Allahabad High Court says no to Azan from mosques on loudspeakers, permits only human voice

Holding that azaan (call to prayer) “may be an essential and integral part of Islam”, the Allahabad High CourtAllahabad High CourtAllahabad High Court Friday said its recitation “through loudspeakers or other sound amplifying devices cannot be said to be an integral part of the religion, warranting protection of the fundamental right enshrined under Article 25 of the Constitution of IndiaIndiaIndia, which is even otherwise subject to public order, morality or health and to other provisions” of Part III of the Constitution.

Ruling on pleas by Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari, Congress leader Salman Khurshid and senior advocate S Wasim A Qadri, who challenged orders of the Ghazipur, Farrukhabad and Hathras administrations directing mosques to stop recitation of azaan through loudspeakers in view of the Covid-19 guidelines, a division bench of Justices Shashi Kant Gupta and Ajit Kumar said azaan can be recited by the muezzin from the mosque minarets “by human voice without using any amplifying device and the administration is directed not to cause hindrance… unless such guidelines are being violated”.

But the bench made it clear that “under no circumstances sound amplifying devices can be permitted to be used between 10.00 pm to 6.00 am by the district administrations.