Re: Music in Islam (merged)
Q & A , from IslamOnline.net
Name of Questioner
Ana - Albania
Title
Music Makes Me Remember The Glory of God
Date
02/Jul/2002
Question
Salaam,
Why is music not allowed in Islam? People told me it is a sound of the devil, but seriously I never find there any diabolic thing. People told me it is not allowed because it makes you forget God. But why, do we remember God in every second of our life? If it were like that, existence would be perfect. But it isn’t. And frankly music makes me remember the glory of God more than a lot of other things. And many composers as well were inspired by the love for Him and as a result gave us wonderful masterpieces. Why we shouldn’t listen to them? I would be grateful if you could answer my question. May god bless you.
Topic
Heart & Soul, Arts & Culture
Name of Counselor
Answer
Dear sister Ana, we really appreciate your forwarding your questions to us.
Responding to your question on music, I’d first of all pause briefly to ask this question: What is Music? The reason for posing this question is to draw you to an important point, i.e. Islam is not just about making something haram (prohibited) and the other halal(allowed). Islam addresses every issue before categorizing it as this or that. Take music for instance, we need to know what is it in order to put it under a certain category.
Music lexically means art of combining sounds of voice or instruments to achieve beauty of form and expression of emotion. So we can say that music is a pleasant sound, regardless of where it comes from. It’s one of the purest and most beautiful things in the universe. Thus, whenever we hear a pleasant sound that makes one fascinated, we simply feel we should praise Almighty Allah, Who sets the tone and rhythm of every sound in the universe.
Thus, music constitutes an important part of our daily life. Music is there in our day-to-day life: the pleasant sound of birds, the melodious mew of cats, the unique coo of doves, etc. All these are forms of music. No one can deny this. This is even reflected in our daily activities and habits: crying, laughing, yelling and so on.
Then, when it comes to conceptualizing music from an Islamic perspective, Muslim scholars make it clear that love for singing and melodic voices are part of man’s instincts. This reminds me the words of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who says: “We can observe an infant lying in his cradle, soothed and sleeping by the sound of a lullaby. Mothers and nannies are always in the habit of singing for babies and children. Moreover, birds and animals respond to nice voices and rhythmic melodies. Thereupon, if singing is thus a human instinct, it is not for Islam to defy humankind’s instincts. Islam came to refine and promote the human instinct.”
So, in the light of this, we come to know that Islam has no objection to music and singing, as a form of art. This is as long as one abides by the noble principles of Islam. As we know that art is a form of expression and communication. It covers religious, intellectual, and cultural aspects of each society. Thus, Islam does not go against art, as long as it conforms to Islamic guidelines. This is whether it is expressed in literature, architecture, drawings, photography or film.
This actually makes it clear that Islam has its say in all man’s actions, in every corner of man’s life. This is the religion that regulates everything, in order to secure a happy and comfortable life for man. When you ask about eating, Islam says that you are free to eat anything, as long as you keep away from haram (things that are forbidden to eat) and from excessiveness. Allah says:O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for God loveth not the wasters.
[RIGHT]Surah 7 Verse 31[/RIGHT]
And in the verse that follows this immediately, Allah says:Say: Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of God, which He hath produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He hath provided) for sustenance? Say: They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment. Thus do We explain the signs in detail for those who understand.
[RIGHT]Surah 7 Verse 32[/RIGHT]
So Islam does not simply deprive its followers from good things of life. It just sets the rules to enjoy these things in a way that will not make us forget the main reason of our existence in life. This is the very point that is greatly stressed by some scholars who have aversion to music. Their main concern is how does man strike a balance between the enjoyment of all what Allah Almighty made lawful for him and the duty of maintaining close relation with Allah.
So for me, I don’t see any argument among scholars on the permissibility of music in Islam. The same applies to other forms of art. This is because the argument of those who oppose music is that it’s a form of laghw (idle talk). Meaning that it normally distracts believers from observing religious duties, and it corrupts the mind. So what they are saying is that a Muslim should not lend his ears to what will distract him from observing his religious duties and should not listen to what will corrupt his mind or distort his heart. This is exactly the same condition stipulated by scholars, who maintain that music is permissible. They never say that a Muslim should indulge himself or herself to any form of entertainment, which would take him as far as neglecting his religious duties.
Let me cite the renowned scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, in his remarkable statements on the permissibility of music:
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Not all sorts of singing are permissible. Rather, the permissible song should comply with the Islamic teachings and ethics. Therefore, the songs praising the tyrants and corrupt rulers collide with Islamic teachings. In fact, Islam stands against transgressors and their allies, and those who show indifference to their transgression. So, the same goes for those songs that imply giving praises to such attitude!
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Also, the way the song is performed weighs so much. The theme of the song may be good, but the performance of the singer – through intending excitement and arousing others’ lusts and desires, along with trying to seduce them – may move it to the area of prohibition, suspicion or even detested things. The Glorious Qur’an addresses the wives of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, saying:O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any of the (other) women: if ye do fear (God), be not too complacent of speech, lest one in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speech (that is) just.
[RIGHT]Surah 33 Verse 32[/RIGHT]
So, one has to show caution to music when there is softness of speech accompanied with rhyme, melody, and special effects! -
Singing should not be accompanied with something that is prohibited such as alcohol, nakedness, mixing of men with women, like that is common in pubs and nightclubs.
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Islam has declared excessiveness prohibited in everything, even in acts of worship. The same goes for excessiveness in leisure and recreation even though these things are permissible! This indicates that the emptiness of mind and heart has to be identified and tackled during man’s short-term life. One should know that Allah Almighty will ask every one of us about his life and his youth in particular, how he spends it.
Dear sister, you see, this is a clear-cut evidence that Islam does not consider music as something haram. It just stipulates for music to keep its permissibility, it should not involve anything haram, it should not be taken as a means of committing unlawful things. Music should not be used as a form of stirring desires in man. This will definitely open the door for Satan, and this is what Islam goes against. So music can be lawfully or maliciously used.
Thus, what I want to make clear is that music can be corrupted just as what people do to fresh air and water. But this corruption does not make all music haram (prohibited). Just as the pollution people cause to some water or fresh air, it does not make all the water and air haram.
It’s nice that you are saying that music reminds you of God’s glory. That’s something good, and that’s the purpose music and songs tend to serve. To refresh the mind and relax the soul, hence giving praise to the Great Lord that shows us signs of His Perfection in everything He creates!
Thanks, once again, for your questions.