5 Excellent Proofs Why Listening to Music is Halal in Islam
C.J Ahmed-29.03.2023 Listening to music is not haram n Islam because of the overwhelming evidence to support it. There is much debate on the subject of music in Islam. Let us analyse each evidence to come to a conclusion. Allah (swt) says in the Quran: “And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk (Lahw Al-Hadith) to mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it by way of mockery"
(Al Quran-31:6)
The word "Lahw al hadith" which means idle talk is interpreted to mean that music is a form of idle talk. The word "Lahw al hadith" is given various interpretation by various scholars but those who are against music will only find the interpretation of one scholar because it is more convenient to them. In Tafsir ibn Kathir two scholars gave two varying interpretations They are,
Ibn Masud-"This -- by Allah -- refers to singing.''
Qatadah- "By Allah, he may not spend money on it, but his purchasing it means he likes it, and the more misguided he is, the more he likes it and the more he prefers falsehood to the truth and harmful things over beneficial things.''
If you look above, the interpretations of this verse is differing from one scholar to another. Further in tafsir ibn kathir the above verse from the word "Lahu Al-Hadith"(idle talk) was interpreted by ibn Abbas (rali) as singing. What is meant from this verse is that Allah rebukes those who engage in idle talk as mockery and this is what is apparently mentioned. It is the intention that matters and giving blanket fatwas stating that music is haram is only done by those who are foolish and dogmatic. If music is haram, then the prophet(sal) would not have listened to singing as recorded in various authentic narrations which I have mentioned below in this article to prove why music is halal in Islam.
Five Hadith's Which Prove Music to be Permissible
1) It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that Abu Bakr (rali) entered upon her and there were two girls with her during the days of Mina beating the duff, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) uncovered his face and said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.” That was during the days of Mina.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
The above hadith clearly proves that the duff is a permissible musical instrument in Islam because two young girls were beating the duff and the prophet (sal) allowed them to play when Abu Bakr (rali) rebuked them. Some scholars try to argue that playing the duff is permissible only during Eid. This argument is an erroneous argument because there is clear evidence that playing even the flute is also allowed during the Eid.
2) It was narrated that Aisha (Rali) said: “Abu Bakr (Rali) entered upon me and there were two of the young girls of the Ansar with me who were singing the verses that the Ansar had recited on the day of Bu’ath.”She said: “But they were known to be singers. “Abu Bakr (RA) said: “Wind instruments of the shaitan in the house of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH)? That was the day of Eid. Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “O Abu Bakr! Every people have their Eid and this is our Eid. “In another narration it is said that Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “Let them be O’ Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.”
(Narrated in Sahih Muslim)
The above hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim clearly debunks this argument. This very hadith proves that you can play any musical instrument including wind instruments and the prophet (sal) listened to them. Some could argue that this is only during Eid celebrations but there is no evidence suggesting that musical instruments are halal only during Eid. For something to be the hukm (ruling), there needs to be clear text forbidding it. There is no clear ruling from the prophet (sal) stating that musical instruments are only allowed during Eid hence the permissibility given by the prophet (sal) in this hadith is a general permissibility. This hadith proves that even wind musical instruments which are considered as satanic is allowed. The other argument put forward by scholars is that the beating of the duff should only be done by women or girls and men are forbidden to play these instruments. This argument has no basis. It's only the opinion of the salaf scholars may Allah (swt) reward them but they are like all other humans and are prone to mistakes. Blindly sticking to their opinions is haram in Islam. The other evidence to prove the permissibility of music comes from the next hadith.
3) It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (sal) went on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if Allah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the duff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”
(Narrated in Tirmidhi and authenticated by sheikh Albani in sahih al Tirmidhi)
The above hadith prove two points, one is
1) The general permissibility to listen to music which is not forbidden
2) from the statement of the prophet(sal) The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar" it shows that although this kind of singing by the slave was likened to Shaitan, the prophet (sal) listened to it and also allowed his companions like Abu Bakr(rali) and Umar(rali) also to listen. This clearly proves that music is halal in Islam.
4) It was narrated that Naafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn ‘Umar heard a woodwind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears and kept away from that path. He said to me, O Naafi’, can you hear anything? I said, no. So he took his fingers away from his ears and said: I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he heard something like this, and he did the same thing.
(Abu Dawud with an authentic chain of narration)
In the above hadith Ibn Umar (rali) narrated that the prophet (sal) put the fingers in his ears when he heard a woodwind instrument but it is clear from this hadith that the prophet (sal) did not order ibn Umar (rali) to do so. From this we can understand that listening to music is not at all haram because if listening to music was haram, the prophet(sal) would have forbidden Ibn Umar (rali) from listening to music. The prophet (sal) personally closed his ears but did not order anyone else to do so.
5) It was narrated that al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn ‘Afra’ said: “After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet (sal)me and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the duff and reciting verses mourning my father, who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, ‘Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow.’ On that the Prophet said, ‘Omit this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari).
The above hadiths makes it clear that listening to music is not haram in Islam.
