and integrity of the people and the Nation.  There is a strong case to seek motivation from the Saudi Arabia model and curtail the practice to the extent that is permissible now in the “Home of Islam.”

(Jaibans Singh is a columnist and commentator)


Share
test

Filed Under: National Perspectives, Stories & Articles Tagged With: Hurriyat, OIC, Sufi Culture, Syed Sallah-ud-Din

Primary Sidebar

News

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਚ ਖੇਡਾਂ

February 4, 2023 By News Bureau

ਸਿੱਖ ਫੌਜੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਹੈਲਮੇਟ ਲਾਜ਼ਮੀ ਕਰਨ ਦੇ ਫ਼ੈਸਲੇ ਦਾ ਵਿਰੋਧ

February 4, 2023 By News Bureau

ਪ੍ਰਨੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਕਾਂਗਰਸ ’ਚੋਂ ਮੁਅੱਤਲ

February 4, 2023 By News Bureau

आप सरकार के सत्ता में आने से पंजाब में आया बड़ा बदलाव

February 4, 2023 By News Bureau

मोटा अनाज खाएं; जल-जमीन और जीवन बचाएं

February 4, 2023 By News Bureau

Areas of Study

  • Governance & Politics
  • International Perspectives
  • National Perspectives
  • Social & Cultural Studies
  • Religious Studies

Featured Article

The actual message and etymology of Sri Guru Granth Sahib needs to be preserved

January 31, 2023 By Guest Author

Dr. Rajinder Pal Singh Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal living Guru continues to inspire mankind and provide guidance for God realisation and truthful living. It contains the teachings of the Sikh Gurus as well as of Hindu and Muslim saints. Eternal wisdom flows from its teachings which are recited and sung with intense devotion […]

Academics

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-10 – भाग-11

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-10 विजयी सैन्य शक्ति के प्रतीक ‘पांच प्यारे’ और पांच ‘ककार’ नरेंद्र सहगल श्रीगुरु गोविंदसिंह द्वारा स्थापित ‘खालसा पंथ’ किसी एक प्रांत, जाति या भाषा का दल अथवा पंथ नहीं था। यह तो संपूर्ण भारत एवं भारतीयता के सुरक्षा कवच के रूप में तैयार की गई खालसा फौज […]

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-8 – भाग-9

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-8 अमृत शक्ति-पुत्रों का वीरव्रति सैन्य संगठन नरेंद्र सहगल संपूर्ण भारत को ‘दारुल इस्लाम’ इस्लामिक मुल्क बनाने के उद्देश्य से मुगल शासकों द्वारा किए गए और किए जा रहे घोर अत्याचारों को देखकर दशम् गुरु श्रीगुरु गोविंदसिंह ने सोए हुए हिंदू समाज में क्षात्रधर्म का जाग्रण करके एक […]

‘सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला’ धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-6 – भाग-7

सिंघसूरमा लेखमाला धर्मरक्षक वीरव्रति खालसा पंथ – भाग-6 श्रीगुरु गोबिन्दसिंह का जीवनोद्देश्य धर्म की स्थापना, अधर्म का नाश नरेंद्र सहगल ‘हिन्द दी चादर’ अर्थात भारतवर्ष का सुरक्षा कवच सिख साम्प्रदाय के नवम् गुरु श्रीगुरु तेगबहादुर ने हिन्दुत्व अर्थात भारतीय जीवन पद्यति, सांस्कृतिक धरोहर एवं स्वधर्म की रक्षा के लिए अपना बलिदान देकर मुगलिया दहशतगर्दी को […]

Twitter Feed

The Punjab Pulse Follow

The Punjab Pulse is an independent, non-partisan think tank engaged in research and in-depth study of all aspects the impact the state of Punjab and Punjabis

ThePunjabPulse
Retweet on Twitter The Punjab Pulse Retweeted
gopalsa22721269 गोपाल सनातनी @gopalsa22721269 ·
4 Feb

निकले तो भारत जोड़ने थे लेकिन यात्रा में बुलाया उनको जो कभी भारत को तोड़ने की बात कर चुके हैं!!

Reply on Twitter 1621779051957587968 Retweet on Twitter 1621779051957587968 12 Like on Twitter 1621779051957587968 19 Twitter 1621779051957587968
Retweet on Twitter The Punjab Pulse Retweeted
gopalsa22721269 गोपाल सनातनी @gopalsa22721269 ·
4 Feb

यही सोच कोंग्रेस को पनपने नही दे रही है जिसने कोंग्रेस का भला किया उसके साथ ऐसा ही व्यवहार करते हैं ??

Reply on Twitter 1621756288521875456 Retweet on Twitter 1621756288521875456 14 Like on Twitter 1621756288521875456 17 Twitter 1621756288521875456
Retweet on Twitter The Punjab Pulse Retweeted
ourindiafirst19 India First @ourindiafirst19 ·
4 Feb

स्वदेशी से बढ़ रही आत्मनिर्भर भारत की धाक 💪

Reply on Twitter 1621762337660350464 Retweet on Twitter 1621762337660350464 14 Like on Twitter 1621762337660350464 44 Twitter 1621762337660350464
Load More

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Signup to receive regular updates and to hear what's going on with us.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Phone
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TAGS

Academics Activities Agriculture Areas of Study Books & Publications Communism Conferences & Seminars Discussions Governance & Politics Icons of Punjab International Perspectives National Perspectives News Religious Studies Resources Social & Cultural Studies Stories & Articles Uncategorized Videos

Footer

About Us

The Punjab Pulse is an independent, non-partisan think tank engaged in research and in-depth study of all aspects the impact the state of Punjab and Punjabis at large. It strives to provide a platform for a wide ranging dialogue that promotes the interest of the state and its peoples.

Read more

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Phone
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · The Punjab Pulse

Developed by Web Apps Interactive