Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
Is it permissible to install a clock in the mosque that emits a sound or bell which can be heard throughout the village?
✦ Installing a clock that emits a bell or musical tone is not permissible in Shariah.
This is because musical instruments are prohibited in Islamic law, and the use of bells is also explicitly discouraged. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"The angels do not accompany a group among whom there is a dog or a bell."
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Libas wa al-Zinah, Bab Karahiyat al-Kalb wa al-Jaras fi al-Safar)
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ stated:
"The bell is the musical instrument of Shaytan."
(Sahih Muslim, same reference)
These narrations clearly show the disapproval of bells, especially those that produce a musical or loud chime, as they resemble the instruments of Shaytan and disturb the spiritual ambiance of the mosque.
① It is not permissible to install a bell-ringing or musical-sounding clock in a mosque.
② Bells and musical tones are prohibited in Shariah, and their use is discouraged in sacred spaces.
③ Such clocks violate the sanctity of the mosque and contradict the prophetic guidance.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
❀ Question:
Is it permissible to install a clock in the mosque that emits a sound or bell which can be heard throughout the village?
❀ Answer:
✦ Installing a clock that emits a bell or musical tone is not permissible in Shariah.
This is because musical instruments are prohibited in Islamic law, and the use of bells is also explicitly discouraged. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
"The angels do not accompany a group among whom there is a dog or a bell."
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Libas wa al-Zinah, Bab Karahiyat al-Kalb wa al-Jaras fi al-Safar)
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ stated:
"The bell is the musical instrument of Shaytan."
(Sahih Muslim, same reference)
These narrations clearly show the disapproval of bells, especially those that produce a musical or loud chime, as they resemble the instruments of Shaytan and disturb the spiritual ambiance of the mosque.
✔ Summary:
① It is not permissible to install a bell-ringing or musical-sounding clock in a mosque.
② Bells and musical tones are prohibited in Shariah, and their use is discouraged in sacred spaces.
③ Such clocks violate the sanctity of the mosque and contradict the prophetic guidance.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
