Islamic marriage advice and family advice

I like songs about Islam but many have instruments

Assalamualaikum.
I am listening to much more songs because I really like them. I only listen to songs that are related to Islamic advises and features. The problem is most of them contain musical instruments.(some songs such as islamic nasheed contain vocals.)
I don't know what is the response of our religion about them?
Please give me advice.
SALAM.

sali


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8 Responses »

  1. In the name of Allah most Beneficial.

    Narrated by Abu Amir
    that he heard the Prophet (saws) 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.” Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.494B

    Narrated by Muhammad ibn Hatib al-Jumahi
    The Prophet (saws) said, "The distinction between what is lawful and what is unlawful is the song and the tambourine at a wedding."
    Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3153

    Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
    I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: ‘Singing produces hypocrisy in the hearts’.
    Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4909

    Imraan Bin Husain (radhiyallahu anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "In this Ummah will be earthquakes, disfiguration (of faces which will be transformed into apes and pigs) and showers of stone (descending o­n them from the heaven)." A man from among the Muslimeen said: "O Rasulullah! When will this be?" Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "When singing girls and musical instruments will become profuse and when liquor will be consumed (in abundance)."(Tirmizi)

    Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) narrated: "I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saying: "Verily, with every bell is a shaitaan." (Abu Dawood)

    Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Verily, Allah Ta'ala sent me as a Mercy and a Guide to the worlds, and He has commanded me to destroy musical instruments.."

    Numerous Sahaabah have narrated Ahaadith in which Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) warned of disasters overwhelming the Ummah as a consequence of the profusion of music, singing and singing girls. Among these Sahaabah are: Hadhrat Abu Maalik Ash'ari, Hadhrat Imraan Bin Husain, Hadhrat Abu Hurairah, Hadhrat Ali, Hadhrat Sahl Bin Sa'd As-Saaidi, Hadhrat Ubaadah Bin Saamit, Hadhrat Abu Umaamah, Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas, Hadhrat Saeed Bin Khudri, Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Bishr, Hadhrat Anas, Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Saabit and Hadhrat Aishah (ridhwaanullaahi alayhim aj-maeen).

    It should be clear that songs and instruments are haraam (forbidden) in Islam. We should not use any instrument with any Islamic poem, nor should listen. Sound effects which is not of any instrument and not awful does not matter as in some nasheeds in background, can be listen. If any instrument use of any kind it should not.
    May Allah guide us to the path of heavens.

  2. Assalamualaikum sali,

    May Allah Reward you for intending to find alternatives to evil musical instruments and songs.

    However, not all nasheeds are totally free from this evil. You must limit yourself to those that contain human voices. Some scholars say that daff (hand drum) is an exception, while some say that is allowed only in specific situations such as among women only in weddings.

    And you should make sure what you are listening to does not contain words of Shirk and Kufr. And those sung by women should not be listened to by men.

    Also, you must try listening to Quran instead, though listening to nasheed may not be haram, but Quran is much more rewarding in sha Allah.

    Like Shaikh Salih al Fawzan Hafidhahullah said:

    As for that which is called Islamic nasheeds, they have been given more time and effort than they deserve, to such an extent that they have become an art form which takes up space in school curricula and school activities, and the recording companies record huge numbers of them to sell and distribute, and most houses are full of them, and many young men and women listen to them, and it takes up a lot of their time, and they are listened to more than recordings of Qur’aan, Sunnah, lectures and useful lessons. ( Al-Bayaan li Akhta’ Ba’d al-Kuttaab)

    Shaikh Albani Rahimahullah said:

    I remember full well that when I was in Damascus, two years before I migrated here to ‘Ammaan, some of the Muslim youth started to sing some anaasheed that had sound meanings, intending thereby to counteract the Sufi songs like the Busayri poems and others, and they recorded that on tapes, but soon it was accompanied by beating the duff! At first they used it in wedding parties, on the basis that the duff is permissible in such parties, then the tapes became widespread and copies were made of them, and they started to be used in many homes, and they started to listen to them day and night, whether there was an occasion or not. That became their way of relaxing. But that is due only to their whims and desires and their ignorance of the shaytaan’s tricks, so he diverted them from paying attention to the Qur’aan and listening to it, let alone studying it, and it became forsaken by them, as it says in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And the Messenger (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ) will say: ‘O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur’aan (neither listened to it nor acted on its laws and teachings)’” [al- Furqaan 25:30]. (Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarb)

    Shaikh ibn Uthaimin Rahimahullah said:

    I think that Islamic nasheeds have changed from what they were before. They were done with voices that were not enchanting, but now they are done with enchanting voices, and they are also accompanied by evil and corrupting tunes and they say that they are accompanied by the duff, but all of this means that one should keep away from these nasheeds. But if a man comes to us and sings anaasheed that have a sound meaning, and which do not include any nonsense, and uses his voice only with no musical instruments, there is nothing wrong with that. Hassaan ibn Thaabit used to recite poetry in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Duroos wa Fataawa al-Haram al-Madani)

    Shaikh ibn Uthaimin Rahimahullah also said:

    There has been a lot of talk about Islamic nasheeds. I have not listened to them for a long time. When they first appeared there was nothing wrong with them. There were no duffs, and they were performed in a manner that did not involve any fitnah, and they were not performed with the tunes of haraam songs. But then they changed and we began to hear a rhythm that may have been a duff or it may have been something other than a duff, and they began to choose performers with beautiful and enchanting voices, then they changed further and began to be performed in the manner of haraam songs. Hence we began to feel uneasy about them, and unable to issue fatwas stating that they were permissible in all cases, or that they were forbidden in all cases. If they are free of the things that I have referred to then they are permissible, but if they are accompanied by the duff or performers are chosen who have beautiful and enchanting voices, or they are performed in the manner of indecent songs, then it is not permissible to listen to them. ( Al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah)

    So when you are listening to nasheed, make sure you confirm if they fall under what the scholars have stated.

    Abu Abdul Bari
    IslamicAnswers.com

  3. Salaams,

    ....And yet in another hadith the wife of Prophet Muhammad ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) transmits:”I had two servant girls who sang. Once Abu Bakr looked in at our house and on hearing them singing he exclaimed:”Satan’s pipe is in the house of God’s Apostle!” The Prophet said:”Leave them! Verily, we have feast days” ( from al-Bukhari and Muslim).

    Also in Bukhari we find the hadith:

    Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (p.b.u.h) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, "Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ? " Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out and they left. It was the day of 'Id, and the Black people were playing with shields and spears; so either I requested the Prophet (p.b.u.h) or he asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then the Prophet (p.b.u.h) made me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he was saying, "Carry on! O Bani Arfida," till I got tired. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) asked me, "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?" I replied in the affirmative and he told me to leave.

    This seems to indicate that celebrating holidays such as Eid may include singing and music. Even the
    Quran itself mentions "the giving of Psalms to David" in verses 4:163 and 17:55, which are songs of Praise to Allah. Nothing else in the Quran specifically forbids music or instruments, and all prohibitions understood against them come from hadith. From my experience, the hadith seem to signify that the prohibitions are specifically against stringed and wind instruments, and female voices. Some scholars say the use of drums/percussion instruments is allowed.

    From what I can tell, there are authentic hadith supporting both the moderate and puristic views. As I understand it, when that happens it allows for a valid differing of opinion among scholars which is accepted by the ummah in general. You have to decide in your heart, based on your personal taqwa, which course is the one that will bring you closest to your Lord.

    Where one might say:

    That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which not many people know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh which, if it be whole, all the body is whole and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly it is the heart. (Sahih Bukhari, Book 2, Number 50)

    ...another might say:

    Avoid what I have forbidden for you, and do what I have commanded you as much as you are able. Verily, the people before you were destroyed only because of their excessive questioning and contradicting their prophets (Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 5818).

    My advice is:

    Leave what makes you doubt to what does not make you doubt; verily, truth brings tranquility but falsehood brings doubts. (Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Resurrection, Number 2518, Sahih])

    -Amy
    IslamicAnswers.com Editor

  4. salam sali,
    u have already received some very good advise. i was just reading them all and i agree completely.
    i use to listen to any nasheed that would sound good to my ears sami yusuf, meher zain...u name them. . .without any guilt thinking i couldnt go wrong coz these songs glorify Allah and praise our Prophet and thats about it. unless i began to notice the wide difference between some nasheeds. most of the compositions, especially the ones from those i have mentioned were mere copy of the western bands more over the videos were so fake in the sense not in coordination with the lyrics at all eg. the lyrics are about Allah and this guy who is singing is posing like some glamorous romantic hero. So instead of feeling any connection with Allah s.w.t you would end up having more connection with the 'super star..celebrity' singer. Even the manner in which they sang, it had that attitude which they shouldnt have in the first place. On the other hand i felt closer to Allah as some were purely spiritual like Ya Adheeman.(im giving u examples so u could compare the notice the difference)

    So i followed my conscience and i stopped listening to anything. especially stopped watching videos of posers. Before i turned to Allah i was a complete music buff. Alhamdolillah today there is no song on my cell nor a cd of my own. so it is not so hard u see.its possible for us if we make a concious effort to make difference between what we can hear and what we should hear and what we shouldnt under any circumstances.
    besides try your best to break the habit as much as u can .

    Btw have u ever heard mishry Al Affasi? try hearing him sometime. his recitation is like music to ears.
    Also try listening to sumayya eddeb's Al fajr. Nothing beats it.

    p.s sali just try to include some qaris and qarias in ur collection. listen to the top 10 qaris on youtube im sure ull find ur favourite ones. make small changes like replace ur nasheed cd with ur favourite quran recitation in your car etc. and ull feel more peaceful in sha Allah.

  5. This is a topic that can be divisive and there is no ijma'a on this issue. Sheikh Qaradawi, for example, allows music but with certain restrictions.

    One thing I don't like is the lifestyle of musicians. Often they dress improperly, hold concerts containing mixed crowds (male and female non-mahram), get hooked on drugs and become arrogant as if they enjoy being worshiped by the crowd. The write lyrics which are vulgar and spread immorality among the youth.

    It would be better to avoid listening to music if at all possible. As far as I know, something doesn't become haram unless there is ijma'a on the issue such that it is declared haram by all scholars or there is a clear ayat from Qur'an.

    • There is no doubt that music is haram. Only some people think the otherwise. Most of the scholars agree to this because the texts support this view. There is no need for ijtihad in situations where there is text making it clear. All instruments of music are haraam with exception to daff with certain restrictions. See here for more infotmation: http://www.islaam.net/main/display.php?id=194&category=138

      Absense of ijma' is not an excuse to allow music for oneself. It may amount to following one's desire above the guidelines of the Sharee'ah.

      Abu Abdul Bari
      IslamicAnswers.com Editor

      • "Only some people think the otherwise."

        What's wrong with Sheikh Qaradawi's viewpoint? He's a well-known, qualified scholar.
        I don't believe he would just follow his own desires or whims. He's not a deviant person.

  6. for pakistanis and indians i like a song but i doubt there is shirk in the song can you please tell, the song name is patakha guddi

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