http://truthline.wordpress.com/2007/01/14/the-issue-of-music-in-islam/ <http://truthline.wordpress.com/2007/01/14/the-issue-of-music-in-islam/> The Issue of Music in Islam <http://truthline.wordpress.com/files/2007/01/bismigold.jpg> <http://truthline.wordpress.com/files/2007/01/bismigold.jpg> I was recently involved in a discussion on another blog regarding the Somali Islamic Courts Union's ban on some forms of music. My stance on the issue is that they are right to ban certain types of music because the scholars of Islam consider it to be haram (prohibited), as well as anything else that can lead to sinful and prohibited acts. I grew up listening to many forms of rock & roll and pop music, which celebrates sex, exploitation of women, drugs, and violence. I know quite well the effects music can have on a persons psychy and that most of the lyrics are contrary to the teachings of Islam. I am also aware of the overwelming influence music can have on youth in their development within the society. I have always believed the prohibition to make very good sense. Thats not to say that I walk around in public with my fingers in my ears, but I do listen to talk radio as opposed to music stations. While most of the scholars agree that listening to music, besides that of the duff, to be haram, there are those that hold a different view and say that the evidences of the former are weak or fabricated. Since there are other forms of music besides that I once listened to, I decided to research both sides and list their evidences here for the pleasure of Allah the most high, and with intentions of helping other Muslims that might be confused on the subject. I ask Allah (ta aala) to forgive us and I Ask him to guide us to the way that will earn his pleasure. Ameen. Evidences Prohibiting listening to Music: 1. "And of mankind he who purchases idle talks to mislead (people) from the Path of Allaah without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allaah) by way of mockery, For such there will be a humiliating torment." quran 31:6 Al-Wahidi, along with other scholars of Tafsir (explaining the Quran), said that "Idle Talk" in this Ayah is singing. The following companions gave this Tafsir: Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masud, Mujahid and Ikrimah said, "By Allah, whom there is no God except Him, "idle talk is singing." 2. Allah the most high says about the disbelievers: "Their prayer at the House (Kabah) was nothing but Muka'an and Tasdiyah." quran 8:35 The companions Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Atiyyah, Muj ahid, Ad-Dhahh'ak, AlHasan and Qatadah (radi allahu anhum) said, that Muka'an means whistling, and that Tasdiyah means clapping of hands. 3. Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari: that he heard the Prophet(SAWS) 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." 4. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah said, "Listening to music and sinful fun are among what strengthens the satanic ways the most. This is exactly what the disbeliever's used to do. Allah (SWT) said "And their prayer at the House (of Allaah) was nothing but Muka 'an and Tasdiyah." 8:35 This was the Mushrikeen's way of worship. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah also said, also said regarding the person, whose habit is to listen to music, "His state of emotions becomes less passionate when he hears the Quran. On the contrary, when he listens to instruments of the devil (music), he dances a lot. If the prayer is established, he either prays while sitting down or performs it as fast as when the roaster picks seeds. He dislikes listening to the Quran and does not find beauty in it while reciting it. He has no taste for the Quran and feels no love for it or pleasure when it is read. Rather, he finds pleasure if he listens to Mukaa' or Tasdiyah. These are satanic pleasures and he is among those whom Allah mentioned in the Ayah, "And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah), We appoint for him Satan to be a companion for him." quran 43:36 Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said,"Of the tricks of the enemy of Allah, Satan, that he uses to trap those who do not enjoy much intelligence, knowledge or sincerity in religion, are M ukaa' and Tasdiyah. These people of ignorance listen to and use musical instruments that are prohibited and which lead the hearts to abandoning the Quran. These hearts are indulging in sin and disobedience of Allah. Music, then, is Satan's Quran and the barrier between one and Allah. It is the way to sodomy and adultery. With it, the lover finds what he seeks and dreams of sinful love. Satan has trapped the weak hearts in the love of singing and made it beautiful to them. Satan reveals to his agents' fake proofs that they use as evidence to the beauty of singing. These people accept Satan's revelation and, as a consequence, abandon the Quran. When you witness them while listening, you will find them silent in humbleness, sitting idle and their hearts are concentrating and totally enjoying music and singing. Their hearts will feel closer to music, as if they were drunk. They dance and move in a suggestive manner, like faggots and whores. And why not? They are drunk with the pleasure of listening to music and singing and act accordingly. For other than Allah, and for Satan, there are hearts that are being broken by sin, and fortunes that are being spent for other than Allah's Pleasure. They spend their lives in joyful fun and make a mockery of their religion. Instruments of the devil are sweeter to their ears than the Quran. If one of them listens to the Quran from beginning to end, it will have little effect or excitement on him. If Satan's Quran is being performed and heard, they feel joy in their hearts and one can see it in their eyes. Their feet dance, their hands clap, their breathing intensifies and the rest of their bodies feel joy. O you who are trapped in this sin, you who have sold your share of Allah to Satan, what a losing deal! Why not feel this joy when you listen to the Quran? Why not feel pleasure and comfort when the Glorious Quran is recited? But, everyone seeks what he feels is suitable for him, and ends up with what is really suitable for him." [Ighathat Al-Lahfan]. Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz was asked about listening to music and songs, "Is it Haram? I only listen to it for pleasure. What about playing the Rababah (a kind of guitar) and old songs? What about using drums in weddings?" Sheikh Ibn Baz said, "Listening to music is Haram and a sin. It is a matter that leads to weakening the hearts and abandoning the Dhikr of Allah and the prayer. The scholars said about the Ayah, "And of mankind he who purchases idle talks" 31:6 that idle talks means singing. Abdullaah ibn Masud the Prophet's (SAWS) companion, used to swear by Allaah that it is singing. If singing is accompanied by the Rababah, 'Ud (Arabic guitar), fiddles or drums, it is even more Haram. Any singing with any instrument is Haram and the scholars are unanimous on this. Therefore, Muslims must be aware of it. The Prophet (SAWS) said, "From among my nation there will be those who render as lawful adultery, silk (for men), AI-Khamr (alcohol) and musical instruments." [Bukhari], I advise you and others to read the Qur'aan and keep remembering Allaah. I advise you to listen to Qur'aanic programs on the radio. This way, one will find pleasure and will keep busy so he can stay away from music and songs. As for weddings, the Daff (tambourine) can be used along with innocent singing that does not call to sin. This can be done at night, only in weddings and only by and for women. These songs are a way of announcing an Islaamic marriage. The Sunnah of the Prophet(SAWS) supports the above. As for the drums, they are Haram all the time. The Daff is permitted in weddings and only for and by women." Evidences which Allow listening to Music: Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi said, 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. Among the entertainments which may comfort the soul, please the heart, and refresh the ear is singing. Islam permits singing under the condition that it not be in any way obscene or harmful to Islamic morals. There is no harm in it being accompanied by music which is not exciting. (Y. al-Qaradawi, "The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam," p. 300) In this book, he gives the support of hadiths regarding his view on singing and music. An example is the following hadith: `Aishah narrated that when a woman was married to an Ansari man, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "`Aishah, did they have any entertainment? The Ansar are fond of entertainment." [Reported by al-Bukhari.] Another hadith which supports the permissability of singing is the following: Ibn `Abbas said: `Aishah gave a girl relative of hers in marriage to a man of the Ansar. The Prophet (peace be on him) came and asked, "Did you send a singer along with her?" "No," said `Aishah. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) then said, "The Ansar are a people who love poetry. You should have sent along someone who would sing, `Here we come, to you we come, greet us as we greet you.'" [Reported by Ibn Majah.] In addition, the following hadith supports singing and playing of drums during the celebration of `Eid: `Aishah narrated that during the days of Mina, on the day of `Eid al-Adha, two girls were with her, singing and playing on a hand drum. The Prophet (s.a.w.) was present, listening to them with his head under a shawl. Abu Bakr then entered and scolded the girls. The Prophet (s.a.w.), uncovering his face, told him, "Let them be, Abu Bakr. These are the days of `Eid." [Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.]\par Furthermore, Yusuf al-Qaradawi reports that [M]any of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) as well as second generation Muslim scholars used to listen to singing and did not see anything wrong with it. As for the ahadith, which have been reported against singing, they are all weak and have been shown by researchers to be unsound. The jurist Abu Bakr al-`Arabi says, "No sound hadith is available concerning the prohibition of singing," while Ibn Hazm says, "All that is reported on this subject is false and fabricated." [From al-Qaradawi, p. 302.] As for those who argue that singing is haram, some of them claim that the following verse of the Qur'an to be against singing: And among the people is the one who buys idle talk (at the expense of his soul) in order to lead (people) astray from the path of Allah without knowledge, holding it in mockery; for such there will be a humiliating punishment. [Qur'an 31:6] This, however, is not the correct understanding of this ayat (notice that it does not even mention singing or music at all). The correct understanding of this ayat, according to Ibn Hazm, is this: This verse condemns a particular behavior, that of doing something to mock the path of Allah. Anyone who does this is an unbeliever; if he even should buy a copy of the Qur'an, doing so in order to make it the object of his mockery and thereby leading people astray, he would be an unbeliever. It is this type of behavior which is condemned by Allah and not the idle talk in which one may indulge for mere relaxation, without intending to lead people astray from the path of Allah. [Ibn Hazm, quoted in al-Qaradawi, p. 302.] Some of those who condemn singing and music claim that this condemnation is the meaning of the following verse of the Qur'an: And what is beyond the truth except error? [Qur'an 10:32] However, commenting on this, Ibn Hazm reminds us of the hadith: The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said, "Deeds will be judged according to intentions, and everyone will get what he intended." [Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.] Following this hadith, Ibn Hazm (as quoted by al-Qaradawi, pp. 302-3) goes on to say that one who listens to singing and music with the intention of sinning or supporting sinning is himself a sinner, and this holds true of anything other than singing as well. On the other hand, if someone listens to singing and music with the intention of increasing his spiritual state, strengthening his soul, and increasing his duty to Allah, such a person's actions are of the truth. As for those who listen to singing neither with the intention of disobedience or obedience, Ibn Hazm says this is neutral and harmless. Ibn Hazm says listening to singing or music with a neutral intention is like going to the park and walking around, or looking at the sky, or wearing blue or green clothes, etc. Yusuf al-Qaradawi then gives some limitations regarding listening to music. In summary, they are: 1. The subject matter of the songs must be in accordance with the teachings of Islam. 2. Although the subject matter of the song may not be against Islam, if the singing or music is accompanied with something haram, then it is haram. An example is music accompanied by suggestive sexual movement, which is therefore haram. 3. Listening to singing or music should not be done to excess or extravagance, in accordance with the general teachings of Islam against taking things to extremes. 4. Each individual is the best judge of himself. So if a person finds that, for him or her, listening to certain singing or music arouses one's passions and leads him or her towards sin, and dulls spirituality, then he or she should avoid it. 5. If the singing or music is done in conjunction with haram activities, then it is haram. An example of this would be singing or music at a party where people are drinking alcohol. [Summarized from al-Qaradawi, p. 303.] Point no. 5 is what is highlighted by the following hadith, in which the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Some people of my ummah will drink wine, calling it by another name, while they listen to singers accompanied by musical instruments. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them and will turn some of them into monkeys and swine." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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