Assalamualaikum I've read all of your articles on the permissibility of music. But I am confused about one thing. In one of your articles a Hadith is mention which has a line that says '"Abu Bakr said protestingly, "Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) !". If musical instruments were permissible, then why would Anyone Bakar(R.A) call them 'musical instruments of Satan' ?
Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,
Abu Bakr RA was simply stating his own personal opinion. Since in his mind, and in the minds of perhaps all Arabs of that time, music was always associated with dancing, alcohol and debauchery, it was natural for them to consider it evil and gross. This is the reason, I believe, that so many early scholars had such a negative opinion about music. But when Islam spread and Persians started to enter it, things changed quickly, because Arabs were exposed to the beauty of Persian music. So Persian scholars like al-Ghazali had a very positive view of music, since they often experienced the spiritual kind of music that was performed, for example, by Sufi dervishes.
You are wrong!! Al Ghazali never said music was permissible mutlaq.
Sheikh Jameel Al Shafii and Sheikh Al Minhaji (shafii mufti) both refuted this where there is a confusion between what Al Ghazali in his Ihya said about the benefits of music espcially in therapeutical reasons, and Al Ghazali’s stance on music. Al Ghazali takes the standard mu’tamad shafii position which is that all instruments are prohibited except the duff. This is also found on the Ihya I think.
Stop forwarding this misconception!!
Music is prohibited with a few exceptions by the ijma of the 4 madhabs and over 30 great ulema transmitted ijma on this and the early salaf did not disgaree on this prohibition. Including the sahaba like ibn abbas (ra) and ibn masud (ra).
This is a liberal cope to now re-interpret the statements of Abu bakr (ra) to only be due to “superstition” and that we know better.
So who are you to bring me quotes and evidneces from ibn hazm, al ghazali who didn’t even agree with your position, and al shawkaani (I think same thing as al ghazali) against the vast material against you??
Also who are you to come with your” software ” operated by someone who admitted themselves that they haven’t even studied Deen under a teacher with no isnaad to the prophet saw!!
This hadith software isn’t an objective way to determine authenticity and weakness as there is so much human reasoning and intervention that plays like tuning it. Therfore also fiqhi rulings!!
So brother, I advise you to do rujoo and take back your stance on this as you will be held accountable for this and this is spreading to other Muslims who do not know better.
If you must promote and if you want, you can promote the mu’tamad shafii position which is that all music is haram except the duff and a few types of drums with conditions like a drum is of equal circumference on both ends and in the center, it is permissible whether one of its ends is open or not, but if the drum is wide on the ends and narrow in the middle, it is haram, whether one of the ends are open or not.
But check with the shafii scholars for better details and not my word for it inshallah.
Firstly, your claim that Imam al-Ghazali never permitted music *mutlaq* (absolutely) is inaccurate. While it’s true that he acknowledged the potential dangers of music, he also recognized its positive aspects, particularly its therapeutic and spiritual benefits. In his magnum opus, **Ihya Ulum al-Din**, he explicitly states that music can be permissible under certain conditions, such as when it is used for *dhikr* (remembrance of Allah) or to evoke positive emotions.
Secondly, your assertion that the four Madhhabs and over 30 scholars have reached a consensus (**ijma**) on the prohibition of music is also debatable. While some scholars within these schools do hold such a view, there are also prominent scholars within each Madhhab who have permitted music under certain conditions. For example, Imam al-Nawawi, a renowned Shafi’i scholar, explicitly permits the use of the duff (tambourine) in permissible gatherings.
Furthermore, your attempt to dismiss the opinions of scholars like Ibn Hazm and al-Shawkani based on their alleged disagreement with your position is intellectually dishonest. A diversity of opinion exists within Islamic scholarship, and dismissing opposing viewpoints without engaging with their arguments is not conducive to productive dialogue.
Finally, your criticism of the use of hadith software as a tool for understanding the permissibility of music is unfounded. While human intervention is involved in the development and use of such tools, they can be valuable resources for verifying the authenticity and weakness of hadiths.
Therefore, I encourage you to approach this issue with an open mind and consider the diverse perspectives within Islamic scholarship. While the permissibility of music remains a complex and nuanced topic, resorting to generalizations and dismissing opposing viewpoints without proper engagement is not a productive approach to understanding the issue.
May Allah guide us all to the truth.