Music and Singing in Islam

Music and Singing in Islam

Bismillahirahmanirraheem,

Elhamdulillah,

What is the ruling on playing Music and singing in Islam? Is it permissible?

When we look for permissibility of something in Islam we must first look at the evidence for its impermissibility, if there is none then it would be permissible providing it does not go to excess, business is permissible but if one consistently leaves his prayer for it or loves it more than he loves his religion then he has worshipped it and made it an idol which is the greatest sin. So let’s explore the evidence for the impermissibility of music and singing: 

Aishah RA 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 (SAW) was present, listening to them with his head under a shawl. Abu Bakr then entered and scolded the girls. The Prophet (SAW), uncovering his face, told him, “Let them be, Abu Bakr. These are the days of Eid.” - Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Narrated `Urwa on the authority of `Aisha RA:

On the days of Mina, (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) Abu Bakr came to her while two young girls were beating the tambourine and the Prophet (ﷺ) was laying covered with his clothes. Abu Bakr scolded them and the Prophet (ﷺ) uncovered his face and said to Abu Bakr, "Leave them, for these days are the days of `Id and the days of Mina." `Aisha RA further said, "Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was screening me and I was watching the display of black slaves in the Mosque and Umar scolded them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Leave them. O Bani Arfida! (carry on), you are safe (protected)'." - Sahih Al Bukhari 987.

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik:

That the Prophet passed by some part of Al-Madinah and saw some girls beating their Daff And singing, saying: “We are girls from Banu Najjar what an excellent neighbor is Muhammad.” The Prophet said: “Allah knows that you are dear to me.”

Narrated Ar-Rubai bint Muauwidh:

The Prophet (ﷺ) came to me the night my marriage was consummated and sat down on my bed as you (the sub-narrator) are sitting now, and small girls were beating the tambourine and singing in lamentation of my father who had been killed on the day of the battle of Badr. Then one of the girls said, "There is a Prophet amongst us who knows what will happen tomorrow." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to her)," Do not say this, but go on saying what you have spoken before."

It was narrated that Abu Husain, whose name was Khalid Al-Madani, said:

“We were in Al-Madinah on the day of 'Ashura and the girls were beating the Daff and singing. We entered upon Rubai' bint Mu'awwidh and mentioned that to her. She said: 'The Messenger of Allah entered upon me on the morning of my wedding, and there were two girls with me who were singing and mentioning the qualities of my forefathers who were killed on the Day of Badr. One of the things they were saying was: “Among us there is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.” He said: “Do not say this, for no one knows what will happen tomorrow except Allah.”‏

It was narrated from Muhammad bin Hatib that the Messenger of Allah SAW said:

“What differentiates between the lawful and the unlawful is (beating) the Duff and raising the voices (in song) at the time of marriage.”‏ - Sunan Ibn Majah 1896 (Hasan)

Muhammad b. Hatib al-Jumahi reported the Prophet SAW as saying, “The distinction between what is lawful and what is unlawful is the song and the tambourine at a wedding.” - Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it. - Mishkat al-Masabih 3153.

It was narrated that 'Amir bin Sa'd said:

"I entered upon Qurazah bin Ka'b and Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari during a wedding and there were some young girls singing. I said: 'You are two of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah who were present at Badr, and this is being done in your presence!' They said: 'Sit down if you want and listen with us, or if you want you can go away. We were granted a concession allowing entertainment at weddings.'"

Aishah RA narrated that when a woman was married to an Ansari man, the Prophet SAW said,

“Aishah, did they have any entertainment? The Ansar are fond of entertainment.” (Entertainment here means someone who would sing songs) - Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari.

Ibn Abbas RA said, “Aishah gave a girl relative of hers in marriage to a man of the Ansar. The Prophet (SAW) came and asked, “Did you send a singer along with her?” “No.” said Aishah. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) 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.” - Narrated in Ibn Majah.

Narrated Salama RA:

We went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to Khaibar. A man (from the companions) said, "O 'Amir! Let us hear some of your Huda (camel-driving songs.)" So he sang some of them (i.e. a lyric in harmony with the camels walk). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Who is the driver (of these camels)?" They said, "Amir." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him!" The people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would that you let us enjoy his company longer!" Then 'Amir was killed the following morning. The people said, "The good deeds of 'Amir are lost as he has been killed." I returned at the time while they were talking about that. I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Prophet! Let my father be sacrificed for you! The people claim that 'Amir's good deeds are lost." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever says so is a liar, for 'Amir will have a double reward as he exerted himself to obey Allah and fought in Allah's Cause. No other way of being killed would have granted him greater reward." (Martyrdom fighting in the path of Allah) - Narrated in Sahih Al Bukhari 6891.

Abu Malik al-Ash’ari (Allah be pleased with him) narrates a similar type of Hadith, but a different wording. He reports that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Soon there will be people from my Ummah who will consume alcohol, they will change its name (by regarding it permissible.), on there heads will be instruments of music and singing. Allah will make the ground swallow them up, and turn them into monkeys and swine” (Sahih Ibn Hibban & Sunan Ibn Majah, with a sound chain of narration).

Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari:

that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) 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." - Sahih al-Bukhari 5590

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

The bell is the musical instrument of the Satan. - Sahih Muslim 2114

Abu Huraira RA reported Allah's Messenger ﷺ as saying. “Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect.” - Sahih Muslim 2658a.

Conclusion:

According to the evidence a musical instrument (a duff) and song has been allowed on eid & at weddings. Occasionaly at other times the Prophet SAW permitted and even encouraged singing songs with good words after rebuking songs with untrue words (also accompanied by a duff) and praised a companion by asking mercy from Allah for him after his singing on a journey. He condemned it as Haram if mixed with sinful behaviour like drinking alcohol and zina, and it is haram if it calls to falsehood or unislamic principles. So it is depending on the content and context whether permissible or not and Allah knows best. 

One should certainly not disturb others in their worship with such activities nor pre-occupy themselves from worship with such actions. Even if good words are being spoken on it at the wrong moments it becomes makruh and if consistently in the way of the obligations in Islam and preferred over worship can become an idol as can business/money/dunya if consistently preferred over worship without necessity. Generally music is a diversion from the Sunnah worship and should be avoided with the exception of happy occasions.

The Prophet SAW taught us that anything that does not include the remembrance of Allah or involve seeking knowledge is cursed One must not prefer, prioritise nor replace time wasting entertainment over his religion, although small doses of entertainment are healthy for the heart according to Ali RA, for example a small piece of chocolate can bring joy for a moment but too much can make a person unhealthy and sick in the long term.

Allah has informed us of punishment if amusing speech (lahwal hadith - including music and song) is preferred to revelation (Qur’an),

Allah Most High says:

“But among men there is many a one that prefers a mere play with words (amusing speech) [as opposed to divine guidance], so as to lead [those] without knowledge astray from the path of Allah, and to turn it to ridicule: for such there is shameful suffering in store.” Luqman 6 (Qur’an). 

“For, whenever Our messages are conveyed to such a one, he turns away in his arrogance as though he had not heard them - as though there were deafness in his ears. Give him, then, the tiding of grievous suffering [in the life to come].” Luqman 7 (Qur’an)

The great companion Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) states in the explanation of the word “idle tales”:

“By Allah its meaning is music” (Sunan al-Bayhaqi, 1/223 & authenticated by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, 2/411).

Hasan al-Basri (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

“This verse was revealed in relation to singing and musical instruments”

Singing without Instruments with Islamic words is considered permissible as long as the words are according to Islamic values and it doesn’t replace Qur’an but complements it and calls to it and the same goes for songs with instruments (I.e the duff) that they should be in keeping with Islamic principles at the appropriate moments. Listening to women sing at weddings is permissible as an exception but listening to non mahrem women is not permissible if listening in a lustful manner.

According to our records it is not a Sunnah of Rasulullah SAW nor the Sahaba to engage in playing Musical instruments although he didn’t stop people if the words were clean or played on special occasions where a high focus is not required, and in the case of a Walima it was a tool recommended to attract attention to the celebration and announce the marriage and was commanded by the Prophet SAW, in which there is a lesson, if you play the duff, what is it you are attracting people towards? It must be calling towards Islam.

Once again generally speaking musical instruments are a distraction from our ibadah although there are appropriate moments for it providing the content is in accordance with Islamic principles and values in lighter moments, ultimately it is the salafs example we aim to follow & Allah knows best.