MUSIC, SONGS & ARTS ARE HALAL (LEGAL) IN ISLAM

ALLAH instructed us not to decide what is haram except what ALLAH only stated in his book

QURAN 16;116

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ

Translation “And do not say what your tongues untruly describe, this is halal (lawful) and this is haram (unlawful),” —–And there is nothing in the book of Allah (Quran) that prohibits songs or music or any arts genre .For those heavily relying on hadith for religious judgments , then there is a hadith unanimously believed to be true & fully Sahih by all hadith scholars that the Prophet (pbuh) said

“الحلال ما أحله الله والحرام ما حرمه الله فى كتابه و ما سكت عنه فهو عفو

Translation “Halal and Haram are what is stated by ALLAH in his book , and whatever he was silent about is pardoned (forgiven)” –. This sahih hadith  debunks & annuls any hadiths claiming the banning of music or arts or songs & proves they are fake hadiths since no banning for them is mentioned in Quran

• Sheikh “ Muhammad Mutawali Al Sharawi “ (Egypt 1911– 1998) the extremely popular & prominent Top Egyptian & Arab Islamic scholar talked on the music, songs & art legality /halal issue saying;

1)  MUSIC , SONGS , & ARTS ARE ALLOWED & NOT SINFUL in Islam as long as it does not kindle & inflame bestial & sexual instincts & does not drive the enjoying person out of his normal moderation to a bestial lustful status & does not distract him from observing his praying duties & on that matter everyone is his own personal judge & observer . Al Sharawi adds that even if your own normal work as engineer or doctor or student or any other avocation or trade distracts you from praying , then you are sinful unless if there is an emergency or a justifiable reason for that

2)    IT IS NARRATED THAT PROPHET TOLD HIS COMPANIONS TO BRING THE SINGERS (MEN & WOMEN) & music in the weddings, feasts & happy occasions & amusement during travelling & others. Music , songs & entertainments are not objected to , on the contrary they are welcomed in weddings & feasts & happy occasions or for encouraging laborers in their hard work time or as national anthems or for encouraging any kind of legal work & production or a mom singing to her child or for every now & then amusement & enjoying & fun as long as it does not drive the person out of his normal moderation to a bestial lustful status & does not distract him from observing his praying duties & on that matter everyone is his own personal judge & observer as stated above

3)   THE KUFFAR TRIED TO DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM LISTENING TO THE PROPHET Muhammad (pbuh) advocating to Islam in Makkah , so it is said that they hired one entertaining story narrator & another attractive lady singer to tell stories & sing & dance so as to distract the people from listening to the Prophet & ridicule his religion when he preached, thus Quran warned those who did this or similar acts . Also The muslims who intentionally buy or opt for a kind of fun so as to unjustly inflame their bestial lustful instincts & distract them from observing their praying & ridicule it are blameworthy & sinful , see Quran verses below depicting this

Q 31;6

تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْحَكِيمِ ﴿٢﴾ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٥ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِين

Translation “These are verses of the wise Book, As guidance and mercy for the doers of good Who establish prayer and give zakah, and they, of the Hereafter, are certain [in faith]. Those are on [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful. And of the people is he who buys the distracting/amusement speech to mislead from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment”—-

• Also any person having any legal avocation or work as engineer or doctor or student or any other avocation or trade is sinful if he stays engaged in his trade when it is time for prayer except if there is an emergency or a justifiable reason for that ,Q24;36

ُفِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّـهُ أَن تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَال ِ

رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّـهِ وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ ۙ يَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَالْأَبْصَار

Translation “in abodes(houses) which Allah has ordered to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein; exalting Him within them in the morning and the evenings [Are] men/those standing whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about –

Q62:11  سورة الجمعة

وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا ۚ قُلْ مَا عِندَ اللَّـهِ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ ۚ وَاللَّـهُ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

translation “But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, “What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers”