i initially thought of this topic due to another thread in this Forum.
Just wondering…no one kill me for asking this…but just wondering, no one kill me or call me kafir, please. When you hear khutbas in the mosque or you watch Islamic programmes on tv where they have Muslim presenters discussing diverse issues, why are their voices (sometimes) so loud? They frequently, but not always, sound extremely angry. um not to sound rude :bummer: There used to be - and still is - an Islamic presenter whose programmes my father used to make us watch in the UAE. His name is Ezz E. Gad; Torontonian Guppies may know of him because he has been broadcasting his show out of Toronto for the past at least twenty years. His programme is called “Reflections on Islam”. He has one of the softest, most pleasing voices i have ever heard from any guy, desi/nondesi. For diverse reasons, it is such a pleasure to view this programme. The content is informative, obviously, but so is his manner in presenting his points of views and reciting the Quran - his voice is so soft, so melodious, so beautiful, so flowing. One WANTS to hear more. Why? Partially because he presents the information in a very soft, gentle voice - it creates a desire in you to pay close attention to what he is stating, to recite the ayats in your heart after he recites them.
There’s a saying that the medium is the message and i think it applies here. This sounds like a dumb topic, and i think it is considering we have so many other issues around the world. i just find it weird, why sound angry and threatening? That turns me off. i realize that the issues are serious and i am not suggesting that the tone of voice should be joking or light-hearted. Not at ALL. Simply, do not scream or please do not sound angry; it would make a world of difference in how i (personally speaking) would relate to what the preacher is discussing. i am not saying, haha hehe let’s all joke around now and all khutbas should be delivered non-seriously. i am simply wondering, why not keep an average tone of voice, not sound angry, mean, threatening. Convey your message in a pleasant voice and perhaps that may in turn have a more positive reception from your audience. Personally, i tune off inside whenever someone’s voice goes above a certain decibel; who wants to hear anyone screaming?
Here’s an interesting article i was going to post about laughter and humour, but i’ll just post this excerpt from it:
um no one kill me for posting this up please. i really don’t intend to offend anyone and i apologize in advance if i have. Just my random personal thoughts, inaccurate/accurate, take them with a pinch of salt and healthy dose of scepticism. Sorry, really don’t want to offend anyone.
From all the shows I've seen, it's usually because of the lousy equipment they use.. poor audio and all that. That's not really what your question was about though I guess.
If you ask me the reason you find so many preachers like this is because they're not trained all that well. If you ever notice the Christian programs on Sunday mornings they always have the same method. That's because they're trained in a multidisciplined course. They learn a bit of formal psychology and public speaking, etc.. whereas these guys usually learn Islam and not much else.
You brought up faulty audio equipment. If it were that case, i mean i can understand that, i have no arguments if someone is trying to raise her/his voice because the mic is not working. Has happened with me, and i can understand the desire of the person speaking to ensure that the whole room hears her/him. Totally understandable.
It’s when they raise their voices + they sound angry + they have a functioning microphone, but yet they are still screaming That’s what bothers me. i guess it scares me in a way. They look and sound so angry. bhayee why are you getting so angry… what if there are little kids as well in the room - are you going to scare them as well.
…>>whereas these guys usually learn Islam and not much else.<<
Good comparison with Christian programmes on Sunday mornings. i think - if these preachers did learn genuinely about Islam, then they would learn to keep their voices a few decibels down like Ezz. E Gad from Toronto does.
The way you get across your message is almost AS important as what you are saying. Maybe that’s why public speaking skills should be recommended for anyone wanting to become a preacher. Some Christian organizations must have courses like that.
anyway, my guess is that these maulvis are usually unsure themselves about what they are saying. Moreover i get the feeling they sometimes doubt themselves what they are saying, but just say this cuz they have been indoctrinated by that stuff for years on end in their madrassas etc....so it's kinda hard for them to accept the contest between two opposite streams. One way is to deny this forcefully, and also by bringing it over to other ppl (the hard way). Therefore i think the loud voices are just a reflection of their own inner doubt and unsecurity. How often do you see -not only on TV but even in this forum- that it is usually the 'classically indoctrined' member/maulvi/type who usually uses harsh language and resorts to calling others 'kafirs', 'introducers of shirk', 'disrespecters of the Prophet/Islam' etc etc etc. This is mere reflection of their own insecurity and denial of the fact that the other might have a good point, which is against what they've been told repetitively for years on end withouth their own reflection on the subject.
Tuba Tuba, Moulvi saab ki shaan main ghustaakhi
Qurb-e-Qayamat ki nishaniaan hain
Burrrp :maulvidis
I thought it was a desi thing that moulvis talk in loud voices.There are some reasons why our molvi sahibaan use high volume screaming.
To show that they are well fed and healthier that the listerner should not say that '* yaar ye kia mareeal se molvi saab hain inki tu Awaz bhi nahi nikalti*
Most of the people dont want to listen to them, so in accordance to Newton’s law, They scream in louder voice.
The want keep minimum contact with electric equipments as they are manufactured by kuffar, so they usually dont alter them
I remember bringing up a similar topic about these Imams and their approach. I recommended that they should be put through courses such as public speaking, etiquette, psychology, sociology and anthropology in order for them to wholly grasp their audience. Not many are born to speak and touch everyone in the manner that they should. They've forgotten to live and become drones that regurgitate. They hardly challenge our thoughts leaving us with a question of the day or friday. Our fault is that there is no critical thinking, just mindless followers.
Anyone hear the sermon by the blind man in Mecca every Friday? Now thats something.
I think loud speakers should be banned for Khutbas, Naats and political
purpose. The Paki mullahs try their best to raise the dead by their
loud voices."Five" Mullahs one after the other try to give azaans.
As If trying to compete for attention. First of all, PAID Mullahs and Muazins ke Islam me koi Zarrorat naheee. I am sure about the
Muazin though. That he need not be paid. Lekn they have to be
forceful in what they say. Yeah, and the all nighters NAATS.
Astagfirullah. People singing in weird voices.Taubaa.
And there is one more , some Mullahs decide to recite "HUWA"
all night on Loud Speakers . To me it seems bhoot bulane ke try kar raheee. There is no precedence for reciting this WORD over and over again.
Namaz parho(FARD or Sunnats) and If you want to koran "reicte karoo"
or phir ghar ke tirf niklooo.
Nescio, i agree with you (generally). i just feel slightly uncomfortable about painting all Maulvis with the same brush.
Code Red, lolz @ all your three points. That gave me a good laugh.
Nai yaar, qiyamat ki nishaaniyaan nahin This reminds me of another famous couplet from Hali’s Musaddas (that i forget, hence i can’t quote here). He said something about our religious leaders, that anyone who goes to them with a heavy burden in his heart and desiring to get some solace or comfort, leaves with an even larger burden. i’m not saying that ALL presenters do this, or that ALL Imams are like this, not at all. Ezz E. Gad, the individual from Toronto, has one of the pleasantest voices Masha’Allah. Sheikh Yusuf Estes has great speaking skills. i KNOW for a fact there must be others.
CocoNut, Which Imam are you referring to? Sorry, do you remember his name? i’ll try to search for your thread.
Little Human, hahaha…you know, when i was listening to that i was worried someone in my family was going to think i had turned into a fundo:D
haan, you’re right about the josh part :k: But when i hear someone like Ezz E. Gad, even though his voice is soft, it still stays in my heart, i dunno. i think it would stay more (for ME) if the person speaks without a voice that sounds like it’s judging others. There is a technique to convey your message to your audience, some Muslim presenters really possess it well Masha’Allah. From an Islamic point of view, should they really be constantly screaming; that ayat i quoted above is relevant here i think. i really dunno.
some of these molvis r so loud and talk like they r in a battlefield....
first i thought its just those uneducated (i.e. ill-mannered) ones, but it appears that it is like something taught to them....
one wud think that those ppl believe that 'the louder u raise ur voice, the more truth u utter'....
in the high school, we had in our urdu book, a chapter called 'behs o takrar' which gave a good description of dogs fighting....
wonder how good a comaprison can be drawn here....
i usually dont listen to such molvis....
but someone gave me a cassette of molana haq nawaz jhaangvi....
i kept it for sometime, and then realized that my driving time was the ony time i cud listen to a cassette....
so i kept it in the car and when i turned it ON, the guy sounded like one of those 'jahil deyhaati khawateen' who just go on firing all the cooked up stories availabe in their artillery....
ofcourse one wud have to have a lot of patience to listen to such a molvi for more than 5 minutes....
ofcourse i did not have any such gift so i hope the cassette found a good resting place after being tossed out of my car window....
I think it would be best to ask a moulvi or imam, why they are so loud when speaking. Other than that, what everyone said here is probably the case for some.
The imam at my masjid has a soft voice, he is Syrian. But I think it is too soft. And as a result, you can see the women just ignoring what he is saying. It could also be because the topic is not of interest to them, khair.
I think the best thing for people to do would be to collectively let the imam know how they feel. As an imam they shouldnt take it offensively. Even if its just one person telling him, he may change his style or atleast consider changing it. I've been wanting to tell my imam that he should bring in more relevant topics. This thread reminded me of that. Jazak'Allah khair. smile
i really don’t intend to offend anyone and i apologize in advance if i have. Just my random personal thoughts, inaccurate/accurate, take them with a pinch of salt and healthy dose of scepticism. Sorry, really don’t want to offend anyone.
That’s what bothers me. i guess it scares me in a way. They look and sound so angry. bhayee why are you getting so angry… what if there are little kids as well in the room - are you going to scare them as well.
This reminds me of another famous couplet from Hali’s Musaddas (that i forget, hence i can’t quote here). He said something about our religious leaders, that anyone who goes to them with a heavy burden in his heart and desiring to get some solace or comfort, leaves with an even larger burden. i’m not saying that ALL presenters do this, or that ALL Imams are like this, not at all. Ezz E. Gad, the individual from Toronto, has one of the pleasantest voices Masha’Allah. Sheikh Yusuf Estes has great speaking skills. i KNOW for a fact there must be others.