The Danger of Exaggerating the Love for Artists and Football Players

Question:
We see many young people inclining toward the diversions of this worldly life, such as singers and football players, where they prefer them over religious worship. I believe that some of them love them more than the Companions and the Successors. What is your comment on that?

Answer:
Having such a bad opinion of people to this extent is not befitting. Having such a bad opinion of people, to the extent that they love them more than they love the Companions, is what happens from a Muslim. But in any case, among people there are the foolish who love artists and players more than they love engaging in obedience that is not obligatory upon them. This is from ignorance and from a lack of insight. And because souls have habits they love to carry out, such as play and fun, and listening to songs or poetry that may please them. But this requires a detailed explanation.
If the well-known songs that people use in love, passion, and the like, and in mentioning women and the state of women, these are undoubtedly forbidden. And if they are accompanied by a drum, or music, or a lute, or types of forbidden instruments of amusement, then the genre of singing is forbidden according to the majority of scholars, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Luqman: 6]. The majority of scholars said that this refers to singing. And if it is accompanied by instruments of amusement, it becomes more forbidden and the sin is greater, to the point that more than one scholar reported the consensus of the scholars on that, Ibn al-Salah (may Allah have mercy on him).
The point is that singing, in itself, is from the forbidden amusement about which the majority of scholars said it is what is intended in the saying of the Exalted: [Luqman: 6]. As for the Arabic poetry known by the melodies of the Arabs, which is not the melodies of singing, then what of it is good, its listening is permissible, such as the poetry of Hassan, and the poetry of Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, and Ibn Rawahah, and so on.
The point is the poetry that the Arabs recite in the melodies of the Arabs regarding generosity, nobility, bravery, war, craftsmanship, and other good aspects. This is listened to, and it has benefit. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
As for the poetry that is in disparagement of the religion, or in praise of a sinner, or of intoxicants, this is forbidden like prose. Its good is good and its bad is bad. So what is in the path of Allah, and in obedience to Allah, from Arabic poetry and other poetry in praise of the truth and calling to the truth, and spreading virtue, there is nothing wrong with it. And what is from the poetry in disparagement of the truth, or in calling to vices, or intoxicants, or fornication and obscenities, this is forbidden, whether it is Arabic, Nabati, foreign, or prose, it is all forbidden; because it calls to falsehood—may Allah grant us safety.
As for football and displays, if they occupy one from prayer or if they expose the private parts, they are prohibited. But if they are at a time when no private parts are exposed, and they do not occupy one from an obligation, then there is no harm in them, such as being at the time of the forenoon before prayer, for a time to practice walking, or the strength of the body, and the like, or carrying weapons like swords, rifles, spears, and the like of what is used in war, like armor and lances, as the Abyssinians did in the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his time (peace and blessings be upon him). This is permissible, and this is from the category of practice, from the category of preparing strength. But there should not be in it what Allah has forbidden of music, drums, and instruments of amusement. No, rather it should be with swords, spears, armor, and lances, and the like, and the Arabic poetry that contains praise of bravery, praise of generosity, praise of strength, and the like. This is a matter of detailed explanation.

Question: What is the meaning of "artist" in the language? Some say its meaning is donkey?

Answer: No, what we know is: the artist is the one who possesses the art, who has knowledge of the art of singing, or another art, like the art of music, or such and such an art, or such and such an art. The arts differ; it may be a forbidden art, and it may be a permissible art. The arts in what Allah has permitted of art, how to make such and such? How to work such and such of what Allah has permitted? This has its ruling.
And the arts that relate to forbidden songs, or to the making of instruments of amusement, or the like, have their ruling. So the artist, in what we hear about him, is the one who engages in songs, and excels in songs, how he delivers them, and how he encourages them. And it may include one who has knowledge of music, how he strikes the instrument during singing, how he plays?

Question : Is the singer's earnings permissible?

Answer : No, it is not permissible.