Somalia Launches Nationwide Effort to Standardize Islamic Call to Prayer and Sermons

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia has announced an ambitious plan to standardize the Islamic call to prayer (aadaanka) and Friday sermons (qudbadaha) across the country, in a move the government says will promote religious cohesion and consistency in worship.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, begins in the wider Benaadir region before expanding nationwide. The ministry said it has started by registering mosques and synchronizing the timing of the call to prayer.

Director General Ibrahim Adan Ibrahim said the project reflects the government’s commitment to “unifying religious practices” and enhancing the quality of religious leadership. Beyond the call to prayer, the program seeks to standardize sermon content and provide training for muezzins and imams, ensuring that messages from the pulpit are clear, consistent, and community-oriented.

Religious uniformity has long been a sensitive issue in Muslim-majority societies, where diverse interpretations of Islamic practice can sometimes fuel division. Somalia’s government argues that harmonizing worship will strengthen social cohesion and help prevent the misuse of religious platforms for political or extremist purposes.

This marks the first time the ministry has taken such a prominent role in shaping national religious life, signaling a shift in how the Somali state engages with faith institutions.