Islam Call to Prayer.

[Shadow Man]

In these countries that practise islam, do you find the amplified call to prayer from the mosques unsettling?

It is rather creepy, echoing and the tone just sends my nerves on edge?

I don't know if it is pre-recorded or not and I haven't got a Dickens what they are harping on about. All I know is a nice lunch in the Tangiers can be made to feel like a Bela Lugosi movie when the iman starts his call to prayer.


"Shivers down the backbone"

[VillageVicar]

The Islamic call to prayer is somewhat similar to our village churches ringing bells to mark Christian calls to prayer. Muslims follow a similar pattern to ours in their prayer cycles, starting with their morning prayer called �Fajr.� And ending with evening prayer called �Isha.�

In Christianity we too begin with morning prayer and end our day with our Compline, or �evening prayer.� The opening high notes you heard are a call to prayer, with the following rhythmic phrases being the liturgy of prayer itself.

We too have such a liturgy, which you may have heard when attending an evensong service.

Personally, I find the call to prayer lovely, regardless of what language it may be in. When I lived in the Middle East the call to prayer served as an excellent marking point for me to follow my own liturgy.

I wish you well

Fr. Bill

[Whickerman]

When I was in Egypt, it actually added to the experience and really set the mood. I know that's not what the intention is, but I liked it.

BUT - I'll go where no one else has as yet, and open the trap door. (Wait for the comments now...)

Surely if you go to another country you should expect and respect their traditions and culture...?

[Shadow Man]

Yes Whickster, but I still find it creepy. The same way I find Hindu sacrifice of animals abhorrent. And this is from one of the most peacful people on the globe.

However, cannabilsm and head shrinking in areas of Africa and Wales, I am afraid I can not respect!!!

[wizard69]

have to agree with shadow....all a bit weired to me...

[wizard69]

why on earth does an omnipotent god require prayer 5 times a day? is he insecure or something?

[VillageVicar]

The omnipotent god doesn�t. The impotent human probably does. :-)

Fr Bill

[saxy_jag]

We have several mosques here in Leicester. With all your doors and windows open in the summer, you can often hear the call to prayer carrying across the city and I have to say, it's a very beautiful and haunting sound.

[wizard69]

Is it also beautiful and haunting when these mosques send suicide bombers into crowded places?

[Teddio]

I bought an alarm clock from Bahrain which plays the Call to Prayer. I've never slept through it yet!

[wizard69]

Mosques in britain calling the faithful to prayer?
F*ck em off. This is England not f*ckin Pakistan.
What on earth is up with people who think that this is acceptable?
Village Vicar, go and see if you can ring your church bells in Afghanistan...

[VillageVicar]

Wizard: I don�t feel such inflammatory comments are appropriate here. Throughout history, all races, religions, and cultures have been victims of fanaticism of one kind or another. Comments such as you have made here merely perpetuate the social ills of our society.

I�m proud of the fact that my children and I have close friends of many faiths. Those friendships we share enrich our lives, provide us with greater understanding of one another and help us to grow.

Whilst I�m profoundly saddened that you feel this way, I respect your right to follow any path you so choose. However, within a public arena, I do not feel your comments are appropriate. Cynicism touches us all in a world where there are too many problems to solve. But there can be a fine line between espousing cynicism and espousing hatred.

Teddio: You made me smile. Is it the white plastic one, or the gold plastic model of the Grand Mosque in Manama? I have the gold one somewhere in my attic. The sound from it is atrocious! It was given to me as a gift when we lived in the Middle East.

I wish you all well

Fr. Bill

[Teddio]

My clock is a fairly hideous green and gold plastic model. It plays Morning and Day "calls to prayer" and is therefore quite useful for nightshift workers.

[VillageVicar]

Teddio: That's great! I don't recall seeing that one...surely many in the suk! I'm certain mine sounds like one of those little boxes you turn upside down and it makes the sound of a cow or sheep. Truly inspirational!

Alhumdillah!

Fr Bill