What is the ruling on Islamic nasheeds?
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding Islamic nasheeds? I ask for clarification on this. May you be rewarded.
The Shaykh : One cannot rule on Islamic nasheeds until one hears them and looks at the subject of the nasheed. Was it composed in the style of low, degrading musical composition, or was it composed in the style of the hida' (camel-driving song), far from the melodies and composition of licentious singing? Was it sung with beautiful, attractive voices that stir up fitnah and move the dormant, or was it sung with ordinary voices that do not cause fitnah?
If the subject of the nasheed is good and there is no objection to it, and it is not composed in the style of low, degrading songs, and it does not contain voices that lead to fitnah, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, this is on the condition that it does not become a person's constant habit such that he devotes much time to it, and that the preacher does not make it the sole source of admonition for his heart without returning to the admonition of the Book and the Sunnah. These are three conditions.
The first condition: The subject of the nasheeds must be a good, permissible subject. Attached to this condition is that they must not be composed in the style of licentious, low songs, and they must not be sung with seductive voices.
The second condition: One must not devote much time to them.
The third condition: One must not make them the sole source of admonition for his heart, such that he turns away from the admonition of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
If these three conditions are met—and if you wish, you may make them five—I see that there is nothing wrong with them. However, if one of these conditions is lacking, let him turn away from them.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : One cannot rule on Islamic nasheeds until one hears them and looks at the subject of the nasheed. Was it composed in the style of low, degrading musical composition, or was it composed in the style of the hida' (camel-driving song), far from the melodies and composition of licentious singing? Was it sung with beautiful, attractive voices that stir up fitnah and move the dormant, or was it sung with ordinary voices that do not cause fitnah?
If the subject of the nasheed is good and there is no objection to it, and it is not composed in the style of low, degrading songs, and it does not contain voices that lead to fitnah, then there is nothing wrong with it. However, this is on the condition that it does not become a person's constant habit such that he devotes much time to it, and that the preacher does not make it the sole source of admonition for his heart without returning to the admonition of the Book and the Sunnah. These are three conditions.
The first condition: The subject of the nasheeds must be a good, permissible subject. Attached to this condition is that they must not be composed in the style of licentious, low songs, and they must not be sung with seductive voices.
The second condition: One must not devote much time to them.
The third condition: One must not make them the sole source of admonition for his heart, such that he turns away from the admonition of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
If these three conditions are met—and if you wish, you may make them five—I see that there is nothing wrong with them. However, if one of these conditions is lacking, let him turn away from them.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.