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Muezzin

The müezzin (the word is pronounced this way Turkish, Urdu, etc.; in Arabic: mu'addin or mu'adhdhin, plural: mu'adhdhin, dual: mu'adhdhinayn) is a servant at the mosque who leads the call (adhan) to Friday service and the five daily prayers, or Salah, from one of the mosque's minarets (in most modern mosques, amplification aids the muezzins).

The professional muezzin is chosen to serve at the mosque for his good character, voice, and skills. When calling to prayer, the muezzin faces each of the four compass directions in turn while he cries out the adhan. During the prayer, the muezzin in some mosques stand on a special platform (called the müezzin mahfili in Turkish), opposite the minbar in the mosque and answer the Imam's sermons.

See also: salah, minbar

Last updated: 06-02-2005 13:05:49
Last updated: 09-03-2005 18:37:12