I have a question regarding the Muslim view of music. I think I would be correct in assuming that music of a sensual or erotic nature, or music that glorifies things forbidden (such as adultery, alcohol, etc) would be forbidden. However, what about music such as western classical music (Beethoven, Handel, etc)? Are all musical instruments other than the human voice forbidden?
--- Music is not permitted at all (except for one exception, see below).
There are hadiths in saheeh bukhari which forbid music, these are not weak at all!
“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).
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).
There is only one exception to this:
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.
The aayaat of the Qur’aan and the Ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicate that musical instruments are condemned, and warn us against them. The Qur’aan teaches that playing these instruments is one of the things that leads people astray and constitutes mockery of the Signs of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk to mislead (men) from the Path of Allaah, without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allaah, the Verses of the Qur’aan) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell-fire).” [Luqmaan 31:6]
Most of the scholars interpreted lahw al-hadeeth (“idle talk”) as meaning singing and musical instruments, and every voice that diverts people from the truth.
Al-Tabari (Jaami’ al-Bayaan, 15/118-119), Ibn Abi’l-Dunya (Dham al-Malaahi, 33) and Ibn al-Jawzi (Talbees Iblees, 232) all reported that concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“[Allaah said to Shaytaan;] ‘And istafziz [literally means befool them gradually] those whom you can with your voice, make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, mutually share with them wealth and children, and make promises to them.’ But Shaytaan promises them nothing but deceit” [al-Isra’ 17:64]
Mujaahid said, “This refers to singing and flutes.”
Al-Tabari reported that al-Hasan al-Basri said:
“His voice is the tambourine.”
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/252):
“The grammatical structure here (idaafah – genitive or possessive) is used to make something specific (idaafat al-takhsees), and in all these words in the aayah it refers back to the Shaytaan [addressed here as ‘you’ by Allaah, may He be glorified]. Everyone who speaks about anything other than obedience of Allaah or plays a reed pipe, flute, tambourine or drum, all of this is the voice of Shaytaan.”
Al-Tirmidhi reported in his Sunan (no. 1005) from Ibn Abi Layla from ‘Ata’ from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to to al-Nakhl with ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, when his son Ibraaheem was dying. He took the child in his lap and his eyes filled with tears. ‘Abd al-Rahmaan said, ‘Are you weeping when you have forbidden us to weep?’ He said, 'I do not forbid weeping. What I have forbidden is two foolish and evil kinds of voices: voices at times of entertainment and play and the flutes of the Shaytaan, and voices at times of calamity and scratching the face and rending the garments and screaming.’”
Al-Tirmidhi said: this is a hasan hadeeth. It was also reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak, no. 1683, al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (4/69), al-Tayaalisi in Musnad (no. 1683) and by al-Tahhaawi in Sharh al-Ma’aani, 4/29, and it was classed as hasan by al-Albaani.
Al-Nawawi said: “What is meant here is singing and musical instruments.” See Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 4/88.
It was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In my ummah there will be people who allow fornication/adultery (zina), silk, wine and musical instruments [ma’aazif]. Some people will stay at the side of a mountain, and they will have flocks of sheep. When a poor person comes in the evening to ask them for something he needs, they will say. ‘Come back to us tomorrow.’ Then during the night Allaah will destroy them by causing the mountain to fall upon them, while He changes others into apes and swine. They will remain in such a state until the Day of Resurrection.’”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari in al-Saheeh mu’allaqan, 51/10. Reported mawsoolan by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra, 3/272; al-Tabaraani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer, 3/319; and Ibn Hibbaan in al-Saheeh (8/265-266). Classed as saheeh by Ibn al-Salaah in ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth (32), Ibn al-Qayyim in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (255) and Tahdheeb al-Sunan (5/270-272), al-Haafiz in al-Fath (10/51) and al-Albaani in al-Saheehah (1/140)).
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (10/55): Ma’aazif refers to musical instruments. Al-Qurtubi reported from al-Jawhari that ma’aazif meant singing, and what it says in his book al-Sihaah is that it refers to musical instruments. It was also said that it is the sound of musical instruments. In a footnote by al-Dimyaati it says: ma’aazif is tambourines and other kinds of drums. The word ‘azif is applied to singing and all other kinds of instruments that may be played.
Ibn al-Qayyim said in Ighaathat al-Lahfaan (1/256):
The evidence for this is that ma’aazif refers to all kinds of things used for entertainment. There is no dispute among scholars of the Arabic language on this point. If they were halaal, he would not have condemned those who permitted them, or compared permitting them to permitting wine and zina.
We may understand from the hadeeth that all kinds of musical instruments are forbidden. This is clear from the hadeeth for a number of reasons:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said “… there will be people who allow…” It is clear that the things listed here, including musical instruments, are forbidden in sharee’ah, but those people will allow them.
He compared musical instruments to things that are definitely known to be haraam, namely zina and alcohol. If instruments were not haraam, he would not have made this comparison. The evidence of this hadeeth that singing is haraam is definitive. Even if no other hadeeth or aayah spoke about musical instruments, this hadeeth would be sufficient to prove that they are haraam, especially the kind of singing that is known among people nowadays, the essence of which is obscenity and foul talk, based on all kinds of musical instruments such as guitars, drums, flutes, ouds, zithers, organs, pianos, violins and other things that make it more enticing, such as the voices of these effeminate singers and whores.
(See Hukm al-Ma’aazif by al-Albaani, Tas-heeh al-Ahkta’ wa’l-Awhaam al-Waaqi’ah fi Ahaadeeth al-Nabi ‘alayhi’l-salaam by Raa’id Sabri, 1/176).
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 3/423-424):
“Ma’aazif refers to singing and musical instruments. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that at the end of time there will come a people who will allow these things just as they will allow alcohol, zina and silk. This is one of the signs of his Prophethood, for all of this has happened. The hadeeth indicates that [musical instruments] are haraam, and condemns those who say they are halaal, just as it condemns those who say that alcohol and zina are allowed. The aayaat and ahaadeeth that warn against singing and musical instruments are many indeed. Whoever claims that Allaah has allowed singing and musical instruments is lying and is committing a great evil. We ask Allaah to keep us from obeying our desires and the Shaytaan. Even worse and more seriously sinful than that are those who say it is mustahabb. Undoubtedly this stems from ignorance about Allaah and His Religion; it is insolent blasphemy against Allaah and lying about His Laws. What is mustahabb is to beat on the daff [simple hand drum] at weddings. This is mustahabb for women only, in order to announce the wedding and to distinguish it from fornication. There is nothing wrong with women singing amongst themselves, accompanied by the daff, so long as the songs contain no words that encourage evil or distract people from their duties. It is also a condition that this should take place among women only, and there should be no mixing with men. It should also not cause any annoyance or disturbance to neighbours. What some people do, of amplifying such singing with loudspeakers is evil, because of the disturbance it causes to other Muslims, neighbours and others. It is not permissible for women, in weddings or on other occasions, to use any instrument other than the daff, such as the oud, violin, rebab (stringed instrument) and so on. This is evil, and the only concession that women are given is that they may use the daff.
As for men, it is not permissible for them to play any kind of musical instrument, whether at weddings or on any other occasion. What Allaah has prescribed for men is training in the use of instruments of war, such as target practice or learning to ride horses and competing in that, using spears, shields, tanks, airplanes and other things such as cannons, machine guns, bombs and anything else that may help jihaad for the sake of Allaah.”
Shaykh al-Islam said in al-Fataawa (11/569):
“I know that in the ‘golden age’, the first and best three centuries, in the Hijaaz, in Syria, in the Yemen, in Egypt, in the Maghreb, in Iraq, in Khorasan, none of the religious and righteous people, the ascetics and those who worshipped Allaah much, would gather to listen to this whistling and clapping and drum-beating and so on. This was innovated after that at the end of the second century, and whenever the imaams saw it, they denounced it.”
As for these anaasheed which are described as “Islamic” but are accompanied with musical instruments, giving them this name lends them some measure of legitimacy, but in fact they are singing and music, so calling them Islamic nasheeds is falsehood and deception. They cannot be a substitute for singing, as an evil thing cannot be substituted for another evil thing. We should replace something evil with something good. Listening to it on the grounds that it is Islamic and an act of worship is bid’ah, and Allaah does not allow this. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
I myself am curious. I know a man that I work with is muslim, but he sings along to the music that is played on our PA system. Another muslim man I work with sings music out loud from his country of Bengladesh. The music is strictly chosen because we prefer not to offend our patrons, so there is nothing offensive in the songs; but is all music not pertaining to Allah forbidden? I see that in the Qu'ran it seems to state that you shouldn't waste your money on idle talks that distract from Allah.
Please refer back to my post, you will see that all types of music are haram, except for the 'daff'.
Unfortunetly, many muslims over look this ruling and continue to listen to music anyway. However just because they do it, that doesnt make it allowed Islamically.
Music. Hmm. A lot of people listen to it, but then again - a lott of people used to believe that the earth was flat === doesn't mean that they're correct.
Music. Hmm. A lot of people listen to it, but then again - a lott of people used to believe that the earth was flat === doesn't mean that they're correct.
tru, im a huge music fan....
So all musicall iinstruments are harraam? I though it was only percussion instruments? or something?
So all musicall iinstruments are harraam? I though it was only percussion instruments? or something?
Look all the explanation above sis...its said ALL musical instruments, except duff thats played by children and in some occasion.
Its a good sign of muslim to leave somehting thats not benefit them right (Al hadith), and also in Quran said that once we know rule in Islam then theres no choice for us except to follow, and afraid Allah.
Me too was a music lovers (long time a go when I was jahil), and I always make music as my problemsolver, astaghfirullah. And I almost have a record with one group band, I was the singer. Alhamdulillah Allah still have love for me, he led me into the best understanding and the best condition, walhamdulillah, I cant say enough praise to Allah for His love leading me into the right manhaj. And also with His help I can leave music. Alhamdulillah, once I know music HARAM then I leave it right away.
But I admit when I heard a song then sometimes I sing along, but when I realized then I stop, masha Allah, we do taqwa as much as we can right.
Last edited by Mawaddah; 12-07-2006 at 04:52 PM.
Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny? Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
music is haram and so are musical instruments except the daff, there will always be a differnce of opinion so I think we should read the hadeeth below and go along with it...its one of my favourites....
Nu’man bin Bashir reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger saw who said (And Nu’man pointed towards his ears with his fingers): what is lawful is evident and what is unlawful is evident, and in between them are things which are doubtful which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things God has declared unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearkens it to the heart. (Muslim)
Explanation- This hadeeth beautifully sums up the nature of the Islamic Shari’ah and the attitude of a Muslim towards it. No human language can adequately express such deep and practical wisdom about human life as it has been expressed in this hadeeth.
Allah has clearly defined the things which are lawful and those which are unlawful. Every person has a clear knowledge of them, but in between these unlawful and lawful things, there are certain things which are doubtful. The man who shuns the use of such, guards himself against pitfalls, since the use of doubtful things paves the way for falling into the net of evil.
At the outset no one dares commit glaring evil; he starts from those acts which apparently have no evil around them, but the intention behind them is no good. He then proceeds slowly and steadily on this dangerous path without realising the enormity of danger lying ahead, and ultimately falls victim to evil.
The people who do not avoid doubtful things are imperceptibly but irresistibly driven to evil deeds, the Holy Prophet saw has explained this process of moral deterioration with the help of a simile of the preserve of the king.
The shepherd who does not keep his sheep away from the preserve hazards misfortune, for if they are allowed to graze near it, there is a great likelihood of their slipping into it. Like the preserve of the kings, evil has a fascination and charm of its own, and the person who hovers on the borderline of evil can at any moment fall into its trap.
The concluding portion of the hadeeth has a lesson for us that we try to cleanse our heart of evil thoughts and make it pure and clean as it can become the dwelling of the Lord only when it is fit for that. Evil thoughts lead to evil deeds; man should try his utmost best to get rid of them, and this is possible only when we entertain good and leave no chance for evil to find its place in our hearts.
if you're not sure about something...just leave it...we'll get the reward from Allah Insha'Allah
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