Is Music Haram?
Praise be to Allah.
What is Ma’azif?
Ma’azif is the plural of mi’zafah, and refers to musical instruments (Fath al-Bari, 10/55), instruments that are played (al-Majm ’, 11/577). Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) reported from al-Jawhari (may Allah have mercy on him) that ma’azif means to sing. In his Sihah it is said that it means musical instruments. It has also been said that it refers to the sound of instruments. In al-Hawashi by al-Dimyati (Allah have mercy on him) it is said: ma’azif means drums (dufuf, sing. Daff) and other instruments which are struck or beaten (Fath al-Bari, 10/55) .
Proof of the prohibition of music and singing in the Quran and Sunnah
Allah says in Surah Luqman (interpretation of meaning):
“And among mankind is he who buys empty words (that is, music, songs) to lead (men) astray from the way of Allah…” [Luqman 31: 6]
Ummah scholar Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: it means to sing. Mujahid (Allah have mercy on him) said: it means playing the drum (tabl). (Tafsir al-Tabari, 21/40)
Al-Hasan al-Basri (Allah have mercy on him) said: this ayah has been revealed concerning singing and musical instruments (lit. wind instruments). (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/451)
Al-Sa’di (Allah have mercy on him) said: this includes all kinds of haram speeches, all idle and deceptive speeches, and all nonsense that encourages kufr and disobedience; the words of those who say things to refute the truth and argue for a lie to overcome the truth; and backbiting, slander, lies, insults and curses; the chanting and musical instruments of the Shaytan; and musical instruments that have no spiritual or material benefit. (Tafsir al-Sa’di, 6/150)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The interpretation of Sahabah and Tabi’in, this ‘idle talking’ refers to singing, is sufficient. This has been reported with Sahih Isnad of Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud. Abu’l-Sahba said: I asked Ibn Mas’ud about ayah (interpretation of meaning), “And of mankind is he who buys gossip ‘[Luqman 31: 6]. He said: By Allah, apart from Who there is no other god, it means singing – and he repeated it three times. It has also been reported with a sahih arenad of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that it means to sing.
There is no contradiction between the interpretation of “idle speeches” as meaning to sing and its interpretation as meaning stories of the Persians and their kings, and of the kings of the Romans, and so on, such as al-Nadr ibn al-Harith used to tell the people of Mecca to distract them from the Quran.
Both are gossip. This is why Ibn ‘Abbas said: “To speak idle” is lie and song. Some of the Sahaba said one and some said the other, and some said both. The song is worse and more harmful than the stories of kings, because it leads to zina and increases hypocrisy (in the heart); this is the trap of the Shaytan, and it obscures the mind. The way it blocks people from the Quran is worse than the way other types of false speech block them, because people are naturally inclined to follow it and tend to want to listen to it.
The ayat condemns the replacement of the Quran by empty words in order to lead (men) astray (men) from the path of Allah without knowledge and to take it as a joke, because when an ayah of the Quran is recited to such a person, he turns his back as if he didn’t hear them, as if he had been deaf in his ear. If he hears about it, he doesn’t care. All of this only happens in the case of the people who are the most stubbornly kafir and if part of it happens to the singers and those who listen to them, they both have some responsibility. (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1 / 258-259)
Allah says (interpretation of meaning):
“[Allah said to Iblis:] And gradually deceive them whoever you can among them with your voice (ie songs, music and any other call for disobedience from Allah) …” [al-Isra 17:64]
It has been reported that Mujahid (Allah have mercy on him) said, “And gradually deceive them whomever you can among them with your voice” – his voice [the voice of Iblis / Shaytan] is a song and a lie.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: infantry ”[later in the same verse]. All those who speak in a way that does not obey Allah, all those who blow on a flute or other wind instrument, or who play any type of haram drum, this is the voice of the Shaytan. . Anyone who walks to commit an act of disobedience to Allah is part of his [Shaytan’s] infantry, and anyone who rides a horse to commit sin is part of his cavalry. This is the view of the Salaf, as Ibn ‘Abi Hatim reported from Ibn’ Abbas: his infantry are all those who march to disobey Allah. (Ighathat al-Lahfan).
Allah says (interpretation of meaning):
“Are you surprised then by this recitation (the Koran)? And you laugh at it and don’t cry, Wasting your (precious) life on hobbies and entertainment (singing) ”[al-Najm 53: 59-61]
‘Ikrimah (Allah have mercy on him) said: It has been reported from Ibn’ Abbas that al-sumud [verbal name of samidun, here translated as “Losing your (precious) life in hobbies and entertainment ( chant) “] means” to sing “, in the dialect of Himyar; one could say” Ismidi lana “[” to sing for us “- from the same root as samidun / sumud] meaning” ghaniy “[to sing]. And he said ( may Allah have mercy on him): When they [the kuffar] heard the Quran, they would sing, then this ayah was revealed.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Allah says (interpretation of meaning)” Waste your (precious) life in hobbies and entertainment (singing) “- said Sufyan al-Thawri, telling about his father of Ibn ‘Abbas: (it means) to sing. This is from Yemeni (dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana [sing to us]. This was also the point of view of’ Ikrimah. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not sell singing slaves, do not buy them and do not teach them. . There is nothing good in this business, and their price is haram. Regarding such things, the ayah has been revealed (interpretation of meaning): “And of mankind is he who buys empty words (i.e. music, songs) to lead astray (men ) from the way of Allah… ”[Luqman 31: 6]. “(hadith of Hassan)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who will allow zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments …” (Reported by al-Bukhari ta’liqan, # 5590; reported as mawsul by al-Tabarani et al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, 91)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is a sahih hadith narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, where he cited it as proof and stated that it is of mu’allaq and majzum. He said: Chapter on what has been told about those who allow alcohol and call it by another name.
This hadith indicates in two ways that musical instruments and the pleasure of listening to music are haram. The first is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “[they] permit” which clearly indicates that the things mentioned, including musical instruments, are haram according to Sharia, but these people allow them. The second is the fact that musical instruments are mentioned alongside things that are definitely known to be haram, i.e. zina and alcohol: if they (musical instruments) weren’t not haram, why would they be mentioned next to these things? (adapted from al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, 1 / 140-141)
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (Allah have mercy on him) said: This hadith indicates that ma’azif is haram, and ma’azif means musical instruments according to the scholars of the language (Arabic). This word includes all of these instruments. (al-Majmu ‘, 11/535).
Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said: And regarding the same subject, similar comments have been reported by Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Sa’idi, ‘Imran ibn Husayn,’ Abd-Allah ibn ‘ Amr, ‘Abd -Allah ibn’ Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Umamah al-Bahili, ‘Aishah Umm al-Mu’minin,’ Ali ibn Abi Talib, Anas ibn Malik, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sabit and al-Ghazi ibn Rabi’ah. Then he mentioned it in Ighathat al-Lahfan, and it indicates that they (the musical instruments) are haram.
It has been reported that Nafi ‘(Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn’ Umar heard a wind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears and stood away from that path. He said to me, Nafi ‘, do you hear something? I said no. So he took his fingers out of his ears and said: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he heard something like that, and he did the same. (Sahih Abi Dawud). An insignificant person said that this hadith does not prove that musical instruments are haram, because if it were, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have asked Ibn ‘Umar (qu ‘Allah be pleased with them both) to put his fingers in his ears too, and Ibn’ Umar would have asked Nafi ‘to do the same! The answer to this is: he was not listening to her, but he could hear her. There is a difference between listening and hearing.
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (Allah have mercy on him) said: Regarding (music) which a person does not intend to listen to, there is no prohibition or blame, according to scientific consensus. Therefore, blame or praise is related to listening, not to hearing. Whoever listens to the Quran will be rewarded for it, while whoever hears it unwittingly or unwillingly will not be rewarded for it, because actions are judged by intentions. The same goes for musical instruments which are prohibited: if a person hears them unintentionally, it does not matter. (al-Majmu ‘, 10/78).
Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (Allah have mercy on him) said: the listener is the one who intends to hear, which was not the case with Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with ‘them both); what happened in his case was the hearing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) needed to know when the sound stopped because he had strayed from that path and blocked his ears. So he didn’t want to go back on that path or stop his ears until the noise stopped, so when he allowed Ibn ‘Umar to continue hearing him, it was out of necessity. (al-Mughni, 10/173)
(Even though the audience mentioned in the comments of the two imams is makruh, it was allowed out of necessity, as we will see below in the comments of Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him). And Allah knows better).
Opinions of scholars on music and song
Al-Qasim (Allah have mercy on him) said: Singing is part of lying. Al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: if there is music involved in an invitation to dinner (walimah), do not accept the invitation (al-Jami ‘by al-Qayrawani, p . 262-263).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (Allah have mercy on him) said: The point of view of the four Imams is that all kinds of musical instruments are haram. It has been reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that there would be among his ummah those who would allow zina, silk, alcohol and instruments. music, and he said that they turn into monkeys and pigs… None of the imam devotees mentioned any dispute over the issue of music. (al-Majmu ‘, 11/576).
Al-Albani (Allah have mercy on him) said: The four madhhabs agree that all musical instruments are haram. (al-Sahihah, 1/145).
Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said: Abu Hanifah’s madhhab is the strictest in this regard, and his comments are among the harshest. His companions made it clear that it is haram to listen to all musical instruments such as the flute and the drum, even when beating a stick. They declared that it is a sin which implies that a person is a fasiq (a rebellious evildoer) whose testimony must be rejected. They took it a step further and said that listening to music is fisq (rebellion, wickedness) and enjoying it is kufr (disbelief). These are their words. They reported in support of this a hadith which could not be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They said he should try not to hear it if he walks by or is nearby. Abu Yusuf said, regarding a house from which one could hear the sound of musical instruments: Enter without their permission, because forbidding evil deeds is obligatory, and if it was not allowed to enter without permission , people could not have fulfilled the obligatory duty (to enjoin what is good and to forbid what is bad). (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1/425).
Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him) was asked about playing the drum or the flute, if a person hears the sound and enjoys it while walking or sitting down. He said: He should get up if he finds he likes it, unless he is sitting for a need or is unable to get up. If he is on the road, he must either go back or continue. (al-Jami ‘by al-Qayrawani, 262). He (Allah have mercy on him) said, “The only people who do things like this, in our opinion, are the fasiqs. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 14/55)
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (Allah have mercy on him) said: Among the types of income which are haram by scientific consensus, there is riba, the fees of a prostitute, all that is forbidden, pots -of-wine, payment for lamenting the dead and singing, payments to fortune tellers and those who claim to know the invisible and astrologers, payments for playing the flute and all kinds of gambling . (al-Kafi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, explaining Imam al-Shafi’i’s point of view:. (Ighathat al-Lahfan, 1/425).
The author of Kifayat al-Akhbar, who was one of the Shafi’is, counted musical instruments such as flutes and the like, as being munkar (evil), and whoever is present (where they are played) should denounce them. (He cannot be excused by the fact that there are bad scholars, because they corrupt the Sharia, or evil faqirs – that is, the Sufis, because they are called fuqara or faqirs – because that they are ignorant and follow anyone who makes noise; they are not guided by the light of knowledge, but rather swept away by all the winds (Kifayat al-Akhbar, 2/128)
Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him) said: Regarding Imam Ahmad’s point of view, his son ‘Abd-Allah said: I asked my father to sing. He said: Singing makes hypocrisy grow in the heart; I do not like him. Then he mentioned Malik’s words: the evildoers (fasiqs) among us do this. (Ighathat al-Lahfan)
Ibn Qudamah, the seeker of madhhab Hanbali – (Allah have mercy on him) said: Musical instruments are of three types which are haram. These are the strings and all kinds of flutes, and the lute, the drum and the rabab (string instrument) and so on. Whoever persists in listening to them, their testimony must be rejected. (al-Mughni, 10/173). And he said (Allah have mercy on him); If a person is invited to a meeting in which there is something wrong, like wine and musical instruments, and he is able to denounce it, then he has to attend and denounce it, because then he will combine two compulsory duties. If he is unable to do so, he should not attend. (al-Kafi, 3/118)
Al-Tabari (Allah have mercy on him) said: Scholars of all regions agree that chanting is makruh and should be prohibited. Although Ibrahim ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allah al-‘Anbari differ from the majority, (it should be noted that) the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Adhere to to the majority “. And whoever dies unlike the majority, dies like a jahil. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, 14/56). In previous generations, the word “makruh” was used to mean haram, then it took on the meaning of “hated”. But this must be understood to mean that it is forbidden, because he [al-Tabari] said “it must be prevented”, and nothing is to be prevented except that which is haram; and because in the two hadiths cited, music is denounced in the strongest terms. Al-Qurtubi (Allah have mercy on him) is the one who related this report, then he said: Abu’l-Faraj and al-Qaffal among our companions said: the testimony of the singer and the dancer should not be accepted. I say: if it is proven that this business is not allowed, then accepting payment for it is also not allowed.
Shaykh al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) said: What Ibrahim ibn Sa’d and ‘Ubayd-Allah al-‘Anbari said about chanting is not like the kind of chanting which is known to nowadays, because they would never have allowed this kind of singing which is the height of immorality and obscenity. (al-i am)
Ibn Taymiyah (Allah have mercy on him) said: It is not allowed to make musical instruments. (al-Majmu ‘, 22/140). And he said: According to the majority of fuqaha, it is permissible to destroy musical instruments, such as the tanbur [a stringed instrument similar to a mandolin]. This is Malik’s view and it is the more famous of the two views recounted by Ahmad. (al-Majmu ‘, 11/28). And he said: … Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned that the scholars agreed that it is not permissible to pay people to sing and moan … the consensus of all the scholars we have heard of is that lamentation and singing is not allowed. Al-Shu’bi, al-Nakha’i and Malik considered this to be makruh [ie haram]. Abu Thawr, al-Nu’man – Abu Hanifah (Allah have mercy on him) – and Ya’qub and Muhammad, two of Abu Hanifah’s students said: it is not allowed to pay anything for sing and moan. This is our point of view. And he said: Musical instruments are the wine of the soul, and what they do to the soul is worse than what intoxicating drinks do. (Majmu ‘al-Fatawa, 10/417)
Ibn Abi Shaybah (Allah 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 give him any compensation – that is, he did not charge the cost of the mandolin to the first man, because it was haram and had no value. (al-Musannaf, 5/395).
Al-Baghawi (Allah have mercy on him) stated in a fatwa that it is haram 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 changed, then it is permissible to sell their pieces, whether they are silver, iron, wood or whatever. (Sharh al-Sunnah, 08/28)
Al-Daff: a fitting exception
The exception to the above is the daff – without rings (i.e. a hand drum that looks like a tambourine, but without rattles) – when used by women during Eid and at weddings. This is indicated by the sahih reports.
Shaykh al-Islam (Allah have mercy on him) said: But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) provided for certain types of musical instruments at weddings and the like, and he allowed women to play daff at weddings and other happy occasions. But the men of his day didn’t play daff or clap their hands. It was reported in al-Sahih that he said, “Applause is for women and tasbih (saying Subhan Allah) is for men. And he curses women who imitate men and men who imitate women. Because singing and playing the daff are things that women do, the Salaf called any man who did that a mukhannath (effeminate man), and they called the male singers effeminate – and how many there are these days! It is well known that the Salaf said this.
In the same vein is the hadith of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), when her father (may Allah be pleased with him) entered upon her at the time of Eid, and there were two young daughters with her who were singing the verses that the Ansar had said on the day of Bu’ath – and any sane person will know what people say about war. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Musical instruments of the Shaytan in the house of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! The Messenger of Allah had turned away from them and faced the wall – this is why some scholars have said that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) will not denounce anyone before the Messenger of Allah (the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but he thought that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not paying attention to what was happening. And Allah knows best. He (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)) said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for every nation has its ‘Eid, and this is our’ Eid, the people of the Islam. This hadith shows that it was not in the habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions to gather to listen to songs, which is why Abu Bakr al-Siddiq called him “The musical instruments of the shaytan”. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved this appellation and did not deny it when he said: “Leave them alone, for every nation has its ‘Eid and it is our’ Eid. . This indicates that the reason it was allowed was because it was the time of Eid, and the ban remained in effect at times other than Eid, with the exceptions made. for weddings in other ahadith. Shaykh al-Albani explained this in his precious book Tahrim Alat al-Tarab (The Prohibition of Musical Instruments). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved the young girls chanting in Eid, as stated in the hadith: “So that the mushrikin may know that in our religion there is room for relaxation. There is no indication in the hadith regarding the two young girls that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was listening to them. The commandments and prohibitions are about listening, not just hearing, just as in the case of sight, the rules are about intentional gazing and not what happens by accident. So it is clear that this is only for women. Imam Abu ‘Ubayd (Allah have mercy on him) defined daff as “that which is played by women”. (Gharib al-Hadith, 3/64).
Wartime drums and military music: an inappropriate exception
Some of them make an exception for drums in wartime, and therefore some modern scholars have said that military music is allowed. But there is no basis for this, for a number of reasons, the first of which is that it is to make an exception without any clear evidence other than a simple opinion and think it’s okay, and it is wrong. The second reason is that what Muslims should do in war is turn their hearts to their Lord. Allah says (interpretation of meaning):
“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: “The spoil is for Allah and the Messenger.” Therefore fear Allah and settle all disputes between you … “[al-Anfal 8: 1]. But using music is the opposite of this idea of taqwa and it would prevent them from remembering their Lord. Third, the use of music is one of the customs of the kuffar, and it is not allowed to imitate them, especially with regard to something that Allah has forbidden us in general, such as music. (al-Sahihah, 1/145)
“No people go astray after being guided, unless they have developed arguments between them. “(Sahih)
History of the Abyssinians playing and singing in the Prophet’s mosque
Some of them used the hadith about the Abyssinians playing in the Prophet’s mosque (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as proof that chanting is allowed! Al-Bukhari included this hadith in his Sahih under the title Bab al-Hirab wa’l-Daraq Yawm al-‘Eid (Chapter on Spears and Shields on the Day of Eid). Al-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that playing with weapons and the like is allowed in the mosque, and he applied this to other jihad-related activities. (Sharh Muslim). But as al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (Allah have mercy on him) said: Anyone who talks about something that is not his profession will have strange ideas like these.
Some of them use as proof the hadith on the song of the two young girls, which we spoke about above, but we will quote what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, because it is precious. :
I am amazed that you cite as evidence to authorize listening to sophisticated songs the report we have mentioned of how two young girls below the age of puberty sang to a young woman on their birthday. ‘Eid some verses of Arabic poetry on bravery in war and other noble characteristics. How can you compare this to that? What is strange is that this hadith is one of the strongest evidence against them. The greatest orator of truth [Abu Bakr al-Siddiq] called them musical instruments of the Shaytan, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) approved of this designation, but he made an exception. in the case of these two young girls who had not yet reached the age of responsibility and whose song lyrics could not corrupt anyone who listened to them. Can this be used as evidence to enable what you do and what you know about listening (to music) that includes (bad) things that are not hidden ?! Subhan Allah! How people can go astray! (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/493).
Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Aisha (may Allah be pleased with him) was young at that time; nothing was transmitted from her after she reached the age of puberty except the condemnation of singing. His brother’s son, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, condemned the chanting and said he was not allowed to listen to it, and he took away his knowledge. (Talbis Iblis, 229). Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar (Allah have mercy on him) said: A group of Sufis used this hadith – the hadith on the two maidens – as proof that chanting is allowed and that it is allowed to listen to it whether or not accompanied by instruments. This view is sufficiently refuted by the clear statement of ‘Aishah in the following hadith, where she says: “These were not singers”. She clarified that they were not singers as such, although this could be understood from the wording of the report. It is therefore necessary to limit oneself to what was related in the text as to the occasion and the manner, in order to reduce the risk of going against the principle, that is to say of the hadith. And Allah knows best. (Fath al-Bari, 2 / 442-443)
Did the Companions listen to singing?
Some people even have the nerve to suggest that the Sahabah and Tabi’in were listening to singing, and that they saw nothing wrong with it!
Al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) said: We ask that they show us sahih nestads dating back to these Sahabah and Tabi’in, proving what they ascribe to them. Then he said: Imam Muslim mentioned in his introduction to his Sahih that ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mubarak said: Isnad is part of religion. If it weren’t for the isnad, whoever wanted could say whatever he wanted.
Are the hadiths which forbid music full of faults?
Some of them said that the hadiths which forbid music are full of mistakes. No hadith was exempt from being criticized by some of the scholars. Ibn Baz (Allah have mercy on him) said: The hadiths which have been reported regarding music being haram are not full of faults as has been claimed. Some of them are in Sahih al-Bukhari which is the most solid book after the Book of Allah, and some of them are hasan and some are da’if. But because there are so many of them, with different isnades, they constitute the definitive proof that song and musical instruments are haram.
All the imams agreed on the correctness of the ahadith which prohibits chanting and musical instruments, with the exception of Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali, but al-Ghazzali had no knowledge of the hadiths; and Ibn Hazam, but al-Albani (Allah have mercy on him) explained where Ibn Hazam went wrong, and Ibn Hazam himself said that if any of (these ahadith) was sahih, he would follow that . But now they have proof that these reports are sahih because there are so many scholar books that state that these hadiths are sahih, but they turn their backs on it. They are much more extreme than Ibn Hazam and they are nothing like him because they are unqualified and cannot be mentioned.
Singing is only haram where you drink alcohol, right?
Some of them said that scholars banned singing because it is mentioned next to gatherings where alcohol is drunk and people stay up late at night for malicious purposes.
Al-Shawkani (Allah have mercy on him) said: The answer to this is that to mention these things together does not only mean that what is haram is what is related in this way. Otherwise, it would mean that zina, as mentioned in the ahadith, is only haram if it is accompanied by alcohol and the use of musical instruments. Likewise, a verse such as the following (interpretation of meaning):
“In truth, he used to disbelieve in Allah, the Greatest, and did not urge to feed Al-Miskin (the poor). [al-Haqqah 69: 33-34]
would imply that it is not haram not to believe in Allah unless it is accompanied by not encouraging the feeding of the poor. If it is said that the ban on such things one at a time is proven from other reports, the answer to this is that the ban on musical instruments is also known from other evidence as mentioned. above. (Nayl al-Awtar, 8/107).
The words in the air don’t refer to the song: do they?
Some of them said that “idle talk” does not refer to singing; the rebuttal of this has been mentioned above. Al-Qurtubi (Allah have mercy on him) said: This – the opinion that it means to sing – is the best that has been said regarding this ayah, and Ibn Mas’ud swore three times by Allah apart from who there is no other god, that he refers to the song. Then he mentioned other imams who said the same thing. Then he mentioned other views on the matter. Then he said: The first point of view is the best of all that has been said on this subject, because of the hadith of marfu ‘, and because of the point of view of the Sahabah and the Tabi’in. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah have mercy on him), after quoting this Tafsir, said: Al-Hakim Abu ‘Abd-Allah said in the Tafsir of Kitab al-Mustadrak: Let whoever seeks this knowledge know that the Tafsir of a Sahabi who witnessed the revelation is a hadith with Isnad according to the two Sheikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim). Elsewhere in his book he said: In our opinion, this hadith has the same force as a marfu ‘report. Although their tafsir is still subject to further scrutiny, it is still more easily acceptable than the tafsir of those who have come after them, as they are the most knowledgeable among this ummah of what Allah meant in his book. It was revealed among them and they were the first to be addressed. They heard the Messenger’s tafseer (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in word and deed. And these were Arabs who understood the true meaning of (Arabic) words, so Muslims should avoid resorting to any other interpretation as much as possible.
Singing is a form of worship if it helps to obey Allah: Acceptable?
Some of them said that chanting is a form of worship if the intention is to help someone obey Allah!
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: How strange! What kind of faith, light, insight, guidance and knowledge can one get from listening to melodic verses and music in which most of what is said is haram and deserves the wrath and punishment of? Allah and His Messenger? … How can someone who has the least insight and faith in his heart approach Allah and increase his faith by enjoying something that He hates, and He hates whoever says it and whoever? accept it? (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/485)
Shaykh al-Islam said, discussing the condition of the person who has become accustomed to listening to the song: Therefore, you find that those who have become used to it and for whom it is like food and the drink will never have the desire to listen to the Quran or feel joy when they hear it, and they never find in listening to its verses the same feeling that they find in listening to poetry. Indeed, if they hear the Quran, they hear it with an inattentive heart and speak while it is recited, but if they hear hissing and clapping, they lower their voices and remain still, and lend Warning. (Majmu ‘al-Fatawa, 11/557 et seq.)
Music softens people’s hearts, doesn’t it?
Some say that music and musical instruments have the effect of softening people’s hearts and creating sweet feelings. This is not true, as it causes physical desires and whims. If it had really done what they say it would have softened the hearts of musicians and improved their attitude and demeanor, but most of them, as we know, are misguided and misbehaving.
Conclusion
Perhaps – for unbiased and objective readers – this summary will make it clear that the opinion that music is allowed has no firm basis. There are not two points of view on this question. We must therefore advise at best, then take it step by step and denounce the music, if we are able to do so. We should not be fooled by the fame of a man in our time when people who are truly engaged in Islam have become strangers. Whoever says that singing and musical instruments are allowed is only supporting the whims of people these days, as if the masses are issuing fatwas and simply signing them! If a problem arises, they will look at the fuqaha’s views on this issue and then take the simpler view as they claim. Then they’ll look for evidence, or just specious arguments that aren’t worth more than a piece of dead meat. How many times have these people approved things in the name of Sharia law that actually have nothing to do with Islam!
Strive to learn your Islam from the Book of your Lord and the Sunnah of your Prophet. Don’t say so, said So-and-so, for you cannot learn the truth only from men. Learn the truth, then measure people against it. This should be enough for one who controls his whims and submits to his Lord. May what we have written above heal the hearts of believers and dispel the murmurs in the hearts of those who are struck by insinuating murmurs. May he expose all those who stray from the path of Revelation and take the easier options, thinking that he has found something that none of the previous generations ever achieved, and speaking of Allah without knowledge. They sought to avoid fisq (evil) and ended up committing bid’ah – may Allah not bless them. It would have been better for them to follow the path of the believers.
And Allah knows best. May Allah bless and grant peace to His Messenger who cleared the way for believers, and to his Companions and those who follow them in truth until the Day of Judgment.
Reference:
Summary of an article entitled al-Darb bi’l-Nawa li man abaha al-Ma’azif li’l-Hawa by Shaykh Sa’d al-Din ibn Muhammad al-Kibbi.
For more information, please see:
1- Al-I’lam bi Naqd Kitab al-Halal wa’l-Haram, by Shaykh al-‘Allamah Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan
2- Al-Sama ‘by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn al-Qayyim
3- Tahrim Alat al-Tarab, by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Deen al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him)
