Status of Music in Islam

when the scholars refer to music that is played or used in
places where vain or futile acts are taking place such as the
nightclub, disco, etc; and sometimes it refers to a particular
act or certain acts that are done with no use or purpose
behind them except to ‘waste time’.

The Status of Music in Isl¡m
Written by Saleem Bhimji

Music: When we talk about Music, we are actually
referring to the complete piece of work that one is listening
to which includes the sounds (instruments) and the lyrics.

ince time immemorial, the issue of music has been debated
by various sectors of the Muslim world. Both
sides in the debate have brought their proofs and
arguments with the hope of making the other side
see “the light” and thus bring an end to this time
consuming dilemma. It is not the purpose of this
short article to bring all the evidence in regards to the ruling
of All¡h i and His Prophet e in regards to music; rather,
we will suffice with the minimum, with the hopes that
Insh¡-All¡h, it will help and guide the Muslims – especially
the youth – to distinguish between what is right and what is
wr o n g .

g
When we refer to the dictionary, we see the following
definition of music1:
mu·sic (myzk)
n. Abbr. mus.
1.

2.

Before discussing the ruling of music, a few of the Isl¡mic
(‘Arabic) terms must be defined that are constantly referred
to in this article, in the different a¦¡d¢th and in the various
books of A¦k¡m. These include the following:

The art of arranging sounds in time
so as to produce a continuous,
unified, and evocative composition,
as through melody, harmony, rhythm,
and timbre.
Vocal or instrumental sounds
possessing a degree of melody,
harmony, or rhythm.
a.

They (the scholars of Isl¡m and the ‘Arabic language) have
said that: Mu§rib sounds are those which cause a person to
become carefree, happy or sad (bring about a change in
one’s emotions).

The written or printed score for such
a composition....