Songs accompanied by the lute or the flute
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 4998 )
Q2: We acknowledge that listening to songs accompanied by the lute or the flute is not permissible, but sometimes a person is busy and does not pay attention to the Qur'an or the hadith if the radio is on; therefore, we resort to playing these songs, knowing that they do not distract from worship, nor is it prayer time or the time for the call to prayer, so we do not know whether they are forbidden at all times or not?
A 2Listening to singing is a source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and it tends to incite evil and distract from what is obligatory. Therefore, it is haram (forbidden), whether it is accompanied by music, a flute, or the plucking of strings, or whether it is accompanied by nothing else. It is also haram whether it actually distracts from some of the obligatory duties—as is the common case—or whether it does not actually distract, as is rare in some people due to circumstances specific to them. This is because the criterion for ruling on a matter is what is common and frequent in it, not what is rare, and what is the norm, not the anomalous case. Furthermore, if a person’s heart is occupied with listening to the Qur'an from a radio, for example, that does not give him permission to listen to what increases his heedlessness regarding the truth, or his enthusiasm for listening to amusement, or what increases his turning away from what is beneficial, or his turning toward what has no good in it, such as songs and what is similar to them in terms of inciting evil and corrupting the heart. So let him take the path of rest and relaxation, without turning to what harms him or serves as a means to that harm. And 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Singing causes hypocrisy to grow in'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud(may Allah be pleased with him): "Singing causes hypocrisy to grow in
heart just as water causes herbs to grow." And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q2: We acknowledge that listening to songs accompanied by the lute or the flute is not permissible, but sometimes a person is busy and does not pay attention to the Qur'an or the hadith if the radio is on; therefore, we resort to playing these songs, knowing that they do not distract from worship, nor is it prayer time or the time for the call to prayer, so we do not know whether they are forbidden at all times or not?
A 2Listening to singing is a source of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and it tends to incite evil and distract from what is obligatory. Therefore, it is haram (forbidden), whether it is accompanied by music, a flute, or the plucking of strings, or whether it is accompanied by nothing else. It is also haram whether it actually distracts from some of the obligatory duties—as is the common case—or whether it does not actually distract, as is rare in some people due to circumstances specific to them. This is because the criterion for ruling on a matter is what is common and frequent in it, not what is rare, and what is the norm, not the anomalous case. Furthermore, if a person’s heart is occupied with listening to the Qur'an from a radio, for example, that does not give him permission to listen to what increases his heedlessness regarding the truth, or his enthusiasm for listening to amusement, or what increases his turning away from what is beneficial, or his turning toward what has no good in it, such as songs and what is similar to them in terms of inciting evil and corrupting the heart. So let him take the path of rest and relaxation, without turning to what harms him or serves as a means to that harm. And 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Singing causes hypocrisy to grow in'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud(may Allah be pleased with him): "Singing causes hypocrisy to grow in
heart just as water causes herbs to grow." And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.