Why the hell do some companies, especially in Saudi put a recording of the recitation of the Qur’an to be played back during phone call hold periods?
What if the caller was calling from a bar, the beach or the bathroom, isn’t the words of God worth more than this?
Isn’t there a fatwa against this? If there isn’t, there should be. Because I think this practice demeans the Holy Book and its Contents.
Comments
Qur’an on hold
There are some nice nasheed out there. I am with Mahmood on this one. If I am in the toilet, or doing something of the like, I would not want to listen to The Qur’an. There is a time and place for that, and when you put it on the phone you cannot be sure everyone listening to it is at that time and place. We have it on the satelite here. I love listening at night. It is one of the few things that calms our newborn down. We also have it on DVD so you can hear it, and read it on the TV.
I suggest, if they have to put something on the phone, how about news?
Qur’an on hold
We don’t need a fatwa, we need some common sense.
Qur’an on hold
Firstly, Malik, there’s a time and place for making calls, too, and the bathroom is not it. So I don’t see people making important phone calls while they’re taking a shit. Yes, a person needs to be in an approrpriate place while listening to the Koran, but if most people are probably calling from their homes, cars, and offices, then I don’t see the big deal. There are exceptions to that, but to me, they aren’t that significant. Like I said above, I personally like it because it makes me feel secure, wherever I am.
Secondly, why does someone putting the Koran during ‘hold’ in need of common sense? It’s nothing rediculous, what Mahmood said is just a personal opinion and not an unquestionable fact.
Lastly, the news is not a good idea. Not to me, anyways. Imagine yourself listening to, “There has been more bombings in London and the prime suspect is-“, and someone directly cuts you off, “Yes? May I help you?” you’d probably lose yourself and forget what you were calling about, either that, or you’d hurry up so you can tell other people about it or find out whether or not your loved ones are safe. Also, it’s depressing. We’re surrounded with dreadful news, I doubt anyone’s falling behind on current events nowadays. We don’t need to be reminded of the world’s insanity by listening to it while we’re waiting by the phone.
-es
Re: Qur’an on hold
[quote]Firstly, Malik, there’s a time and place for making calls, too, and the bathroom is not it. So I don’t see people making important phone calls while they’re taking a shit. Yes, a person needs to be in an approrpriate place while listening to the Koran, but if most people are probably calling from their homes, cars, and offices, then I don’t see the big deal. There are exceptions to that, but to me, they aren’t that significant. Like I said above, I personally like it because it makes me feel secure, wherever I am.
Secondly, why does someone putting the Koran during ‘hold’ in need of common sense? It’s nothing rediculous, what Mahmood said is just a personal opinion and not an unquestionable fact.
Lastly, the news is not a good idea. Not to me, anyways. Imagine yourself listening to, “There has been more bombings in London and the prime suspect is-“, and someone directly cuts you off, “Yes? May I help you?” you’d probably lose yourself and forget what you were calling about, either that, or you’d hurry up so you can tell other people about it or find out whether or not your loved ones are safe. Also, it’s depressing. We’re surrounded with dreadful news, I doubt anyone’s falling behind on current events nowadays. We don’t need to be reminded of the world’s insanity by listening to it while we’re waiting by the phone. [/quote]
Mahmood was calling a clinic, I believe. One could need to call a medical clinic from anywhere. I believe he stated he was calling from a place that serves liquor. Anyway, I just dont think it is proper. What would be your response if you called a clinic, in say England, and you had to listen to The New Testament or The Torah being read?
Trust me, I am a pretty religion person, I suggest you check out my blog and my comments and my consistant defense of Islam and Muslims here. I just dont think it is right. I was always taught that The Qur’an-the word of God, should be treated with the upmost respect. You cannot lay The Qur’an on the ground, can we lay the phone on the ground if we need to grab something whilst The Qur’an is playing? I was always taught that one cannot talk whilst The Qur’an is being recited, does that mean when I am on hold I cannot talk to someone in the room with me? Same with music or TV, do I have to turn that off whilst The Qur’an is playing when I am on hold?
I have no problem with religion, by all means play nasheeds, but to play The Qur’an just doesnt show respect for it, or for the person listening to it.
Qur’an on hold
[quote]I suggest you check out my blog and my comments and my consistant defense of Islam and Muslims here. [/quote]
As long as you’re not enforcing flawed interpretations of Islam upon others while indirectly ruining its image like a lot of mullas and imams do (I don’t feel like getting into the whole concept of Wahabism), then that’s great.
-es
Re: Qur’an on hold
[quote]As long as you’re not enforcing flawed interpretations of Islam upon others while indirectly ruining its image like a lot of mullas and imams do (I don’t feel like getting into the whole concept of Wahabism), then that’s great.[/quote]
I dont have the ability to enforce anything on anyone nor would I want to if I did. As a Muslim I know everything is about intent(niyah) and anyone forced to do anything receives no reward for doing so. I believe in the market place of ideas, where ideas, religions, you name it, rise or fall on their own merits. I am far from a Wahabi/Salafi. I believe in open and fair debate with mutual respect.
And I still say the phone is not the right place for The Qur’an. What is next? Qur’an ringtones? The Qur’an in elevators?
Re(1): Qur’an on hold
No. I was calling from my office, in which we most definitely do not serve alcohol.
Re(2): Qur’an on hold
There are SO MANY ways in which one could rag on ole Malik with this.. Alas I won’t, though I truely want too.
Take care of your liver Mahmood and Malik stop reading into things that aren’t there!
Re: Qur’an on hold
[quote]There is fatwa against music with instruments, that’s why some of them are using Quraan.[/quote}
How about just playing whale songs? 🙂
ALiandra
Qur’an on hold
I agree.
Qur’an on hold
[quote]The Qur’an in elevators?[/quote]
Believe it or not, those actually exist. I’ve been in one in Abu Dhabi.
[quote]Qur’an ringtones?[/quote]
There’s a Nokia ringtone for the calling of the prayer. They’re pretty popular in Bahrain, I’ve heard it a dozen of times.
-es
Qur’an on hold
I don’t.
I personally enjoy it. I’m usually stressed or dissatisfied with something when I call places that require them putting me on hold, and listening to the Koran easens the mind. Sometimes I’m swamped with work and I forget my prayers, and this comes out like a reminder of some sort.
It’s their business/office. The owner can do whatever makes him feel comfortable, he shouldn’t just think about the ‘what ifs’ especially if its’ not that significant. You have both sides for everything, and if he puts something like an Ashlee Simspon chorus on repeat to satisfy his one or two foreign customers, people are going to cringe like mofos and think, ‘Damn! This is definitely haram! What was he thinking!’
I mean, if it’s at home, then I know what you’re saying about people calling in from the bar, but it’s not like someone’s going to make an appointment at a clinic (for instance) from a bar, especially if you know that at least 90% of your customers are Arabs.
Call me inconsiderate, but to me, this is like saying “Hey, this cassette includes words of the Koran. We can’t release it, man, what if someone accidently inserts it in a bar or in a car full of Jews?”
-e
Re: Qur’an on hold
I see your point e and appreciate your comment. However, my personal view is that if the Qur’an is used as music-on-hold, you are forcing the listener to listen to it regardless of the situation that the listener is actually in.
Your example of playing a recording is something completely volentary, hence you would expect the listener would consider where he would listen to the recitation. The listener is in control here and s/he can use better judgement as to when to switch it on or off. Therefore the probability of a listener listening to that physical recording in a compromising place is almost non-existant.
As for the probability of someone calling a clinic from a bar, that is exactly what prompted me to post this article. I called Saad Specialist Hospital and they put me on hold, for a very long time I might add, and the Quran was playing as music-on-hold. Now granted I called from the office, but ANYONE can call that number from ANYWHERE. That’s what irked me. There should be some respect to the words of God don’t you think?
Do you see where I’m coming from?
Qur’an on hold
Yes, I see where you’re coming from and I agree to a certain extent. I guess this is the same thing with Taxis here, or driving instructors. For example, my driving instructor (a week ago, I passed my exam recently because I rock so hard Joe Strummer died of a heart attack trying to keep up with me) would put the Koran, and I had to listen to it for 2 consecutive hours of driving a free gear, which could be very stressful.
To me, this wasn’t approrpriate. Because when driving, especially in Bahrain, some witless goon might pop out of nowhere and confuse you or piss you off, so what do you do when you’re pissed at someone’s utter stupidity? You swear. And I sure did swear, not realizing that the Koran was on, which made me feel terrible.
I mean, it’s HIS car, just like when I said it’s THEIR office, but I guess when someone feels like they’re forced to listen to the Koran when it’s not during the right time, without having the option of switching it off, it may cause some problems. Some women here feel like they can’t read or even listen to the Koran without their hijab on since it’s disrespectful, so this might offend them, too (just like anything else in existence does.)
You could’ve been more clear about this in your initial post though because, the way I read it, it was the equivalent of thinking, “there should be a fatwa against websites that include the words of God in case someone’s logging on from a bathroom, a strip show, or a casino.”
I’m pretty sensitive about this because I come from a family where people like to make their own rules to things through the lense of pseudo-Islam. “You’re wearing short sleeves. Do you know what the Prophet (saw) said about girls wearing short sleeves? You’re listening to rock? Why don’t you go marry Satan and have a million babies with him, while you’re at it!” – we’ve reached a stage in Islam where people’s personal opinions and interpretations affect the way we live. Why do you think the strict Saudi culture doesn’t represent pure Islamic roots? Because policy-makers skewed Islam’s actual facts or exaggerated it, so much that their way of life even today, is incredibly laughable, for their own personal benefits and gains.
I wonder if I can use this when I become a mother [God forbid] one day:
“Guys! Don’t run on the streets!”
“Why?”
“Because!”
“Because what?”
“Our Holy Book says so, now get back here before I beat your ass.”
See what I did there? If you say it’s Islam, people don’t question it or rebel against it because they’d say it’s haram, and who the hell are you to disagree with God’s own words? They do it so cleverly and shadily by convincing you that religious texts actually justify these laws.
If I had a chance to slap those power-hungry idiots’ faces with a frozen trout, then believe me, I’d take it.
“There should be some respect to the words of God don’t you think?”
Well, yes, but to them, they’re showing you how much they respect the Koran by reminding others of God’s words, and those like me may consider it refreshing while others could be offended somehow. Each to their own, I guess.
-es
Qur’an on hold
There is fatwa against music with instruments, that’s why some of them are using Quraan.
Another issue, we cannot touch Quraan “The book” without ablution, we cannot enter with Quraan in bathroom or places with impurity. But we can listen to Quraan without ablution, or read it by heart without ablution too.
So if they don’t put music, and don’t put quraan, suggest something as replacement.
I see it from another way, but someone should try it to confirm this, I think when someone will hear Quraan and he’s in a bar he’ll stop the communication or he’ll leave it to continue his communication. Then can you give examples of what someone an call from bathroom or beach ? coz i don’t see myself any except emergency 🙂
-Hatem
Qur’an on hold
If they want something religious, how about songs from mawlids? Most of the ones I’ve heard don’t use musical instruments.
-es
Qur’an on hold
When I said we need some common sense, I meant we dont need a fatwa telling us what to do. Our best judgement can lead us to the conclusion that not all people feel like/understand/ready to listen to the koran.
The joker
Qur’an on hold
Maybe its an East/West thing….
Years go I worked in a large organization that decided to put Muzac…classical music softly in the background of the workplace. Well…the employees figured out how to disconnect it on every floor! LOL.
I think music played softly is different from reading the Quran. The Quran requires ATTENTION. What if a mother is supervising her children? Someone driving? Thats why I think it is intrusive. You have to pay attention. You can’t do anything else well…what if you are paying bills while on hold? I also think the Quran requires RESPECT which is different.
thinker
Qur’an on hold
I think its tacky. First of all….its rude to force someone to listen to it…its sooo personal. Religion is best not stuffed into someone but rather chosen freely in the quiet of the soul.
I am a Christian and I wouldn’t like it if the fundies were stuffing a Christian broadcast it in my face…it feels manipulative and controlling…not religious. I want choice…at a reverent time.
Malik…I agree. Wouldn’t it be horrible if you traveled to China and had to listen to MAO or the US and had to listen to the Bible? Its fascist and totalitarian in my opinion.
Its almost intrusive and without boundaries. Humans can’t be without limits. Humans need boundaries for an identity.
Qur’an on hold
The last Anon was me. thinker
Qur’an on hold
If someone wants to hear The Qur’an I suggest they do nothing more than keep their own prayers. If you do that you will hear it five times a day.
Forcing someone to listen to religious recitation when they might not be in a position do to so, or even a member of that particular religion is wrong.
I am kind of laughing here. I have those who usually disagree with me on issues of religion saying that The Qur’an should be allowed, and me, the supposed “fundamentalist” arguing that The Qur’an has no place on the phone. Interesting.
The absolute best way to hear The Qur’an recited is to hear it at prayers. For everyone espousing Qur’an on the phone, I suggest you attend evening prayers this Ramadan and you can hear the ENTIRE Qur’an recited first hand!
Qur’an on hold
I dunno .. I am hardly a big Quran reader in the best of times .. but, to be honest, I like the sound of the human voice as their recite the Quran. I actually find it very soothing. And, in all honesty, if someone were going to force classical music or rock and roll while on hold, why should the Quran be any different?!!!
Qur’an on hold
I think I would have to agree with jasra jedi, if you are going to force people to listen to music that may or may not be their cup of tea, so why not have the Quran on. It is very soothing to listen to. and we are a muslim majority living in the region. Besides we don’t get to read the Quran often, (no time), we don’t get to hear it very often (too busy listening to music) so what’s wrong with listening to the Holy Quran on hold?
Qur’an on hold
the last post was me. AS. Is it better if we signed in and logged in, Mahmood?