Not Exaggerating in Permissible Matters at Celebrations and the Evil of Image-Making

The Shaykh : It is also important to know that some people have exaggerated in what is permissible or recommended regarding the use of hand drums on wedding nights. Using hand drums and pure singing on the wedding night when the woman is taken to her husband is among the recommended practices, but on the condition that the hand drum is not exceeded by other instruments of amusement, and on the condition that the songs are pure songs, such as the songs of the *tarhim* (wedding dirges) and songs mentioning the blessings of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and similar appropriate things. As for bringing in the songs of lowly singers and artists, that is not permissible. Likewise, if the singing is performed in the manner of singers and artists, that is also not permissible, because it may stir up the hidden desires of the souls and cause fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). However, it should be calm songs with pure topics and without musical instruments, rather without instruments of amusement other than the hand drum, because the original ruling regarding musical instruments is prohibition, and nothing is excepted from this except what the Sunnah has come with, and nothing is added to that. It is also important to know that what some people do of staying up late at wedding gatherings is something that should not be done. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) disliked sleeping before the 'Isha' prayer and talking after it. If a person stays up late, he does not give his body its share of sleep, and he does not get up for the Fajr prayer except feeling lazy and tired. Then he sleeps at the beginning of his day, missing his religious and worldly interests. Long sleep at the beginning of the day leads to missing many interests. People have tried and found that working at the beginning of the day is more blessed than working at the end of the day, and that it is stronger, better, and more successful, and that it is more blessed because the early morning is blessed. These people who stay up all night undoubtedly cannot remain without sleep, so the body must have sleep, and staying up late prevents that. It is also important to know that what some people do of photographing the parties on cards or on video tapes is an evil matter. That is because these pictures will be displayed, and on whom will they be displayed? They may be displayed to the base people among humans, or to the people who take pleasure in others' misfortunes among humans, so they may take pleasure in the scene or the one being looked at, or fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) may occur if there are beautiful women in these pictures, so evil and corruption occur without any benefit from the photography. What is the benefit of photography? Nothing. The memory, as they claim, has no benefit. The matter is in the heart. Are you now happy with your family? Then the loss of the memory does not harm. Are you not happy? Then the memory does not benefit you. So we do not expose ourselves to something forbidden that has little benefit, but rather much harm. And uglier than that is that some women place loudspeakers on the balconies of the palace and the corners of the walls, and sing through these speakers, so there is fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) for the listener, and disturbance for the people of the neighborhood, and fatigue for the people, so this blessing turns into a curse, and this dispensation turns into something forbidden because of the harm in it. The matters that occur on the occasion of marriage are many, and the time for the speech has now ended, and only the time for questions remains. I ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to make in what we have said goodness and blessing, and to guide us all to the truth and correctness, for He is Able to do all things.