“Should be” may indicate obligation, or it may indicate recommendation. Thus, it may mean that these qualities are recommended, or that they are obligatory. We may determine what the evidence entails regarding each of these qualities: whatever the evidence indicates to be obligatory, we declare obligatory; and whatever it indicates to be recommended, we declare recommended.
His statement, “have a strong voice”: this is recommended, not obligatory. What is obligatory is only that he make himself heard by those for whom he is giving the adhān; anything beyond that is not obligatory.
His statement, “have a strong voice,” may mean that he has a powerful voice; it may mean that he has a beautiful voice; or it may mean that he delivers it well. However, the last possibility is not clearly indicated by the wording.
Thus, there are three qualities connected to the utterance of the adhān:
- Strength of voice.
- Beauty of voice.
- Excellence of delivery.
All of this is sought after.
From his statement, “have a strong voice,” we infer that loudspeakers are among Allah’s blessings, because they increase the mu’adhdhin’s voice in strength and beauty. There is no Shar‘i objection to them; and since this is so, and they are a means to something sought by the Sacred Law, the means take the rulings of their objectives. This is why the Prophet ﷺ instructed al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib to call out on the Day of Hunayn, “Where are the people of the samurah tree?” (1), because of the power of his voice.
This indicates that, whenever strength of voice is required, one should choose for it