Islam’s Opposition to Science

Historically, Islam has often opposed scientific discoveries; they even declared the use of microphones haram!

When I was in class six or seven, my father bought me a higher‑grade book to improve my Bengali grammar. In that book, Notun Bangla Rochona written by Dr. Anisuzzaman and Ajit Kumar Guha, there was an essay titled something like “The Importance of Science Education”—I may be misremembering the exact title after so many years. There was a line that went like this: “One who has immense faith in the ghost of the Shawra tree will see man’s journey to the moon as an act of defiance against God.” Those who have deep faith in jinns, ghosts, and spirits oppose every scientific discovery at first. Even after the invention of the camera, its use was declared haram for Muslims. But now the so‑called Muslim scholars—religious businessmen like Ahmadullah and the Azhari clerics—cannot go a single day without using that same camera, posting new videos and photos constantly. To increase their income on social media, the Azharis now even promote sharing their statuses as an act of worship. Yet a video is nothing but a collection of many images, which is haram in Islam.

You took a picture of a living being, you drew an image, you made a sculpture or an idol—now give it life! How much marijuana must one smoke to give such an argument? Yet this is the argument Islam gives. Anyway, let’s leave that aside and come to the point. Those who today cannot function without blasting the pre‑dawn azan and shaking the sky and earth, disturbing everyone’s sleep, or without shouting “Say it loudly, is it correct or not?” in waz mahfils so loudly that it reaches the door of your house three kilometers away—these same people once fiercely opposed this very essential device, the ‘mic’ or microphone, and declared it haram. In the developed world, the use of microphones is now very rare; they treat noise pollution as a crime. But for Muslims, the microphone—once haram—is now a weapon to “protect Islam.”

The microphone is one of the most important inventions of modern civilization—an instrument that carries the human voice across great distances. Today, in any mosque in Bangladesh or India, from the Fajr azan to the late‑night waz mahfils, the presence of microphones is so normal that religious events are unimaginable without them. But the history of microphone use among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent is quite complex and intriguing. Once, the Muslim clerical community declared this device haram, and within a few decades, the same community made it an indispensable part of religious life. This essay explores that fascinating history.

The Invention of the Microphone

The history of the microphone is not the story of a single individual; rather, it is the result of parallel efforts by multiple inventors. In the mid‑19th century, with the invention of the telephone, the need for a microphone became apparent.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the first microphone, which used a moving metal armature to convert sound waves into electrical signals. That same year, German‑American inventor Emile Berliner created a carbon‑button microphone, which was the first truly practical microphone. In England, David Edward Hughes independently invented a carbon microphone around the same time and was the first to popularize the term “microphone.”

In 1878, Thomas Edison improved microphone quality using carbon granules. Later, in 1891, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized Berliner as the primary inventor of the microphone, and the following year Edison was also credited—though the debate was never fully settled.

In the 1920s, with the rise of radio broadcasting, microphone technology underwent a revolution. In 1924, the first commercial loudspeaker was released, and in 1931, Western Electric developed a high‑quality moving‑coil microphone. From then on, microphones began to be widely used in public gatherings.

The Arrival of Microphones in the Indian Subcontinent

Microphones and loudspeakers arrived in the Indian subcontinent mainly through British colonial rule, especially via radio broadcasting. In the 1920s, organizations like the Bombay Presidency Radio Club began experimenting with radio. When the British government established All India Radio in the 1930s, microphones and loudspeakers spread across the subcontinent.

At that time, loudspeakers were primarily used in political gatherings, cinemas, and entertainment events. The first documented use of loudspeakers in a mosque dates back to 1936—Singapore’s Sultan Mosque installed a microphone‑loudspeaker system, and it is said that the azan could be heard more than a mile away. In the Indian subcontinent, mosques gradually began adopting loudspeakers in the 1930s and 40s.

The First Opposition from Muslim Scholars

When microphones and loudspeakers became known in the subcontinent, intense debate erupted among Muslim scholars. At the center of this opposition was the famous Deobandi scholar Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi—known as “Hakim al‑Ummat.”

In February 1928 (Ramadan 1346 AH), Thanvi issued his first fatwa declaring the use of loudspeakers completely haram. A few months later, in Dhu al‑Hijjah 1346 AH (May 1928), he repeated the same ruling.

The Arguments Behind the Opposition

The scholars’ opposition did not stem from blind hatred of technology; rather, it was based on specific Sharia‑based reasoning:

1. Confusion with the gramophone: At that time, there was little technical understanding of loudspeakers. Many scholars believed the device worked like a gramophone—recording the voice first and then playing it back. The main question was whether prayer would be valid if the imam’s voice was heard through a recorded sound.

2. The validity of prayer: In Islamic jurisprudence, those praying behind an imam must hear the imam’s direct voice. If the loudspeaker recorded and replayed the sound, it would not be the imam’s actual voice—creating doubt about the validity of the prayer.

3. The contemporary use of loudspeakers: At that time, the device was used almost exclusively for film songs and, in Islamic terminology, “obscene entertainment.” Many scholars therefore considered it “the voice of Satan” and believed its use in mosques was inappropriate.

4. Caution regarding new technology: According to Islamic jurisprudence, when there is doubt in matters of worship, caution must be exercised. Since the mechanism of the device was uncertain, avoiding it in worship was considered safer.

It is noteworthy that Thanvi himself tried to learn more about the device. He consulted experts such as Professor Syed Shabbir Ali of Aligarh Muslim University’s science department, Burj Nandar of Bhopal’s Alexander High School, and even a Hindu specialist.

The Path to Changing Opinions

Thanvi gradually softened his stance. In Muharram 1357 AH (March 1938), he ruled that using loudspeakers for general speeches and sermons was permissible. However, he still prohibited their use for prayer and for the Friday and Eid khutbahs. In his final fatwa, he wrote: “If anyone knows more or holds a different opinion, then act according to your research and inform us—we will be grateful.”

After Thanvi’s death, his student Mufti Muhammad Shafi (later the founder of Darul Uloom Karachi) investigated the matter thoroughly. After the creation of Pakistan, he asked Radio Pakistan’s engineers whether loudspeakers recorded and replayed sound or simply amplified it. The unanimous answer was that loudspeakers only amplify the voice; they do not record it.

Upon receiving this information, Mufti Shafi wrote that this completely overturned the basis of their earlier fatwas. In Sha‘ban 1372 AH, he wrote a comprehensive treatise on the permissibility of loudspeakers and revised it again in 1382 AH. This formally established the permissibility of using loudspeakers.

Widespread Use of Microphones in Mosques and Waz Mahfils

After India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, the use of loudspeakers in mosques spread rapidly. Once scholars accepted their permissibility, microphones entered society at an unstoppable pace. At first, a single loudspeaker was tied to the minaret for the azan. Gradually, speakers were installed inside as well, so the imam’s voice could reach every corner of large mosques.

In Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and India, microphones became common in mosques from the 1950s and 60s. Their use in waz mahfils also expanded widely during this period. They became essential tools for delivering religious messages to large populations.

In the 1970s and 80s, high‑quality amplifiers and multiple loudspeakers became popular. Several speakers were installed on mosque minarets facing all four directions. The sound of the azan began spreading across entire neighborhoods. This trend quickly spread to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries as well.

Later Controversies Over Microphone Use

Interestingly, the successors of the scholars who first issued fatwas against microphones later had to issue new fatwas against their excessive use. Many prominent scholars, including Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, ruled that broadcasting prayer through external loudspeakers is undesirable because it disturbs nearby residents and other mosques. In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs ordered that external loudspeakers may only be used for the azan and iqamah, and the volume must be limited to one‑third of the maximum.

Indian courts have also ruled that giving the azan through loudspeakers is not an essential part of Islam but rather a modern‑day practice.

Conclusion

What the clerics once opposed—today, criticizing its early‑morning use for disturbing people’s sleep leads to mobs forming and science teachers being arrested.

The Muslim religious community’s reaction to technology has never followed a straight line. Maulana Thanvi’s first fatwa did not come from ignorance or impulsiveness—it came from a sense of responsibility toward religious rulings. But once they realized that this technology would help expand their religious business, the scholars abandoned their earlier position without hesitation.

The microphone that was once called “the voice of Satan” is today delivering their call to Allah to millions. This evolution is not only a chapter in the history of technology—it is also a record of a living religious community’s journey through blindness and opportunism.

Sources: Waqar Akbar Cheema, “Ulema’s Reception of the Loudspeaker” (2013); Wikipedia – Loudspeakers in Mosques; New Age Islam – The Chronology of the Issue of Azan on Loudspeaker; Sweetwater InSync – Who Invented the Microphone; Engineering and Technology History Wiki; Radio in Colonial India (Journalism University)