On Friday, congregants at the Meadows Islamic Center were subjected to an 11 minute, animated version of the call to prayer by fellow mosque attendee and Theatre major Hasan Khan. Khan enthusiastically filled-in as the voluntary Mu’azzin (name for the person who gives the Islamic call to prayer, the Adhan), introducing his own extended version, chok-full of dramatic pauses and impressive vocals ranging from bass to soprano.
Khan’s acting resume includes performances from his high school musical productions of “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Marry Poppins,” and more recently a community theater role in “Guys and Dolls.”
Worshipper Hisham Abdullah described the moment as “bizarre and uncomfortable.”
“I’m pretty sure the first half of the Adhan was sung to the tune of ‘Ave Maria,'” recalled Abdullah as he searched for his shoes after prayer.
“It was strange. At the end, he turned around and bowed. I think he was expecting us to shower him with roses?”
While most mosque attendees were irked by the delays and histrionics of it all, some were moved and described Khan’s adhan as a “ballad sans music.”
“It’s almost as if he took us on a journey with him, entertaining us along the way,” said a teary-eyed Mustafa Ali who sat in the front row of the prayer hall during the performance.
“I think I gave him a standing ovation at the end. I think I was the only one who gave him a standing ovation at the end.”
Khan is expected to give the adhan at next week’s Friday prayer, and is reportedly working on an interpretive dance version.
