Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In Islam, maintaining a peaceful and respectful environment in the mosque is essential. Raising one’s voice, even for Quranic recitation, is prohibited if it disturbs others’ prayers. However, exceptions exist for teaching or sharing knowledge. By adhering to these guidelines and reflecting on the hadiths, Muslims can ensure their actions contribute to the sanctity of the mosque. Respect for others’ private conversations with Allah should always be a priority.
With regard to your question, Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in his well-known book Fiqh Us-Sunnah:
It is forbidden to raise one’s voice in such a way that it disturbs others’ prayers, even if it is done while reciting the Qur’an. Teaching or imparting knowledge (to others) is an exception from this prohibition.
Ibn `Umar relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered upon some people while they were praying and they were raising their voices in the Qur’anic recital. The Prophet said, “One who is praying is in a private conversation with his Lord so he should be mindful of whom he is conversing with. And you should not raise your voices against each other in [the recital of] the Qur’an.” (Ahmad)
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reports that the Prophet was making seclusion (i`tikaf) in the mosque and he heard the people reciting aloud. He removed the covering and said, “Verily, each of you is in a private conversation with his Lord so you should not disturb each other. And you are not to raise your voices against each other in the recitation.” (Abu Dawud, An-Nasa’i, Al-Bayhaqi, and Al-Hakim)
Keep exploring and discover more through the links below:
Using External Mosque Premises for Business Purposes
Are We Rewarded for Driving to Mosques the Same as for Walking?
Non-Muslim Tourists Entering the Mosque: Allowed?
Are Women Permitted to Serve on Mosque Boards?
Can You Give Zakah to Build a Mosque?
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.