Foreign National Protests Quran Recitation Sound as PBNU Pushes for Local Mosque Speaker Regulations
A video went viral showing a foreign woman causing a disturbance in the hamlet of Gili Trawangan, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, after being disturbed by the sound of Quran recitation (tadarusan) on the first night of Ramadan. In response, the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) has urged local governments to create regulations governing the use of loudspeakers at places of worship.
“It would indeed be best if there were regulations at the local level, for instance a Regent’s Regulation, to ensure that the community’s religious life can take place in a harmonious atmosphere,” PBNU Secretary-General Amin Said told reporters on Saturday (21/2/2026).
“This includes the use of loudspeakers at places of worship. It could be regulated, for example, that the call to prayer may use external loudspeakers with wide reach, whilst Quran recitation need only use internal speakers within the mosque or prayer hall,” he added.
According to Amin Said, regional heads have the authority to create such regulations. However, he noted that any such regulation must take various considerations into account.
“Regional heads have the authority to make such regulations, naturally by taking input from religious mass organisations and local religious leaders,” he said.
Meanwhile, PBNU Chairman Ahmad Fahrur Rozi (Gus Fahrur) said that Quran recitation using loudspeakers is a good means of religious propagation. However, he reminded that its implementation must observe proper conduct and ethics.
“It must not cause disturbance (mudharat) for the community around the mosque,” he said.
“Especially late at night, external loudspeakers should be used in a limited manner. After 10pm, it is recommended to use only internal mosque speakers so as not to disturb the community’s sleep,” he added.
Gus Fahrur emphasised that the primary principle in worship is that it must not cause harm to others. He noted that Quran recitation is a highly noble form of worship, but it must still take surrounding conditions into account.
“Reading the Quran (tadarus) is a highly noble form of worship, but if carried out in a manner that disturbs the community’s peace, its religious ruling could change to makruh (discouraged) or even haram (forbidden),” he explained.
“Conditions and circumstances in the surrounding area should be considered, so that the atmosphere remains conducive and harmonious,” he added.
Previously, based on video seen by detikBali, the foreign woman was seen shouting in front of a prayer hall whilst residents were reciting the Quran using a loudspeaker. The head of Gili Trawangan hamlet, Muhammad Husni, said the woman felt disturbed by the sound of the recitation.
“What she took issue with was the Quran recitation activity, because she was disturbed by the speaker sound,” he said, as reported by detikBali on Thursday (19/2).
According to Husni, the woman then entered the prayer hall to stop the residents’ activity. She even damaged the microphone being used for the recitation.
“Eventually she came to the prayer hall, then immediately started raging and damaged the microphone and everything else,” he said.