The muezzin (Arabic: مُؤَذِّن) is the person who proclaims the daily call to prayer (ṣalāt) five times a day (Fajr prayer, Zuhr prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Isha prayer) in a mosque. [1] [2] The muezzin plays an important role in ensuring an accurate prayer plan for the Muslim community. Since the fourteenth story, first in Mamluk Egypt and then extended to other parts of the Islamic world, the great mosques could employ a related officer, the Muwaqqit, who determined the times of prayer with mathematical astronomy. Unlike muezzin, who were generally chosen for their piety and beautiful voice, the qualification of muwaqqit required special knowledge of astronomy. [5] [6] Historian Sonja Brentjes speculates that the Muwaqqit may have evolved from a specialized muezzin,[7] and that there could be no clear demarcation between the two offices. [8] It is known that some famous muwaqqits, including Shams al-Din al-Khalili and ibn al-Shatir, were once muezzines, and many people held both positions simultaneously. [9] Today, with the manufacture of electronic devices and binding schedules, a muezzin in a mosque can transmit the call to prayer by consulting a table or clock without requiring the special skills of a muwaqqit. [10] The call of the muezzin is considered an art form, which is reflected in the melodic chanting of the adhan. In Turkey, there is an annual competition to find the best muezzin in the country. [11] The institution of the muezzin has existed since the time of Muhammad. The first muezzin was a former slave Bilal ibn Rabah, one of the most reliable and loyal Sahabah (companions) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

He was born in Mecca and is considered the first Mu`azzin chosen by Muhammad himself. [12] [13] [14] [15] After minarets became common in mosques, the muezzin office in cities was sometimes entrusted to a blind man who could not see into the courtyards of bourgeois houses and therefore could not violate privacy. [16] The English word muezzin is derived from Arabic: مُؤَذِّن, muʾadh·dhin [mu.ʔað.ðin], simplified mu`azzin. [3] The word means “one in the ear” because the word comes from the word for “ear” in Arabic ʾudhun (أُذُن). How the muʾadh·dhin will put both hands over his ears to recite the call to prayer. The professional muezzin is chosen to serve in the mosque because of his good character, voice and skills. However, the muezzin is not considered a cleric, but in a position comparable to a Christian rod. He is responsible for keeping the mosque clean, rolling carpets, cleaning toilets and the place where people wash their hands, faces and feet during the performance of wuḍu` (Arabic: wuḍū` وُضُوء, the “cleaning” of ablutions) before saying prayer. [ref. needed] When the muezzin calls for prayer, he looks at the Qiblah, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, while reciting the adhan. [4] [doubtful – discuss] Historically, a muezzin would have recited the call to prayer on the minarets to be heard by people near the mosque. Now, mosques often have loudspeakers mounted on top of the minaret and the muezzin uses a microphone, or a recording is played so that the call to prayer can be heard from a great distance without climbing onto the minaret.

Although many customs associated with the muezzin remained undecided at the time of Muhammad`s death, including the direction to be chosen for the call, where it should be performed, and the use of trumpets, flags or lamps, all of these elements are elements of the muezzin`s role during the adhan. The public call to prayer is a sign of the homeland of Muslims. This is an important step in the perception of Muslim religious communities as members of society,” said Abdurrahman Atasoy, Vice President of the Federal DITIB Association. On the longest day of the year, the Friday call to prayer at the Cologne Central Mosque takes place around 1:45 p.m., the first day around 12:20 p.m. In October, the muezzin`s call takes place at 1:24 p.m. – directly after the Friday sermon and before Friday prayers. In Cologne, the call of the muezzin can now be heard on Fridays. What does the muezzin call? What is the meaning of reputation? 24RHEIN displays all translation and time information at a glance. The Catholic relief organization Missio said it saw the muezzin`s call as a “sign of normalcy in an open society.” However, it also gives DITIB the responsibility to defend the religious freedom of Christians in Turkey. In everyday life, they often felt like second-class citizens. dpa There are two requests from mosque communities.

But so far, it has not been possible to comment on this, “because mosque communities have not yet submitted the required noise report,” according to the spokeswoman. And beyond that, the city of Cologne has no information on when municipalities want to do it,” the spokeswoman continued. In early October 2021, Cologne said that mosque communities would in future call their worshippers to mid-Friday prayers upon request and under certain conditions. This should also be the case in the DITIB Grand Mosque in Ehrenfeld. It should be noted, however, that such a declaration by the Hessian Government has no binding effect on the courts. Whether a muezzin appeal ultimately requires approval is the sole responsibility of the ordinary courts to review in individual cases. However, it is quite conceivable that the courts of Hesse, in particular, would be guided by this view. The government of Hesse announced that no permit was required for a call to the muezzin. The “permits” previously granted have therefore not been granted and therefore cannot be withdrawn or revoked. The Hessian government has justified this, among other things, by a guiding principle of the case law of the Federal Constitutional Court: WINHELLER will be happy to assist you in the event of a dispute and advise you on your project. Due to the inconsistent legal situation, there will not be uniform application of the law in practice in Germany as quickly.

However, it remains to be expected that appeals to the muezzin will repeatedly lead to legal disputes. Prompted by the declaration of the Hessian government, Muslim associations in particular will try to enforce their call to prayer and thus eventually come into conflict with the Hessian communities. The call to the muezzin always takes place after the Friday sermon and before the Friday prayer itself. But what exactly is the call of the muezzin called? The Islamic call to prayer âAdhÄnâ takes place in Arabic and is translated: Kâln â The subject of the call to the muezzin has already provoked lively discussions in the kitchens in the past. In short: as part of a model project, the city of Cologne wants to allow muezzins to call for Friday prayers and refers to the freedom of religious practice guaranteed by the Basic Law. At the beginning of August, we still do not know when they will be heard in the kitchen. It is not yet predictable when there will be a call to prayer, a city spokeswoman said at the request of the German news agency (dpa). Abdurrahman Atasoy, vice-president of the Federal DITIB Association, said they were “very happy” with the contract with the city of Cologne. “The public call to prayer is a sign of the homeland of Muslims. From “invisible mosques and usselige”, they have now arrived in the midst of society. “The central message of this long process is that Muslims with their representative mosques as a visible part and with their call to prayer as a manageable part have finally arrived and accepted society.” The DITIB is subordinate to Turkish religious authority.

The Cologne Central Mosque was personally inaugurated in 2018 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This view was not shared by the 8th Senate of the OVG. “Every society has to accept that we notice that others are living their faith,” Presiding Judge Annette Kleinschnittger said at the hearing. As long as no one is forced to practice religion, all is well. The OVG does not see any significant harm to the applicant`s reputation. An expert had calculated 28 decibels on the plaintiffs` property at a limit of 55 decibels in the immediate vicinity of the mosque. The appeal was made possible by Chief Mayor Henriette Reker.