How do you respond to those who permit singing that is not accompanied by obscene speech?

The questioner : Here is a question that says: There are those who say that listening to music is permissible if it is not accompanied by obscene singing, arguing that there is no definitive Qur'anic text or hadith text forbidding listening to it if it is free from obscene speech. How do you respond to that with a sufficient, convincing scholarly answer?

The Shaykh : I think this statement is derived from some of those who are attributed to knowledge in the present age. It is said that they are among the preachers. Today, we must take a correct idea from the Islamic preachers. The Islamic preachers today all call to Islam, but unfortunately, they do not call to Islam with a unified concept. When Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, revealed Islam to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), it had only one concept and only one interpretation. I think this matter does not need much explanation, because it is well known from the religion by necessity that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, used to reveal the revelation to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes as a recited Qur'an and sometimes as a revelation preserved in the Prophetic hadith and the authentic Sunnah, but not recited as the Noble Qur'an is recited. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to him of the recited revelation, which is the Qur'an, or the non-recited revelation, which is the Sunnah. He (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed that to his Companions as it was revealed to him. There was no second revelation before that. There were known legislations, such as the Gospel, the Torah, the Psalms, and the like, but these legislations were abrogated, and nothing remained except the legislation of Islam and what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to the heart of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So, if there was only one concept when this Islam was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The questioner : Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh- And upon you be peace. Make room, please, for Abu Muhammad. - So, when Islam was revealed to the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he conveyed it to his noble Companions, it had only one concept. Then, when this Islam was transmitted to the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), something new began that was not known before, namely the independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) of some of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whether this ijtihad was in his presence (peace and blessings be upon him) or in his absence. This ijtihad is, as a principle, prescribed in Islam by virtue of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) exerted ijtihad, as we said, in the two forms mentioned: sometimes in his presence and sometimes in his absence. If the ijtihad was in his presence (peace be upon him) and it was wrong, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would quickly move to correct it, so it would return to its source, which is the single opinion that does not accept another opinion. But if the ijtihad was in his absence (peace and blessings be upon him), it may remain in disagreement and with two opinions, or perhaps more than that. Because this disagreement that may occur in his absence (peace and blessings be upon him) is, in reality, also divided into two categories: a category that reaches him and a category that does not reach him. The one that reaches him is during his lifetime, and the other does not reach him because it occurs after his death. So, as for what reaches him (peace and blessings be upon him) during his lifetime, the affair of that ijtihad, if it is wrong, is that he (peace and blessings be upon him) moves to correct it. But if the disagreement occurred after him (peace be upon him), this disagreement will be transmitted to the second generation, who are the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), and so on. The important thing is that the revelation that came down to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as we said, whether it was Qur'an or Sunnah, is one and does not accept any other face absolutely. But Allah, Mighty and Majestic, by His will and wisdom, decreed that ijtihad would continue in this Ummah (the Muslim community) for a profound wisdom. Therefore, some opinions multiplied after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This multiplication was sometimes with a good intention and sometimes with a bad intention. As for the good intention, it only comes from sincere scholars who seek to know the truth that Allah revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Sometimes it is motivated by the desire of the self or the victory of the self. This type has no cure except that its owner fears Allah. As for the first type, which is ijtihad that comes from its owner intending to reach the knowledge of the truth, this disagreement is permissible, and it is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) meant by the previous hadith So the mujtahid (a scholar qualified to derive rulings), even if he is wrong, will be rewarded. But if he hits the mark, he will be rewarded twice. I do not want to lengthen the discussion of this type or that type of disagreement. I only want to draw attention to the fact that Islam today is not the Islam that was revealed to the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). That Islam had one concept, but this Islam today has many concepts, and very many. The hadith known as the Hadith of the Sects is sufficient as an indication of that, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the Muslim Ummah (the Muslim community) will split into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one. They said, "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said So the truth is one, and it is confined to one sect. As for the other sects, they are far from the truth, completely far. And therefore, they deserved to be among the people of the Fire. If that is the case, and here, as they say, is the crux of the matter: if Islam today has many concepts in many of its rulings and issues, then the Muslim must seek the correct path from this disagreement that he may hear in one issue or another. We are now facing this question about the ruling on musical instruments. If they are not accompanied by anything of the singing that contains ugly words, all scholars agree on forbidding them or prohibiting them. What is the ruling on these musical instruments if they are stripped of such speech, which is usually not permissible to utter, let alone be accompanied by musical instruments and musical devices? The question states that there is no definitive text in the Qur'an or the Sunnah prohibiting musical instruments.