Why should not nasheeds be a substitute for songs?

The Shaykh : Does anyone have a question? Please, go ahead.

The questioner : On the same topic, please—Shaykh!—why can’t the intention regarding Islamic nasheeds be good, rather than it being a violation of the Shari’ah? For example: they could be an Islamic alternative to songs, instead of me wanting to hold a party, instead of holding a party of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance in which Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is disobeyed, why don’t we bring in Islamic reciters to recite at this party, so that it becomes—using the correct expression—committing the lesser of two harms? Why can’t it be of this nature?

The Shaykh : This is—may Allah reward you—incorrect. Committing the lesser of two harms is only applicable—may Allah reward you—when a Muslim is compelled and must fall into one of the two harms. Do you understand this point so I don’t go on too long? When is it the lesser of two harms? When a Muslim is compelled, whether he wills it or not, to fall into one of the two harms. An example: a man in the desert faces death from hunger, and he finds the meat of a dead sheep and the meat of a dead lion. Which is the lesser of the two harms? Both are carrion; but the first, if it were alive, would be permissible to slaughter and eat, while the other, if it were alive, would not be permissible to slaughter or eat. So here, what is the lesser of the two harms? Eating from the meat of the dead sheep. Now, if he doesn’t eat, what happens to him? He will die. So this is the lesser of the two harms. But as for me wanting to hold a party, what harm befalls me if I hold a party and invite the Muslim youth, and invite a noble scholar, or a reciter who recites well, and does not drag it out, going up and down with the musical scales and so on, such that it is true of him what he (peace and blessings be upon him) said when he was asked, “Who is the best of people in recitation, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: . Most of the reciters today, especially the Egyptian reciters who are sometimes broadcast, and with every verse or two you hear the words of the attendees: “Allah! O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad! Send blessings upon the Prophet,” and so on. These people play with the recitation of the Qur’an, they do not listen, they do not pay attention, and so on. What is the obstacle to holding a party and bringing a reciter who recites well—peace be upon you—or a preacher who preaches to the people, and preaches well with the Book and the authentic Sunnah, and does not mention weak or fabricated hadiths, or bringing a man who is a scholar well-versed in the religion, and so on? Where is the necessity—my brother!—in this case? There is no necessity. However, this question reminded me of something; it was necessary for me to mention it; but so it was decreed, . These religious nasheeds have now taken the place of reciting the Qur’an. It has reached me from more than one source that many of the youth, while working in their shop, in their store, fill their idle time by listening to these religious nasheeds! And I mention myself—not mentioning this in praise, but as a reminder—when I was in the early stages of youth, around twenty or less, I was a watch repairer, and you know that watch repair requires extreme precision. So I would open the Qur’an; on one hand I would work, and on the other hand I would read to memorize, and this memorization requires specific free time. Nevertheless, because I was also occupied with knowledge in addition to the profession, I would seize the opportunity when no one was with me, place this Qur’an before me, and at that time there were no recorders or any of these things that have been made easy today, where no house remains without a recorder or more. So I would focus on memorizing the Qur’an while engaged in this precise work. How would it be if I had, at times when I am free, recorded the Qur’an and listened, and sometimes paid attention to some benefits that I cannot attend to due to my preoccupation with reading or writing or the like? Now, the scholarly nasheeds have taken the place of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: . So what causes the youth today to amuse themselves, and to cut and waste their time by listening to religious nasheeds, instead of occupying themselves and spending their time either by reading the Qur’an, which is better for them, and learning it themselves, or—if they do not recite well—by listening to the recitation of the Qur’an?
This is one of the evils of religious nasheeds.

The questioner : Continuation

The Shaykh : Continuation? Please, go ahead.

The questioner : Shaykh! You also said that regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he made Hassan ibn Thabit mock them with poetry, and patriotic poetry is permissible, likewise Islamic nasheeds give the patriotic character to people, to the extent that they incite them to jihad; for example: we hear from the nasheeds, many of the nasheeds are jihadist, so what is the obstacle again...

The Shaykh : I am asking you a question now, my brother!

The questioner : Please.

The Shaykh : You have surely heard Egyptian nasheeds, and Syrian nasheeds, and Saudi nasheeds, have you?

The questioner : No, I haven’t heard them, I heard the nasheeds

The Shaykh : And what did you hear? Yes?

The questioner : I mean the nasheeds that are in Jordan.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you! I mentioned to you three types: Syrian nasheeds, Jordanian nasheeds, Saudi nasheeds? Don’t say no!

The questioner : You mentioned Egyptian.

The Shaykh : Egyptian, and Syrian

The questioner : You didn’t mention the Jordanian ones.

The Shaykh : Ah, well, the point is I haven’t heard anything of these things. Now, is this nasheed that you heard here not measured by musical scales?

The questioner : It is measured.

The Shaykh : Okay! What have we been talking about for an hour? Allow me, was this in the patriotic poetry that you alluded to in general, and cited as an example, and followed me with the poetry of Hassan? Was his poetry like that, measured? Say: No, and rest.

The Shaykh: Someone else.