Is Listening To Music A Sin And Haram?

Islam forbids the use of music, musical instruments, and singing. The Quran and Sunnah provide evidence in favor of this restriction. All of the imams acknowledged the soundness of the hadith that forbids singing and musical instruments. Also, Islam has categorized music into three types, have a look at them so you can distinguish between the three.

Some scholars use a hadith from Sahih Bukhari to support the prohibition of musical instruments.

Furthermore, some academics believe contemporary music promotes sinful behavior and improper thoughts. They thus hold that people should avoid music as it can lead to Haram.

Music

The word “music” originated from ancient Greece and referred to the “art of mixing sounds in a precise order for aesthetic effect.” Music investigates what sounds go together and what do not since it is also concerned with harmonically blending these sounds. Both musical instruments and human voices are used to achieve this.

Types Of Music In Islam

Muslims argue about what kind of audio art is acceptable, not whether or not it is lawful. There are no explicit allusions to music in the Qur’an, which is the first source of law for Muslims.

It has become widely accepted that the audio arts can be divided into three groups: legitimate, disputed, and illegitimate.

The call to prayer, religious chanting, and other expressions are all legitimate.

Nearly every other genre of music is included in the controversial audio arts.

Audio arts that divert attention from religious obligations are regarded as unlawful. Music that encourages binge drinking or other immoral activities is not regarded as acceptable.

Devotional music might be considered valid, debatable, or illegitimate depending on the community of interpretation.

Prohibition Of Music In Islam

Some scholars agree that the traditions often cited by the first set of scholars to support their condemnation of all musical instruments and music are either false or expressed in this manner only because of their connotations with intoxication, sensuality, and dance.

However, the latter set of scholars views all genres of music free of such themes and messages as acceptable. In contrast, everyone agrees that all genres of music that contain pagan, sensual, or subliminal meanings are categorically forbidden.

The issue is that the word “music,” which refers to specific instrumentation and vocalization, does not translate well into the Arabic word “musiqa,” which refers to one type of audio art in the Islamic legal system and qira’at, another.

No Islamic scholar would say that reciting the Qur’an (qira’at) is against the law, and many would argue that it should be done as beautifully as possible. A person unfamiliar with qira’at can mistake the sound for music. It is offensive to refer to the recitation as music because it is not in an Islamic legal context.

Many of the Prophet’s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and second-generation Muslim intellectuals reportedly enjoyed listening to music and saw nothing wrong with it. The hadith that have been reported as being against singing are all weak and have been proven by scholars to be false.

Reasons why music is considered Haram in Islam

The scholars cite hadiths, which mean that using musical instruments is prohibited by Islam.
They read the Quranic text from Surah Luqman (31:6), which announces “idle tales” and specifies an accompanying, humiliating penalty, as referring to music.
Some academics contend that contemporary music is unquestionably Haram because it is “filthy” and might promote Haram.

Is it prohibited to play musical instruments in Islam?

Some Islamic scholars view both music listening and musical instrument playing as forbidden. Others think that playing instruments is forbidden while listening to music is permissible. Some Muslims believe that musical instruments are forbidden, and only vocals are permitted; as a result, rich history of devotional singing performed by a cappella has developed. Some Muslims hold that only drums are acceptable musical instruments.

Still, other Muslims think that all instruments are permitted as long as they are utilized for legal or halal musical genres. As a result, instrumental accompaniments to devotional songs have a long history, especially in the Shia and Sufi traditions.

According to one source, Musical instruments are generally prohibited. However, there are a few exceptions (source). Which are:

It’s Daf (a traditional drum with one side)
The tambourine

Does music soften people’s hearts?

Some claim that the power of music and musical instruments is to cultivate tender emotions and soften people’s hearts. This is untrue because it appeals to our physical wants and desires. If it genuinely achieved what they claim, it would have softened the hearts of the artists and improved their attitude and behavior, but as we all know, most of them are misguided and act terribly.

Final Thoughts

In the Muslim world, there is much disagreement over whether listening to music is permissible or not. Islamic authorities and many eminent scholars hold sharply divergent opinions on the matter.

However, we found that scholars who deem music halal urge Muslims against listening to filthy music and songs that promote un-Islamic conduct and deeds. Music with explicit sexual content is included in this. Since music is a contentious topic, we urge you to conduct your research and consider the relevant data before concluding. May Allah (SWT) guard us against sin and keep us on the straight and narrow.

We should not be misled in our times when individuals who are sincerely loyal to Islam have become strangers. Anyone who claims that using musical instruments and singing is acceptable is just catering to modern society’s desires.

Make an effort to learn about Islam through the Prophet’s Sunnah and the Book of your Lord. You cannot discover the truth solely from men, so refrain from saying “So-and-So stated.” Discover the truth, and then evaluate individuals in light of it. This ought to be sufficient for the person who manages his whims and submits himself to his Lord.