Ahead of Ramadan, Sambhal Mosque Applies for Loudspeaker Permission
Zafar Ali, Sadar of the Shahi Jama Masjid, submitted a written application to the District Magistrate on Monday, requesting approval for the use of loudspeakers during Ramadan.
A copy of the application has also been forwarded to the Superintendent of Police.
In his application, Ali stated that Ramadan prayers witness a significant rise in the number of worshippers, including daily congregational prayers, Friday prayers, and special prayers such as Alvida Jumma. He said the installation of loudspeakers is necessary to ensure that the Imam’s voice reaches all devotees clearly.
“During Ramadan, thousands of people gather at the mosque for prayers. It becomes difficult for worshippers standing at the back to hear the Imam properly,” Zafar Ali told Maktoob. “We are only requesting permission to use one loudspeaker, strictly within the limits prescribed by the government. All rules and sound guidelines will be fully followed.”
The Shahi Jama Masjid, located in the Kot Purvi locality under the Sambhal Kotwali area, has made it a highly sensitive religious location ever since November 19, 2024, following a petition claiming the mosque site to be the Shri Harihar Temple that was filed before the Civil Senior Division Court in Chandausi.
Following court directions, a survey was conducted in two phases, the first on November 19 and the second on November 24, 2024.
The second phase of the survey saw thousands of people gathering near the mosque, leading to serious law-and-order concerns.
Loudspeakers were removed from the Shahi Jama Masjid and other mosques in the district in February 2025 amid a government-ordered crackdown on noise pollution in public places.
A few months earlier, in November 2024, violence had broken out in the Kot Garvi area of Sambhal following a protest by locals during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to several others, including security personnel.
Given this background, officials said the administration is proceeding cautiously on the loudspeaker permission request.
“Some clerics and a few public representatives from Sambhal did come to meet us and held discussions on certain issues. However, regarding loudspeakers, our position is already very clear: court orders will be strictly followed, and no violation of rules will be allowed under any circumstances,” said Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, Superintendent of Police, Sambhal.
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Zafar Ali, however, stressed that the request was purely religious and administrative in nature. “This has nothing to do with any dispute. It is about ensuring that prayers are conducted smoothly and peacefully during Ramadan,” he said.
The administration has not yet announced a decision on the application.
“After the Jama Masjid versus Harihar Temple dispute in Sambhal, the district administration imposed a complete ban on the use of loudspeakers at mosques across nearly a 10-kilometre area of the city. During this period, FIRs were also registered against several mosque imams, following which loudspeakers were removed from our places of worship”, said Maulana Faizan Ashraf, General Secretary of Tanzeem Ulama-e-Ahle Sunnat, Sambhal
“We appeal to the local administration and the government to grant permission for the use of loudspeakers for the call to prayer (azan) during sehri and iftar, as well as for the five daily prayers. This is a matter deeply connected to our religious faith and tradition”, he added.
Source: maktoobmedia.com
