Some Muslims
believe that Music is prohibited/sinful in Islam. According to Islam:
Music that leads to sinful acts such as drugs, sex, violence, etc... is
absolutely sinful in Islam. But otherwise, how would it be sinful when
Allah Almighty Himself allowed it to Prophet David peace be upon him?
Narrated Abu
Musa: "That the Prophet said to him
'O Abu Musa! You have been given one of the musical
wind-instruments of the family of David.'
(Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues of the
Qur'an, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 568)"
Let us look at
Noble Verse 4:163
"We have sent thee inspiration, as We
sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to
Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah,
Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms."
Let us look at
Noble Verse 17:55
"And it is your Lord that knoweth best
all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We did bestow on some
prophets more (and other) gifts than on others: and We gave
to David (the gift of) the Psalms."
In the above
Saying (Hadith) and Noble Verses, we clearly see that Allah Almighty did
send the Book of Psalm to Prophet David peace be upon him. We also see
that Allah Almighty called that Book a gift. If Allah Almighty allowed
David peace be upon him and his followers to sing and play music, then
how could we then claim that music is sinful and prohibited?
The definition
of the Psalm or Psalms:
First let us
define what the word "Psalm" or "Psalms" mean:
A collection
of sacred poems forming a book of canonical Jewish and Christian
Scripture.
Often capitalized <Middle English, from Old English psalm, from Late
Latin psalmus, from Greek psalmos, literally, twanging of a harp, from
psallein to pluck, play a stringed instrument>
First appeared before 12th Century
A sacred song or poem used in worship; especially : one of the biblical
hymns collected in the Book of Psalms
From the America Online Dictionary.
Does this mean
that we (Muslims) must play music while we pray?
I was asked
this question before. My answer is: No, that is not what I am
suggesting! In Islam, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was inspired
the instructions that taught us how to pray. Muslims do not sing nor
play music while they pray, and it is prohibited to play music or sing
while praying to Allah Almighty in Islam. But the point I am trying to
make is, if Allah Almighty allowed music and songs to be played to
people before us, then what gives us the right to prohibit music now?
Did Allah
Almighty or Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him prohibit music?
There is not a
single Noble Verse in the Noble Quran that prohibits music. In fact,
music and songs are allowed in the Noble Quran as we saw above. Some
Muslims however claim that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him did
prohibit music. Well, the section below actually proves the otherwise
from the Sayings of Prophet Muhammad himself.
Muslims must
also remember that when Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him reached the
Holy City of Madina from the Holy City of Mecca with his best friend Abu
Bakr; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him, the Muslims played
music and sang the famous Islamic song "Talaa El-Badru Alayna" which
means "The full moon had come upon us."
The music that
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him prohibited was the one that the
infidels used to play which involved sexual activities by the women. It
was part of the pagan Arabs' custom, and Prophet Muhammad peace be upon
him wanted to prevent Muslims to be anywhere near that type of music,
because it was a sinful music; a music that led to sinful activities.
Prophet Muhammad
peace be upon him allowed music:
From Bukhari
Volume 2, Book 15, Number 70:
Narrated Aisha:
Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came to my
house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story
about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the
Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (p.b.u.h) lay down and turned his face
to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying,
"Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ? " Allah's
Apostle (p.b.u.h) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them."
When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out
and they left. It was the day of 'Id, and the Black people were playing
with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (p.b.u.h) or
he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the
affirmative. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) made me stand behind him and my
cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! O Bani
Arfida," till I got tired. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) asked me, "Are you
satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative
and he told me to leave.
This same Hadith is reported to us again in Sahih Muslim:
Book 004, Number 1942:
'A'isha reported: The Messenger of
Allah (way peace be upon him) came (in my apartment) while there were
two girls with me singing the song of the Battle of Bu'ath. He lay down
on the bed and turned away his face. Then came Abu Bakr and he scolded
me and said: Oh! this musical instrument of the devil in the house of
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)! The Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) turned towards him and said: Leave them alone.
And when he (the Holy Prophet) became inattentive, I hinted them and
they went out, and it was the day of 'Id and negroes were playing with
shields and spears. (I do not remember) whether I asked the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) or whether he said to me if I desired to
see (that sport). I said: Yes. I stood behind him with his face parallel
to my face, and he said: O Banu Arfada, be busy (in your sports) till I
was satiated. He said (to me): Is that enough? I said: Yes. Upon this he
asked me to go.
Once again in Bukhari, this event is recorded:
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 268:
Narrated Aisha:
That once Abu Bakr came to her on the
day of 'Id-ul-Fitr or 'Id ul Adha while the Prophet was with her and
there were two girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about
the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice. "Musical instrument of Satan!"
But the Prophet said, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an 'Id
(i.e. festival) and this day is our 'Id."
And then in Bukhari, another Hadith relates a connection between musical
instruments and the family of David (saw). Further evidence that,
indeed, the Psalms were musical in nature:
Volume 6, Book 61, Number 568:
Narrated Abu Musa:
That the Prophet said to him' "O Abu
Musa! You have been given one of the musical wind-instruments of the
family of David .'
And on one final note, I thought the following Hadith can also be used
in the matter. The Hadith relates of how the adhan came to be, and how
the Prophet's companions suggested the use of musical instruments such
as the horn or bell like the People of the Book. Now although the
Prophet ultimately approved the use of the human voice, there is no
mention that the Prophet chastised his companions for suggesting musical
instruments for the adhan. And if the Prophet was so very much against
musical instruments, then why would his companions dare to suggest the
use of such sinful things in the call to prayer????
From Muslim Book 004, Number 0735:
Ibn Umar reported: When the Muslims
came to Medina, they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer but
no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and some of
them said: Use something like the bell of the Christians and some of
them said: Use horn like that of the Jews. Umar said: Why may not a be
appointed who should call (people) to prayer? The Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) said: O Bilal, get up and summon (the people) to
prayer.
DOES ISLAM PROHIBIT MUSIC?
For years I was confused on this point.
You see many Muslims who have not bothered to ACTUALLY READ THE QURAN
and HADITHS classify most music as "haram"!
Look at the "Action Items" published on one Salafy site:
"Get rid of those Michael Jackson CD's
(please see my <Osama Abdallah> notes
regarding the likes of the Michael Jackson CDs after the conclusion
section below)
"If you had a large music collection as a kafir, have a collection just
as large, but instead fill your library with Islamic audio tapes and
lectures.
"Think about how many hundreds or maybe even thousands of dollars you've
spent on music cd's and tapes that you could now spend on a home Islamic
library.
"Replace any kafir aerobic exercise video tapes with recorded drum
sounds, such as African drums, etc. . . .
http://muttaqun.com/music.html
What is the basis for the "music prohibition"?
UNSUPPORTED BY THE QURAN
The "music banners" have cited the following ayahs in support of a
"music prohibition": 31:6, 17:64, 53:57-62.
NONE OF THESE AYAHS SAYS A WORD ABOUT MUSIC!
031.006
YUSUFALI: But there are, among men,
those who purchase idle tales, without knowledge (or meaning), to
mislead (men) from the Path of Allah and throw ridicule (on the Path):
for such there will be a Humiliating Penalty.
PICKTHAL:
And of mankind is he who payeth for mere
pastime of discourse, that he may mislead from Allah's way without
knowledge, and maketh it the butt of mockery. For such there is a
shameful doom.
SHAKIR:
And of men is he who takes instead frivolous
discourse to lead astray from Allah's path without knowledge, and to
take it for a mockery; these shall have an abasing chastisement.
017.064
YUSUFALI: "Lead to destruction those
whom thou canst among them, with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on
them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth
and children; and make promises to them." But Satan promises them
nothing but deceit.
PICKTHAL:
And excite any of them whom thou canst
with thy voice, and urge thy horse and foot against them, and be a
partner in their wealth and children, and promise them. Satan promiseth
them only to deceive.
SHAKIR: And
beguile whomsoever of them you can with your voice, and collect against
them your forces riding and on foot, and share with them in wealth and
children, and hold out promises to them; and the Shaitan makes not
promises to them but to deceive:
053.057
YUSUFALI: The (Judgment) ever
approaching draws nigh:
PICKTHAL: The threatened Hour is nigh.
SHAKIR: The near event draws nigh.
053.058
YUSUFALI: No (soul) but Allah can lay it
bare.
PICKTHAL: None beside Allah can disclose
it.
SHAKIR: There shall be none besides
Allah to remove it.
053.059
YUSUFALI: Do ye then wonder at this
recital?
PICKTHAL: M arvel ye then at this
statement,
SHAKIR: Do you then wonder at this
announcement?
053.060
YUSUFALI: And will ye laugh and not
weep,-
PICKTHAL: And laugh and not weep,
SHAKIR: And will you laugh and not weep?
053.061
YUSUFALI: Wasting your time in vanities?
PICKTHAL: While ye amuse yourselves?
SHAKIR: While you are indulging in
varieties.
053.62
YUSUFALI: But fall ye down in
prostration to Allah, and adore (Him)!
PICKTHAL: Rather prostrate yourselves
before Allah and serve Him.
SHAKIR: So make obeisance to Allah and
serve (Him).
Actually, the Quran APPROVES music! THATS RIGHT:
039.075
And thou wilt see the angels surrounding
the Throne (Divine) on all sides, singing Glory and Praise to their
Lord. The Decision between them (at Judgment) will be in (perfect)
justice, and the cry (on all sides) will be, "Praise be to Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds!"
If music is so wrong, why do Allah's angels "sing" to the Almighty!
THE AHADITH
ARE IN CONFLICT
Even the hadith collections are in conflict on this point:
Compare:
Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 69, Number
494v:
Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari:
that he heard the Prophet saying,
"From among my followers there will be some people who will consider
illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of
alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And
there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and
in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask
them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.'
Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall
on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs
and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."
With:
Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 15, Number 72:
Narrated Aisha:
Abu Bakr came to my house while two
small Ansari girls were singing beside me the stories of the Ansar
concerning the Day of Buath. And they were not singers. Abu Bakr said
protestingly, "Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's
Apostle !" It happened on the 'Id day and Allah's Apostle said, "O Abu
Bakr! There is an 'Id for every nation and this is our 'Id."
Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 268:
Narrated Aisha:
That once Abu Bakr came to her on the
day of 'Id-ul-Fitr or 'Id ul Adha while the Prophet was with her and
there were two girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about
the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice. "Musical instrument of Satan!"
But the Prophet said, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an 'Id
(i.e. festival) and this day is our 'Id."
Muslim, Book 004, Number 1938:
'A'isha reported: Abu Bakr came to see
me and I had two girls with me from among the girls of the Ansar and
they were singing what the Ansar recited to one another at the Battle of
Bu'ath. They were not, however, singing girls. Upon this Abu Bakr said:
What I (the playing of) this wind instrument of Satan in the house of
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and this too on 'Id day?
Upon this the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Abu Bakr,
every people have a festival and it is our festival (so let them play
on).
Muslim, Book 004, Number 1940:
'A'isha reported that Abu Bakr came to
her and there were with her two girls on Adha days who were singing and
beating the tambourine and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) had wrapped himself with his mantle. Abu Bakr scolded them. The
Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) uncovered (his face) and
said: Abu Bakr, leave them alone for these are the days of 'Id. And 'A'isha
said: I recapitulate to my mind the fact that once the Messenger of
Allah (may peace be upon him) screened me with his mantle and I saw the
sports of the Abyssinians, and I was only a girl, and so you can well
imagine how a girl of tender age is fond of watching the sport.
Now if music and musical instruments are so bad, why did the Prophet (pbuh)
tell Abu Bakr "Let the show go on!"?
The "music
prohibition" is yet another instance in which the Salafy have committed
bidah by innovating prohibitions NOT FOUND IN THE QURAN!
Say, "Who prohibited the nice things God
has created for His creatures, and the good provisions?" Say,"Such
provisions are to be enjoyed in THIS life by those who BELIEVE.
Moreover, the good provisions will be exclusively theirs on the Day of
resurrection." We thus explain the revelations for people who know." QURAN,
7:32
Say "Do you see that which God has
provided for you, you make some of it Unlawful (Haram) and some of it
Lawful (Halal)?" Say "Did God allow you to do this? Or do you tell lies
about God?"
QURAN, 10:59
The "music prohibition" is a fiction, that finds scant support even in
the various ahadith collections.
Conclusion:
Music is not
prohibited in Islam. Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran allowed music
and inspired it upon David peace be upon him. Prophet Muhammad peace be
upon him didn't prohibit music unless it was used for sinful
activities. Otherwise, music is allowed. It's been proven by science
that music relaxes the mind and helps the person to gain energy and
refresh himself. Most production plants in the industrial countries
allow their workers to play music while working to helping them gain
more energy.
Allah Almighty
created music so we can use it in a positive and Islamic way to help us
ease some of the burden of life from us. Even animals enjoy good
music. In the Middle East, some people have their horses dance
beautiful dances on music in many of the rural areas while they're
celebrating.
- August 23, 2010 9:21 am
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على ماُنزل في كتاب الله عز وجل وسنة نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم
والموسيقى محرمه لا جدال فيه ط
الا فيما يخص الاناشيد الاسلامية
هل نحن نستمع للحرام دون أن نعلم أم ماذا؟؟؟...هل رضينا بالحرام
I'm no man's land between the ..
Manzil in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
The music is haraam indisputable i
However, with regard to Islamic songs
Do we listen to the wrong without knowing, or what ???... Are we like it haraam
^^^ this is what said by manaula ... There are certain conditions to listen to Music..
<tbody><tr>
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Nasheeba </td>
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Many people ask the question about whether or not Music is haram, and how
about the duff, what about singing and dancing. Well here is the islamic Ruling
on the above. After reading it tell me how many of you will now stop??
Praise be to Allaah.
Ma'aazif is the plural of mi'zafah, and refers to musical instruments (Fath
al-Baari, 10/55), instruments which are played (al-Majmoo', 11/577). Al-Qurtubi
(may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated from al-Jawhari (may Allaah have mercy
on him) that ma'aazif means singing. In his Sihaah it says that it means
musical instruments. It was also said that it refers to the sound of the
instruments. In al-Hawaashi by al-Dimyaati (may Allaah have mercy on him) it
says: ma'aazif means drums (dufoof, sing. daff) and other instruments which are
struck or beaten (Fath al-Baari, 10/55).
Evidence of prohibition in the Qur'aan and Sunnah:
Allaah says in Soorat Luqmaan (interpretation of the meaning):
"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to
mislead (men) from the path of Allaah." <Luqmaan 31:6>
The scholar of the ummah, Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
this means singing. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this means
playing the drum (tabl). (Tafseer al-Tabari, 21/40).
Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this aayah was
revealed concerning singing and musical instruments (lit. woodwind instruments).
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/451).
Al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this includes all manner of
haraam speech, all idle talk and falsehood, and all nonsense that encourages
kufr and disobedience; the words of those who say things to refute the truth and
argue in support of falsehood to defeat the truth; and backbiting, slander,
lies, insults and curses; the singing and musical instruments of the Shaytaan;
and musical instruments which are of no spiritual or worldly benefit. (Tafseer
al-Sa'di, 6/150)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The interpretation of the
Sahaabah and Taabi'in, that 'idle talk' refers to singing, is sufficient. This
was reported with saheeh isnaads from Ibn 'Abbaas and Ibn Mas'ood. Abu'l-Sahbaa'
said: I asked Ibn Mas'ood about the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), '"And
of mankind is he who purchases idle talks' <Luqmaan 31:6>. He said: By Allaah,
besides Whom there is no other god, this means singing - and he repeated it
three times. It was also reported with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn 'Umar (may
Allaah be pleased with them both) that this means singing. There is no
contradiction between the interpretation of "idle talk" as meaning singing and
the interpretation of it as meaning stories of the Persians and their kings, and
the kings of the Romans, and so on, such as al-Nadr ibn al-Haarith used to tell
to the people of Makkah to distract them from the Qur'aan. Both of them are idle
talk. Hence Ibn 'Abbaas said: "Idle talk" is falsehood and singing. Some of the
Sahaabah said one and some said the other, and some said both. Singing is worse
and more harmful than stories of kings, because it leads to zinaa and makes
hypocrisy grow (in the heart); it is the trap of the Shaytaan, and it clouds the
mind. The way in which it blocks people from the Qur'aan is worse than the way
in which other kinds of false talk block them, because people are naturally
inclined towards it and tend to want to listen to it. The aayaat condemn
replacing the Qur'aan with idle talk in order to mislead (men) from the path of
Allaah without knowledge and taking it as a joke, because when an aayah of the
Qur'aan is recited to such a person, he turns his back as if he heard them not,
as if there were deafness in his ear. If he hears anything of it, he makes fun
of it. All of this happens only in the case of the people who are most
stubbornly kaafirs and if some of it happens to singers and those who listen to
them, they both have a share of this blame. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/258-259).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"<Allaah said to Iblees:> And befool them gradually those whom you can among
them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for Allaah's
disobedience)." <al-Israa' 17:64>
It was narrated that Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "And
befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice" - his voice
<the voice of Iblees/Shaytaan> is singing and falsehood. Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: This idaafah <possessive or genitive
construction, i.e., your voice> serves to make the meaning specific, as with the
phrases <translated as> "your cavalry" and "your infantry" <later in the same
aayah>. Everyone who speaks in any way that is not obedient to Allaah, everyone
who blows into a flute or other woodwind instrument, or who plays any haraam
kind of drum, this is the voice of the Shaytaan. Everyone who walks to commit
some act of disobedience towards Allaah is part of his <the Shaytaan's>
infantry, and anyone who rides to commit sin is part of his cavalry. This is the
view of the Salaf, as Ibn 'Abi Haatim narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas: his infantry is
everyone who walks to disobey Allaah. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do you then wonder at this recitation (the Qur'aan)?
And you laugh at it and weep not,
Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)"
<al-Najm 53:59-61>
'Ikrimah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: it was narrated from Ibn
'Abbaas that al-sumood <verbal noun from saamidoon, translated here as "Wasting
your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)"> means "singing",
in the dialect of Himyar; it might be said "Ismidi lanaa" <'sing for us' - from
the same root as saamidoon/sumood> meaning "ghaniy" <sing>. And he said (may
Allaah have mercy on him): When they <the kuffaar> heard the Qur'aan, they would
sing, then this aayah was revealed.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning) "Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements
(singing)" - Sufyaan al-Thawri said, narrating from his father from Ibn 'Abbaas:
(this means) singing. This is Yemeni (dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana <sing
to us>. This was also the view of 'Ikrimah. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
It was reported from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not
sell singing slave women, do not buy them and do not teach them. There is
nothing good in this trade, and their price is haraam. Concerning such things as
this the aayah was revealed (interpretation of the meaning): 'And of mankind is
he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path
of Allaah.' <Luqmaan 31:6>." (Hasan hadeeth)
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk,
alcohol and musical instruments." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari ta'leeqan, no. 5590;
narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah
by al-Albaani, 91).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This is a saheeh hadeeth
narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, where he quoted it as evidence and stated
that it is mu'allaq and majzoom. He said: Chapter on what was narrated
concerning those who permit alcohol and call it by another name.
This hadeeth indicates in two ways that musical instruments and enjoyment of
listening to music are haraam. The first is the fact that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "<they> permit" which clearly indicates
that the things mentioned, including musical instruments, are haraam according
to sharee'ah, but those people will permit them. The second is the fact that
musical instruments are mentioned alongside things which are definitely known to
be haraam, i.e., zinaa and alcohol: if they (musical instruments) were not
haraam, why would they be mentioned alongside these things? (adapted from
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 1/140-141)
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This
hadeeth indicates that ma'aazif are haraam, and ma'aazif means musical
instruments according to the scholars of (Arabic) language. This word includes
all such instruments. (al-Majmoo', 11/535).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: And concerning the same
topic similar comments were narrated from Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Saa'idi, 'Imraan ibn
Husayn, 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr, 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abbaas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Umaamah
al-Baahili, 'Aa'ishah Umm al-Mu'mineen, 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Anas ibn Maalik,
'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Saabit and al-Ghaazi ibn Rabee'ah. Then he mentioned it in
Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, and it indicates that they (musical instruments) are
haraam.
It was narrated that Naafi' (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ibn 'Umar
heard a woodwind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears and kept away
from that path. He said to me, O Naafi', can you hear anything? I said, No. So
he took his fingers away from his ears and said: I was with the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he heard something like this, and he
did the same thing. (Saheeh Abi Dawood). Some insignificant person said that
this hadeeth does not prove that musical instruments are haraam, because if that
were so, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
would have instructed Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) to put
his fingers in his ears as well, and Ibn 'Umar would have instructed Naafi' to
do likewise! The response to this is: He was not listening to it, but he could
hear it. There is a difference between listening and hearing. Shaykh al-Islam
(Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Concerning (music) which a
person does not intend to listen to, there is no prohibition or blame, according
to scholarly consensus. Hence blame or praise is connected to listening, not to
hearing. The one who listens to the Qur'aan will be rewarded for it, whereas the
one who hears it without intending or wanting to will not be rewarded for that,
because actions are judged by intentions. The same applies to musical
instruments which are forbidden: if a person hears them without intending to,
that does not matter. (al-Majmoo', 10/78).
Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: the listener is
the one who intends to hear, which was not the case with Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah
be pleased with them both); what happened in his case was hearing. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) needed to know when the sound
stopped because he had moved away from that path and blocked his ears. So he did
not want to go back to that path or unblock his ears until the noise had
stopped, so when he allowed Ibn 'Umar to continue hearing it, this was because
of necessity. (al-Mughni, 10/173)
(Even though the hearing referred to in the comments of the two imaams is
makrooh, it was permitted because of necessity, as we will see below in the
comments of Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him). And Allaah knows best).
The views of the scholars (imaams) of Islam
Al-Qaasim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Singing is part of falsehood.
Al-Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: if there is music involved in a
dinner invitation (waleemah), do not accept the invitation (al-Jaami by
al-Qayrawaani, p. 262-263).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The view
of the four Imaams is that all kinds of musical instruments are haraam. It was
reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that there would be among his ummah those
who would allow zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments, and he said that
they would be transformed into monkeys and pigs. None of the followers of the
imaams mentioned any dispute concerning the matter of music. (al-Majmoo',
11/576).
Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The four madhhabs are agreed
that all musical instruments are haraam. (al-Saheehah, 1/145).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The madhhab of Abu
Haneefah is the strictest in this regard, and his comments are among the
harshest. His companions clearly stated that it is haraam to listen to all
musical instruments such as the flute and the drum, even tapping a stick. They
stated that it is a sin which implies that a person is a faasiq (rebellious evil
doer) whose testimony should be rejected. They went further than that and said
that listening to music is fisq (rebellion, evildoing) and enjoying it is kufr
(disbelief). This is their words. They narrated in support of that a hadeeth
which could not be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). They said: he should try not to hear it if he passes by it or it is
in his vicinity. Abu Yoosuf said, concerning a house from which could be heard
the sound of musical instruments: Go in without their permission, because
forbidding evil actions is obligatory, and if it were not allowed to enter
without permission, people could not have fulfilled the obligatory duty (of
enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil). (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan,
1/425).
Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about playing the drum
or flute, if a person happens to hear the sound and enjoy it whilst he is
walking or sitting. He said: He should get up if he finds that he enjoys it,
unless he is sitting down for a need or is unable to get up. If he is on the
road, he should either go back or move on. (al-Jaami' by al-Qayrawaani, 262). He
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The only people who do things like that,
in our view, are faasiqs." (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/55).
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Among the types of
earnings which are haraam by scholarly consensus are ribaa, the fee of a
prostitute, anything forbidden, bribes, payment for wailing over the dead and
singing, payments to fortune-tellers and those who claim to know the unseen and
astrologers, payments for playing flutes, and all kinds of gambling. (al-Kaafi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining the view of
Imaam al-Shaafa'i: His companions who know his madhhab (point of view) stated
that it is haraam and denounced those who said that he permitted it. (Ighaathat
al-Lahfaan, 1/425).
The author of Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, who was one of the Shaafa'is, counted
musical instruments such as flutes and others, as being munkar (evil), and the
one who is present (where they are being played) should denounce them. (He
cannot be excused by the fact that there are bad scholars, because they are
corrupting the sharee'ah, or evil faqeers - meaning the Sufis, because they call
themselves fuqaraa' or faqeers - because they are ignorant and follow anyone who
makes noise; they are not guided by the light of knowledge; rather they are
blown about by every wind. (Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, 2/128).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the view
of Imaam Ahmad, his son 'Abd-Allaah said: I asked my father about singing. He
said: Singing makes hypocrisy grow in the heart; I do not like it. Then he
mentioned the words of Maalik: the evildoers (faasiqs) among us do that.
(Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).
Ibn Qudaamah, the researcher of the Hanbali madhhab - (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: Musical instruments are of three types which are haraam. These are
the strings and all kinds of flute, and the lute, drum and rabaab (stringed
instrument) and so on. Whoever persists in listening to them, his testimony
should be rejected. (al-Mughni, 10/173). And he said (may Allaah have mercy on
him); If a person is invited to a gathering in which there is something
objectionable, such as wine and musical instruments, and he is able to denounce
it, then he should attend and speak out against it, because then he will be
combining two obligatory duties. If he is not able to do that, then he should
not attend. (al-Kaafi, 3/118)
Al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars of all regions
are agreed that singing is makrooh and should be prevented. Although Ibraaheem
ibn Sa'd and 'Ubayd-Allaah al-'Anbari differed from the majority, (it should be
noted that) the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Adhere to the majority." And whoever dies differing from the majority,
dies as a jaahili. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/56). In earlier generations, the word
"makrooh" was used to mean haraam, then it took on the meaning of "disliked".
But this is to be understood as meaning that it is forbidden, because he
<al-Tabari> said "it should be prevented", and nothing is to be prevented except
that which is haraam; and because in the two hadeeths quoted, music is denounced
in the strongest terms. Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) is the one who
narrated this report, then he said: Abu'l-Faraj and al-Qaffaal among our
companions said: the testimony of the singer and the dancer is not to be
accepted. I say: if it is proven that this matter is not permissible, then
accepting payment for it is not permissible either.
Shaykh al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: What Ibraaheem ibn Sa'd
and 'Ubayd-Allaah al-'Anbari said about singing is not like the kind of singing
that is known nowadays, for they would never have allowed this kind of singing
which is the utmost in immorality and obscenity. (al-I'laam)
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to
make musical instruments. (al-Majmoo', 22/140). And he said: According to the
majority of fuqahaa', it is permissible to destroy musical instruments, such as
the tanboor <a stringed instrument similar to a mandolin>. This is the view of
Maalik and is the more famous of the two views narrated from Ahmad. (al-Majmoo',
28/113). And he said: .Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned that the scholars were agreed
that it is not permissible to pay people to sing and wail. the consensus of all
the scholars whose views we have learned about is that wailing and singing are
not allowed. Al-Shu'bi, al-Nakha'i and Maalik regarded that as makrooh <i.e.,
haraam>. Abu Thawr, al-Nu'maan - Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him) -
and Ya'qoob and Muhammad, two of the students of Abu Haneefah said: it is not
permissible to pay anything for singing and wailing. This is our view. And he
said: musical instruments are the wine of the soul, and what it does to the soul
is worse than what intoxicating drinks do. (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 10/417).
Ibn Abi Shaybah (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported that a man broke a
mandolin belonging to another man, and the latter took his case to Shurayh. But
Shurayh did not award him any compensation - i.e., he did not make the first man
pay the cost of the mandolin, because it was haraam and had no value.
(al-Musannaf, 5/395).
Al-Baghawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in a fatwa that it is
haraam to sell all kinds of musical instruments such as mandolins, flutes, etc.
Then he said: If the images are erased and the musical instruments are altered,
then it is permissible to sell their parts, whether they are silver, iron, wood
or whatever. (Sharh al-Sunnah, 8/28)
An appropriate exception
The exception to the above is the daff - without any rings (i.e., a
hand-drum which looks like a tambourine, but without any rattles) - when used by
women on Eids and at weddings. This is indicated by saheeh reports. Shaykh
al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: But the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) made allowances for certain types of musical
instruments at weddings and the like, and he made allowances for women to play
the daff at weddings and on other joyful occasions. But the men at his time did
not play the daff or clap with their hands. It was narrated in al-Saheeh that he
said: "Clapping is for women and tasbeeh (saying Subhaan Allaah) is for men."
And he cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women. Because singing
and playing the daff are things that women do, the Salaf used to call any man
who did that a mukhannath (effeminate man), and they used to call male singers
effeminate - and how many of them there are nowadays! It is well known that the
Salaf said this.
In a similar vein is the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with
her), when her father (may Allaah be pleased with him) entered upon her at the
time of Eid, and there were two young girls with her who were singing the verses
that the Ansaar had said on the day of Bu'aath - and any sensible person will
know what people say about war. Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
"Musical instruments of the Shaytaan in the house of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!" The Messenger of Allaah had turned
away from them and was facing the wall - hence some scholars said that Abu Bakr
(may Allaah be pleased with him) would not tell anybody off in front of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he thought
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not
paying attention to what was happening. And Allaah knows best. He (the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) said: "Leave them alone, O Abu
Bakr, for every nation has its Eid, and this is our Eid, the people of Islam."
This hadeeth shows that it was not the habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and his companions to gather to listen to singing, hence
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq called it "the musical instruments of the Shaytaan". And the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of this appellation
and did not deny it when he said, "Leave them alone, for every nation has its
Eid and this is our Eid." This indicates that the reason why this was permitted
was because it was the time of Eid, and the prohibition remained in effect at
times other than Eid, apart from the exceptions made for weddings in other
ahaadeeth. Shaykh al-Albaani explained this in his valuable book Tahreem Aalaat
al-Tarab (the Prohibition of Musical Instruments). The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of young girls singing at Eid, as
stated in the hadeeth: "So that the mushrikeen will know that in our religion
there is room for relaxation." There is no indication in the hadeeth about the
two young girls that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
listening to them. The commands and prohibitions have to do with listening, not
merely hearing, just as in the case of seeing, the rules have to do with
intentionally looking and not what happens by accident. So it is clear that this
is for women only. Imaam Abu 'Ubayd (may Allaah have mercy on him) defined the
daff as "that which is played by women." (Ghareeb al-Hadeeth, 3/64).
An inappropriate exception
Some of them make an exception for drums at
times of war, and consequentially some modern scholars have said that military
music is allowed. But there is no basis for this at all, for a number of
reasons, the first of which is that this is making an exception with no clear
evidence, apart from mere opinion and thinking that it is good, and this is
wrong. The second reason is that what the Muslims should do at times of war is
to turn their hearts towards their Lord. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: 'The spoils are for
Allaah and the Messenger.' So fear Allaah and adjust all matters of difference
among you." <al-Anfaal 8:1>. But using music is the opposite of this idea of
taqwa and it would distract them from remembering their Lord. Thirdly, using
music is one of the customs of the kuffaar, and it is not permitted to imitate
them, especially with regard to something that Allaah has forbidden to us in
general, such as music. (al-Saheehah, 1/145)
"No people go astray after having been guided except they developed
arguments amongst themselves." (Saheeh)
Some of them used the hadeeth about the Abyssinians playing in the mosque of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as evidence that singing
is allowed! Al-Bukhaari included this hadeeth in his Saheeh under the heading
Baab al-Hiraab wa'l-Daraq Yawm al-'Eid (Chapter on Spears and Shields on the Day
of Eid). Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that it
is permissible to play with weapons and the like in the mosque, and he applied
that to other activities connected with jihaad. (Sharh Muslim). But as al-Haafiz
ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: whoever speaks about something
which is not his profession will come up with weird ideas such as these.
Some of them use as evidence the hadeeth about the singing of the two young
girls, which we have discussed above, but we will quote what Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said, because it is valuable:
I am amazed that you quote as evidence for allowing listening to
sophisticated songs the report which we mentioned about how two young girls who
were below the age of puberty sang to a young woman on the day of Eid some
verses of Arab poetry about bravery in war and other noble characteristics. How
can you compare this to that? What is strange is that this hadeeth is one of the
strongest proofs against them. The greatest speaker of the truth <Abu Bakr
al-Siddeeq> called them musical instruments of the Shaytaan, and the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that
appellation, but he made an exception in the case of these two young girls who
had not yet reached the age of responsibility and the words of whose songs could
not corrupt anyone who listened to them. Can this be used as evidence to allow
what you do and what you know of listening (to music) which includes (bad)
things which are not hidden?! Subhaan Allaah! How people can be led astray!
(Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/493).
Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) was young at that time; nothing was transmitted from her after
she reached the age of puberty except condemnation of singing. Her brother's
son, al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad, condemned singing and said that it was not allowed
to listen to it, and he took his knowledge from her. (Talbees Iblees, 229).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: A group of the Sufis
used this hadeeth - the hadeeth about the two young girls - as evidence that
singing is allowed and it is allowed to listen to it, whether it is accompanied
by instruments or not. This view is sufficiently refuted by the clear statement
of 'Aa'ishah in the following hadeeth, where she says, "They were not singers."
She made it clear that they were not singers as such, although this may be
understood from the wording of the report. So we should limit it to what was
narrated in the text as regards the occasion and the manner, so as to reduce the
risk of going against the principle, i.e., the hadeeth. And Allaah knows best.
(Fath al-Baari, 2/442-443).
Some people even have the nerve to suggest that the Sahaabah and Taabi'een
listened to singing, and that they saw nothing wrong with it!
Al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) said: We demand them to show us saheeh
isnaads going back to these Sahaabah and Taabi'een, proving what they attribute
to them. Then he said: Imaam Muslim mentioned in his introduction to his Saheeh
that 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak said: The isnaad is part of religion. Were it
not for the isnaad, whoever wanted to could say whatever he wanted to.
Some of them said that the ahaadeeth which forbid music are full of faults.
No hadeeth was free of being criticized by some of the scholars. Ibn Baaz (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: The ahaadeeth which were narrated concerning
music being haraam are not full of faults as has been claimed. Some of them are
in Saheeh al-Bukhaari which is the soundest of books after the Book of Allaah,
and some of them are hasan and some are da'eef. But because they are so many,
with different isnaads, they constitute definitive proof that singing and
musical instruments are haraam.
All the imaams agreed on the soundness of the ahaadeeth which forbid singing
and musical instruments, apart from Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali, but al-Ghazzaali
did not have knowledge of hadeeth; and Ibn Hazam, but al-Albaani (may Allaah
have mercy on him) explained where Ibn Hazam went wrong, and Ibn Hazam himself
said that if any of (these ahaadeeth) were saheeh, he would follow that. But now
they have proof that these reports are saheeh because there are so many books by
the scholars which state that these ahaadeeth are saheeh, but they turn their
backs on that. They are far more extreme than Ibn Hazam and they are nothing
like him, for they are not qualified and cannot be referred to.
Some of them said that the scholars forbade singing because it is mentioned
alongside gatherings in which alcohol is drunk and where people stay up late at
night for evil purposes.
Al-Shawkaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The response to this is
that mentioning these things in conjunction does not only mean that what is
haraam is what is joined together in this manner. Otherwise this would mean that
zinaa, as mentioned in the ahaadeeth, is not haraam unless it is accompanied by
alcohol and the use of musical instruments. By the same token, an aayah such as
the following (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, he used not to believe in Allaah, the Most Great,
And urged not on the feeding of Al-Miskeen (the poor)."
<al-Haaqqah 69:33-34>
would imply that it is not haraam to disbelieve in Allaah unless that is
accompanied by not encouraging the feeding of the poor. If it is said that the
prohibition of such things one at a time is proven from other reports, the
response to that is that the prohibition of musical instruments is also known
from other evidence, as mentioned above. (Nayl al-Awtaar, 8/107).
Some of them said that "idle talk" does not refer to singing; the refutation
of that has been mentioned above. Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: This - the view that it means singing - is the best that has been said
concerning this aayah, and Ibn Mas'ood swore three times by Allaah besides Whom
there is no other god, that it does refer to singing. Then he mentioned other
imaams who said the same thing. Then he mentioned other views concerning the
matter. Then he said: The first view is the best of all that has been said on
this matter, because of the marfoo' hadeeth, and because of the view of the
Sahaabah and the Taabi'een. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him), after quoting this Tafseer,
said: Al-Haakim Abu 'Abd-Allaah said in the Tafseer of Kitaab al-Mustadrak: Let
the one who is seeking this knowledge know that the Tafseer of a Sahaabi who
witnessed the revelation is a hadeeth with isnaad according to the two Shaykhs
(al-Bukhaari and Muslim). Elsewhere in his book, he said: In our view this
hadeeth has the same strength as a marfoo' report. Although their tafseer is
still subject to further examination, it is still more readily acceptable than
the tafseer of those who came after them, because they are the most
knowledgeable among this ummah of what Allaah meant in his Book. It was revealed
among them and they were the first people to be addressed by it. They heard the
tafseer from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word
and in deed. And they were Arabs who understood the true meanings of (Arabic)
words, so Muslims should avoid resorting to any other interpretation as much as
possible.
Some of them said that singing is a form of worship if the intention is for
it to help one to obey Allaah!
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: How strange! What type of
faith, light, insight, guidance and knowledge can be gained from listening to
tuneful verses and music in which most of what is said is haraam and deserves
the wrath and punishment of Allaah and His Messenger? . How can anyone who has
the least amount of insight and faith in his heart draw near to Allaah and
increase his faith by enjoying something which is hated by Him, and He detests
the one who says it and the one who accepts it? (Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/485)
Shaykh al-Islam said, discussing the state of the person who has gotten used
to listening to singing: Hence you find that those who have gotten used to it
and for whom it is like food and drink will never have the desire to listen to
the Qur'aan or feel joy when they hear it, and they never find in listening to
its verses the same feeling that they find when listening to poetry. Indeed, if
they hear the Qur'aan, they hear it with an inattentive heart and talk whilst it
is being recited, but if they hear whistling and clapping of hands, they lower
their voices and keep still, and pay attention. (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 11/557 ff)
Some say that music and musical instruments have the effect of softening
people's hearts and creating gentle feelings. This is not true, because it
provokes physical desires and whims. If it really did what they say, it would
have softened the hearts of the musicians and made their attitude and behaviour
better, but most of them, as we know, are astray and behave badly.
Conclusion
Perhaps - for fair-minded and objective readers - this summary will make it
clear that the view that music is permissible has no firm basis. There are no
two views on this matter. So we must advise in the best manner, and then take it
step by step and denounce music, if we are able to do so. We should not be
deceived by the fame of a man in our own times in which the people who are truly
committed to Islam have become strangers. The one who says that singing and
musical instruments are permitted is simply supporting the whims of people
nowadays, as if the masses were issuing fatwas and he is simply signing them! If
a matter arises, they will look at the views of fuqahaa' on this matter, then
they will take the easiest view, as they claim. Then they will look for
evidence, or just specious arguments which are worth no more than a lump of dead
meat. How often have these people approved things in the name of sharee'ah which
in fact have nothing to do with Islam!
Strive to learn your Islam from the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your
Prophet. Do not say, So-and-so said, for you cannot learn the truth only from
men. Learn the truth and then measure people against it. This should be enough
for the one who controls his whims and submits himself to his Lord. May what we
have written above heal the hearts of the believers and dispel the whispers in
the hearts of those who are stricken with insinuating whispers. May it expose
everyone who is deviating from the path of Revelation and taking the easiest
options, thinking that he has come up with something which none of the earlier
generations ever achieved, and speaking about Allaah without knowledge. They
sought to avoid fisq (evildoing) and ended up committing bid'ah - may Allaah not
bless them in it. It would have been better for them to follow the path of the
believers.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless and grant peace to His Messenger who
made clear the path of the believers, and to his companions and those who follow
them in truth until the Day of Judgement.
Summary of a paper entitled al-Darb bi'l-Nawa li man abaaha al-Ma'aazif
li'l-Hawa by Shaykh Sa'd al-Deen ibn Muhammad al-Kibbi.
For more information, please see:
Al-I'laam bi Naqd Kitaab al-Halaal wa'l-Haraam, by Shaykh al-'Allaamah
Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Al-Samaa' by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn al-Qayyim
Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarab, by Shaykh Muhammad Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may
Allaah have mercy on him)