The questioner says: Attending an invitation or wedding feast is obligatory, but on the condition that there is no evil in the form of female singers.
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The questioner : After the greeting and praise of the scholars who answer the program's questions, she says: Attending an invitation or wedding feast is obligatory, but on the condition that there is no evil in the form of female singers. You know that most wedding invitations nowadays include female singers, and we are unable to change this evil. So tell me, may Allah reward you, do I attend the invitation knowing that there is a female singer, or do I refrain from going? How can I not go when Allah has commanded us to respond, even if I am fasting voluntarily, I would break my fast in order to go to that wedding feast.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the questioner's statement that responding to a wedding feast is obligatory is not absolute. If the wedding feast is from the husband, then responding to it is obligatory. Likewise, if it is shared between the husband and the woman's family, then responding to it is obligatory, because the husband is the one commanded to hold the wedding feast, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf: And if the wedding feast is from the wife's family only, and the husband will prepare a wedding feast when the wife moves to him, then it is not obligatory to respond to the woman's family; rather, responding to them is a recommended practice. In both cases—whether it is from the husband, from the wife's family, or from both of them together—the third possibility is that responding is conditional on there being no evil that one is unable to change. If there is an evil that one is able to change, it is obligatory for him to attend in order to change this evil and to complete the response to the invitation.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If he is unable to change it, it is forbidden for him to attend the invitation. As for these female singers, if they sing with a low voice and with a permissible hand drum, and men do not hear them, and they are only among women, then there is nothing wrong with it, for this is what the Shari'ah has brought.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Women may sing and play the hand drum, but on the condition that there is no harm involved, and this is not a sin. She may respond and attend this celebration. However, if the female singers are brought in, and a singer remains with a loudspeaker and forbidden music, and she acts coquettishly, dances, and writhes, then this is not permissible, because it is an evil and must be prevented. Attending it would be approval of the evil, so in that case, she does not attend. As for her statement in the question that even if she is fasting voluntarily, she would break her fast to respond to the invitation: the one fasting voluntarily does not break her fast. She responds to the invitation and does not break her fast, except if breaking her fast would console the heart of the inviter. In that case, she breaks her fast. But if the inviter is satisfied with the response of her presence and excuses her if she informs him that she is fasting, then she does not break her fast, but rather she remains in her fast.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the questioner's statement that responding to a wedding feast is obligatory is not absolute. If the wedding feast is from the husband, then responding to it is obligatory. Likewise, if it is shared between the husband and the woman's family, then responding to it is obligatory, because the husband is the one commanded to hold the wedding feast, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf:
Hold a feast, even if it is only with a sheep
أولم ولو بشاةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : If he is unable to change it, it is forbidden for him to attend the invitation. As for these female singers, if they sing with a low voice and with a permissible hand drum, and men do not hear them, and they are only among women, then there is nothing wrong with it, for this is what the Shari'ah has brought.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Women may sing and play the hand drum, but on the condition that there is no harm involved, and this is not a sin. She may respond and attend this celebration. However, if the female singers are brought in, and a singer remains with a loudspeaker and forbidden music, and she acts coquettishly, dances, and writhes, then this is not permissible, because it is an evil and must be prevented. Attending it would be approval of the evil, so in that case, she does not attend. As for her statement in the question that even if she is fasting voluntarily, she would break her fast to respond to the invitation: the one fasting voluntarily does not break her fast. She responds to the invitation and does not break her fast, except if breaking her fast would console the heart of the inviter. In that case, she breaks her fast. But if the inviter is satisfied with the response of her presence and excuses her if she informs him that she is fasting, then she does not break her fast, but rather she remains in her fast.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.