Sacral Sound, Unbearable Noise, and Cairene Masculinities

For over a millennium, the most defining sound in the soundscape of a Muslim community is the call to prayer.More than any other sound, the adhan embodies and defines the religious community by virtually setting an acoustic border for the worshipers living within its sonic range. Aside from its obvious religious purpose, summoning piousMuslims to prayer, the adhan also functioned as an acoustic clock, synchronizing and dividing up time for the entire community, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. —Ziad Fahmy, “Coming to Our Senses”