The Ruling on the Use of Singing and Musical Instruments

This is a letter sent by its sender, who began by saying: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and his companions, and may peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. As for what follows: I, the sender (A. B. C.), from the Iraqi country, from the Erbil Governorate, send my congratulations and with all my respect for your successful program, which reminds us and admonishes us with the verses of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and the avoidance of every sinful matter. And Allah is the One who grants success. I carry in this letter a collection of questions that are not mine alone, but with my companions, and we have gathered them in one letter so that the benefit may be widespread. We hope that you will answer the questions in a way that pleases Allah and then pleases us; because there are some questions that concern all our youth in the Islamic world. The first question says: We love to listen to songs and music of all kinds, and among us is also a musician, so we wanted to know the position of Islam on this matter. Is it forbidden or what? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: Listening to songs, musical instruments, and music is among the forbidden entertainments, and it is obligatory for the believer not to listen to them, and not to work in them or be a musician; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explained to us that , and musical instruments are: instruments of entertainment, and singing with them is all called playing, so singing is playing, and instruments of entertainment are called musical instruments. The basis in this matter is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Luqman: 6]. Most of the scholars said: "Lehwa al-hadith" (idle talk) means songs, and every indecent sound from flutes, music, and other sounds of entertainment is included with it. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) explained that these instruments and these musical instruments mislead their owners, He said: [Luqman: 6], and in the other reading: , so that indicates that buying them means: acquiring them and using them. One may buy them with money or may not buy them with money, and one may choose them and use them, and thereby be misled from the path of Allah, meaning: from his religion, and mislead others. So it is obligatory to leave them and beware of them, in order to preserve the religion of the believer, and to preserve his heart from deviation, corruption, and straying from guidance. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) mentioned the verse as a condemnation of the people of this work, He said: meaning: some people, so this is presented in the manner of condemnation. meaning: he acquires idle talk, and it is known from the saying of most of the scholars: that it is singing and instruments of entertainment. [Luqman: 6-7]. This clarifies that the use of these entertainments and the use of songs and music and other types of idle amusement are among the greatest causes of misguidance and leading others astray, and taking the verses of Allah in mockery, and among the causes also of his arrogance in following the truth, and his lack of submission and his discomfort in listening to the verses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So it is clear from this that musical instruments of all kinds are among the causes of the sickness of hearts, and among the causes of misguidance from the path of Allah, and among the causes of arrogance against the truth. And al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, may Allah have mercy on him, from Abu Malik or Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with them both), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: So al-har is: the forbidden private parts and zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and al-harir is: known, and it is forbidden for men, and al-khamr is: known, and it is the intoxicant... it is every intoxicant, and it is forbidden for men and women all together, and musical instruments: this is also forbidden for everyone, for men and women. And it is known that musical instruments, from songs and entertainments and all types of pleasure, are among the causes of misguidance from the path of Allah, and among the causes of taking the verses of Allah in mockery, and among the causes of the sickness of hearts and their straying from guidance, and arrogance in listening to the verses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So it is obligatory for the believer to beware of this matter, and to warn others of it, and this is obligatory for everyone, for men and women, in every place; out of concern for the rectitude, safety, and uprightness of hearts; and out of fear of the anger of Allah; and out of fear of what songs and entertainments bring about of misguidance and leading others astray, and deviation from guidance. And there is no power and no strength except with Allah. Yes.