Islam and music

In many parts of the Muslim world devotional/religious music and secular music is well
developed and popular. However, whether music is allowed under Islamic law is historically
disputed.[1] Views of legal scholars range from music being strictly forbidden, to generally
forbidden but with varying restrictions such as singing is allowed, or only one or two instruments
are allowed, or allowed if it does not lead listeners into temptation. In recent decades, "the
advent of a whole new generation of Muslim musicians who try to blend their work and faith",
has given the issue "extra significance."[2]

Overview

Strictly speaking, the words ‘Islamic religious music’ present a

contradiction in terms. The practice of orthodox Sunni and Shi‘a Islam
does not involve any activity recognized within Muslim cultures as
‘music’. The melodious recitation of the Holy Qur'an and the call to
prayer are central to Islam, but generic terms for music have never
been applied to them. Instead, specialist designations have been used.
However, a wide variety of religious and spiritual genres that use
musical instruments exists, usually performed at various public and
private assemblies outside the orthodox sphere.

— Eckhard Neubauer, Veronica Doubleday, Islamic religious music,

New Grove Dictionary of Music online[3]
 Music and interpretations of Islamic law

One scholar, Jacob M. Landau, discerns "four main groups" in the dispute over whether music is
haram:

1. uncompromising purists opposed to any musical expression;[4]

2. religious authorities admitting only the cantillation of the Qurʾān and the call to prayer, or
adhān;[4]

3. scholars and musicians favouring music, believing there to be no musical difference

between secular and religious music;[4] and

4. important mystical fraternities, for whom music and dance were a means toward unity with
God.[4]

Prohibited, no exceptions except maybe call to prayer

Those who believe the Quran and hadith "strictly" prohibits music include the Salafi, and
Deobandi.[2]

The Quran does not specifically refer to music itself. Yet, some scholars (Ibn ‘Abbaas, Al-Hasan
al-Basri, Al-Sa’di, Ibn al-Qayyim, Abu’l-Sahbaa’)[5] have interpreted the phrase "idle talk" in Sura
(chapter) of Luqman as referring to music:

“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks [in another translation: "the amusement of
speech"; in yet another: "theatrics"] to mislead others from the path of Allah…” [Luqmaan
31:6].[5]

Several scholars have also proposed as evidence that music is forbidden the passage in which
Allah says to Iblis: "And befool them gradually, those whom you can fool among them, with your
voice, mobilize against them all your cavalry and infantry, manipulate them in their wealth and
children, and make them promises.” [al-Israa’ 17:64][6][7][8]

It has also been said that some hadith refer to music, "always in an unfavourable way"[2] -- for
example:

"Singing sprouts hypocrisy in the heart as rain sprouts plants";[2]

"There will be among my Ummah people who will regard as permissible adultery, silk, alcohol
and musical instruments".[9] Some dispute the authenticity of this hadith, most notably Ibn
 Hazm al-Dhahiri.[10] -- but there is disagreement over whether these hadiths are reliable or
weak.[2]

The popular Salafi fatwa website Islam Question and Answer states "the majority of scholars
say that [music] is haraam (forbidden), including the four imams of fiqh", i.e. the founders of the
four Sunni schools of fiqh: Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man, Malik ibn Anas, Al-Shafi‘i and Ahmad ibn
Hanbal.[11] In his survey of Islamic scholarship of "enjoined what was good and forbade what
was bad" in accordance to Islamic law, historian Michael Cook found that

"attacks on offending objects are a ubiquitous theme ... There are, for
example, chess-boards to be overturned, supposedly sacred trees to be cut
down and decorative images to destroy or deface ... But the targets that
are mentioned again and again are liquor and musical instruments. (An
exception was sometimes made for tambourines which were used to
announce marriages.)"[12]

Prohibitions of music are rare or non-existent in majority-Muslim states since the coming to
power of Muhammad bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, but have often been enforced where Islamist
insurgents have gained power – in Afghanistan under Taliban rule;[13][14] and at least as of
January 2013, "across much of the two-thirds of Mali ... controlled by Islamic rebel groups".[15]

Some exceptions

There is a fairly wide difference of opinion over what exceptions can be made to the prohibition
on music. Examples of what is allowed include: vocals but not instruments; vocals but only if the
audience is of the same gender; vocals and drums, or vocals and traditional one sided drum and
tambourine, but no other instruments; any kind of music provided it is not passionate, sexually
suggestive, or has lyrics in violation of Islam.

Other Muslims believe musical instruments are haram and only vocals are allowed, but the
performer must be of the same gender as the audience.[16]

Non-instrumental music (whatever the audience) has led to a rich tradition of a cappella
devotional singing in Islam.[2] In support of singing being halal, the jurist Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi
says, "No sound hadith is available concerning the prohibition of singing", while Ibn Hazm
says, "All that is reported on this subject is false and fabricated."[17]

There are some Muslims who believe drums are permissible, but no other instruments.[2]
 Zakir Naik, maintains musical instruments are haram except for two -- the daf (a traditional
one sided drum) and tambourine, which are also mentioned in Hadith.[18]
An exception in the prohibition of music can be made for women playing the Daf, at
celebrations and festivals, according to a minority group of Sunni Islam and another a
group of Shiites.[19] This exception comes from a well-known hadith in which two small
girls were singing to a woman,[5] and the Islamic Prophet Muhammad instructed Abu Bakr
to let them continue, stating, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an Eid (i.e.
festival) and this day is our Eid".[20]

Still other Muslims believe that all instruments are allowed, provided they are used for
acceptable or halal types of music and are not exciting.[17] Hence there is a long history of
instrumental accompaniments to devotional songs, particularly in the Shia and Sufi
traditions.[2] Many Sufi orders use music as part of their worship.[21]
According to the Irish Times, "a majority of Muslims" follow the view taken by modern
scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi that music is forbidden "only if it leads the believer into
activities that are clearly defined as prohibited, such as drinking alcohol and illicit sex".[2]

Imam al-Ghazzali, reported several hadith and came to the conclusion that music in and of itself
is permitted, saying: "All these Ahadith are reported by al-Bukhari and singing and playing are not
haram." He also references a narration from Khidr, wherein a favorable opinion of music is
expressed. Although this is disputed by others who disagree.[22][16] On the other hand, his
account of forbidding wrong in (Book 19 of) his celebrated work The Revival of the Religious
Sciences, includes listening to musical instruments and singing girls as forbidden activities.[23]

According to Hussein Rashid, "contemporary scholars including Shaykh al-Azhar Mahmud

Shaltut, Shaykh Yusuf Qaradawi, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini have all issued legal rulings
that audio arts [including music] that do not encourage people to go against the faith are
permitted."[24]
Notable people who are regarded as having believed music is halal include Abu
Bakr ibn al-Arabi, Ibn al-Qaisarani, Ibn Sina, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Rumi, Ibn Rushd, and Ibn
Hazm.[25][26]

Yusuf al-Qaradawi

Yusuf al-Qaradawi in his book "The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam", states songs/singing is
not haram unless:

1. the subject matter of songs is "against the teachings of Islam", such as praising wine;

2. the "manner" of singing is haram, such as "being accompanied by suggestive sexual

movement";
 3. it leads to "excessive involvement with entertainment", such as wasting time that ought to
be spent on religion;

4. if it "arouses one's passions, leads him towards sin, excites the animal instincts, and dulls
spirituality";

5. if it is done "in conjunction with haram activities – for example, at a drinking party".[17]

Shia interpretation and Iran

Based upon the authentic Islamic ahadith, numerous Iranian Grand Ayatollahs; Sadiq Hussaini
Shirazi, Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani, Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-
Yazdi, Ahmad Jannati and others, ruled that all music and instrument playing is haram, no matter
the purpose.[27][28][29] Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini held similar religious position, stating
on 23 July 1979: "If you want independence for your country, you must suppress music and not
fear to be called old‐fashioned. Music is a betrayal of the nation and of youth."[30] During the
Iranian Revolution, Khomeini said: "...music is like a drug, whoever acquires the habit can no
longer devote himself to important activities. We must completely eliminate it."[31] From 1979 to
1989, all the music on radio and television was banned except occasional "revolutionary songs"
that were performed in a strong martial style.[32] After Khomeini's death, reformist Rafsanjani
and Khatami administrations gradually lifted the ban on music. The current supreme leader of
Iran, Ali Khamenei, in 2014 has stated his admiration of Western music,[33] and nowadays music
is officially permitted in Iran by the government as long as it is Iranian -- Iranian folk music,
classical music, and pop music is allowed.[34]

Doubts about prohibition

At least a few sources blame prohibition of music not on rigorous interpretation of scripture but
the association of "fashionable" secular music "with erotic dance and drinking" (Jacob M.
Landau),[35] or "illicit behavior tied to music, rather than to the music itself" (Hussein Rashid).[24]
According to Rashid, the Quran, "contains no direct references to music", and hadith contains
"conflicting evidence";[24] Landau states that scholars antagonistic to music "relied on forced
interpretations of a few unclear passages in the Qurʾān" or Hadīth.[35]

Islamic music
A Musical Gathering – Ottoman, 18th century

Notwithstanding prohibitions on music by Islamic scholars, in many parts of the Muslim world
devotional/religious music and secular music is well developed and popular.

Secular and folk musical styles in the Muslim Middle East are found in Arabic music, Egyptian
music, Iranian music, Turkish classical music. In North Africa, Algerian, and Moroccan music.
South Asia has distinctive Afghan, Bangladeshi, Maldivian, Pakistani music

Nasheed is a Muslim devotional recitation music recited in various melodies by some Muslims
of today without any musical instruments, or possibly with percussion.

Music for public religious celebrations includes:

Ta'zieh music (Shia. a passion play depicting the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, part musical
drama, part religious drama, rarely performed outside Iran);

Ashurah music (Shia., performed during the Muharram mourning period, commemorating the
deaths of Imam Hussein and his followers);

Thikiri (from the Arabic word "Dhikr" which means remembrance of God—performed by the
Qadiriyya Sufi orders of waYao or Yao people in East and Southern Africa (Tanzania,
Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa);
 Manzuma (moral songs performed in Ethiopia); Madih nabawi (Arabic hymns praising
Muhammad).

At least according to one scholar, Jacob M. Landau, not only is secular and folk music found in
regions throughout the Muslim world, but Islam has its own distinctive category of music --
"Islamic music" or "classical Islamic music" -- that began development "with the advent of Islam
about 610 CE" as a "new art".[35] It formed from pre-Islamic Arabian music with "important
contributions" from Persians, Byzantines, Turks, Imazighen (Berbers), and Moors. This music "is
characterized by a highly subtle organization of melody and rhythm", where "the vocal
component predominates over the instrumental", there is no harmony, only "a single line of
melody", and the individual musician "is permitted, and indeed encouraged, to improvise". The
core area where it is found stretches "from the Nile valley to Persia", and the farther away one
travels, "the less one finds undiluted Islamic music."[35]

See also

Islamic music

Music censorship

References

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look) . Asia Society. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

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30. Kifner, John (1979-07-24). "Khomeini Bans Broadcast Music, Saying It Corrupts Iranian Youth" (https://ww
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32. Baily, John (2016). War, Exile and the Music of Afghanistan: The Ethnographer’s Tale. Taylor & Francis, p.
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33. The Telegraph: "Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei reveals surprising taste for Western music" (https://www.telegr
aph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/10918022/Irans-Ayatollah-Khamenei-reveals-surprising-tast
e-for-Western-music.html) retrieved October 27, 2016
34. The Guardian (Tehran Bureau): "Iranians pump up the volume for banned tunes" (https://www.theguardia
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35. Landau, Jacob M. "Islamic Arts. Music" (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-arts/Music) .

Britannica. Retrieved 4 January 2022.

External links

Islamic Arts, Music (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-arts/Arab-countries)

Britannica.com

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