Fatwa ID: 01362

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Dear brother, Aslamualaikum, I live very far off from our local mosque so I at time I have to offer my prayers at home and alone, so my question was that how loud should my azan be and I also have recordings of the azan in a CD so is it necessary that I have to give azan verbally or can I just play the recording?   

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

If a person is praying alone at home and he is not within the vicinity of the mosque where the Azan and Iqamat take place, then it is Sunnat Muakadah to give both the Azan and Iqamat and to omit both is severely disliked.  If one gave the Azan but omitted the Iqamah then this is Makruh.  However if one gave the Iqamah and not the Azan then it will not beconsidered Makruh.

If one is praying alone at home and he is within the vicinity of the mosque where the Azan and the Iqamah take place, then it is mustuhub to give the Azan and Iqamah.  It is not disliked to omit both.   (Fatawa Hindiyyah p.54 v.1)

One point regarding the aforementioned ruling is that it is not necessary that one has to have physically heard the Azan and the Iqamah from the mosque.  The mere existence of a mosque where the Azan and Iqamat takes place within your vicinity is sufficient.

Regarding your question, when you are praying by yourself as long as the Azan is done in a leisurely way and you can hear it, then that is sufficient.

Finally, the Azan being played from a CD or cassette would not be considered valid for the Salah. It is necessary that the words of Azan are recited and called out verbally. A pre-recorded Azan on a CD or cassette is not the actual sound of the Muazzin (Caller of the Azan) but an impersonator of the Azan. (Jadeed Fiqhi Masaail p.140 v.1) 

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham.