I was initially going to post a small clarification but it has turned into quite a big one, so I hope you will forgive me for the long post. :smile:
life is not white and black, what worked one thousand years ago does not work now, hence taking rulings from books-which is what most scholars do- does not seem appropriate to say the least.
Dear brother, the religion of Islam is suitable for every time and place and adherence to it in no way conflicts with the wellbeing and benefit of mankind. So whatever the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam came with one thousand years ago is still applicable today, no matter how small or big. This deen was perfected before he passed away, therefore it is to be implemented in the same way as it was then.
The rulings of our deen come from the Qur'an and Sunnah, so if we didn't have the scholars to study, preserve and pass on the teachings of our deen, how would we then know our religion?
brother, this exactly proves my point: music isn't haraam,yet some people assert it is, hence the need for more discussion.
life is not white and black,
There are many issues of the deen that are clear and manifest, as Allaah (swt) tell us,
It is He Who has sent down to you the Book (this Qur'an). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. [Aal 'Imraan: 7]
And we have in the hadeeth:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah al-Nu'man bin Bashir, radiyallahu 'anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, say:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and in between the two are matters which are doubtful which many people do not know. He who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it..." [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][Al-Bukhari & Muslim][/FONT]
When you have a matter which is unclear, the safest thing one can do is to stay away from it. If one doctor told you that a medicine is good while another doctor said it would kill you, would you risk taking the medicine? Similarly, the salaf were extremely cautious when it came to the Halal and Haram for fear of the Fire.
But the matter is even clearer regarding those issues where most of the Ummah went against them, such as music. Many scholars have quoted Ijmaa' (a unanimous agreement among the scholars) on the prohibition of music and therefore it is not possible for any irregular opinions to be considered against this. Whenever we see an issue that appears to be controversial, we must ask whether it has been discussed before and if so, does it have a ruling that the Ummah unanimously agreed upon? If yes, then that matter becomes closed because the Ijmaa' of any generation of scholars on a certain religous issue is binding upon the following generations. And the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam has related that the scholars from among his Ummah will never arrive at a consensus that contains misguidance or error. This is supported by the fact that Allaah (swt) has promised to protect His deen. For more detail regarding what these scholars have said, you can read this post:
http://www.islamicboard.com/300466-post5.html
Even if someone claimed that there was no Ijmaa', the overwhelming majority of the Ummah still held the opinion that music is Haram. It goes against reason to believe that only those few scholars with irregular opinions got it right due to the point already made that the Ummah cannot unite upon falsehood.
As a side point, one of the methodologies used by people in attacking the sharee'ah is to isolate evidences and then disregard them. If a strong person faces ten people, he cannot overcome them. But if he meets them individually it is easier to defeat them. Therefore it is important to use a holistic approach and put all the evidence together and not follow desires, then ask whether this leads to the acceptance or rejection of music.
it is forums like this that I believe the firs sparks should be lighted, and no topic be off limits, we are instructed to seek knowledge, not bury it. Islam's rules are not mysteries ad I said before, hence no need to impose a singular view if room exists for more. that is not achievable if even discussion is not allowed.
In light of the above, I hope it has become evident that sometimes there
is a need to impose a singular view when no room exists for more, otherwise we would have people of innovation and desires coming to cast doubt on the truth and attack it using their own intellect and weak opinions. Seeking knowledge is about studying the Words of Allaah (swt) and His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallaam and learning from the scholars and people of knowledge, not arguing without knowledge with the ignorant such that matters are just made more confusing and no benefit is achieved. Even in cases where more than one opinion is valid, discussion must be based upon knowledge and understanding of those issues so that people do not become confused and only end up fighting each other. Therefore those who are sincere about their deen and wish to study further, they should seek the proper sources and etiquettes and ensure they do not waste time in matters that do not benefit. If this was a forum run by scholars or students of knowledge, we could accommodate a greater number of discussions, but as we are not, then we are limited in what we can do.
And Allaah (swt) knows best.
Wassalaamu Alaykum.
