What is the ruling on the use of the hand drum by men at weddings and the 'ardhah?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the ruling on the hand drum for men?
The Shaykh : For men, on what occasion? I say: on what occasion?
The questioner : The wedding, in the 'ardhah, the 'ardhah.
The Shaykh : Regarding the wedding, some scholars have permitted it for men, just as it is permissible for women, but we do not issue a fatwa to that effect, because it opens the door to evil and gatherings occur, and there may be free mixing of men and women. Therefore, we do not issue a fatwa that men should play the hand drum at the marriage.
The questioner : And if the men are separated from the women?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The men are separated from the women.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The men are separated from the women.
The Shaykh : Yes, the men are separated from the women on this night, but on the other night they are not separated. Therefore, prohibiting it is better.
The questioner : You mentioned, O Shaykh, in a booklet from the *Book of Fatwas*—I do not know its name—but you wrote conditions for the ruling on the hand drum, and some people understood from it that it is permissible for men, to the point that some of the young men recently committed to it, he said.
The Shaykh : Tell whoever understood that from it to ask me, and I will inform him.
The questioner : In the 'ardhah, O Shaykh, I do not think there is mixing.The Shaykh : The 'ardhah, the 'ardhah, there is nothing wrong with it, because I mean, on the days of the festival, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted 'A'ishah to look at the Ethiopians as they were playing in the mosque.
The questioner : Is there a drum and a flute in it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The drum and the flute are not permissible, neither at the wedding, nor on the days of the festival, nor at any other time.
The questioner : In some of our regions in the south, they do not perform the 'ardhah except with the drum and the flute, the *zayr*, meaning the large drum.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is not suitable, it is not permissible, because the original ruling regarding instruments of amusement and musical instruments is prohibition, so what is permissible is limited to what the Sunnah brought, which is the hand drum.
The questioner : Okay, what about the women?
The Shaykh : Which of them?
The questioner : The hand drum.
The Shaykh : At the wedding.
The questioner : In the 'ardhah.
The Shaykh : In the 'ardhah, the women are not in the 'ardhah. May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : No, no, the men in the 'ardhah, the hand drum?
The Shaykh : Yes, there is nothing wrong with it, if Allah wills, there is nothing in it, yes, there is nothing in it, because the days of the festival, the days of the festival, Allah granted a dispensation for amusement.
The Shaykh : For men, on what occasion? I say: on what occasion?
The questioner : The wedding, in the 'ardhah, the 'ardhah.
The Shaykh : Regarding the wedding, some scholars have permitted it for men, just as it is permissible for women, but we do not issue a fatwa to that effect, because it opens the door to evil and gatherings occur, and there may be free mixing of men and women. Therefore, we do not issue a fatwa that men should play the hand drum at the marriage.
The questioner : And if the men are separated from the women?
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : The men are separated from the women.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : The men are separated from the women.
The Shaykh : Yes, the men are separated from the women on this night, but on the other night they are not separated. Therefore, prohibiting it is better.
The questioner : You mentioned, O Shaykh, in a booklet from the *Book of Fatwas*—I do not know its name—but you wrote conditions for the ruling on the hand drum, and some people understood from it that it is permissible for men, to the point that some of the young men recently committed to it, he said.
The Shaykh : Tell whoever understood that from it to ask me, and I will inform him.
The questioner : In the 'ardhah, O Shaykh, I do not think there is mixing.The Shaykh : The 'ardhah, the 'ardhah, there is nothing wrong with it, because I mean, on the days of the festival, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted 'A'ishah to look at the Ethiopians as they were playing in the mosque.
The questioner : Is there a drum and a flute in it, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The drum and the flute are not permissible, neither at the wedding, nor on the days of the festival, nor at any other time.
The questioner : In some of our regions in the south, they do not perform the 'ardhah except with the drum and the flute, the *zayr*, meaning the large drum.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is not suitable, it is not permissible, because the original ruling regarding instruments of amusement and musical instruments is prohibition, so what is permissible is limited to what the Sunnah brought, which is the hand drum.
The questioner : Okay, what about the women?
The Shaykh : Which of them?
The questioner : The hand drum.
The Shaykh : At the wedding.
The questioner : In the 'ardhah.
The Shaykh : In the 'ardhah, the women are not in the 'ardhah. May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : No, no, the men in the 'ardhah, the hand drum?
The Shaykh : Yes, there is nothing wrong with it, if Allah wills, there is nothing in it, yes, there is nothing in it, because the days of the festival, the days of the festival, Allah granted a dispensation for amusement.