The Muezzin Calling the Faithful to Prayer

The Muezzin’s call to prayer, al-Adhan (the ‘dh’ is pronounced as a ‘heavy’ ‘th’ as in ‘thee’) is a particularly mournful drone to sensitive Western ears. It is a most unfortunate din, one feels. Is this what we want in our own towns and villages? Somehow, I doubt it; yet it might well be coming to Oxford very shortly!

Play the following genuine call of the muezzin. I think you will agree that it doesn’t have the happy tones of the peeling of church bells. But then, no one said that the Qur’an was ‘the Good News’, or Gospel. On the contrary, the Qur’an is full of doom and gloom; so we shouldn’t be surprised when the call to prayer in Islam also sounds mournful, also sounds as though the muezzin is in agony! Listen here; see what you think:

Al-Adhan
Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Coming to a Town Near You Shortly: The Sonorous Sound of the Muezzin’s Call to Prayer - Al Adhan

The Muezzin’s Call to the Faithful to Prayer
Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)