Farooq Hadrawi

Farooq Abdul-Rahman Hadrawi (born 18 August 1945) is a muezzin (caller to prayer) at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia,^[1] as well as at Masjid al-Namirah.

Farooq Hadrawi was born on 18 August 1946 in Taif, in western Saudi Arabia.^[2] He spent his early childhood growing up in Mecca, where his family home was nearby the Masjid al-Haram. He could hear the voices of the muezzins. He was influenced by renowned muezzins of the time.

Hadrawi began his formal education in 1951 at Al-Aziziyah Primary School and memorised parts of the Quran under Sheikh Muhammad Amin Mirdad. He then transferred to the Saudi School after his family moved to the Al-Rawdah neighbourhood. After completing his primary education, he enrolled in Al-Rahmaniyah Intermediate School in Al-Shaab. He completed his secondary education at Al-Aziziyah Secondary School.

Hadrawi began his professional career in 1965 as an employee at the Ministry of Hajj and Endowments (now the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah). He held various positions within the ministry until resigning in 1985, though he returned the same year as a contractor at the request of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and continued in service until 2010.

Hadrawi's relationship with the adhan began at an early age, when he would call to prayer at school and on special occasions. At age 17, he volunteered to call the adhan at the neighbourhood mosque in Al-Rawdah, alongside Salih bin Abdullah bin Humaid, then the imam of that mosque, who encouraged his talent. He later joined another mosque in the same neighbourhood with Abdullah bin Abdul Qadir Sabbagh in 1961.

His official muezzin service began at the Mosque of Sayyida Aisha, where he was appointed in 1394 AH and served until 1403 AH. He then moved to Riyadh for work and called the adhan at the mosque of the Council of Ministers and was appointed as muezzin at the Imam Muhammed bin Saud Mosque until 1405 AH. Returning to Mecca that same year, he began calling the adhan at the Abdul Qadir Faqih Mosque in Al-Aziziyah, succeeding Sheikh Abdullah Sabbagh, who had transferred to the Masjid al-Haram. Hadrawi remained at the mosque until 1431 AH.

Beginning in 1403 AH, he served as a seasonal muezzin at the three holy sites (Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat), and from 1410 AH, he limited his seasonal service to Masjid al-Namirah. In Muharram 1415 AH (June 1994 CE), he was appointed as an official muezzin at the Masjid al-Haram, a position he continues to hold. He also performed the adhan in London for two consecutive years, 1428 and 1429 AH (2007–2008 CE).

• Ali Ahmed Mullah