the ’Ath?n done by the insane, the drunken, or the like is not accepted in the shar’ since they do things with out bearing intentions in advance, so is the case with tape recorders. (1)

5 - Pronouncing ’Ath?n is considered a physical act of worship; so ‘a person must not build [an act of worship; i.e. Iq?mah] upon other person’s worship [i.e. the ’Ath?n] for both are physical acts of worship; just like Sal?t if its parts were done by two different persons, it is not accepted’. (2)

6 - There are some Sunnan, manners and etiquettes that are to take place when calling ’Ath?n for every Sal?t; using tape recorders will certainly cause their disappearance.

7 - Doing ’Ath?n through tape recorders paves the way for Bid‘ah to flow in muslims’ acts of worship and Islamic rites; such as abandoning pronouncing the ’Ath?n letting tape recorders do the job.

Due to all this, the Islamic Fiqh Assembly Council of the Islamic World Union in its ninth session, which was held in Makkha on Saturday Rajab, 2, 1406 Hijrah, stated that: ‘Broadcasting the ’Ath?n through tape recorders when Sal?t is due is not sufficient and is not permissible; ’Ath?n in such a case is not Mashr?‘ [legal]; muslims should pronounce the ’Ath?n by themselves for every Sal?t in every mosque as has been the tradition since our prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) time till now. May All?h guide us to the right path’.

Three Fat?w? were established affirming the aforementioned Fatw? by : Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Ibr?h?m ?l Ash-Shaikh, no. 35