My dear brothers, in all fairness to us(those who are proponents and followers of the fatawa) to deduce that we are against technology or science is indeed a gross injustice. My proof is actually in me using this medium as a means of communication. For obvious reasons, we shall not go into issues of the different types of Bidah (Innovation) of which there are those that are indeed permissible and commendable and to make accusations that the Ulema are against microphones in totality is indeed unfair.
Regarding the use of the microphone, the ruling is quite clear. This concerns the essential and compulsory actions of salah wherein the worshipper has sole reliance upon the loudspeaker to begin and complete the required action.
I will elaborate on this for clearer understanding (InshAllah).
Firstly, let us look into the microphone.
May I first point out that my dear brother Mohammed Rizwan has actually answered this himself.
"That in this day and age, most of us are knowledgeable and intelligent enough to tell the difference between a sound re-produced by an "Echo of a Bird" and a sound re-produced by a Microphone, at a Masjid when Praying Salaah."
Yes, my dear brother 're-produced' is actually the correct word to use. Meaning to make a copy of, to duplicate. Please enlighten me if my understanding of copy or duplicate, meaning that which is a replica of the original and not in actual fact the original, is not correct.
A microphone is a transducer. It is actually electrical in nature. In simple terms it is an object that converts energy from one form to another.
A microphone captures sound waves and in turn translates/converts these sound waves into electronic pulses.These electronic pulses cannot be interpreted by the human ear which is the final destination. Remember the human ear can only translate sound waves for interpretation by the brain.
Therefore, there is another dependency and that is the requirement of a bridge or an interface of translation. The object that acts as this interface is the Loudspeaker.
The loudspeaker is also a transducer and in this context translates the electronic pulses into sound waves. A reverse change of the order hereby occurs.
Scientific deduction causes us to observe the following. i.e. there is a change of energy from one form to another prior to interpretation by the human ear.
This is where the problem creeps in. It is at this point that the human ear relies upon the loudspeaker for translation of the energy. This energy has been proven to have metamorphisized from original sound waves into electronic pulses and from electronic pulses into sound waves. Thus, to rely upon the loudspeaker at this point would be non-permissible.
(Please note that audio amplifiers are just that as the name suggests audio amplifiers. This is an agreed upon process wherein no change in the physical nature of the energy form takes place. This is actually where major misunderstanding occurs. Certain groups are of the opinion that since no physical change occurs, then this process is permissible, hence their formation of their ruling that that it is permissible (from a shariah point of view) to use the microphone in salah.Yes, we too agree that an amplifier does not in any way act as a transducer, as at this point of amplification, energy has already undergone a process of transduction. But then again there has already been a change in the physical structure and form of the energy thus negating this argument. There is a two fold process. Firstly, there is a process of input amplification which is amplification of the electronic pulses after the conversion process by the microphone and output amplification which basically drives output devices such as the loudspeakers.)
The worshipper is now relying upon that which is out of salah and that which can never be in salah. One will now understand as to the reason why the example of the echo of the bird has been brought foward.
Another point that I would like to point out is that a worshipper in salah cannot even rely upon another Muslim who is out of the same salah to instruct him on the actions of salah. In other words, let us suppose that there is Muslim who does not know how to perform his salah. He will still not be able to allow another Muslim to guide him in his actions while he is in a state of salah and the other out of that state. Also, even if one does not know the Ayahs to recite in salah, he will still not be allowed to use a book to help him while he is in a state of salah.
This brings us to another point; the amal-e-kaseer meaning repetitive action that is not part of salah.Repititive action will cause the invalidation of your salah. The act of reading a book to help you with your salah while in a state of salah will lead you to this. What about those Imams who are guilty of this when intentionally making repetitive actions when reciting into the microphone? Is this act part of salah? Please, my dear brothers observe some of these Imams very carefully. I would like to point out that this is not a blanket statement that involves all Imams who pray using the microphones.