Indonesia Issues Regulation on Mosque's Loudspeakers

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia's Ministry of Religion issues a circular ruling the use of loudspeakers in mosques and prayer rooms. This is stated in the Circular Letter of the Minister of Religion Number 05/2022 concerning Guidelines for Loudspeakers Usage.

"The guidelines are issued as an effort to increase peace, order, and harmony among members of the community," said Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in a written statement received in Jakarta, Monday, February 22, 2022.

Qoumas said loudspeakers usage in mosques and prayer rooms is a necessity for Muslims as one of the media to spread Islam in the community. But on the other hand, the Indonesian people are also diverse, in terms of religion, belief, background, and others, so efforts are needed to maintain brotherhood and social harmony.

The guidelines for loudspeakers usage include, among other things, the installation of separated loudspeakers for outdoors and indoors. The loudspeaker volume is adjusted according to the need and is at most 100 decibels, so in the case of using loudspeakers with recording playback, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the recording and the time.

If it is used during prayer include the reading of the Koran or salawat/tarhim before the Fajr prayer can use an external loudspeaker for a maximum period of ten minutes. The implementation of the Fajr prayer, dhikr, prayer, and dawn lecture using an internal loudspeaker.

For the Dzuhur, Asar, Maghrib, and Isha prayers; before the call to prayer (azan), the mosque can use an external loudspeaker for a maximum period of five minutes for reciting the Koran or selawat/tarhim. After the call to prayer,  the mosque should use an internal loudspeaker.

While for Friday prayers, can use external loudspeakers within a maximum period of ten minutes before azan for reciting Koran and delivery of announcements regarding Friday officers, infaq, implementation of Friday sermons, prayers, dhikr, and prayers using outdoors loudspeakers.

For the Ramadan activities, Eid al-Fitr takbir, Eid al-Adha, and Islamic Holiday Ceremonies reading use internal loudspeakers. Takbir on Shawwal 1st and Zulhijah 10th at the mosque/musala can be done using external loudspeakers until 22.00 local time and can be continued with internal loudspeakers.

The Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha prayers can be carried out using external loudspeakers, the Eid al-Adha takbir on Tasyrik day on 11 to 13 Zulhijah can be echoed after the Rawatib prayer successively using the Internal Loudspeaker. Finally, Islamic holidays or recitation ceremonies use internal loudspeakers, except if sermon visitors overflow outside the mosque/musala arena, they can use external loudspeakers.

"These guidelines are to be a guideline in the use of loudspeakers in mosques and prayer rooms for managers (takmir) of mosques and prayer rooms and other related parties," said Yaqut.