Halal Music?

Bismillah,

Dear Sister Angela,

Thank you for quoting one of my favorite Biblical verses.  Very beautiful.  And of course, in my mind it was put to the music of the ... who was that anyway?  Garfunkel?  Beetles?

Jenni wrote: I am more concerned with people beating thier wives and kids, going to prostitutes, doing drugs, and all of the other great evils. If someone listens to some music that is not profane than I don't know what the problem is. And I love classical music, I played the clarinet for 6 years and it helped me immensly in school. Many of my Mulsim friends kids play an instrument in school like piano, violin or flute. It builds a childs I.Q. and confidence and a classical instrument is totally different than playing in a hard rock band. Do we really believe that all other instruments than the two mentioned are Haram? Does that seem logical? Do they do us harm or good? What person has gone astray playing the piano, or the violin? I think the that music meant for dancing with mixed company with sexual content is definitly haram. But Mozart, why? Music like that is like a math formula with sound, nothing more. No words, its not sexy at all. Peace

Dear Sister Jenni,

I agree wholeheartedly with your assesment, which makes me all the sadder for Sister Amah when she says this:

I was myself a music lover and I myself played musical intruments (very well that too), but i gave it up after i came to know about it. Wherever I go , there is music, I cannot avoid it, there is music everywhere today, toys, phones..etc......Allah knows our intention...

I am really sad for you that you gave up something so beautiful and worshipful because of the wrong idea that all music is evil.  There is no logic in such a belief.  I followed people like you are doing as well and I understand you completely.  But I thank Allah that I have matured enough to know better.  This is not an indictment of you and your lifestyle.  Many people feel the way you do, as many people feel the way I do.  But we are NOT going to hell for listening to or playing music.  Stop incorrectly quoting Quran to tell us that we are.

When you say this, Sister Amah:I am really surprised that some people totally negate a hadith!! isn't it clear in the hadith?

You are saying that you personally accept all of the hadith that are called sound.  Are you calling people like me who follow mostly the Quran non-Muslims?  This is an old issue which will keep coming up, so why are you so surprised that we disagree?

There are many people who believe it is halal to listen to nice music and play instruments et cetera.  We do not believe we are breaking the Quranic rules that you listed.  You used a hadith and then all Quran which has nothing to do with music to justify that hadith.  I hate it when people do this, and people do it all the time.  There is nothing in the Quran equating shirk with music listening or adultery with music listening.  Allah, SWT, gave us our beautiful brains to use them. 

As Sister Jenni pointed out above, the harm comes when people get nuts over it, like at the concert Sister Fatima originally brought up when people were screaming and jumping up on chairs in hysteria. (Although honestly I have no problem with gentle swaying.)  Don't worry about me at concerts, though.  Don't have the dough or the time and can't stand crowds.

Also, to the people who listen to other music which I know you do, Subhanna Allah!  Allah, SWT is our Judge.  Don't let us get you down.  I knew a sister who had serious trouble praying.  Come to find out that she has severe depression and it was exacerbated because she was upset that she had stopped listening to music all the time.  After encouraging her for a couple of years slowly, she prays all the prayers and has for years.  She needs the music because of the isolation she feels without it.  And it so disoriented her without it that she couldn't say her prayers.  Yeah, it's sad the weaknesses we humans have, but Allah SWT is Most Loving and don't you think her prayers are accepted and her life better because she is able to pray?