I've been told that Muslims generally shun all music. But then in class today, my English teacher gave us a handout on Islam, 'cause we're studying religion in literature, the handout said that Muslims hold music in high regard. Can someone set the record straight? Sorry if this has already been asked. The search thingeh never seems to work for me. >.<

I would say that the handout was written by a non-Muslim. Music has long been a very strong part of Arabic culture. To many people Arabic and Muslim are the same thing.

Yes, there are Muslims who are music addicts, but that does not mean it is in accordance with Islam.

maybe you could provide her/him with that ayah which goes lyk "..all idle things r not allowed or haram i guess"....dont remember ...but it vil work and some fatwas from known scholars...vil search em 4 u inshAllah..

You say that like they're not. XD
You live in America, you should know the American truth. =P

Ermm...ur teacher is givin out wrong info I hope u can educate him/her. Hmm thats odd

Over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabic. Islam is a Religion. Arabic is a nationality.
My Ancestral heritage is Lipkas Lithuanian (Mixed with some other stuff) I doubt if I could pass for Arabic although I am Muslim.

Not all Arabs are Muslim either. Many Arabs in Lebanon and Jordan are Christian. Many Egyptian Arabs are Coptic(which is also a Christian faith) as are Arabs in Ethiopia.

In Morocco I met many Arabs that were Jewish.

Wow, really?!

You live in Texas, the information center of the Earth. You should know you've got that backwards. =P

I'm not a native Texan.

I have also lived in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt.

Now it is true that the majority of the worlds Arabs are Muslim. But they are only a small fraction of the World's Muslims.

WOW! Coolness! =D

Anywho, yes! In class, we've not yet gotten to Islam...We're just about finished with Hinduism, and a little information on Islam was on the Hindu handout. I'll correct what I can, as I'm sure there will be more errors. American schools have a habit of not telling things right...>.<

When I was growing up in Connecticut I had many misconceptions about Islam and they did not begin to be corrected until I did live in Middle Eastern and African Countries. Initially I was scared to death and heard all kinds of horror stories about Muslims. Keep in mind that was back in the 1950s and very few American's had ever seen a real live Muslim at that time. I was under the impression that all Muslims were Arabs and all Arabs were Muslim. Big surprise when the first Arabs I personally met were Jews and Christians.

One of the First Muslims I became friends with was a Berber named Muhammad Ben Kitani. He was older than me and he did much to help a young American in Morocco learn the true peaceful nature of Islam.

At that time my hearing was still intact and I fell in love with Arabic Music. It was later that I learned the music was Arabic and not Muslim.

Please do....^(' . ')> lol

I've read your post brother >>>I'm not talking whether it is haram or halal....... I'd like to tell you my story with music

Music brother is an opium

It is a dangrous adiction ....

but when read my stort you'll deem it is haram

my family used to listen to arabic classical music and songs and attened musical concerts... so was I

I never thought that itis haram as I could not live without it..I was proud among my friends that I can taste and play music

the surprise was when my cusine told me it is haram ! I said like you .... " but Muslims had a bid regard to it and wrote books about it" I did not believe her.. why could it be haram ...

.... so I watched my self and my heart ...it is a disaster . .." I hate listening to the Quran" ...but I go on and do not care... I had a bad hard heart ... I was tough proud of my talents ...people hated me and I was always sad

so I insisted on listening to listens about music and why it is haram....

Then I insisted to get rid of that adiction and stop the opium

Alhamdu lillah Allah helped me but it was some how difficult for my family still listen to it .... but now they stopped that except my father so pray for him please


Now my heart is a new one... Quran is enough for me...

you should know that
as on of the proccedors said

my Allah guide us to His Path

Exactly nice use of words

Listening to Music (during work breaks or for leisure): Fatwa from Sheikh Yusuf Qardawi.

[With respect to] music and why it is permissible, here is the clarification for that in the light of fatwa issued by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:

The whole issue of singing is controversial, whether it is with musical accompaniment or not. Some issues succeeded to gain the Muslim scholars’ agreement, while others failed. All scholars have unanimous view on the prohibition of all forms of singing and music that incites debauchery, indecency, or sin. As for musical instruments, given the weakness of the evidence indicating that they are forbidden, the rule to be applied here is the one states that all things are originally deemed permissible as long as there is no Shari`ah text that prohibits them.

Singing is no more than melodious words; if these are good, singing is considered good; but if they are bad, such singing is deemed bad. Talk that contains forbidden content is prohibited. What if that talk is accompanied with rhythm and melody?

Scholars agree on the permissibility of singing without instrumental accompaniment and where the content is not prohibited...

...Conclusion on Permissibility of Musical Instruments

In the light of the above, it is clear that the religious texts that stand as a basis for those who maintain that singing is haram are either ambiguous or inauthentic. None of the hadiths attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is valid as evidence on the judgment of prohibition. Moreover, all these hadiths are declared ‘weak’ by the followers of Ibn Hazm, Malik, Ibn Hanbal, and Ash-Shafi`i.

In his book, Al-Ahkam, Al-Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-`Arabi says, “None of the hadiths maintaining that singing is prohibited are considered authentic (by the scholars of the Science of Hadith Methodology).” The same view is maintained by Al-Ghazali and Ibn An-Nahwi in Al-`Umdah. Ibn Tahir says, “Not even a single letter from all these Hadiths was proved to be authentic.”

Ibn Hazm says, “All the hadiths narrated in this respect were in...

...Thereupon, if singing is thus a human instinct, it is not for Islam to defy humankind’s instincts. Islam came to refine and promote the human instinct. Ibn Taymyiah says, “Prophets were sent to polish and discipline man’s instinct and not to change or modify it.” This is pursuant to the hadith that reads, “When Allah’s Messenger came to Madinah, he found them (i.e., the people of Madinah) celebrating two days. He said, ‘What are these days?’ They replied, ‘We used to rejoice in these days during the pre-Islamic era.’ He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Verily, Allah Almighty has given you two alternative days which are much better: these are Al-Adha and Al-Fitr days (`Eids).’” (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa’i)

Moreover, if singing is to be considered rejoicing and play, these are not haram; this is in pursuant to the famous idea that man needs some time to relax a bit and rejoice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Hanzalah who thought himself to be a hypocrite for his attendance to his wife and children and the change that affected him when he was apart from Allah’s Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Hanzalah! Part of your time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and part of time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation).” (Reported by Muslim)...

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