Respected Shaykh, Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. What is the ruling of listening to songs which are accompanied by music?
الغناء المصحوب بموسيقى
Fatwas / Miscellaneous / Music which is accompanied by music
Question
Respected Shaykh, Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. What is the ruling of listening to songs which are accompanied by music?
الغناء المصحوب بموسيقى
Answer
All praise is due to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
Wa alaykum salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
To proceed:
There is no difference among the scholars that censured singing which entices to corruption, disobedience, and encourages immorality and transgression whether that is in the lyrics or how the songs are sung is prohibited. Al-Qurtubi transmitted a consensus of opinion on this issue in his Tafseer. He said, "This type of singing if it includes poetry which rhapsodizes about women, and mention their good features, alcohol, and prohibited things, then there is a consensus that it is prohibited because it is amusement, and censured singing according to the consensus of the scholars, and it is immaterial whether this singing is accompanied by musical instruments or not."
Likewise there is no difference among the scholars about the permissibility of singing which is not accompanied by musical instruments. This was done by the Sahaba (may Allah be please be with them). In Sharh Muslim (6/183), an-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Arabs call reciting poetry singing. It is not part of the singing which the scholars have differed upon. Rather, it is permissible." Ash-Shawkani quoted the consensus of the scholars from al-Ghazali and ibn Taahir.
As for singing with musical instruments, but not involving bad and immoral lyrics; a number of scholars have stated that there is a consensus of opinion on the prohibition of musical instruments. These scholars include at-Tabari, and ibn Rajab. However, the preponderant opinion is that there is no consensus on this issue, because some scholars differed with this opinion. In Fath al-Baari, Ibn Hajar discussed musical instruments and he said, "Some scholars mentioned that there is a consensus on the prohibition of musical instruments. Other scholars mentioned the opposite." However, what is undoubted is that the majority of the scholars from the past and present times are of the view that musical instruments are prohibited. In Majmoo' al-Fataawa (11/576), Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah said, "The view of the four Imams is that musical instruments are all prohibited." He also stated, "No one from the followers of the four scholars said that there is a difference of opinion on musical instruments." Moreover, he said, "The majority of the Muslims are of the view that musical instruments are prohibited, and some of them permitted them."
Those who were of the view that musical instruments are prohibited used as evidence for their opinion some texts from the Qur'an, the Sunnah and narrations from the Sahaba. The most prominent of those narrations is what was transmitted by al-Bukhari in his Saheeh from the hadeeth Abu Malik al-Ash'ari who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, " 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." The angle of evidence from the hadeeth is the statement of the Prophet "they will consider as lawful." This indicates that the things which were mentioned in the hadeeth are impermissible. What is meant by regarding these things as permissible is using them without restrictions as if they were permissible.
Those who permitted the use of musical instruments doubted the authenticity of the hadeeth, and had reservations about its angle of evidence. Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki (may Allah have mercy on him) went to the extent of commenting on the hadeeths which were used as evidence by those who prohibit the use of musical instruments by saying, "None of those hadeeths are authentic at all."
In Fath al-Baari (10/52), Ibn Hajar explained that the hadeeth of al-Bukhari mentioned above is authentic, and he responded to those who considered it to be weak.
In any case, the preponderant opinion is that musical instruments are prohibited. However, there is an exception for musical instruments which were permitted by the Sharee'ah like the use of the duff ((a tambourine-like instrument without bells) at festivals, weddings, and so on. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Shaykh Khalid al-Mosleh
17/2/1427 H
All praise is due to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.
Wa alaykum salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
To proceed:
There is no difference among the scholars that censured singing which entices to corruption, disobedience, and encourages immorality and transgression whether that is in the lyrics or how the songs are sung is prohibited. Al-Qurtubi transmitted a consensus of opinion on this issue in his Tafseer. He said, "This type of singing if it includes poetry which rhapsodizes about women, and mention their good features, alcohol, and prohibited things, then there is a consensus that it is prohibited because it is amusement, and censured singing according to the consensus of the scholars, and it is immaterial whether this singing is accompanied by musical instruments or not."
Likewise there is no difference among the scholars about the permissibility of singing which is not accompanied by musical instruments. This was done by the Sahaba (may Allah be please be with them). In Sharh Muslim (6/183), an-Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Arabs call reciting poetry singing. It is not part of the singing which the scholars have differed upon. Rather, it is permissible." Ash-Shawkani quoted the consensus of the scholars from al-Ghazali and ibn Taahir.
As for singing with musical instruments, but not involving bad and immoral lyrics; a number of scholars have stated that there is a consensus of opinion on the prohibition of musical instruments. These scholars include at-Tabari, and ibn Rajab. However, the preponderant opinion is that there is no consensus on this issue, because some scholars differed with this opinion. In Fath al-Baari, Ibn Hajar discussed musical instruments and he said, "Some scholars mentioned that there is a consensus on the prohibition of musical instruments. Other scholars mentioned the opposite." However, what is undoubted is that the majority of the scholars from the past and present times are of the view that musical instruments are prohibited. In Majmoo' al-Fataawa (11/576), Shaykh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyyah said, "The view of the four Imams is that musical instruments are all prohibited." He also stated, "No one from the followers of the four scholars said that there is a difference of opinion on musical instruments." Moreover, he said, "The majority of the Muslims are of the view that musical instruments are prohibited, and some of them permitted them."
Those who were of the view that musical instruments are prohibited used as evidence for their opinion some texts from the Qur'an, the Sunnah and narrations from the Sahaba. The most prominent of those narrations is what was transmitted by al-Bukhari in his Saheeh from the hadeeth Abu Malik al-Ash'ari who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, " 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." The angle of evidence from the hadeeth is the statement of the Prophet "they will consider as lawful." This indicates that the things which were mentioned in the hadeeth are impermissible. What is meant by regarding these things as permissible is using them without restrictions as if they were permissible.
Those who permitted the use of musical instruments doubted the authenticity of the hadeeth, and had reservations about its angle of evidence. Ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki (may Allah have mercy on him) went to the extent of commenting on the hadeeths which were used as evidence by those who prohibit the use of musical instruments by saying, "None of those hadeeths are authentic at all."
In Fath al-Baari (10/52), Ibn Hajar explained that the hadeeth of al-Bukhari mentioned above is authentic, and he responded to those who considered it to be weak.
In any case, the preponderant opinion is that musical instruments are prohibited. However, there is an exception for musical instruments which were permitted by the Sharee'ah like the use of the duff ((a tambourine-like instrument without bells) at festivals, weddings, and so on. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Shaykh Khalid al-Mosleh
17/2/1427 H