The Ruling on Zaghareed at Weddings and the Fitnah Resulting from Women Raising Their Voices at Weddings

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. Another issue raised by the sender of this message? She is one of the sisters residing in Jeddah. Umm Khadijah asks about another issue, namely: We hear from some people that it is not permissible to raise the voice during joy or marriage, specifically through zaghareed. Has there come from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) any prohibition regarding this? I know that raising the voice when weeping over a deceased person is prohibited. We ask you for the evidence for this issue. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Raising the voice is not good; it is foolishness, whether from men or women on the occasion of marriage. However, raising the voice by women has an added element: the voice of women carries fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and evil. If it is heard from outside the circle of women and reaches the ears of men, great fitnah occurs. It is obligatory for women to lower their voices, and this should be only among themselves, not extending beyond their circle to men. Zaghareed is not among the customs of Muslims; rather, it is foolishness. It is not among the morals of Muslims. What is prescribed for women on the occasion of marriage is beating the duff (the hand drum) and singing—the customary singing that contains no fitnah. This is done by a woman reciting or women reciting poems that contain no indecency and no immodesty. It is also not with an enchanting voice, or with vocal acrobatics or melodic embellishment in the style of modern singers. Rather, it is with the customary voice known among Muslim women, as reported in the Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
This is what is prescribed for women, and it is part of announcing the nikah (the marriage contract): beating the duff and singing with it, with customary singing that contains no fitnah, and not in the modern style that involves melodic embellishment and vocal acrobatics. It is not accompanied by music or flutes. All of these are munkar (what is wrong) and are not suitable, and are not permissible, neither in marriage nor in anything else. Yes.