National Mosque to suspend sermons in languages, introduce earphone use

The management of the National Mosque Abuja has announced plans to commence a simultaneous interpretation of Friday sermons.

This, according to Ishaq Oloyede, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), on Tuesday, would mean that the sermons will be delivered in one language while worshippers can listen to the same sermon in other languages using earphones.

He explained that the mosque currently delivers sermons in different languages, one after another, noting that this method takes a lot of time.

“The mosque currently delivers the same sermon in different languages, one language after another. But this method takes a lot of time and reduces the time for an effective sermon.

“We translate (the sermon) into four languages (English, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo). We are moving to a level where we will stop doing the translation. The whole period for the Khutba (Sermon) would then be longer,” Oloyede disclosed at the NSCIA headquarters shortly after unveiling the five newly appointed Imams of the national mosque.

Before the initiative commenced, Oloyede noted that the mosque’s management would introduce a sensitisation programme, adding that it is an offence in Islam to be noisy while the sermon is ongoing.

He further said, “So it is that aspect that we want to appeal to you, that before we introduce that, we want you to help us sensitise people that it is almost mandatory to come with an earpiece so that you can use it with your phone. But definitely not making noise for others.”

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