Muslims urged to use WhatsApp for call to worship. Should there be *jihad* on Professor Frimpong?

My personal View
This is what Prof Frimpong Boateng said:

*.. Noise in the lorry station those who are seeling records and so on. They should get a setup so you can listen to the thing with earphone and chose the music you want. You can not disturb everybody because you want to buy some records.
And again, I think In the houses of worship, why is it that the noise will [not] be limited to the house of worship…
And again maybe from the mosque, why is it that time for prayer would not be transmitted with a text message or WhatsApp so th Imam will send WhatsApp message to everybody that the time for prayer is up so appear*

Unfortunately, below is how someone has decided to present. It has taking a political twist. And anyone who talks about it is seen as either NPP or NDC.

The call to prayer is called *Azzan* in arabic.
Does Azaan causes noise pollution? Oh yes! No two ways about that. What we can have many ways about is the level of the noise pollution.

If you leave in a community (Like Wamfie) where you have just one or two mosques, it will be insignificant because azzan takes less than 5min. And 5 times a day will only sum up to 25min. We have 1,440 minutes in a day. So 25min is insignificant.

But if you leave in a community like Sawaba or Aboabo in Kumasi. The combine effect of the various azaans last about 30min. Because there are many mosques. As one Azaan ends, another starts.

If you take Zuhr prayer for instance, Some mosque does its azaan around 12:00pm. Others 12:15pm, others 12:30pm, others 12:35p.......to around 1:30pm.

I'v always had the perception that "Christians" make noise alot during church services. Until someday(a year of two back) around 3:00pm, I was at Sawaba, at the premises of the Penticost Church. I was assisting a friend to install Biometric Attendance system for the church. It was a terrible experience. Everywhere was laud voice of Azaan. As one ends, another starts. It all lasted about 20min. Becasuse of the many mosques around.

On another day at the premise, The experience was worse. This time around 6pm (Call for Magrib).

I told my friend( A Christian),

"I have had new experience today. I think muslims we also make noise in our prayers. Until recently, I have always thought it is you guys"

"Hwe, Not easy here, every evening. No peace here."--He replied

I said wow!
What came to my mind instantly was the hadith reported by Abu Dawuud.

In the hadith of the Prophet, Abu Said al-Khudri said :

When the Prophet once prayed at the mosque, he heard someone reciting the Quran loudly while the Prophet was at the place of worship.

The Prophet then lifted the curtains (between them) and said,

“Listen you who supplicate to his God, let not these of you cause disturbance to others. Do not raise your voice in reciting prayers, above that of the others* --(Recorded by Abu Daud).

But unfortunately, our azaan has disturb the people around sawaaba for unknown years. We shouldnt look at the non-muslims only. The sick, the 6 months baby, the aged all need quite environment.

I'v always ask WHY DO WE DO Tahajjud prayers in laud speakers.

Unfortunately, as soon as you ask questions like this people start praying for you. Thinking you are loosing your faith.

Azaan is important. No doubt. Very very important

1) It reminds us it's time for prayer!
2) It reminds us of our core belief as muslims. Unfortunately, most of us muslims don't even know what the content is. So we don't know it's a reenforcement of our core belief.

This is the content of Azaan. (According to Sunni School of thought)

*BEGINING:*
God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest.
God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but God.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but God.

I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God

Hurry up to the Prayer, hurry up to the Prayer.
Hurry up to real success, Hurry up to real success
God is the Greatest, God is the Greatest.
There is none worthy of worship but God.
*END*
In the azaan for the Dawn Prayer. the following words are added after *Hurry up to the Prayer*.

*Prayer is better than sleep, Prayer is better than sleep*

Note: Shia school of thought has slight variations.

"I testify Ali is Vicegerent of God" AND "Hasten towards best activity" are added in Shia Azaan. They also don't mention the Prayer is better than sleep at dawn.

After saying God is great, the next two sentences forms the FIRST PILLAR OF ISLAM [Kalimatu Shahada]

Thus

I BEAR WITHNESS THAT THERE IS NONE WORTHY OF WORSHIP BUT GOD, AND MOHAMMED(SAW) IS HIS MESSENGER

So, persoanlly, I will be happy to haer azaan 10 times a day. NOT BECAUSE IT'S CALLING ME TO PRAYER. BUT BECAUSE IT'S REMINDING ME OF MY CORE BELIEF.

I think Prof. Frimpong Boatend is ignorant of this. Which is normal. Because he is not a muslim. And not a muslim scholar.

Another importance of Azaan is, It let one know where muslims are.

Whereever you are, you just have to wait for 1:30pm or 3:30pm or 6pm or 7pm or 4:30am.. Wherever you hear azaan, you have found your brother. If you are a stranger.

So the Azaan is not just to tell people It's time for prayer. It has other benefits.

SOME MUSLIMS ARGUMENT

Christians make more noise than us

That might be true to some extend but debatable. It depends on where you are located.

I stay close to a church. Almost every night there is an activity going on in the church, and it disturbs.
On sunday, almost everywhere of the town(Kumasi) is noisy because of church activities.
From 20th Dec to 1st January, the whole country is noisy, 24/7 because of conventions.

BUT IS THAT THE BASIS OF OUR AZAAN? "YOU DO ME I DO YOU"?

I don't think so! We are NOT doing azaan because others are making noise.

Islam teaches us to be moderate and balanced in all aspects of life, whether it is religion, worship, relationships, ideas, or daily activities. Principled moderation is one of the defining characteristics of good character in Islam. So regardless of what your neighbour is doing. you have to be moderate.

*Thus, We have made you a justly balanced community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.*--[Surat Al-Baqarah 2:143]

*Oh People of the Book, don’t go extreme in your religion…* [Surah An-Nisa’: 171]

So why raise the argument that X did it. So no big deal if I do too.

I think both religions have to do house cleaning to reduce noise pollution.

And not just religion. In Ghana we don't have peace on saturday. Funeral/club/sporting/akoba/madam katrin, etc make worst terrible noise. From Down to Sunset.

Below is a comment someone made about Sirens, All that form pat of the nose pollution.

Just the guy at the next door is enough to disturb your sleep. He plays Shatawale so High as if he owns the house.

We really need to enforce laws on noise. In all activities.

Maybe I'm not understanding the Prof's message very well. I personally don't see it as a message for only muslims.

...Those selling records, ........and again, at the houses of worship.........and again, at the mosque

Now, the main issue !
Can we use whatsapp to call people to prayer?
I'm not a scholar, I can't say YES or NO.
One thing we are warned as muslims is *Innovation*. It's the responsibility of our scholars to decide what *New things* can be added to the religion. And where there are no clear cut rules in Quran or Hadith. The ruling a scholar will give is based on deductions. And since almost every scholar belongs to a school of thought ( Except the Salafs who claim they don't belong to any school of thought) there will NEVER be one single rulling on issues like this. This is a challenge in every religion. That is why there is a denomination called Methodist. And another one called Penticost. Such variations are acceptable.

I have a different worry. That is why I wrote this post. It's about us the youth.

Who calls u to go to work at 7:30am every working day?
Who calls u to go to Baba Yara Sports stadium to watch match at 3pm?
Who calls u to go to dstv sports center exactly 6:45pm to watch Barch vrs Roma?
Who calls us to go to lecturer every morning when in school?

WHY IN YOUR LIFE TIME, SHOULD SOMEONE ALWAYS REMIND U *IT'S TIME TO SERVE GOD*. It shows how distanced we are from God. We are more close to DSTV than God.

I remember when I was a child. My mom wakes up around 4:30am every day. It was like magic. No clock. No alarm. That is what consistent practice does. Our fathers and mothers bear witness.

One muazin(the one who calls the prayer) used to come check if she is awake. And trust me, 90% of the time, she was already awake praying *Nafila*(An optional prayer).

I'v always wondered why she was so exact on time..Until I recently when I read a book titled

*The One Thing: The surprisingly simple Truth Behind Extraordinary results*
--By Gary Keller

The book talks about how to make a *practice* a *habbit*. You need between 60-120 days nonstop practice. And that activitiy will automatically be part of you.

You will automatically be triggered. And will never be comfortable If you don't do that activitiy.

It's good we are reminded it's time for prayer. And azaan does it perfect.

BUT let's be honest to ourselves as muslims, especially we the youth who are raising social media Jihad(SMJ).

DO WE EVEN GO TO MOSQUE WHEN THE AZZAN IS CALLED?

How many of us leave DSTV to go pray when azaan is called?

Those consistant at mosque are our old men and women. Who dosn't even care whether azaan is called or not. They will be there on time.

We the youth always reach there when the prayer is already started. OR half way or done! People are just 20min away from mosque but they pray in their rooms.

I'm a typical example. May God forgive us all.
During ramadan for instanace, out of 10 taraweeh rakats(units of prayers), we get there when it's left with 4. What benefit did such azaan achieved.

In a community of 1000s of muslims, you won't find more than 20 when the prayer starts. And they are 90% old men and women.

And trust me. That 20 where not influence by the azaan. They see it as God's responsibility on them. With or without azaan, they will get there on time. Sometimes the Muazin(the one who calls for prayer) will even be late, bu they will be there.

During Fajr(Dawn Prayer) for example, Azaan is nornally called 3 times in most mosque.. But still we get there when prayer is already started.

No one does azaan in China, and noisy church activities is banned. It's even difficult to do evengelism in China. But people are worshiping. A time will definitely come we won't be hearing Azaan. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next 50 years. But it will definitely come. Countries Have started banning mosque/church activities in loud speakers. Rwanda did it in Kigali last March. The muslims authorities in Rwanda said they will make appeal. Hope it works.

Sheikh Suleiman Mbarushimana, an adviser to Mufti of Rwanda told The EastAfrican the ban violates Islamic liturgical practices.

Stopping Adhan is inappropriate, instead we would seek to do it in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone like agreeing on sound levels not to exceed

We know this already. We know we have to minimize noise. We don't have to wait for ban first. Anything of Fitna, God dosn't like.

In every mosque.. The time for every prayer is communicated. When there is change, it's communicated also. So we already know when prayer starts, and we know we have to get there earlier. Bu twe won't.

This is the problem we have as muslim youth. We are so eager to defend Islam BUT we are not practicing it.

We will spend our entire day talking about Chelsea, Barcelona and *Wani Budurwa*
Spend the evening at gambling center
From gambling Center to One Corner show
Get to bed late with our girlfriend
have sex with her on camera
Take pictures of her nudity
Send picture and video to our *Client*
Miss the next day down prayer
Pray it around 7am in our room
Excort our girlfriend at 8am
and then come back to stone a girl that she's a lesbean.

Subahanallah! What moral right do we have? Are we that clean to pick the stone and cast?

We don't even pray. Some of us does it once a day. Others once every Friday. Others only during Ramadan. Is defending Azaan not a form of Hippocracy?

We have a big Jihad to do. That is Jihad Al-Nafs. *Jihad against our own soul*

Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq said: Prophet (mohammed) once dispatched an army to the battlefront. Upon their return, he said: *Blessed are those who have performed the minor jihad and have yet to perform the major jihad* When asked, What is the major jihad?’ He replied: *The jihad of the self (struggle against self)*.

--[Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 19, p. 182, hadith no. 31]

Every religion wants peace for the community. I think we can look at it from that angle. and stop the Social Media jihaad on Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.

There are practical challenges to implementing what he said but it's a suggestion coming from a man who eats and drink Technology. He should go and sin no more. But the main issue will still be there.

How do we reduce noise in Mosque and Churches.

If Islam will fall, it will fall from within. Not the absence of Azaan. If loud speaker disturbs, we should reduce volume or stop using it all. Afterall Islam is over 1400 years but loudspeakers were invented in the early 20th century, and they were introduced in mosques in the 1930s. So we can confidently leave without it. If adding laudspeakers in the 1930s was not Bid'ah I don't think dropping it will be Bid'ah(Innovation).

This is what's happening in other countires.

Indonesia:
The world's most populous Muslim nation, is taking official measures to curb the problem. They have over 800, 000 mosques. At a point in time, there was even *Loud Speaker war* where each mosque tries to beat the other in terms of loudess. This is insane. Why should a speaker calling for prayer be head at 5km away.

Nigeria:
In 2016, authorities in Nigeria's Lagos State shut 70 churches, 20 mosques and 10 hotels in an attempt to reduce high noise levels. According to BBC.

The government has vowed to make the city, the biggest in Africa, noise-free by 2020.

Egypt:
The government is working on a project that will synchronize the five daily calls to prayer across the city. They want to computerize the call. So when one Muazin calls, it will be heard across all mosques. Once for every prayer time.

I personally prefer the Eqyptian method.
BTW, I' m just an ordinary Kaunda. Enough of my ranting. I welcome everyone's comment.

Where I erred It's my own fault. I welcome scholars to correct me. If it's helpful, Praise be to God.

Needless to say, this is a bit of deviation. I don't write on Religious stuff here on Modern Ghana. I write on Digital Entrepreneurship. I have a telegram group where I teach it for free. You are welcome if you are youth who loves technology and wants to make a living on the internet.
Join The Group Here OR just give a call(0234809010). I will add you. You can also register on my personal website (webextremist.com) to be part.

On this note, I say Wasalaam!