Singing and the Evidence for Its Prohibition According to the Scholars

Question:
His Eminence the Shaykh says: Singing includes singing that stirs up desire, and it includes exquisite singing that a man does not reveal to another man, only to a woman. Furthermore, there is no explicit, clear evidence from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that specifies the prohibition of singing.

Answer:
And all of this is forbidden; because what is in it, which they call "bari," leads to what is not bari; it leads some of it to some of it. And whoever is with you distinguishes for you the lawful from the forbidden in the radio, or otherwise, it is all leading, it is all leading some of it to some of it. It leads to flirting with women, praising women, praising so-and-so, and so-and-so, her height, her width, and so on. And perhaps it leads to praising young men and the "burdan." Therefore, based on what the scholars reported, due to His saying, the Exalted, , they understood from it that it is singing in its generality. Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that singing grows hypocrisy in the heart just as water grows the crop of a mule. So the position of the scholars is the prohibition of singing because it leads some of it to some of it; it leads the good to the bad. If a person were found singing something permissible, it would lead him to the forbidden. As for Arabic poetry, in that it is recited in Arabic, because of the method of songs, Arabic poetry is permissible, permissible, and its forbidden aspect is forbidden. If the Arabic poetry is in what Allah has made lawful, praising bravery, praising generosity and nobility, there is no harm. And if the Arabic poetry is in praising intoxicants, praising unlawful sexual intercourse, it is forbidden. If we return to the matter of marriage between women, if we return to the ordinary matter between women in marriages, the scholars have made an exception, so there is no harm. If we return to the matter between women regarding the bride, in the context of announcing the marriage, yes.