Jerusalem Al-Aqsa muezzin echoes 500 years of family tradition

By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 06 Jan 2023

JERUSALEM (AFP) - As the rising sun gently begins to illuminate Jerusalem’s golden Dome of the Rock and the city slowly awakens, Firas al-Qazzaz’s hypnotic voice echoes softly through the Old City.

He is the latest member of his family in 500 years to lead prayers from the minaret at the cherished Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.

"Allahu akbar (God is greatest)," begins the call rising over the mosque compound, not jerky or abrupt but smooth like honey, calling the faithful closer to God.

"When you pull someone from sleep to prayer at dawn, take him kindly," Qazzaz said, explaining the different tones for the five daily Islamic prayers.

The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus means the cobbled streets leading to the compound, normally heaving with life, now lie eerily quiet.

The mosque may be closed and empty but Qazzaz’s call can be heard echoing above the silence of a city in lockdown.

Unimpeded by car horns or noisy cafe chatter, his voice soars upwards clear and crisp amid sweet birdsong.

Standing straight and with a slow, deliberate way of speaking, the 32-year-old is the youngest muezzin, or religious official who sounds the call to prayer, at Al-Aqsa.

In happier times after prayers, Qazzaz would pick his way slowly through the streets, greeting all those around -- a handshake here, an "Asalamu aleikum" ("Peace be unto you") there, an invitation to join another for an Arabic coffee scented with cardamom.