Is it permissible for Muslims to allow a non-Muslim to call the athaan?

[bamalli]

QUESTION

Is it permissible for Muslims to allow a non-Muslim to call the athaan?

ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

No, only Muslims can call the athaan for prayer. Non-Muslims are not to be given trusts in general, so how could they be relied upon for the athaan of the Muslims and determining the proper times for their prayers?

Even if a Muslim owned a disbelieving slave, he may not allow this slave to call the athaan, since the athaan is a form of worship. And being a Muslim is a condition for all acts of worship to be accepted; No act of worship is accepted from a non-Muslim.

The athaan is a form of worship and a great outward display of the Religion, so then how could a disbelieving slave perform it, or even a free disbeliever? No, this is not permissible since the mu'ath-thin keeps track of the time, and he is trusted to call the athaan. How could a non-Muslim be allowed to declare the phrases (of the athaan)? And Allaah knows best.