11 replies to this topic

[Sister Kamillah]

                    Asalamu Alaikum,
No you are not mistaken. Music is forbidden in Islam.

Shiek Al Uthaimin states it so clear:

A. No doubt, it is forbidden to listen to songs and music. Our pious predecessors, including those throm the Tabi'in (companions of the Prophet's companions) have warned that music causes hypocrisy to grow in the heart and that music is from the Lahw Al Hadith. referred to in Allah's saying,

"And of Mankind is he who purchased (lahw al hadith) idletalk to mislead from the Path of Allah without knowledge and taken it by way of mockery. for such there will be a humilating torment.Ibn Mausud, may

Allah be pleased with him explained this verse "by Allah, and none has the right to be woshipped except him, it is singing."
The interpretation of a companion is an acceptable proof and in terms of the interpretation of the Quran, it comes third in the following ranking
1)The Quran explained by another verse of the Quran
2)The Sunnah explaining the Quran
3) The sayings of the Companions explaining the Quran.

Forthermore, listening to singing and music, falls under the category of that which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) warned against when he said:
"There will be from my Nation a people who will deem fornication, silk (for men), alcohol and music to be permissible (al bukhari no 5590).

So I warn my brothers not to listen to singing and music and not to be confused by those knowledgeable people who permit, for the proofs that indicate that it is unlawful are clear and straightforward.

By Ibn Uthaimin from the Book Fatawa Islamiyah, vol 8.                    

[muslimsister]

                    Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatu Allah,
My dear sister ummali, what is forbidden in Islam is musical instruments, and I'm sure you know there is a minority that even allow that.
Singing is not forbidden in Islam, and anaasheed are a way of expressing our love for Allah and his messenger without using the forbidden musical instruments.  

The rule in Islam for worldly things is that everything is allowed except that which Allah and his Messenger peace and blessings of Allah upon him have forbidden.  

Please see below and note there are conditions for the anaasheed to be correct Islamically.
Question :


What is the ruling on Islamic nasheeds that are free of music?

Answer :

Praise be to Allaah.

The clear saheeh texts indicate in a number of ways that it is permissible to recite poetry and listen to it. It was narrated in saheeh reports that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his noble Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) listened to verse, recited it (as nasheed) and asked others to recite it, both when they were travelling and when they stayed at home, in their gatherings and whilst they were working, individually, as in the case of Hassaan ibn Thaabit, ‘Aamir ibn al-Akwa’ and Anjashah (may Allaah be pleased with them), and in unison, as in the hadeeth of Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) which describes the digging of the ditch (al-khandaq). Anas said:

When the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw how exhausted and hungry we were, he said (in verse):

“O Allaah, there is no life except the life of the Hereafter, so forgive the Ansaar and the Muhaajireen.”

And they said in response:

“We are the ones who have pledged allegiance to Muhammad, to make jihaad for as long as we live.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3/1043)

  And in gatherings too: Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with a hasan isnaad that Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan said: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not speak in devious tones or in a soft manner. They used to recite verses in their gatherings, denouncing the affairs of their jaahiliyyah, but if it was the matter of their religion, they would become very serious and cautious (8/711).  

This evidence indicates that nasheeds are permissible, whether recited individually or in unison. The word nasheed in Arabic means raising the voice when reciting verse and making the voice sound beautiful and gentle.

  There are conditions to which attention must be paid with regard to this matter:

  Not using forbidden musical instruments in nasheed.

  Not doing it too much or making it the focus of the Muslim’s mind, occupying all his time, or neglecting obligatory duties because of it.

Nasheed should not be recited by women, or include haraam or obscene speech.

  They should not resemble the tunes of the people of immorality and promiscuity.

  They should be free of vocal effects that produce sounds like those of musical instruments.

  They should not have moving tunes which make the listener feel “high” as happens to those who listen to songs. This is the case with many of the nasheeds which appear nowadays, so that the listeners no longer pay any attention to the good meaning of the words, because they are so entranced by the tunes. And Allaah is the  Source of strength.

  References:

Fath al-Baari, 10/553-554-562-563
Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 8/711
Al-Qaamoos al-Muheet, 411



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    Asalamu Alaikum,
the answer I had given you was from Sheik Uthmaimin who stated that signing is forbidden, along with Sheik bin Baz and Al Jibreen, among many, many others. (could look up statements if need be).

As far as Nasheeds they are more like Poetry and are allowed, the majority of opinion is not to listen to them all the time, that the time used to listen to them could be spent on listening to the Quran and reading Ahadeeth. This is in vol 8 of the Fatawa Islamiyah Scholars Uthamaimin, Bin Baz and Al Jibreen and also the Permamant committee and the decisions of fiqh council.                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    Asalamu Alaikum
The following was taken from the book  Fatawa Islamiyan Vol 8, page 194Q. What is the ruling on listening to singing?
A. Every male and female, young or old, is prohibited from listening to singing, whether in the home, the car or anywhere else for doing so indicates a desire to participate in that which Allah Almighty has forbidden

" And of Mankind is he who purchaes (lahw Al Hadith) idle talks to mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it by way of mockery. for such there will be a humiliating torment. (luqman 31:6).Singing is a form of Lahw Al Hadith, since it entices people toward evil and takes them away from good, causing them to uselessly waste their time, so for these reasons it falls under the generality of the term Lahw Al Hadith. Included along with singing and listening to it, is purchaing such Lahw to mislead oneself or someone else from the way of Allah. Allah has censured this and threatened those who use it with a severe punishement. Just as the Quran has a general progibition against singing and listening to it, so the Sunnah also has proven that. Among the texts related the Prophet ( peace and blessing be upon him) said
"There will be from my Nation a people who will dem fornication, silk (for men), alcohol, and music to be permissible and there will be a people who will camp beside a high mountain a
, When a poor man passes by them and asks for a need, they will say to him "return to us tomorrow." In the morning Allah will make the mountain fall upon them and the others (who are saved) are transformed into apes and pigs, until the Day of Judgement (al bukhari no 5590)
Music is the use of instruments of Lahw, and part of this is singing and listening to it. So Allahs Messenger (peace be upon him) condemned those who seek to legalize fornication, the use of silk for men, drinking alcohol, and such entertainment instruments and listening to them. Here he accompanied music with other major sins. In the end of the Hadith he threatened those who do that with a punishment.

This shows that listening to music is unlawful. But a person is not sinnning when he accidentally listens to music such as a person who is walking in the street and hears music being played in stores or in a car as long as he does not desire to listen to it. Such a person is not sinning because he has no choice, however, he must advise and warn those who are playing the music and he must do so with wisdom and good exhortation. And he should avoid as much as possible going to places where music is played and Allah doe not place a burden on a soul greater than it can bear
Fatwa given by Bin Baz                    

[muslimsister]

                    Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatu Allah,
Dear sister Kamillah, I think the problem is one of linguistics.  In English you would use the word "singing" for anasheed, which is clearly allowed, but singing songs with innapropriate words is something else.  In Arabic there are different verbs for doing a nasheed and singing a song.  
Some use the word chant for anaasheed, but it really isn't a chant if you look at the definition of chant.  
Anyway, I just wanted to point out the anaasheed are allowable and of course, one has to use their time wisely and not waste it, I agree fully.                    

[muslimsister]

                    Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullah,
This fatwa says what I was trying to say.
Question: Is it permissible to sing and to listen to the singing of others?  

Answered by Sheikh al-Sharîf Hamzah al-Fa`r, professor at Umm al-Qurâ University  

For singing to be permissible, it must be free of musical accompaniment and lewd lyrics.

It is permissible to sing during marriage celebrations and on other festive occasions.

It is permissible for men to sing within these limits. Muslim men used to sing work songs during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), like during the Battle of the Trench.

Men may listen to the singing of other men and also that of small girls.

Women are allowed to sing amongst themselves in exclusive functions when men are not present. They may sing as long as their singing is decent.

On festive occasions, women may accompany their singing with a duff, a tambourine without bells. The duff, however, is reserved for women only. It is an exception to the general ruling against musical instruments and it is established only for women.

http://www.islamtoday.net/english/fat_arch...5&main_cat_id=1                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    asalamu alaikum,
re-read my post, I said nasheed is allowed...It is a type of poetry or Islamic prose or Islamic sayings or islamic chants etc.
But singing is not allowed according to the fatwa. Also we must point out that nasheed for women should only be done for women or immediate mahim family members.

other fatwas below are taken from the book Fatwa Islamiyah vol 8 bin baz, al uthaimin al jibreen

Religious and Nationalistic Songs, Songs for children and Birthdays page 195
q Last time we asked you whether music was permissible and you answered that lewd music was unlawful which leads us to this question: Is listening to religious and nationalistic songs permissible, and what about children's songs or songs for birthday? please considerm though, that musical instruments accompay most of these songs.
A. Playing music is absolutely unlawful. Therfor if musical instruments accompany the songs you mentioned -religious, nationalistic, shildrens songs song for special occasion- then those songs are unlawfu. Moreover celebrating birthadays is an innovation; it is forbidden to attend and participate in birthday celbrations. One proof that indicated the prohibition of music and singing accompanied by it is this saying of the Messenger of Allah
"There will be from my Nation a people who will deen fornication, silk (for men), alcohol, and music to be permissible (al bukhari 5590)
This was recorded by Al Bukhari inhis sahih and there are other Hadiths that refer to this topic
From the Permanent committee

The Ruling of Nashid Accompanied by Drums. Page 196
Q On certain occasions we use a kind of drum to accompany Nashid (religious songs), a practice for whic some brother have reproached us. Being that our songs contain no evil speech, is it then permissible for us to play the drum with the Nashid?
A. We are not aware of anything that would allow the use of the drum, rather what is apparent from the authentic Hadiths is that it is prohibited to use them just like other instruments of entertainment, be they flutes or fiddles, etc. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him),
"There will be from my Nation a people who will deem fornication, silk (for men), alcohol, and music to be permissible (al bukhari no 5590)
Music includes singing and all instruments
From Sheik Ibn Baz                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    asalamu alaikum,
The following was taken from Fatawa Islamiyah Vol 8 from Noble scholars Shaykh Bin Baz, Al uthaimin, Al Jibreen Along with The permanent Committee and the decisions of the Fiqh Council(published by Darussalam), from page 404.

Islamic Nashid

q.We know that songs are unlawful, at least as it is known today, because of the base and senseless language and instruments that accompany most of today's songs. But as Muslim Youth whom Allah Almighty has made to love the truth, we need an alternative, so we have chosen Islamic Nashid, Poetry that is spoken in rhythmic form, such as the famous poem "My Brother," by Said Qutb. What is the Islamic ruling on Nashid, considering, however that most of them contain inspirational words and enlightening Islamic messages, written by authors of this generation and of earlier generations? Some Nashid are accompanied by a Duff or a drum is this permissible? With my limited knowledge, I do know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) permitted the use of the drum for the wedding night, and a drum is the most innocent of musical instruments, is like any other object that is struck with the hand to make a sound. Please advise us, may Allah Almighty guide you to what He loves and is pleased with.

A. The Council answered the following: You were correct when you said that singing is unlawful for a number of reason-for the coarse words and messages, for its incitement to eil and to licentiousness, May Allah guide us to what He is pleased with.

You are permitted, then, to resort to the alternative you mentioned- Islamic Nashid, poems that awaken your desire to practice Islam, that call you to righteousness, to Jihad, and to the obedience of Allah Almighty. You should not, however, make it a habit to listen to Nashid daily at a certain time, for example, or to be excessive in listening to it. You should listen to Nashid when there is occasion to do so, when there is a wedding, when traveling for Jihad, when you feel spiritually weak and you feel that you need to be inspired to do good. Better than resorting to Nashid is to read portions of the Quran daily or to read prohetic invocations daily, for these are purer for your soul. Allah Almighty said:
"Allah has sent down the best statement, a Book (this Quran) its parts resembling each other in goodness and truth, oft repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it (when they recite it or hear it). Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He Guides therwith whom He pleases and whomever Allah sends astry, for him there is no guide (As Aumar 39:23)
And
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. Those who believe and work righteousness, Tuba (all kinds ofhappiness or the name of a tree in Paradise) is for them a beautiful place of (final) return. (Ar Ra'd 13:28,29)
The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would concentrate on Allah's Book and His Messenger's Sunnah, studying and applying what they found in those two sources. Nevertheless, they still had Nashid that they would recite, when they were digging the trenches, when they were building the Masjid, and when they were on their way to Jihad. they didnt deem Nashid to be of paramount importance; rather they would resort to it in order to help calm their souls. It is not however, permitted to use a drum or the like to accompay Nashid, because neither the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) nor his Companions did so. It is Allah who guides to the straight path. May Allah send peace and blessings upon Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
written byThe Permanent Committee                    

[Sister Kamillah]

                    Asalamu Alaikum,
Fatawa Islamiya:Islamic Verdicts, vol 8 from the noble scholars bin baz, al uthaimin and Al Jibreen along with The permanent committee and the decisions of the fiqh council, page204
The Proofs are Clear: Singing is Unlawful
Q Some people suggest that the following Hadith recorded by Al bukhari in his Sahih should not be used to prove the prohibtion of singing
"There will be frommy nation a people who will deem fornication, silk (for men), alcohol, and music to be permissible (al bukhari no 5590)
They claim that the prohibition is restricyted to these four things being practiced togehter. Please comment on their reasoning, and may Allah Almighty reward you.

A. This opinion is incorrect and weak. Fornication, even when practiced alone, is unlawful according to a consensus. The same case is with men wearing silk is unlawful and drinking alcohol, they are unlawful by the consensus of scholare even if they happen alone.
The same is true for music, since there is no proof to distinguish it from the rest. Fourthermore, there is a rule: When a single item is mentioned in a list with other items, the ruling that is given applies to each one of them individually, unless there is proof that all of them together are intended. And here there is no proof. But there is proof, at least some of the proof is good, to the contrary, proof indicating that music is unlawful.
written by Ibn Uthaimin

This is very interesting because it tell about verdicts when given, that the items in the verdict are thought of as separate and as individual items and are judged as such. So when you see singing and music together, the response applies to them separately..