Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Is Music Really Haram (Forbidden) In Islam? Let's Take A Look


I read today that the Taliban of Pakistan is officially waging a war on music and artists. This is nothing new, and extremist Muslims have always opposed music at every chance they get. The Taliban argues that music is of the devil. In another location, Saudi Arabia, two particular incidents took place, where the pious state agency chased down a family car to ask them to lower their music--it was kid songs. The results the father dies and the mother loses her leg. They think music is haram--forbidden.

Another incident in the Kingdom after the agency chased down to young men who were out on a national holiday playing songs for the Kingdom, the chase led to the death of the two young men. This was classified as accidental manslaughter, but the facts say the members of the agency ran over the car three times.

Music was one of the favorite cultural traditions of the Arabs in the days of the Prophet Muhammad (sws). Music and musical instruments were frequently used in worship rituals.

The single most influential Muslim after the Islamic prophet Muhammad is Imam Abu Hamid Al Ghazaly and he had this to say about music, "Whoever does't get moved by the lute and its strings, spring and its flowers, gardens and its birds, certainly he is sick and need of a treatment" In Arabic that reads, "الإمام أبو حامد الغزالي الذي قال: «من لم يهزه العود وأوتاره، والربيع وأزهاره، والروض وأطياره، فهو مريض المزاج يحتاج إلى علاج»،"

  1. Some reliable narratives in this regard make it clear that the mother of the believers, ‘A’ishah (rta) listened to songs in the very presence of the Holy Prophet (sws).
  2. The Holy Prophet (sws) himself is reported to have encouraged people to use music on wedding ceremonies. Other stories from the era of the prophet, a wedding happened and then when the folks came back, the prophet ask them if they had sang for the bride and groom, they family said no. He ordered them to go back and sing for the couple.
  3. On his migration from Makkah to Madinah, the women sang welcome songs on the Daff and the Holy Prophet (sws) expressed his approbation of this
  4. During journeys, the Messenger of God showed his likeness for the Hida, a kind of desert song. He is also reported to have appointed a Hadi for his camels who was endowed with a very sweet sound. 
  5. He also emphasized beating the Daff in order to announce Nikah. Various traditions have been recorded in the books of Hadith on these issues. A study of some of these traditions follows.
  6. We also know that of a reported story that took place in house of the prophet of Islam, there were singing ladies, when his companion Omar Bin Al Khattab tried to get them to stop singing, the prophet was reported to have told him to let them keep singing. 
  7. At another occasion, a professional female singer and musician approached him and requested him to listen to her song. The Holy Prophet (sws) not only himself listened to her song but also took ‘A’ishah (rta) to listen to her. The mother of the believers leaned on the Holy Prophet’s (sws) shoulders and enjoyed the performance for a considerable time.  
We are asked to lead our lives as the prophet of Islam lived his, but when we find something that's fun to do, some of these buzz kills and no-fun police start showing up and making shit up. read more on this here

There are all stories off course, I do not have a doubt in my hear that music can cure the soul, and at least it has never gotten someone killed. Now, I know there are dirty songs out there, and those are inappropriate in any culture. There's so much trash on TV and this is about business and not necessarily about music. Music video is a different game because they can really push the limit and might even be pornographic. I have known people who do not listen to music who are decent and life-loving people, and I have also know those who do not listen to music and annoy us with their beliefs or understanding.

The war on music is not limited to Islam, other religions do it too to lesser degrees. I recall my college roommate in America who was christian, he would not let me listen to music on Sunday (even Arabic music) if he can hear it.

I saw make good choices and let the music rock your world.

allah muslim music



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