arguing that the Friday sermon stands in place of the two rakʿas of the obligatory prayer. The questioner further asks whether it is permissible to use a loud-speaker while giving the sermon, noting that some students of knowledge declare such use impermissible on flimsy and unfounded grounds. After examining the opinions of the jurists of the various schools, the Academy Council resolved the following:

1. The most balanced view it adopts is that delivering the Friday or ʿĪd sermon in Arabic is not a condition for its validity in non-Arabic-speaking countries. Nonetheless, it is preferable to recite the opening praises of the sermon and any Qurʾanic verses it contains in Arabic, so that non-Arabs become accustomed to hearing the language of the Qurʾan, thereby easing their learning of Arabic and enabling them to read the Qurʾan in the tongue in which it was revealed. The preacher may then proceed with his admonition and enlightenment in the language the audience understands.

2. There is no legal objection to using a loud-speaker for the Friday or ʿĪd sermon, for the recitation during the prayer, or for the transition takbīrs. Indeed, it should be employed in large mosques whose sections are far apart, given the clear religious benefits that result.

Every modern tool that Allah, by His teaching and the means He has subjected to humanity, has enabled people to develop—if it serves a legitimate religious purpose or helps fulfill one of the obligations of Islam and achieves success that could not be attained without it—becomes required in proportion to the obligation it serves, in accordance with the well-known legal maxim: whatever is indispensable for fulfilling an obligation is itself obligatory. Allah alone grants success.

May Allah send blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.