QUESTION: In case where a recorder is turned on and the recitation is played but some of the surrounding people do not listen to it, because they are busy talking to one another, what is the rulings concerning their not listening to the Quran, are these people sinning or just the person who plays the Quran on recorder?
Answer: The answer to this issue varied depending on the different scenarios in which the Qur'aan is being recited from the recorder. So if the scenatio is a gathering of knowledge,remembrance and recitation of the Qur'aan, then in this situation, it Is obligatory to pay complete attention to it And whoever doesn't do so, is sinning because he is disobeying Allaah's statement in the Qur'aan:
"And when the Qur'aan is recited, then listen to it and remain silent, in order that you may receive mercy. II (Surah AI-A 'raaf: 204)
And if it is not a gathering of knowledge, remembrance and recitation of the Our'aan, but rather, a normal gathering such as when a person works at home or studies or I esearches; then in trus situation it is not permissible for this person to turn the recorder on and raise the volume of the recitation such that the sound reaches the ears of the other people inside the house or gathering.
This is since, in this scenario, these people are not responsible for listening to the Qur'aan, since they did not gather for that occasion. The one who will be held accountable is the person who raises the volume on the recorder and causes everyone to hear it This is since he is burdening the people and forcing them to listen to the Our'aan in a situation in which they are not prepared to do this type of listening.
The closest example we can give of this is when one of us walks down a street and hears the sounds of the butter merchant and the falafel sellers as well as the one who sells these recorded cassette tapes.
So the sound of the Quran fills the street and wherever you go you hear Its sound So are those people who walk on the street everyone on tus separate way responsible and requrred to remain silent for thiS Qur'aan that is being recited in other than its proper place?1 No, rather the one who will be held accountable is only the person who burdens the people by causing them to hear the sound of the Our'aan, whether because he does it for business purposes or because he wants to get people’s attention or for whatever other materialistic gains he does it for.
So therefore,they are treating the Quran form one perspective as musical instrument,as occurs in ahaadith,so they are purchasing a small gain with Allah’s verses throught this method which differs from the method used by the jews and the Christians about whom Allah said:
‘’The Purchased a small gain with the verses of Allah’’ (at-Tawbah 9)
Imaam Muhammad Naasirudeen Al-Albanee.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited