New Delhi: Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law and legal expert expressed his views over the Allahabad High Court verdict on Azaan.
Recently, the court has allowed azaan from mosques but said that the use of loudspeakers could not be permitted. The court said that azaan was a part of Islam but using loudspeakers were not a part of the religion.
View of Faizan Mustafa
Reacting over it, Faizan Mustafa said although he has no objection over the judgment, he said that judges should not become clergy.
Explaining what Azaan is, he said that it is a call for prayer like bells in Christianity, horn in Judaism, etc.
The loudspeaker was invented in 20th century and it was first introduced in the Singapore mosque in 1930.
He further said that Azaan can be given by a person who has a melodious and loud voice. The criterion of load voice is to ensure that Azaan reaches maximum people. If it is an integral part of Azaan then loudspeaker is an integral part of Islam, he added.
Citing the use of loudspeakers on various occasions including, Ganesh Chaturthi, Jagrans, etc., Faizan Mustafa said that banning loudspeakers for Azaan creates unease among the public.
HC verdict on Azaan
It may be mentioned that the court said that using loudspeakers for azaan was an infringement on the rights of others since it disturbed their sleep. The rights of one person must not infringe on the rights of others, the court observed.
The court allowed the ‘muezzin’ of the mosques to hold ‘azaan’ without loudspeakers.