Ali Ahmed Mulla, the muezzin of the Grand Mosque for 45 years with a melodious voice, is known as the Sheikh of the Muezzins. He was born in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in 1945 AD and assumed the chiefdom of the muezzins in the Grand Mosque in 1436 AH following his cousin’s death. Sheikh Mulla is well-known for his call to prayer recordings that were transmitted worldwide. He studied under Sheikh Ashour in the Grand Mosque and obtained a diploma and master’s degree in art education. Sheikh Ali joined the work as a muezzin in the Grand Mosque in 1395 AH and performed his first call for prayer in 1988. In an interview, he expressed his joy in being called “Bilal Al-Haram” during the opening of mosques in Britain. The Sheikh also noted that the Meccan call to prayer differs from the civil call to prayer.
For 45 years, the muezzin of the Grand Mosque, “Ali Ahmed Mulla,” recited his melodious voice with the call to prayer from the sanctuary, similar to his distinguished voice and tone of his high Hijaz performance, until the recordings of his call to prayer were transmitted to the ears of the Islamic world, and he assumed the chiefdom of the muezzins in the Grand Mosque since 1436 AH.
He is called (Sheikh of the Muezzins), and he was born in Makkah Al-Mukarramah in the ancient Meccan Al-Layl Market Quarter in 1366 AH – 1945 AD. 1975 AD, and he held the position of chief muezzin in the Grand Mosque following his cousin, Sheikh Abd al-Malik al-Mulla died, and he is considered one of the most famous muezzins in the Grand Mosque and the most important source on the history of the call to prayer and the makbariya in the sanctuary, and Sheikh Mulla dazzled the people of the Islamic world with his melodious voice for more than forty-five years, as his voice is characterized by layers Uniquely, the recordings of his call to prayer were transmitted to the ears of the Islamic world.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, “SPA”, Sheikh Mulla studied in the Grand Mosque in the circle of Sheikh Ashour, then he studied elementary school in the Rahmaniyah elementary school in Al-Masaa inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and he studied the fourth and fifth grade in Al-Thaghr Model School in Jeddah, and joined the Capital Model Institute in art education, He remained there for three years, where he graduated from this institute in 1390/1391 AH, and obtained a diploma in art education, then a master’s degree in art education.
And Sheikh Ali tells the story of his official joining the work as a muezzin in the Sacred Mosque, saying: The greatest news I heard in my life when my father informed me that I would become a loudspeaker and muezzin for the Grand Mosque, and that was in the year 1395 AH, pointing out that the first call to prayer that he performed was the first call to prayer of dawn and the second call to prayer in 1988. 1995 AD from the minaret of Bab Al-Ziyadah, and it did not have a microphone, and they used to call it (the cymbal), and only those sitting under it might hear it, then he moved following that to the minaret (Bab Al-Mahkama), and he used to call in them before the call to prayer was unified in the year 1400 AH, and he used to raise the beacons and endure the rising and descending, and from enthusiasm he would rise 63 degrees.
Sheikh Ali did not hide his happiness with the title “Bilal Al-Haram”, saying: It is a title dear to me and it was given to me by Muslims in Britain during the opening of a number of mosques built by the Kingdom, where he called me “Bilal Al-Haram” and was reported by the daily newspapers there.
Sheikh Mulla emphasized that there is a difference between the Meccan call to prayer and the civil call to prayer in terms of performance and the exits of letters. Some of them and there is no difference between them.
In conclusion, Sheikh Ali Ahmed Mulla, the former muezzin of the Grand Mosque, was a renowned figure in the Islamic world for his melodious voice and his skillful recitation of the call to prayer. For over four decades, he shared his exceptional talent with the Muslim community and became a symbol of the sacredness of the holy sanctuary. His story is a testament to the beauty of Islamic tradition and reflects the pride and honor that comes with carrying out such an essential role in the faith. Sheikh Mulla’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of muezzins and serve as an example of the devotion and dedication required to uphold such a sacred position.
