What is the evidence for prohibiting men from playing the hand drum at weddings?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding the actual nature of the hand drum, I have seen on some occasions that invitations to celebrations are written with a note saying "Islamic ceremony at such-and-such time." We observe that men are playing hand drums. I truly do not know, but we know that the hand drum is for women, and not generally, but in a limited occasion that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified.
The Shaykh : You have done well.
The questioner : I do not know. We know that the original ruling for a matter is permissibility unless there is decisive evidence for its prohibition. We have informed you of this before. So I do not know regarding men playing the hand drum.
The Shaykh : It is as if you are asking what is the evidence for prohibiting men from playing the hand drum.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This example also helps us to say that we should understand the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. As you pointed out, playing the hand drum is permitted on occasions such as weddings. Who was performing this known permission, men or women, or both together? When you go back and study the matter, you will find that it was the work of women and not the work of men. So, when practice is established on a matter, it is restricted by the text, which may be understood in its broader meaning. If practice is carried out in a narrow manner, we are not allowed to broaden it, and vice versa. If practice comes in a broad manner, we are not allowed to narrow it. Why? Because all good is in following, and all evil is in innovation. So the issue requires knowing the reality of the practice of the Salaf: did men play the hand drums, or women? Then this thought occurs to me: if it is said that men play the hand drum or hand drums on occasions such as weddings, do they also participate with the women? If women play the hand drums and men play the hand drums, the issue is turned upside down, and men take on the role of women. Instead of women playing the hand drums, men play the hand drums, with women on one side and men on the other. This is not acceptable from a scholarly or artistic standpoint. It will inevitably lead to what? Mixing, meaning confusion. The point mentioned by scholars is that the permissible playing of the hand drum, which is an exception to the original ruling, is specific to women and not men, and nothing else.
The questioner : In response to that...
The Shaykh : Let someone else have their turn now.
The questioner : Some scholars—may Allah reward them with good—say that in some of Ibn Taymiyyah's books, he says he went to the people of Basra and said, "I saw the people of Basra amusing themselves with something called al-taghbeer."
The Shaykh : Yes, al-taghbeer.
The questioner : And it distracts from the remembrance of Allah. I think there is an interpretation that al-taghbeer is playing the hand drums and singing or anthems, and this is the statement of al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), who comments on this topic.
The Shaykh : In any case, the interpretation I remember is that al-taghbeer is not playing the hand drum, but rather striking with a stick. It is most like, if you ever see or are afflicted with seeing a musical band with a leader, what does the leader do?
The students laugh
The Shaykh : The important thing is that this stick he holds, if he strikes it on wood or a tin or iron, it has a musical echo. This is what is in my mind regarding al-taghbeer. Imam al-Shafi'i considered it to be forbidden amusement. Yes, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : You have done well.
The questioner : I do not know. We know that the original ruling for a matter is permissibility unless there is decisive evidence for its prohibition. We have informed you of this before. So I do not know regarding men playing the hand drum.
The Shaykh : It is as if you are asking what is the evidence for prohibiting men from playing the hand drum.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This example also helps us to say that we should understand the Book and the Sunnah according to the methodology of the righteous Salaf. As you pointed out, playing the hand drum is permitted on occasions such as weddings. Who was performing this known permission, men or women, or both together? When you go back and study the matter, you will find that it was the work of women and not the work of men. So, when practice is established on a matter, it is restricted by the text, which may be understood in its broader meaning. If practice is carried out in a narrow manner, we are not allowed to broaden it, and vice versa. If practice comes in a broad manner, we are not allowed to narrow it. Why? Because all good is in following, and all evil is in innovation. So the issue requires knowing the reality of the practice of the Salaf: did men play the hand drums, or women? Then this thought occurs to me: if it is said that men play the hand drum or hand drums on occasions such as weddings, do they also participate with the women? If women play the hand drums and men play the hand drums, the issue is turned upside down, and men take on the role of women. Instead of women playing the hand drums, men play the hand drums, with women on one side and men on the other. This is not acceptable from a scholarly or artistic standpoint. It will inevitably lead to what? Mixing, meaning confusion. The point mentioned by scholars is that the permissible playing of the hand drum, which is an exception to the original ruling, is specific to women and not men, and nothing else.
The questioner : In response to that...
The Shaykh : Let someone else have their turn now.
The questioner : Some scholars—may Allah reward them with good—say that in some of Ibn Taymiyyah's books, he says he went to the people of Basra and said, "I saw the people of Basra amusing themselves with something called al-taghbeer."
The Shaykh : Yes, al-taghbeer.
The questioner : And it distracts from the remembrance of Allah. I think there is an interpretation that al-taghbeer is playing the hand drums and singing or anthems, and this is the statement of al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), who comments on this topic.
The Shaykh : In any case, the interpretation I remember is that al-taghbeer is not playing the hand drum, but rather striking with a stick. It is most like, if you ever see or are afflicted with seeing a musical band with a leader, what does the leader do?
The students laugh
The Shaykh : The important thing is that this stick he holds, if he strikes it on wood or a tin or iron, it has a musical echo. This is what is in my mind regarding al-taghbeer. Imam al-Shafi'i considered it to be forbidden amusement. Yes, may Allah preserve you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.