Halal Music?

herjihad wrote: Bismillah, In the world I live in, most Muslims I know listen to the radio, watch tv including videos and have music at parties such as the engagement party and wedding. Anybody else on this board familiar with real life?

Dear sister,
In the real life I live in, I know many muslims who drink alcohol, abort unwanted pregnancies, have unlawful sexual relations, etc....

Did you know that in Mozart's day he was considered scandalous?  Music is a definer of civilization and prevelant in every culture.

This scripture is one of my favorites...

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

 1 There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil�this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

 15 Whatever is has already been,
       and what will be has been before;
       and God will call the past to account. ^[a]

 16 And I saw something else under the sun:
       In the place of judgment�wickedness was there,
       in the place of justice�wickedness was there.

 17 I thought in my heart,
       "God will bring to judgment
       both the righteous and the wicked,
       for there will be a time for every activity,
       a time for every deed."

 18 I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ^[b] ; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal ^[c] goes down into the earth?"

 22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him

 

We are meant to enjoy our lives while we are here.  This doesn't mean throwing ourselves as some teen idol.  But I love to listen to beautiful music.  Many of my favorite albums are instrumental or cultural like Celtic ballads.  I abhor music like rap and hiphop most days.  I think one has many options for clean, fun music that is free of haram references to sex, drugs and crime.  Its personal responsibility to censor your music and entertainment.  My mother would request I borrowed any album I wanted from a friend, she would listen too it first and if she found anything objectionable, I was not allowed to have the CD.  (I was denied several while I was at home.)  Music is important, it played a major role in Soviet subculture to change peoples attitudes towards communism.  It played a major role in speaking out against the Vietnam war and its starting to speak out against the current wars and problems.  Music is a powerful weapon for good for evil.  Its up to us to determine who's weapon has more power.

My dear sisters,

Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari: that he heard the Prophet saying, "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. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."  (Book #69, Hadith #494v)

I didn't equate it sister....all sins are not of the same degree.

I repeat the hadith above....Prophet(saw) mentioned illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments in the same breath.....

I am mentioning what is prohibited in Islam, on the basis of proof, I am not comparing it with other sins or saying that banning music is the main issue in the world. Or judging anyone...

And who is better in judgement than Allah for a people who have firm Faith.  
(  سورة المائدة  , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #50)

I am really surprised that some people totally negate a hadith!! isn't it clear in the hadith?

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...

Differences in opinion and lifestyles, culture etc are all acceptable....but if you disobey Allah and His Messenger??? That is ok? If musical instruments were halal, I would be a student of music right now....

If you want peace, read the quran with meaning, it has given me more peace than music.

O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.  
(  سورة النساء  , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #59)

And whosoever fears allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty).  
(  سورة الطلاق  , At-Talaq, Chapter #65, Verse #2)

So fear allah and keep your duty to Him, O men of understanding who have believed! - allah has indeed sent down to you a Reminder (this Quran).  
(  سورة الطلاق  , At-Talaq, Chapter #65, Verse #10)

"Short is the enjoyment of this world. The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears Allah, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly even equal to the Fatila (a scalish thread in the long slit of a datestone).  
(  سورة النساء  , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #77)

And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and used to fear Allah and keep their duty to Him (by abstaining from all kinds of sins and evil deeds and by performing all kinds of righteous good deeds).  
(  سورة يوسف  , Yusuf, Chapter #12, Verse #57)

And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (polytheists and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah), the splendour of the life of this world that We may test them thereby. But the provision (good reward in the Hereafter) of your Lord is better and more lasting.  
(  سورة طه  , Taha, Chapter #20, Verse #131)

Allah kows best.

Assalamu alaikum,

Very nice post, sister amah. Some good points by all sides.  The thing is, if one chooses not to agree with a good daleel, then so be it.  There is no compulsion, our job as Muslims is only to spread the message.  No one has accused anyone of anything, yet backs seem to be up...

Let us try to make points on a topic without the loaded words.

Peace, sisters........