Music in Islam - II

Hasan A. Yahya, Ph.Ds

Some questions came to me about music in Islam. Whether it is Hala or haram, and how it is perceived by Islamic Sharia’h. Music stands on the same footing of poetry in Islam. The good of it is good and the bad of it is bad. There is however, a great a great difference in opinion among the principle jurists with regard to of legality or otherwise of music. According to the famous Islamic historian Tabari (Abu Tayyeb) holds it as unlawful along with Imam Malik of Medina, Imam Suhayl, Abu Hafsah, Sufian al-Thawri and Hammad Ujrud, They all took the mean view and maintained that it is Makruh, (abominable) bordering on illegality. While Abu Talib Makki, Imam al-Ghazali, and other modern jurists held it as lawful on the sayings and doings of some of the companions of the Prophet like Abdullah bin Ja’fer, Abdullah bin Jubair, Mughirah bin Shu’bah and Mu’awiyah bin Abi Sufian. The second group was followed by Ata’a ibn Junaid and Abu Hassan bin Salem. The right decision on the matter, however, regarding legality and illegality of music is that song is in itself lawful (Halal), but it becomes unlawful (Haram), abominable (Makruh) and laudable (mustahan) according to times, circumstances, places, motives and types of songs.

In Nature, we may find songs, some with voice and others without voice. Birds sing, rivers sing, children are lulled into sleep by songs, workers speed their work by singing, boatmen take courage in mid sea by songs, winds sing, and active men give impetus to their works by songs. So songs live in nature and has been created with nature. It can’t be banished from nature. I believe s/he who has got no music within himself is a man or a woman of hard heart, and the remotest of them from Alla in the tradition is the one with hard heart.

For human beings, hearts are the treasure house of secrets. It can be opened by the key of songs. For them, hearts is a mine of jewels, hidden in it as fire is hidden under ashes, or as water is hidden underneath the ground earth. There is no way getting these hidden jewels but by creation of commotion in heart. It is only music that van effectively create commotion in heart just as the throw of a stone in a lake, to make commotion in water. Songs can therefore rouse up feelings of joy, sorrow and courage, and thus they give impetus to our actions and prayers. Sweet melodious songs take out what is in heart and expose its virtues and vices. Songs make the virtuous more virtuous and the sinners more sinful, as they rouse up virtues from from a virtuous heart and sin from a sinful heart. Hence they act differently in different minds though they are by themselves not unlawful as the same rain-water produces sweetness in Mangaoes and bitterness in aloes. )496 words) (www.dryahyatv.com)