Ruling on Listening to and Selling Islamic Anthems
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The questioner: I hope you will elaborate on the issue of songs, as well as the ruling on selling them?The Shaykh: Which anthems?The questioner: The Islamic anthems that are sold on recordings.
The Shaykh: I cannot issue a ruling on them because they vary.But I will give you a general rule: 1/ If the anthems are accompanied by the hand drum, they are forbidden, because the hand drum is not permissible except in a specific situation, not at all times, and it is even more so if they are accompanied by music or drums.
2/ If they are free of that, we look at them: Are they chanted like the songs of licentiousness? These are also not permissible, because the soul becomes accustomed to this type of singing and takes pleasure in it, and it may perhaps go beyond to forbidden songs.
3/ If these anthems are by young men whose voices are captivating,Meaning: they may stir up desire, or a person may take pleasure in the voice without regard for the content of the poem, then these are also not permissible.
However, if they are enthusiastic anthems not in the manner I mentioned to you, there is nothing wrong with them, but better than that is to listen to the Qur'an, or to listen to a good, beneficial lecture, or to listen to a lesson from the lessons of the scholars; this is better. One benefits religiously, and it makes the path easier for a person, because a person, for example, traveling from Makkah to Madinah, needs things to keep him awake.
The questioner: But what is the ruling on selling them?The Shaykh: I will give you a rule: whatever is forbidden to use is forbidden to sell.Due to the statement of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him): (Indeed, when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price).
The Shaykh: I cannot issue a ruling on them because they vary.But I will give you a general rule: 1/ If the anthems are accompanied by the hand drum, they are forbidden, because the hand drum is not permissible except in a specific situation, not at all times, and it is even more so if they are accompanied by music or drums.
2/ If they are free of that, we look at them: Are they chanted like the songs of licentiousness? These are also not permissible, because the soul becomes accustomed to this type of singing and takes pleasure in it, and it may perhaps go beyond to forbidden songs.
3/ If these anthems are by young men whose voices are captivating,Meaning: they may stir up desire, or a person may take pleasure in the voice without regard for the content of the poem, then these are also not permissible.
However, if they are enthusiastic anthems not in the manner I mentioned to you, there is nothing wrong with them, but better than that is to listen to the Qur'an, or to listen to a good, beneficial lecture, or to listen to a lesson from the lessons of the scholars; this is better. One benefits religiously, and it makes the path easier for a person, because a person, for example, traveling from Makkah to Madinah, needs things to keep him awake.
The questioner: But what is the ruling on selling them?The Shaykh: I will give you a rule: whatever is forbidden to use is forbidden to sell.Due to the statement of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him): (Indeed, when Allah forbids something, He forbids its price).