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I am currently on holiday in Marrakech, Morocco, and have found that the frequent calls to prayer from mosques throughout the day are quite a core part of life here.

To record some of my experience in this city I would like to take a video of, say, the open markets in the town centre while the muezzin is reciting the call to prayer.

If I take such videos and publish them on social media sites where Muslim colleagues and acquaintances, or perhaps the public, would be likely to see them, is it possible/likely they will take offence?

Is there anything inappropriate, illegal or offensive in the act of recording or publishing this reciting?

There will be nothing in the videos that the average religious westerner would be likely to find offensive, would such videos be taken by foreigners visiting their country. This question is only about the act of recording and publishing videos where the call to prayer is heard, in this instance taken by a non-muslim foreigner.

Mark Mayo
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3 Answers3

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It is perfectly fine. The call to prayer is frequently televised so there is nothing wrong with recording it and posting it on youtube. It is done often.

However, do not go to the mosque during prayer and start recording there. Its not that its not allowed, its just that you'll have to have prior permission and you may be a distraction to the congregation.

Burhan Khalid
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It is not inappropriate to record the calls to prayer. It is, however, considered a sign of disrespect to cut the recording short before the "muezzin" finishes reciting the call to prayer.

Shawkat
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I believe Sinead O'Connor has recently done a cover version of it and had it played with full permission on Islamic radio. On her blog she details that she had to use the whole thing with no cuts.

Alan Lavender
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