Mumbai: Islamic Scholar Urges Clerics To Follow Bombay High Court's Loudspeaker Guidelines For 'Azaan'

Mumbai: An Islamic scholar has urged members of the Muslim community and its religious leaders to ensure that loudspeakers are used within the prescribed noise levels during the 'azaan' or call to prayer by mosques

Sayed Moinuddin Ashrafi, a Mumbai-based scholar and president of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama (AISJU), has been quoted by PTI as saying that the Muslim clergy should follow the Bombay High Court's recent ruling regarding the use of loudspeakers.

"Islam does not cause harm to others. It teaches us to remove thorns or stones from the path of others to prevent harm to them," Ashrafi told PTI.

The Bombay High Court recently observed that the use of loudspeakers was not an essential part of any religion, and directed the state to curb noise pollution from places of worship, irrespective of faith.

The court asked the state government to direct religious institutions to adopt mechanisms for controlling noise levels, including calibrated sound systems with auto-decibel limits.