Saturday, February 05, 2005

The Phenomena of Azan (Athan)

Amazing as it sounds, but fortunately for the Muslims of the world, it is an established fact. Have a look at a map of the world and you will find Indonesia on the eastern side of the earth. The major cities of Indonesia are Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil. As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil, at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Azan begins. Thousands of Muadhins in Indonesia begin reciting the Azan.

The process advances towards West Indonesia. One and a half hours after the Azan has been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta. Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious process of calling Azan ends in Indonesia, it has already begun in Malaysia.

Burma is next in line, and within an hour of its beginning in Jakarta, it reaches Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh. After Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western India, from Calcutta to Srinagar. It then advances towards Bombay and the environment of entire India resounds with this proclamation. Srinagar and Sialkot (a city in north Pakistan) have the same timing for Azan. The time difference between Sialkot, Quetta, and Karachi is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar Azan is heard throughout Pakistan. Before it ends there, it has already begun in Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour. Azan resounds during this one hour in the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas (Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in Egypt is again one hour. Azan continues to resound in Syria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour. The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours, and during this time it is echoed with the call to prayer.

Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya) are located at one hour's difference. The process of calling Azan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa. Therefore, the proclamation of the Tawheed and Risaalat that had begun in Indonesia reaches the Eastern Shore of the Atlantic Ocean after nine and half hours. Prior to the Azan reaching the shores of the Atlantic, the process of Dhuhr Azan has already started in east Indonesia, and before it reaches Dacca, Asar Azan has started.This has hardly reached Jakarta one and half hours later, the time of Maghrib becomes due, and no sooner has Maghrib time reached Sumatra, the time for calling Isha Azan has commenced in Saibil! When the Muadhins of Indonesia are calling out Fajar Azan, the African Muadhins are calling the Azan for Isha.

If we were to ponder over this phenomenon thoughtfully, we would conclude the amazing fact that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muadhins around the world are not calling the Azan on the surface of this earth.

Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there are atleast thousands of people who are hearing and calling the Azan!!!

Forwarded to me from my counterpart in Brunei.. (Thanks Abdul Haji for the lead)

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