THERE are many mosques in Dhaka city. In fact Dhaka is described as a city of mosques. Azan or the call to prayers are made by muezzins (the callers) in Arabic loudly from minarets or high positions in these mosques five times a day. It is pleasing to the ears of the real practitioners of Islam. People in Bangladesh are deeply religious in many cases and turn to prayers on hearing the Azan. There is everything positive in this.
But one may wonder whether the Azan can be also in Bengali. Or at least after the call in Arabic a Bengali recitation of it can be carried out. There are too many Muslims in this country who say their prayers reciting verses from the Holy Quran in a parrot-like manner as they have memorised the same in their childhood but without understanding the meaning of the Arabic words. The same goes for responding to invitation for prayer on hearing Azan.
For these otherwise very ardent believers, the Azan could be so much more meaningful and appealing if they could understand in their mother tongue what things are said in the calls to prayers. In that case -- perhaps -- their right devotion and right adherence to their religion could become even deeper. And similarly the reading of the translated version of the Holy Koran in Bengali should be also encouraged.
Ahmed Ali
Khilgaon Chowdhurypara
Dhaka
Azan in language that people can understand
FE Team | Published: December 04, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
Share if you like