Raising Voice in the Mosque
And one of the etiquettes of the mosque is also that one should not raise their voice in the mosque. Rather, if one has to speak about permissible matters, it should be done in an extremely low tone, keeping in mind the sanctity and respect of the mosque. Regarding the prohibition of raising the voice in the mosque, in Sahih Bukhari, “Book of Prayer, Chapter on Raising the Voice in the Mosque,” Hazrat Saib bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
كنت قائما فى المسجد فحصبني رجل فنظرت فإذا هو عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه، فقال: اذهب فأتني بهذين، فجئته بهما، قال: من أنتما؟ أو من أين أنتما؟ قالا: من أهل الطائف، قال: لو كنتما من أهل البلد لأوجعتكما ترفعان أصواتكما فى مسجد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
I was standing in the mosque when someone threw a pebble at me. When I turned around, it was Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: Go and bring those two men to me. When I brought them, Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Who are you? Or where are you from? They said they had come from Taif. Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you were from our city, I would have given you a painful punishment. You raise your voices in the blessed mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him), wrote in Fath al-Bari about this Farooqi narration that apparently this is an action of Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), but its ruling is based on a Marfoo’ hadith, meaning this prohibition is established from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Otherwise, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would never have said to them to be punished with lashes.
The same incident is narrated differently in Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, where Hazrat Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) states that Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say:
لا تكثروا اللغط
“Do not shout or make loud noises in the mosque.”
And further in this narration, it is also mentioned:
إن مسجدنا هذا لا يرفع فيه الصوت
“No loud voices will be raised in our mosque.”
However, there is a discontinuity in its chain of narration because Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) did not witness the time of this incident.
Regarding the prohibition of raising the voice in the mosque, this Farooqi narration can also be used as evidence, which is narrated in Muwatta Imam Malik through Hazrat Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), in which it is stated:
بنى عمر إلى جانب المسجد رحبة فسماها البطيحاء فكان يقول: من أراد أن يلغط أو ينشد شعرا أو يرفع صوتا فليخرج إلى هذه الرحبة
Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) had built a small platform next to the mosque called Batihah. He used to say: Whoever wants to shout, recite poetry, or raise their voice in any matter, should go to that platform.
Just as these narrations from Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) indicate the prohibition of raising the voice in mosques, their confirmation is also found in some Marfoo’ hadiths, though they themselves are weak. For example, in Sunan Ibn Majah, Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, and Kabir al-Tabarani, there is a hadith narrated from Hazrat Wathilah (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding the prohibition of enforcing punishments and penalties in the mosque, which includes these words:
جنبوا مساجدكم.. رفع أصواتكم
“Avoid raising your voice in your mosques.”
Based on these hadiths and narrations, some scholars have declared raising the voice in the mosque absolutely disliked and forbidden. Even Allama Ibn Abdul Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) in Jami’ Bayan al-Ilm wa Fadlih, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) in Fath al-Bari, have narrated from Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) that when asked about raising the voice to teach knowledge in the mosque, he said:
There is no good or benefit in knowledge that causes noise in the mosque. I have found people since ancient times considering this act blameworthy. Therefore, I consider it disliked.
If we consider the conduct of Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) and the statement of Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), then even if some other hadiths allow raising the voice in mosques for acquiring knowledge, it certainly does not justify the shouting and chanting by the audience sitting in front. Rather, the style of shouting among our people today does not even limit itself to the Sunnah Takbeer slogans; thus, justifying such self-invented slogans is even more difficult. Because some of these are not only contrary to the sanctity and respect of the mosque but also against the authentic and agreed-upon beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah.
Therefore, in mosques, the preacher or speaker should be listened to attentively only. Unnecessary shouting is against the etiquettes of the mosque. It is generally done to heat up the gathering, and that too when held in a public or open place, not to create disturbance in the peaceful and calm atmosphere of the mosque. And if shouting occurs during the Friday sermon, it is even more impermissible because Friday prayers have their own etiquettes and restrictions that do not allow such behavior from the audience.
However, the permissibility of the imam, preacher, teacher, or speaker raising their voice in the mosque is argued from this hadith in Sahih Bukhari, which mentions that Hazrat Ka’b bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Ibn Abi Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) had a debt transaction. When Hazrat Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) demanded payment, their voices were raised in this matter to the extent that the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard their voices from his house. Then he lifted the curtain from the door opening towards the mosque (كشف سجف حجرته) and addressed Hazrat Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him):
“Forgive part of your debt,” he immediately complied, and ordered the other companion to pay the remaining debt.
From this hadith, the permissibility of raising the voice is derived, provided that this raising of voice is not in the form of shouting, yelling, or slogans. Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) allowed raising the voice in the mosque for knowledge, and this should be understood as permissible only if the voice is raised for teaching; otherwise, it is not permissible. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) included both these hadiths in his chapter “Raising the Voice in the Mosque” and pointed out this distinction. Therefore, keeping in mind the etiquette and respect, one should avoid any act that causes disrespect and dishonor to the mosque.
