Saudi government places restrictions on volume of speakers in mosques
The Saudi government recently issued a set of instructions for mosques to follow in the month of Ramadan, including restrictions on the volume of loudspeakers during the call to prayer.
Loudspeakers cannot be used except to make the call for prayer and Iqaamat (the second call to prayer given right before the prayer starts), Gulf News reported.
If the speakers are used in any of these two instances, their volume cannot exceed one-third of their total capacity.
The instructions also restrict the Arab media from broadcasting live transmissions of the prayer in Ramadan.
The Imam (one who leads the prayer) and those who pray behind him cannot be recorded through cameras installed in the mosque either.
The government further instructed the individuals and private organisations that provide Iftar (meal at the end of a fast) to refrain from wasting food or spending money unnecessarily.
As per reports in local media, the notice issued by Saudi’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr Abullatif Bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, directs mosques to only use the loudspeakers for Azan (the call to prayer) and the Iqamat (which is the second call for communal prayer). The notice allows the use of loudspeakers during prayers, provided the noise remains confined to inside the mosques, and that the level of loudness does not exceed one-third of the level of loudspeaker device. Significantly, non-adherence to the said rules might lead to the imposition of a penalty on violators.
