What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding those who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while using the flute, the lute, and the hand drum? And what is the ruling on the reciters?

The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding those who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? I mean the shaykhs who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while using the flute, the lute, and the hand drum? And what is the ruling on the reciters who demand a fee from the family of the deceased, and is there any evidence in the Book of Allah?

The Shaykh : The reality is that this question contains two issues:
The first issue: those shaykhs who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with praise accompanied by instruments of amusement. We say in answer to this:
First: Are these praises true praises that do not lead to the exaggeration that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade, or are they praises that include exaggeration regarding the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), elevating him above the status that Allah assigned to him? Such as praises that attribute to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a share in the management of the universe, or perhaps attribute the entire universe to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). As some of them say, addressing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"For from your generosity comes the world and its neighbor, and from your knowledge comes the knowledge of the Preserved Tablet and the Pen."
These praises and their like are disbelief in Allah (Mighty and Majestic), whether they are accompanied by instruments of amusement or not. It is not permissible for a believer to say them about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent to purify people from such matters that lead to associating the creation with the Creator in what is due to Him (Blessed and Exalted is He).
Then we say secondly: If these praises are true praises without exaggeration, but they have been accompanied by these flutes and instruments of amusement, then this is forbidden, because they are associated with what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade. Indeed, musical instruments and instruments of amusement are all forbidden, except for the hand drums in the times when they are permitted. What indicates their prohibition is what al-Bukhari narrated from the hadith of Abu Malik al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Musical instruments are instruments of amusement, as mentioned by the scholars. And their association with zina and drinking intoxicants is evidence of their ugliness and the certainty of their prohibition. So these who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with praises accompanied by instruments of amusement are as if they are mocking him (peace and blessings be upon him), for they praised and honored him with what He forbade upon His Ummah and prevented them from it.
As for the second issue contained in this question, it is: the reciters reading the Qur'an for the dead after their death and taking a fee for it. This is also a trial in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). The reciter who does not read except for a fee has no reward, because reading the Qur'an is a righteous deed, and if a righteous deed is sought for the sake of this world, it is nullified and its reward is invalidated, as Allah the Exalted said: And if his reward is invalidated, meaning the reward of this reciter for the fee, then the deceased does not benefit from his reading. And in that case, those who hired the reciter to read the Qur'an for their deceased have lost in this world and the Hereafter.
As for their loss in this world, it is spending money on a matter that does not benefit the deceased. And as for their loss in the Hereafter, it is because they hired this man to read the Book of Allah for a worldly compensation, so they assisted him in sin. And the one who assists in sin is sinful, because Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) says: .
And my advice to these two types of people: the first type, those who praise the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with what He forbade them from, which is exaggeration regarding him, or those who praise him with moderation but associate it with what is forbidden; and the second type, those who read the Qur'an for the dead for a fee. I advise them all to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to be, in their verbal, practical, and creedal worship, following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for holding fast to it is the best and success in this world and the Hereafter. And although this matter may be difficult for them, and even though Satan may show them that it is difficult for them and that they will lose what they lose of status or wealth, let them be patient with it and let them seek the reward of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), which has no limit or end, and let them be patient in leaving these forbidden matters until they become leaders who guide by the command of Allah, if they are patient and believe in the signs of Allah.