Question
In our mosque, the imâm delivers his sermon from a pulpit that stands two meters high. Some people have objected to this, saying that the pulpit should be no higher than 60 centimeters. Is this true?
Answer
I know of no evidence to support the claim that the pulpit upon which the imâm stands to deliver his sermon should not be higher than 60 centimeters.
All that we find in the Sunnah is a description of the pulpit that was built for the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was simply a short staircase with three steps. This description is found in a number of hadîth.
Ubayy b. Ka`b relates the following in Musnad Ahmad (5/137):
Indeed, it is established in the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered sermons on occasion from the back a camel. For instance, he did so on his farewell pilgrimage, as related in Mustadrak al-Hâkim (1/646). The back of a camel is certainly more than two meters off the ground.
We can see in the hadîth that the express purpose for building the pulpit in the Prophet’s Mosque was to make the sermon-giver more visible to the congregation and to make his voice more easily heard. It was not simply to provide height for its own sake. Therefore, the pulpit should be high enough to achieve these ends. Any height that is required to assist in visibility and in the sermon being heard is a suitable height.
The ideal height really depends on the mosque. For example, two meters might be sufficient for some mosques and too short for others. Consider a mosque with two tiers. A higher pulpit might be required to ensure that the people seated on the second tier can properly hear the sermon, especially in the absence of an audio system. Even if such a system is in place, there is no guarantee that the microphone might not sometimes be cut off due to technical problems.
And Allah knows best.
All that we find in the Sunnah is a description of the pulpit that was built for the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was simply a short staircase with three steps. This description is found in a number of hadîth.
Ubayy b. Ka`b relates the following in Musnad Ahmad (5/137):
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to stand by a tree stump – the mosque was very simply constructed back then – and deliver his sermons.There is no way to deduce a height-limit from these hadîth that simply describe the pulpit in the Prophet’s mosque. There is nothing in those hadîth to prohibit the building of a pulpit heir than three steps, and more than there is a prohibition against constructing a pulpit of fewer than three steps.
One of the Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah! Should we make something for you to stand upon on Fridays so the people can see you and so you can make them hear your sermon?”
He replied in the affirmative, and a structure of three steps was made for him as a pulpit.
Indeed, it is established in the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered sermons on occasion from the back a camel. For instance, he did so on his farewell pilgrimage, as related in Mustadrak al-Hâkim (1/646). The back of a camel is certainly more than two meters off the ground.
We can see in the hadîth that the express purpose for building the pulpit in the Prophet’s Mosque was to make the sermon-giver more visible to the congregation and to make his voice more easily heard. It was not simply to provide height for its own sake. Therefore, the pulpit should be high enough to achieve these ends. Any height that is required to assist in visibility and in the sermon being heard is a suitable height.
The ideal height really depends on the mosque. For example, two meters might be sufficient for some mosques and too short for others. Consider a mosque with two tiers. A higher pulpit might be required to ensure that the people seated on the second tier can properly hear the sermon, especially in the absence of an audio system. Even if such a system is in place, there is no guarantee that the microphone might not sometimes be cut off due to technical problems.
And Allah knows best.
-islamtoday.net
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