no music in islam?

[Chancellare]

In Islam, all matters regarding permissibility is the sole prerogative of God alone.

Hence, based on scholarly opinion, a large majority of scholars would say that music is impermissable. However, there are a smaller number of scholars who say the opposite.

And for these scholars who say that music is permissable, their opinion would be that it is not a sin to either play or hear music as long as it does not contain other haram things.

Thanks for the conflicting explanation.

First paragraph says -Prerogative of God alone.
Second paragraph says - large majority of scholars would say that music is impermissible.
Third paragraph says - for those who say music is permissible, their opinion…

 

[Auriel]

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif

Salaam/ Peace

I did not know he sang about RAchel . Thanks for sharing the info. Can u tell me if that is with or without musical instruments ?

Your welcome.

In this video he sings A cappella. youtube.com/watch?v=-lpmIUgBiPU

 

[Muslim_Woman]

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Salaam/peace

Your welcome.

In this video he sings A cappella. youtube.com/watch?v=-lpmIUgBiPU

Thanks . God bless you
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[Sister_Amy]

what is up with that? what could be more of an inherent human desire than singing and making music for the glory of god?

i know the koran doesn’t outlaw music at all, but i believe the hadith and the sunnah specifically outlaws music and that is the “popular” teaching from most imans. i mean come on now. i’m a horrid amateur violinist but i couldn’t give it up, i find it hard to believe god has an issue with me making “music” on my violin.

how do muslims get by with no music? serious question…

Fact: there is a difference of opinion regarding music as a whole.

Fact: there is no difference opinion regarding music with lyrics or sounds which includes forbidden things.

As a musician myself, I really think I do understand why giving up music can be healthy. That doesn’t make me quite ready to do that entirely, but I do think I understand. Nonetheless, understanding isn’t really the point. If something is dangerous, even if you don’t think it’s dangerous, and the person who knows whether or not it’s dangerous says that it is… wouldn’t the wise decision be to avoid it?

 

[meedo]

what is up with that? what could be more of an inherent human desire than singing and making music for the glory of god?

i know the koran doesn’t outlaw music at all, but i believe the hadith and the sunnah specifically outlaws music and that is the “popular” teaching from most imans. i mean come on now. i’m a horrid amateur violinist but i couldn’t give it up, i find it hard to believe god has an issue with me making “music” on my violin.

how do muslims get by with no music? serious question…

one major reason is as follows :

Have you ever fealt saturated with material things of this world ?

as a muslim , i can tell you that my research in thsi topic was that God has given his holy books to people to recite and feel affected by its meanings and by the soft voice of the reciter. Music saturates and invades the place in the heart where this small soft voice of Gods words could have had a place.

for example, if a muslim hear a wonderful orchestra and then listen to the recitation of teh quran the beauty f the voice of teh reciter wont have the same effect when compared against the hundreds of instruments that he have just heared , thus reducing ( not eleminating) the effect of the recitation .

best regards,

meedo

 

[Chancellare]

For Muslims, is music a gift from God or from devil? And which part of Quran says so?

 

[dzheremi]

for example, if a muslim hear a wonderful orchestra and then listen to the recitation of teh quran the beauty f the voice of teh reciter wont have the same effect when compared against the hundreds of instruments that he have just heared , thus reducing ( not eleminating) the effect of the recitation .

Thanks for your explanation, Meedo. I am wondering why the quoted portion must be true, though. Can you explain it a little more? Why does the orchestra reduce the effect of the recitation? I can understand how it may, depending on the person, but I don’t see why it must (so I don’t understand how this is the best explanation).

I personally collect music from as many different religious traditions and cultures as I can, just because I find so much beauty in the diversity of ways God’s creation use the talents He has blessed them with for His worship. This includes a LOT of music made by Muslims, and also Christians, Jews, Buddhists, etc. It is interesting to know, perhaps, that the Eastern Orthodox do not use instruments in their sacred music. I don’t know if their reasoning is exactly the same as yours. At a seminar on Orthodox music that I attended last year at the local Orthodox church, the reason given (and I like this one much better than the “it distracts from God” reason) is that the voice is the instrument which God has given to each one of us - a unique voice - so what better instrument could their possibly be with which to worship Him? I still listen to a lot of music with instruments, but I definitely agree with this reasoning. Instrumental music is definitely not “better”, or conversely, acapella music is definitely not missing anything!

Oriental Orthodox use instruments in their music, though, and of course Catholics too…so I am afraid that I cannot understand an out-and-out ban on music or even certain kinds of music (barring “bad” lyrics, which is obviously a good thing to disallow).

 

[Muslim_Woman]

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Salaam/peace

… Why does the orchestra reduce the effect of the recitation? .

Since the last 2/3 years , I have stopped watching movies , listening to romantic songs etc. Instead I try to listen to Quran & Islamic songs.

Still I do listen to songs with music , may be in future I will try to listen songs without musical instruments.

If we spend too much time in listening to music , it may distract our attention from prayers ; surely it’s better for any Muslim to listen to Quran whenever s/he gets any chance . It will remind him/her of the hereafter & will help to memorise the words of God.

And God knows best .

some alternate of music :

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Three Years Boy Reciting Quran

img.youtube.com/vi/RWH6eOs2aA4/2.jpg

Amazing 9 Year Old Girl Memorized Whole Quran!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpk9qFqeQt4

 

[swariffin]

what is up with that? what could be more of an inherent human desire than singing and making music for the glory of god?

i know the koran doesn’t outlaw music at all, but i believe the hadith and the sunnah specifically outlaws music and that is the “popular” teaching from most imans. i mean come on now. i’m a horrid amateur violinist but i couldn’t give it up, i find it hard to believe god has an issue with me making “music” on my violin.

how do muslims get by with no music? serious question…

You are wrong I think. Chanting the Quranic verses or calling the prayer, by definition is music too. It is not easy to do, you know.

 

[inJESUS]

All in all, what are the limits of legalism? they sometimes become ridiculous. Anything, absolutely anything can distract a person be it music, tv, food, shopping, studies, work, children, too many wives ecc. If someone chooses to leave absolutely everything and go live a monastic life, Islam condemns it as the “sunna of Muhammad is marriage” yet marrying 4 women and having 10 children is not a kind of distraction from God but music is? sleeping with eleven women on a single day is not a distraction but music is? what’s wrong then with some people choosing monasticism where absolutely nothing and noone will distract them?

some things are really ridiculous. For heaven’s sake, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.

 

[Sam_777]

There is a hadith which says that drums are forbidden:**

Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 26, Number 3677:**
“Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) forbade wine (khamr), game of chance (maysir), drum (kubah), and wine made from millet (ghubayrah), saying: Every intoxicant is forbidden.”

سنن أبي داود
أن وفد ‏ ‏عبد القيس ‏ ‏قالوا يا رسول الله فيم نشرب قال ‏ ‏لا تشربوا في ‏ ‏الدباء ‏ ‏ولا في ‏ ‏المزفت ‏ ‏ولا في ‏ ‏النقير ‏ ‏وانتبذوا ‏ ‏في ‏ ‏الأسقية ‏ ‏قالوا يا رسول الله فإن ‏ ‏اشتد ‏ ‏في ‏ ‏الأسقية ‏ ‏قال فصبوا عليه الماء قالوا يا رسول الله فقال لهم في الثالثة ‏ ‏أو الرابعة ‏ ‏أهريقوه ‏ ‏ثم قال إن الله حرم علي ‏ ‏أو حرم ‏ ‏الخمر ‏ ‏والميسر ‏ ‏والكوبة ‏ ‏قال وكل مسكر حرام ‏
‏قال ‏ ‏سفيان ‏ ‏فسألت ‏ ‏علي بن بذيمة ‏ ‏عن الكوبة قال الطبل ‏
​

(E) (A)
http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/.../muslim/hadith/abudawud/026.sat.html#026.3677

 

[meedo]

Thanks for your explanation, Meedo. I am wondering why the quoted portion must be true, though. Can you explain it a little more? Why does the orchestra reduce the effect of the recitation? I can understand how it may, depending on the person, but I don’t see why it must (so I don’t understand how this is the best explanation).

I don’t know if their reasoning is exactly the same as yours. At a seminar on Orthodox music that I attended last year at the local Orthodox church, the reason given (and I like this one much better than the “it distracts from God” reason) is that the voice is the instrument which God has given to each one of us - a unique voice - so what better instrument could their possibly be with which to worship Him? I still listen to a lot of music with instruments, but I definitely agree with this reasoning. Instrumental music is definitely not “better”, or conversely, acapella music is definitely not missing anything!

QUOTE]

Well, the reasons given by many posters here are all attempts. I have found no detailed reasons for prohibiting music in total.

Your reason may be true as well , even from an Islamic point of view.

I believe that the heart is like a stretched sensitive string, teh more you strum on it the faster it will loose its sensitivity and tension and end up needing tuning.

There is a part in our hearts that God have created to taste beautiful voices and sound. The beauty of teh recitation of sacred texts is that it combines the effect of beautioful sound with the effect of beautiful meaning. If your heart is continuously hearing overhwhelming beautiful music , its sensitivity´will decrease . Thus the effect of teh recitation will be mainly due to the meaning of teh words only ( which is still good) but not accompanied by the appreciation of the transmition of these great meanings through a beautiful sound.

imagine a person who has a great wordrobe , adding an extra piece of clothing to it might not be of that great effect as to grant a poor girl a beautiful dress she has dreamed of . In teh first case there is appreciation but not as big and overhwelming as teh happiness and the effect in the second case.

have i made it clearer?

i hope i got your question right.

bes regards

 

[Chancellare]

dzheremi;4617393:

Thanks for your explanation, Meedo. I am wondering why the quoted portion must be true, though. Can you explain it a little more? Why does the orchestra reduce the effect of the recitation? I can understand how it may

, depending on the person, but I don’t see why it must (so I don’t understand how this is the best explanation).

I don’t know if their reasoning is exactly the same as yours. At a seminar on Orthodox music that I attended last year at the local Orthodox church, the reason given (and I like this one much better than the “it distracts from God” reason) is that the voice is the instrument which God has given to each one of us - a unique voice - so what better instrument could their possibly be with which to worship Him? I still listen to a lot of music with instruments, but I definitely agree with this reasoning. Instrumental music is definitely not “better”, or conversely, acapella music is definitely not missing anything!

QUOTE]

Well, the reasons given by many posters here are all attempts. I have found no detailed reasons for prohibiting music in total.

Your reason may be true as well , even from an Islamic point of view.

I believe that the heart is like a stretched sensitive string, teh more you strum on it the faster it will loose its sensitivity and tension and end up needing tuning.

There is a part in our hearts that God have created to taste beautiful voices and sound. The beauty of teh recitation of sacred texts is that it combines the effect of beautioful sound with the effect of beautiful meaning. If your heart is continuously hearing overhwhelming beautiful music , its sensitivity´will decrease . Thus the effect of teh recitation will be mainly due to the meaning of teh words only ( which is still good) but not accompanied by the appreciation of the transmition of these great meanings through a beautiful sound.

imagine a person who has a great wordrobe , adding an extra piece of clothing to it might not be of that great effect as to grant a poor girl a beautiful dress she has dreamed of . In teh first case there is appreciation but not as big and overhwelming as teh happiness and the effect in the second case.

have i made it clearer?

i hope i got your question right.

bes regards

The purpose of my query is not to argue but to understand better.

Do you mean to say that similar to a piece of added clothing music will tend to diminish the value and appreciation of prayer?

 

[dzheremi]

Well, the reasons given by many posters here are all attempts. I have found no detailed reasons for prohibiting music in total.

Interesting. Thanks for your honesty.

I believe that the heart is like a stretched sensitive string, teh more you strum on it the faster it will loose its sensitivity and tension and end up needing tuning.

Why must it lose its sensitive? How does this explain what you write below, regarding the effect of the recitation on the heart? Does this effect also lessen over time? If it doesn’t (and I’m going to assume for now that you believe it doesn’t), why does it do so in other circumstances? Is it perhaps better to say that the degree to which the (over-)consumption of anything deadens the heart is directly related to the quality of the thing being consumed. My grandmother who is of no religion always warned me “garbage in, garbage out” when I asked if I could watch a cartoon on TV as a child or see a movie she didn’t want me to see. I believe she was right. After all, there is no such thing as too much scripture or praise of God, and there is no such thing as too little sin or debauchery.

There is a part in our hearts that God have created to taste beautiful voices and sound. The beauty of teh recitation of sacred texts is that it combines the effect of beautioful sound with the effect of beautiful meaning. If your heart is continuously hearing overhwhelming beautiful music , its sensitivity´will decrease . Thus the effect of teh recitation will be mainly due to the meaning of teh words only ( which is still good) but not accompanied by the appreciation of the transmition of these great meanings through a beautiful sound.

So the effect of the words stays the same but the effect of the music goes away? I am not sure I am understanding you correctly. If this is what you mean, why would this be the case? Is it not true that the best music is timeless? Certainly this is true of the “best” words (and scripture, of course, does not exist on any sort of scale from “bad” to “good”).

Listen to Fairuz, be happy, I say. Life is too short for legalism, especially when the ‘lawyers’ do not agree.

 

[ralphinal]

So God gives a human amazing musical ability and forbids him to use it.

God gives a human amazing artistic ability and forbids him to use it.

Am I missing something? I understand not replacing God with something else, but why would God give you the talent than forbid you to use it to glorify him?

And, if it is a good thing to abstain from something you like, like music, for your soul, why is it bad to abstain from sex for the good of your soul? Or from marriage?

 

[Muslim_Woman]

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Salaam/peace

… Life is too short …

yes , this life is a test for hereafter . God created us to worship Him. If we become too busy with music ( singing , listening ) , then there is a risk that we will forget about our main purpose–remember God , pray to Him , give more importance on hereafter etc . So , may be that’s the reason Prophet (p) warned Muslims about the bad effects of music.

I have stopped listening to all kinds of romantic / modern songs . Now I only listen to those songs that reminds me of God Almighty.

What did I do Today?

by Dawud Wharnsby Ali

did not see the video , I heard the audio only , nice ]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWVgrhFmZuI

Oh the moon has come
The day is done

The night has covered up the sun.
I have stood so often before you to pray

But I wonder Allah, tell me, what did I do today?

Did I remember the words of Al-Fatiha?

Did I take time to thank you for all that I have?

Did I call on you to guide my way?
Tell me, what did I do today?

I has whispered to you
As I made ruku
Subhana Rabiy’yal adheem.
But was my faith
Bright or grey?

Oh Allah, tell me, what did I do today?

Did I smile at my brother?
Was I kind to my mother?
Did I teach another something that I know
Or did my love of this world lead me astray?
Tell me, what did I do today?

Sami Allah hu liman hamida
Rabanna lakal hamd.
Sami Allah hu liman hamida
Rabanna lakal hamd.

La illaha il Allah.
La illaha il Allah.

Though I’ve bowed to you
with my face in the dust,

subhana raby’yal a’la
Did I turn to you
And did I obey?

Oh Allah, tell me, what did I do today?
Did I use my mind?
Did I use my time?

If I search my heart what will I find?

The light of your guidance is a glimmering ray,
Tell me, what did I do toady?
Oh Allah, tell me, what did I do today?

haqaonline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1487

 

[dzheremi]

God created us to worship Him. If we become too busy with music ( singing , listening ) , then there is a risk that we will forget about our main purpose–remember God , pray to Him , give more importance on hereafter etc . So , may be that’s the reason Prophet (p) warned Muslims about the bad effects of music

Okay, maybe, but what do you think about the point I made in my last post in this thread: the degree to which the (over-)consumption of anything (music, movies, etc) deadens the heart is directly related to the quality of the thing being consumed. Can we imagine “too much prayer taking us away from God”? I should hope not! Similarly, there is no “minimum” sin that will take us away from God, since all sin involves turning away from Him. So I will say to you what I have said elsewhere in this thread: I understand how what you say MAY happen with the consumption of music, but I don’t understand why Muhammad (and hence Muslims) apparently believe that it MUST happen.

Honestly, if I were Eastern Orthodox instead of Catholic, I might be able to tell you that I get more music from the Divine Liturgy than I do outside of it, since the entire service (more or less) of Eastern Orthodox worship is sung…like music! Yet the words…the words are what satisfy, because they are the focus (the E.O. do not use any musical instruments). And the words are to God, in prayer and praise! So I think this would be acceptable to Muslims, right? So what is it about this that would take us from God, really? Nothing that I can see. It seems like pure legalism with some well-intentioned but ultimately feeble excuse to ban humanity from one of the Almighty’s greatest, most soul-stirring gifts. He gave it to us! How can we refuse it and turn around and say “it may corrupt us if we let it, so we’ll go without it”? Should we also refuse the other ways that God has given us to bless him? Maybe we should not speak for fear that what comes out of our mouths may damage our relationship with God? Maybe we should not leave our houses because there are bad things out there?

Or maybe these are all good reasons to be CAREFUL, and to PRAY. To face the world, in all its corruption, because we have faith in God, and we want to show it! We are not to hide our light under a bushel, according to Jesus. From the efforts to spread Islam here, I see that Muslim posters definitely agree with this. That’s a good thing. For the rest of the topic, I don’t think I will ever understand this attitude. But thank you for sharing your view anyhow.

 

[Muslim_Woman]

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Salaam/ Peace

Voices 4 Gaza: In this folder you will find songs about Palestine and Gaza whether before or after the current massacres.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Miscellaneous/2009/Voices_4_Gaza/images/05.jpg

We Will Not Go Down
(by Michel Heart)

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Miscellaneous/2009/Voices_4_Gaza/images/12.jpg

Does the World Know? (by a group of children)

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Miscellaneous/2009/Voices_4_Gaza/images/10.jpg

Long Live Palestine
(by a group of children)

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Miscellaneous/2009/Voices_4_Gaza/images/11.jpg

Little Faces Smiling
(by Yusuf Islam - ex Cat Stevens)

Try Not to Cry
(by Sami Yusuf and Outlandish)

Children of Gaza
(by Doc Jazz)

Look Into My Eyes
(by Outlandish)

Break the Silence
(by Doc Jazz)

Palestine
(by 786)

Palestine
(by the Sound of Reason)

Listen to My Story
(by Palestine aka Ref-UG)

Gaza Is Suffering
(by Kamal Uddin)

islamonline.net/English/Multimedia/Library/Miscellaneous/2009/Voices_4_Gaza/index.shtml

 

[eichenb2]

“Music in Islam” is a complicated issue. Some scholars have said that all music, except for the drums during Eid and Wedding celebrations. Other scholar say that music is to be prohibited based on its content and/or intent. Basically, music and situations that lead Haraam (prohibited acts) are themselves prohibited. Opinions, like most other issues in Islamic jurisprudence, are quite diverse.

 

[Muslim_Woman]

In the name of Allah , Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Salaam/peace

Little Ones… Still Smiling!

Yusuf Islam ( Cat Stevens)

Watch Yusuf Islam singing for the love of the suffering children wherever they live. He first sang it for children of Bosnia, then the children of Lebanon, and now for Gaza’s little ones:

Oh they killed all the little ones
While their faces still smiled
With their guns and the fury
They erased their young lives.

…They’ll be raising the little ones
With no sin to atone
In the light of high heaven
They will sit on tall throne.

Where playtime lasts forever
And God’s mercy never ends.

islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1232976621085&pagename=Zone-English-ArtCulture%2FACELayout