Virginia town hosts first public recitation of Muslim adhan in Ramadan

The town of Occoquan in Virginia witnessed a historic moment as the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, was publicly recited from a mosque's loudspeaker before Friday prayer. The event was given the greenlight to mark the holy month of Ramadan and hundreds of Muslims, as well as residents of the town, gathered to listen to the adhan rising from the garden of Masjid Al Hussein.

Dr. Muhammed İkbal Noori, one of the leaders of the mosque, expressed his joy at the adhan being heard throughout the town. He emphasized that the adhan serves as a spiritual reminder for people to connect with their creator, Allah, and can inspire anyone regardless of their beliefs.

“I’m so happy that the adhan from the mosque reached the whole town. Adhan is not only a call to prayer, but also a spiritual call that reminds people of Allah, their creator, and invites them to Allah's presence.” Dr. Muhammed İkbal Noori, one of the leaders of the mosque, told to Anadolu Agency.

Interestingly, the idea to publicly recite the adhan came from Occoquan Mayor Earnie Porta, who reportedly has a keen interest in Middle Eastern culture. Mayor Porta approached the mosque management to ask if they would like to perform the adhan loudly on Friday with a special permission for Ramadan. He believed that this would be a nice experience for people living in and around Occoquan, as Western societies are not familiar with the sound of the adhan.

Before the adhan was recited, Mayor Porta addressed the public and expressed his hope that one day a minaret would be built for the mosque, and the adhan would be recited from there. He also announced that the adhan would be recited from outside the mosque on April 14.

Masjid Al Hussein was converted into a mosque from the first African-American Ebezener Baptist Church in the U.S. after it was purchased by a small Muslim congregation, International Peace Mission, Inc., in October 2021.

It's worth noting that the adhan is typically not allowed to be recited in a way that transmits sound outside the mosque, but it can be done with special permission from the municipality or local governments in the U.S.

writing by Mustafa Ghanim