Listening to calm music

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This questioner also asks and says: I read in a book that there is a type of calm music that is permissible, and I have heard that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade singing and what is similar to it. What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding this statement that we read, and is there a distinction in the ruling between calm music and other types? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: We do not know of any detailed distinction in music or other instruments of amusement; rather, they are all prohibited, and they are all from the forbidden amusement, and they are all from the means of corrupting hearts, causing disease in hearts, and turning away from good. Therefore, it is obligatory to leave them, due to the saying of the Exalted and Majestic in His great Book:

And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ

[Luqman: 6]. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them), most of them, mentioned in this verse that the intended meaning of "idle talk" is singing and what accompanies it of instruments of amusement.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the people of Islam to leave that, and not to imitate the disbelievers in these matters or in others. So music, the oud, the violin, and all other types of amusement are all prohibited, and they are all from the musical instruments that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) criticized and blamed. Likewise, all songs are from the musical instruments. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:

From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful.

ليكونن من أمتي أقوام يستحلون الحر والحرير والخمر والمعازف

Sahih al-Bukhari 5590

Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Sahih.
So "the free" refers to unlawful sexual intercourse, and "silk" is well known; some men consider it permissible, but it is forbidden for men. And "intoxicants": every intoxicating substance is forbidden for all Muslims to consume, whether its making or its drinking is forbidden for everyone. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed ten people regarding intoxicants: he cursed the intoxicant... The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):

He cursed the intoxicant, its drinker, its server, its presser, its one who presses it, its carrier, the one to whom it is carried, its seller, its buyer, and the one who eats its price.

لعن الخمر وشاربها وساقيها وعاصرها ومعتصرها وحاملها والمحمولة إليه وبائعها ومشتريها وآكل ثمنها

Sunan al-Bayhaqi 16:11

So one must beware of intoxicants.
But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed:

That there will be in the last of times people who drink it and call it by a name other than its name.

أنه يكون في آخر الزمان قوم يشربونها يسمونها بغير اسمها

So one must beware of this evil. Likewise, the musical instruments, which many people today have considered permissible under various names. So musical instruments are from playing, which is what consists of singing and instruments of amusement and delight. They are from what turns away from the remembrance of Allah, and from what occupies one from good, and from what wastes times, and from what causes hardness of hearts, their disease, and their deviation from good. So the believer must beware of that, and not be deceived by those who are lenient in these matters without proof. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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