Does Islam Really Prohibit Music?

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam One Finds No Reference To Music Being Haram In Qur’an Or Even Hadees Main Points: 1. Issue of listening to music is one that has differing opinions in Islamic law. 2. Music is rooted in Arab and Islamic culture. 3. One finds no reference to music being Haram in Qur’an or even Hadees. 4. Naat, Hamd-o-Sana in Islamic spiritual traditions are all musical in nature. ---- Photo: Historia Factory ---- A few days ago, a Muslim friend of mine in Poona (sorry, no Pune) told me that he made up his mind to bid farewell to singing as it was un-Islamic. He used to sing Rafi's songs to make both ends meet and he indeed sang well at that. I asked him, ' how'll you survive? ' With confidence, he said that Allah would look after him. This reminded me of a Hyderabadi rapper Ruhaan Arshad, who announced last year that he quit the music industry, saying it's 'haram' (prohibited) in Islam. This again pops up the debatable issue of music in Islam, whether it's indeed haram. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Is Music Prohibited In Islam? --------------------------------------------------------------------- The issue of listening to music is one that has differing opinions in Islamic law. It's, therefore, not prudent for Muslims to castigate one another on such issues since one can only castigate issues that are agreed upon, not issues that have differing opinions. This is even more so as there is no single and categorical text proof in Islam that specifically outlaws music. Among the scholars who have ruled music and listening to music is permissible is Imam al-Ghazali as he stated: "Amusement and entertainment are cures of the heart from exhaustion. So, it must accordingly be permissible. However, one should not engage in it with excess just as one cannot take medicine in excess. Based on this intention (i.e. relaxation and aid in serious matters) amusement and entertainment become acts of drawing nearer to God." Imam al-Ghazali also wrote that “if musical instruments have become the sign/s of drunkards or lewdness, if the instruments are like the harmonica, wind instruments, string instruments, or drums used by drinkers, then it's impermissible. And every other kind of instrument remains permissible such as tambourines even with jingles, drums, striking drums with branches, guitars and the like, or any other instrument.” The very word music has Arabic etymological origin. It (music) originated from the Arabic word Mausiqi which came from Maus (Yiddish for desert music). It's worthwhile to mention that the two major Semitic languages, Arabic and Hebrew (and also to some extent, Aramaic, supposed to be the language of Jesus) borrowed from Yiddish and Ladino as both the ancient tongues gave birth to modern Semitic languages. The natural musical sounds produced when air passes through sand dunes is called Maus in Yiddish and Mauz in Ladino. So, no wonder, music is rooted in Arab and Islamic culture. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Is Music Forbidden in Islam? --------------------------------------------------------------------- One finds no reference to music being Haram in Qur’an or even Hadees. In fact, if you delve into the role of music in Islam or Arab culture, you realize that casting aspersions on music was socio-cultural rather than theological or religious. Al-Tirmizi wrote that prior to Islam (Qabl-e-Islam Jahiliya) and in the early days of the new faith, there were women of easy morals who used to lure men by singing. They were known as Qahmaat (from archaic Arabic word Qaham: dubious character) So, singing was socio-culturally prohibited rather than being a strict scriptural edict. Had it been prohibited, Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni Islam in Cairo, wouldn't have been in favour of Qeerat (musical recitation of Al-Furqan). There're seven types of Qeerat and Misri or Egyptian Qeerat is considered to be the best. It can move believers as well as nonbelievers to tears with its powerful and euphonic rendition. The point is: Religio-social boundaries are often overlapping and unclear. A socially unacceptable practice may soon have religious sanction. Syrian music band from Ottoman Aleppo, mid 18th century (Alex. Russel, M.D.). ----- It's indeed ironic that Islam has given the finest vocalists and instrumentalists to the world. Who can forget the great Rafi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Vilayat Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, to name but a few? One more factor going against music in Islam has been hard-core Islam being at loggerheads with Sufi Islam. The latter calls music the spirit and essence of the soul: Arq-e-Rooh. Rumi's whirling or dancing Darvesh can be adduced as music's undeniable role in Islam. Hafiz Shirazi says in Persian, ' Shaad-e-Ghun Mausiq Mee An Mazhab ' (Deeply into music, it's my faith). The ostensible connotation of this statement may sound sacrilegious to those not au fait with mystic Islam. Amir Khusro, Nizamuddin Aulia and Gesu Daraaz were singing Qawaalis (from Qawwal: Music of the cosmos or Mausiqi-e-Kaainaat) in their state of trance. Naat, Hamd-o-Sana in Islamic spiritual traditions are all musical in nature. It must be mentioned that the word Hamd became Hymn in English retaining the same connotation! So, music has never been completely prohibited. When the great Rafi decided to quit music (thrice he quit and resumed) at his zenith in the mid 60s, when the Grand Imam of Mecca Sharif advised him to refrain from it, a Pakistani scholar Dr Moin Raza wrote for now defunct The Illustrated Weekly, elaborating Islam's gentle as well as generous stand on music. Fortunately, better sense prevailed and Rafi started singing again. One Hadees says that music is unacceptable only when it's played with a malafide intention. So, quitting a promising career in the name of religion is indeed sad but then, religion is now too much into our lives. May sanity prevail and Aql-e-Saleem (wise thinking) be applied. ---- An occasional columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-culture/islam-prohibit-music/d/126735 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism