Music in Islam

In our society, we have to face some tough questions on simple issues. Take music for example. I am a music lover and I often play few musical instruments due to which some people argue with me over the controversial issue of music being prohibited in Islam. After going through Quranic injunctions and Hadiths, I find that Quran has nowhere banned music or singing while the Hadiths have some interesting points for us.

Music is in every corner of our universe, birds, animals, trees, oceans, wind and clouds are all created with their own music. Its naive to think that the One God who created all this music prohibited it. One thing we all Muslims should understand is that prohibition laws (Hudood laws, the laws that are absolutely banned and whose punishment is given by God) only come from Allah. Whenever our beloved Prophet (PBUH) gave any such injunction, it had the backing of the Quranic verses.

Music is a beautiful art. It mixes the sound of different instruments and beautiful God gifted voices. The Quran says:

“Say, who prohibited the nice things God has created for His creatures, and the good provisions? Say, such provisions are to be enjoyed in this life by those who believe. Moreover, the good provisions will be exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection. We thus explain the revelation to the people who know.” 7:32 (Quran)

Music and singing were never prohibited by God. They are part of the most beautiful creations of God. As long as they do not misguide people to commit sins and take them apart from the religion, they are allowed. Music can be divided into two braod categories of which can be listened and which cannot be listened. But music as a whole is not prohibited in Islam. So, the point is what kind of music is prohibited? According to different Hadidths, the music which music containing sensual, pagan, unethical themes or subliminal messages is categorically forbidden and was never preferred by Holy Prophet (PBUH). In the most authentic book of Hadith, the Sahih Bukhari, Hazrat Aisha (RA) narrates:

Allah’s Prophet (PBUH) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (PBUH) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakar (RA) came and spoke to me harshly saying, Why are you playing musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (PBUH)? The Prophet (PBUH) turned his face towards him and said, “Leave them.” When Abu Bakar became inattentive, I signalled to those girls to go out and they left. (Volume 2, Book 15, Number 70)

Again in the same book:

Narrates Hazrat Rabi, daughter of Muwwadh: On the occasion of my transfer to my husbands home after marriage, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) came to visit us and sat down on my bed just as you [the next narrator] are sitting before me now. Some slave girls were beating the Daff and singing in lamentation of their forefathers who had been killed during the battle of Badar. Then one of the girls sang: Among us is the Prophet (PBUH) who knows even what will happen in coming days. At this, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: Do not say this, but go on singing. (Bukhari, No: 3779)

We can find that:

1. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) attended a marriage ceremony where some slave girls were singing.

2. Singing was not stopped on his arrival.

3. The singers were using the Daff while singing.

4. He, however, ordered them to continue with what they were singing before.

The above examples show that music as an art is not prohibited by any means in Islam. Some scholars say that it takes us away from the religion or it is part of laghaw and lahaw, things that Allah has forbidden, as we go deep in music and get amused by it. They must also realise that many other things are forbidden too but they are still in use, like watching TV. If you amuse yourself by watching a cricket match while forgetting to offer your prayers on time, you are committing a sin but this doesnt make cricket Haram, or does it?

ASAD AGHA

Lahore